chapter 6
The wedding date for Jiang Tingrou and Gu Xiao was drawing ever closer. Gu Xiao was busy with work, so Jiang Tingrou took charge of all the arrangements.
Excitedly, she pre-booked an island hotel and a luxury yacht, arranged for a private helicopter to pick up guests, and even the flowers used to decorate the wedding were rare specimens she had won at auctions from all over the country.
The expenses for this wedding were truly staggering, to the point that even Jiang Tingrou’s relatives advised her that such extravagance was unnecessary.
After all, the Jiang Family had not been doing well in recent years. Their assets were mainly in real estate and film, but in the past two years, many major projects had failed one after another, locking up their assets and causing a severe cash flow crunch.
Jiang Tingrou’s lavish lifestyle these past few years had all been maintained with Gu Xiao’s money. Now, with the wedding set to cost the groom such a huge sum, the Jiang Family couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
But Jiang Tingrou felt perfectly justified.
After all, when she first dated Gu Xiao, he was just a penniless young man.
Though his background was humble, he was both the campus heartthrob and a top student.
Such a popular figure, admired by all the girls at school, happened to encounter Jiang Tingrou when she twisted her ankle. He carried her in his arms all the way to the hospital, making Jiang Tingrou’s young heart flutter and fall hopelessly for him.
She took the initiative to bring Gu Xiao into her social circle, and later, when Gu Xiao wanted to start his own business, Jiang Tingrou supported him wholeheartedly with both funds and connections.
It could be said that without Jiang Tingrou, there would be no Gu Xiao today.
Gu Xiao doted on Jiang Tingrou as well. He had built his fortune from scratch and was usually frugal, but he was willing to give Miss Jiang anything she wanted to spend money on.
But this time, when Jiang Tingrou had Wu Man bring the wedding budget to Gu Xiao, the level of extravagance still left Gu Xiao a bit shocked.
He walked over and put his arm around Jiang Tingrou’s shoulders.
“Rourou, I want to give you the best, but with the current economic downturn, all companies are cutting costs and improving efficiency. We’re also facing tight cash flow.
“Under these circumstances, aren’t some of these expenses a bit unnecessary?”
Gu Xiao patiently coaxed Jiang Tingrou for quite a while before she finally listened.
She said to Wu Man, somewhat begrudgingly, that some expenses should be cut.
Wu Man exchanged a silent glance with me. I smiled and handed the freshly brewed Fat-Reducing Flower Tea to Jiang Tingrou: “Even if we cut some expenses, this wedding will still be dazzling, because it will have the most radiant bride.
“Miss Jiang has slimmed down so much now-I can’t imagine how beautiful she’ll look in her wedding dress.”
After hearing my words, Jiang Tingrou’s previously disappointed mood brightened instantly.
She looked at herself in the mirror: her waist was slender, her legs no longer thick, and her collarbones were clearly defined.
Even though her complexion was poor and her skin sallow, I did her makeup every day, and with the help of foundation and blush, these issues were easily concealed.
She couldn’t wait to say, “All my old clothes are too big now. I need to buy some new ones that fit-and I’ll need to try on new wedding dresses too.”
Wu Man immediately said, “I’ll book a designer for you right away.”
Wu Man was extremely efficient. The very next day, Jiang Tingrou arrived at a dazzlingly stocked dressing room.
The designer was Qi Feng, a tall, supermodel-like girl with an androgynous air and a stylish aesthetic.
She showed Jiang Tingrou her latest creation-a stunningly gorgeous wedding dress, its skirt as fluffy as clouds, intricately embroidered with countless pearls and diamonds.
“This dress is handmade, and there’s only one in the world. The embroidery on the skirt is inspired by medieval murals, and over a thousand pearls will reflect the most beautiful colors under Rembrandt lighting.”
Clearly, Jiang Tingrou was absolutely delighted with the dress.
But the price was so high that even someone as extravagant as her was a bit taken aback.
Qi Feng smiled, “There’s only one wedding. If you can’t wear the dress you love most, what’s the point?”
Jiang Tingrou was immediately convinced. She said to Wu Man, “This one!”
However, when she tried on the dress, Jiang Tingrou found she couldn’t fit into it.
She couldn’t help but snap, “Why is this dress made so small?”
Qi Feng replied, “That’s how it’s designed-any bigger and it would lose its shape. Actually, Miss Jiang can fit into it; just lose another five or six pounds and it should be fine. Brides usually lose weight for their weddings.”
Jiang Tingrou immediately looked at me: “Before the wedding, I want to lose five more pounds!”
She was already only 90 jin (about 45 kg / 99 lb).
Any doctor would advise her not to lose any more weight.
But I’m not a doctor.
I smiled calmly, “Of course, Miss Jiang.
“I’ll make sure you achieve it.”