Wang Jue was pleasantly surprised. "Can I open it?"

"Of course. It was prepared just for you." Ji Li loved preparing gifts for her friends, and since this was a wedding present, she had naturally spent a long time on it.

Wang Jue opened the first gift box. Inside was a jade-white qipao with exquisite embroidery.

Ji Li said, "I had a master of Su embroidery custom-make it. I hope everything goes smoothly for you."

Wang Jue’s mother had a good eye. She touched the fine embroidery. "This must not have been easy to commission, was it? You usually have to get on a waiting list."

Ji Li smiled. "I asked the master to start working on it right when they began dating. You can wear it as a casual dress, too."

Wang Jue unfolded the qipao. "I couldn’t bear to! I’m going to pass this down as a family heirloom."

Ji Li said, "Clothes are meant to be worn. If you like it, we can just have another one made later."

Wang Jue carefully folded the qipao and placed it back in the box, then looked at the second box. Inside was a phoenix coronet, inlaid with all sorts of pearls and gemstones, giving it an incredibly noble air.

Ji Li carefully placed the phoenix coronet on Wang Jue’s head. "It suits you perfectly."

With such a heavy crown suddenly on her head, Wang Jue didn’t dare move her neck, afraid she might drop it. "It’s so heavy..."

Wang Jue’s mother sighed with emotion. "I used to think being decked out in pearls and jewels was unbearably tacky, but now I see how shallow I was. It’s beautiful."

With the qipao and the phoenix coronet setting the precedent, the hairpin and Jade Ruyi that followed didn’t have as much of an impact on everyone. After all, that coronet alone looked incredibly expensive.

Ji Li set the four gifts aside. "These were all commissioned from master craftsmen. I didn’t actually put much personal effort into them." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

As she spoke, she brought out a large box. "I made you a set of inlaid character bean candy. This is what I truly spent my time on."

Wang Jue looked at the neatly arranged bean candies. "’A blissful union for a hundred years?’ ’Peace and joy?’ You’ve gone to so much trouble."

Ji Li replied, "I’m glad you like them. Auntie asked me to make a set that said ’may you have a son soon,’ but I thought ’peace and joy’ was more important."

The members of the Wang family didn’t ask how much money Ji Li had spent on the gifts. First of all, the sentiment behind them couldn’t be measured in money. The interactions between the younger generation were their own affair, and the elders wouldn’t interfere.

Xu Liang looked at the wedding gifts from Ji Li and couldn’t help but tease, "With you giving gifts like these, what I prepared looks pretty shabby in comparison."

Ji Li’s curiosity was piqued. "What gift did Teacher Xu prepare for you?"

Wang Jue thought for a moment and smiled. "He made me a pair of ’one-heart’ jadeite rings."

Ji Li’s gaze swept over Wang Jue’s fingers, which were bare.

Wang Jue said, "I couldn’t bear to wear them out. I’ll show you later. He put a lot of thought into preparing them, too."

Ji Li understood. "Okay, let me see them later, then."

The two of them laughed and chatted as they put away the gifts. Wang Jue smiled. "On my wedding day, I’m going to wear the phoenix coronet and hairpin you gave me. And I’ll wear this qipao for the toasts in the evening."

A smile tugged at the corners of Ji Li’s lips. "Of course."

She really liked Wang Jue’s personality. Wang Jue would actually wear and use the things she was given. For the person who gave the gift, that was the best kind of feedback.

Ji Li felt very at ease staying with the Wang family. As long as they didn’t touch on the topic of dough sculpting, she and Grandfather Wang got along wonderfully. They would drink and appreciate tea together, go out to see operas, and visit all the famous spots in the Capital City.

「Soon, it was the wedding day.」

Although Wang Jue had invited Ji Li to be her maid of honor, Ji Li had never attended a traditional Chinese wedding before. So, she was a maid of honor in name only. The actual duties were handled by a professional wedding chaperone.

Ji Li was just there as a friend, watching from the side.

Going through the entire set of traditional Chinese wedding procedures left Ji Li exhausted, even as a mere observer. When it was finally time to eat, she could at last catch her breath.

She was sitting with the Wang family’s relatives. Wang Jue’s mother poured her a cup of tea. "Are you tired?"

Ji Li didn’t deny it. "I really am. Getting married is no easy task."

"A purely traditional Chinese wedding certainly isn’t easy. Why else do you think people in ancient times spent three years preparing for a marriage?" Wang Jue’s mother laughed. "And we’ve even simplified some of the procedures. But going through the whole thing is definitely not easy."

Ji Li nodded slightly. "But honestly, perhaps it’s precisely because of these slow preparations and all the complicated procedures that a wedding feels so significant in people’s hearts. It probably makes the newlyweds cherish it even more."

"Ali is right," Wang Jue’s mother said with a smile. "It’s because so much time and effort were put into it that the wedding becomes something special. Looking back on it in the future, it will be a beautiful memory."

After Wang Jue’s wedding, Ji Li left the Capital City. The newlyweds were on their honeymoon, after all, and she felt it was a bit inappropriate to keep staying at the Wang family’s home. So, Ji Li made an excuse, saying she wanted to go out to gather inspiration and travel around.

To be honest, when she was in the village, Ji Li hadn’t thought about traveling. But now that she was out, she didn’t feel like going back anytime soon and wanted to explore a bit more. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a trip where you don’t have to worry about money?

"Aren’t you on your honeymoon? How do you have time to post a video?" Just after leaving her hotel that day, Ji Li opened her phone and saw an update on Wang Jue’s account.

’Isn’t it only the third day after the wedding?’ Wang Jue had actually made a video about her "ultimate best friend"? Of course, Ji Li was the star, with the video mainly showcasing the various wedding gifts she had given Wang Jue.

A glance at the comments showed they were all pretty much asking if Ji Li was looking for more friends.

Wang Jue laughed. "But of course! I have to let everyone know how much Ali spoils me."

Ji Li touched her forehead. "Right. You’re thinking about me during your honeymoon. Isn’t Teacher Xu going to get jealous?"

Xu Liang replied, "A little. But you’re our mutual friend. If we didn’t show off the gifts you gave us for the wedding, people would start all sorts of speculation. To prevent them from guessing wildly, we decided to release the information ourselves."

Wang Jue added, "Actually, I was a little reluctant to share, but I want even more for people to know about our Ali. To know that being your friend is a very happy thing."

Wang Jue’s words put Ji Li in a great mood. She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the tassel on her bag. "Alright, you two continue your honeymoon. The internet hype is just a passing wave; it’ll die down soon enough."

After ending the call with Wang Jue and Xu Liang, a smile still lingered on Ji Li’s face. Several years of an idyllic life had given her a more languid and leisurely aura. There wasn’t the slightest hint of tension about her.

Of course, this version of her drew even more attention. Noticing people’s stares, Ji Li wasn’t embarrassed at all. She was simply used to it. After all, her face now was truly beautiful.

’In the past, she never would have dared to believe she could be this beautiful.’

Tan You: "I think you were beautiful before, too. Confidence is the best cosmetic procedure."