You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

As Lu Ran's voice came through the microphone, it spread evenly through the speakers at the four corners of the lawn, landing on the edges of each row of white chairs, on the lake surface, and in the shadow of the tree canopy in the distance.

His voice was lower than when he spoke, with a quality specially adjusted for singing. It wasn't bright but steady, and he pronounced each word clearly, as if he were earnestly completing a task that he had practiced for several days.

No one applauded, no one spoke, and even the sound of breathing was kept to a minimum.

Zhou Mingzhe sat in the last row, holding his phone but the screen was dark. His gaze remained fixed on Lu Ran.

The unfinished bag of candy next to Zhao Yiming was clutched in his hand, the wrapper making a slight cracking sound, which he didn't even notice.

Chen Mo picked up the teacup and put it down again. The tea sloshed around the rim of the cup without spilling, and he didn't pay any attention to it.

Shen Zhiwei, sitting upright in the front row, looked up from above his reading glasses at the figure behind the microphone. His expression was serious, but there was an almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.

Priscilla Chan had clenched the tissue in her hand into a small ball, clenching it tightly and then loosening it, loosening it and clenching it tightly again, over and over again.

Everyone was captivated by Lu Ran's singing.

Shen Yuege stood in the shadows beside the flower stand, the sidelight of the spotlight falling on her white skirt.

Her head was tilted slightly, looking in the direction of the person behind the microphone. Her expression was not clearly visible in the boundary between the light and shadow, but the smile on her lips never faded.

The petals of the white roses and hydrangeas in her hand trembled gently in the breeze, one by one, as if following the rhythm of music.

The accompaniment from the speakers continued, with the volume of the strings increased slightly compared to when the intro started, and the piano added a few ornaments in the chorus.

Lu Ran didn't grip the microphone handle tightly. He stood there and sang the entire verse, then followed the melody to sing the chorus.

The second accompaniment transitions into an interlude, where the strings and piano intersect for a few measures before separating again, as if engaging in a tacit dialogue.

When the interlude was almost over, Lu Ran took a breath and continued singing. He finished each line with a clean and crisp tone, making sure the notes were neither too long nor too short, and sang the whole song steadily and powerfully.

No one on the lawn moved. The figures on the white chairs remained in the same position. Even the child in the back row, who was being held by someone, stopped squirming and leaned against an adult's shoulder, listening quietly.

As the accompaniment reached its final section, the strings narrowed to just a few lines, the last chord of the piano slowly dissipated into the air, the sound in the amplifier went from full to sparse, and then stopped completely.

The lawn fell silent again, even quieter than before the music started.

Lu Ran stood behind the microphone, loosened his grip on it, and then turned around to face Shen Yuege.

The spotlight followed his movement, tilting at a slight angle and pulling Shen Yuege out of the shadows. She stood beside the flower stand, the outline of her white wedding dress clearly and softly illuminated by the afterglow of the spotlight.

Her face wore a rare, unadorned expression—an unprepared smile, an unadjusted curve, just a genuine face looking directly at him.

Lu Ran walked out from behind the microphone, took two steps toward where she was standing, and stopped a step away from her.

"Love is just one word, and I'll only say it once..."

As Lu Ran approached, the song gradually reached its climax.

Then Lu Ran spoke.

His voice lacked the tuned quality he had when he sang; it was just ordinary speaking, but every word was clear. The speakers in the four corners of the lawn weren't completely turned off, so his words, when they came through the microphone, had a slight amplification, filling every corner of the lawn.

"Shen Yuege, will you marry me?"

When those words came from the speaker, the lawn was silent for a few seconds.

No one spoke, no one clapped, even the sound of the wind seemed to be waiting for something.

Zhou Mingzhe, sitting in the last row, picked up his cup of tea, which had gone completely cold, and then put it down again. Zhao Yiming was clutching the wrapper of a packet of candy, his fingertips rubbing against the paper, making a slight rustling sound. He looked down and realized that he had been holding it tightly the whole time.

Shen Yuege stood at the edge of the flower stand's shadow, the spotlight illuminating her face.

Her expression didn't change much, but there was a faint dampness around her eyes, reflecting tiny glimmers of light under the lamp.

She looked at Lu Ran for about two seconds, and then spoke.

Her voice wasn't loud, and the microphone didn't pick up her words, but everyone on the lawn was watching her. They could see her lips move, she said something, and then she took a step forward.

In the third step, she switched the bouquet of flowers to her left hand and extended her right hand with her palm facing up.

Then she turned her head to look at Lao Wang on the side of the stage, her voice rising a notch from before, clearly falling into the microphone's pickup range: "I do."

When those three words landed, it was as if someone had pressed a switch on the lawn.

Applause erupted from the first row, spreading outwards in waves, bringing out all the suppressed breathing, laughter, and sighs of relief.

Some people stood up, and then more people followed suit. Rows of figures in dark and light colors stood up among the white chairs, and the sound of palms clapping echoed across the lawn.

Shen Zhiwei remained seated in the first row without standing up, but he loosened his hands, which were folded on his knees, and gently pinched the web between the thumb and index finger of his right hand with his left.

Priscilla Chan had already stood up. She had already changed to a second tissue in her hand, and her face had a complex expression of both laughter and suppressed laughter. She muttered, "I knew this child would do well," in a low voice, but several relatives nearby could hear her.

Grandpa Li stood on the side of the stage, clapping slowly with both hands, his expression calm but the corners of his mouth turned up. Zhang Yuanfan sat in the third row by the side. After standing up, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. After clapping, he realized he was still holding a half-full glass of juice, not knowing when he had picked it up.

The applause lasted longer than usual at a wedding, lasting for almost half a minute before gradually subsiding.

Old Wang stood to the side, waiting for the applause to subside before picking up the microphone again. His voice held a barely suppressed chuckle: "Alright, alright, let's finish exchanging the certificates first. Next—the ring exchange."

Lu Ran took out the small dark blue velvet box from the inside pocket of his suit. The box was not big, about two fingers wide. He opened the lid very steadily, without his hands shaking.

Inside were two simple, plain band rings made of platinum with a slightly frosted finish. Under the spotlight, they shone with a soft, non-glaring light.

He first picked up the slightly smaller ring, and when he held it between his fingers, he could feel the slight warmth of the metal from his body heat.

Shen Yuege extended her right hand, palm up, fingers slightly apart.

Lu Ran supported her fingertip with his left hand, held the ring in his right hand, and slowly pushed it into the base of her left ring finger. The ring slid smoothly over the knuckle without getting stuck, and fit perfectly at the base of her finger.

Shen Yuege glanced down at the position of the ring on her finger, then looked up and took the second ring from Lu Ran's other palm.

The ring was slightly larger than usual. She held it in her hand to feel its temperature, then pinched his left ring finger and pushed the ring in.

After exchanging rings under the flower stand, Shen Yuege withdrew her hand and gently rotated the new ring on her left ring finger with her right thumb, turning it once before returning it to its original position.

Lu Ran also looked down at his fingers. The matte-finish ring was on the base of his finger, blending into his skin tone. It was inconspicuous but its presence was very clear.

Old Wang's voice rang out again, this time slower than before, as if he knew he needed to give everyone some time to process the situation: "Alright, the rings have been exchanged. I hereby declare that Mr. Lu Ran and Ms. Shen Yuege are officially husband and wife today." He paused, then added, "Now the groom may kiss the bride, but it's windy on the lawn, so everyone is free to choose whether or not to watch."

Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience. Some people actually raised their phones, while others turned their heads to talk to the people next to them. But most people's eyes were still on the two people in front of the flower stand.

Lu Ran stood in front of Shen Yuege, glanced down at her, and then took half a step forward. Shen Yuege didn't flinch. She tilted her head back, and a section of her veil slipped off her shoulder and hung down her back, the silver threads at the edge shimmering under the spotlight.

The two shared a very short kiss in front of the flower stand, so short that people standing in the second row felt like they had barely seen it before it ended.

The applause on the lawn erupted for the second time, this time even more enthusiastically. Some people started whistling, some shouted "Congratulations," and others yelled "May you have a son soon," which made the people around them burst into laughter.

The rest of the process went much more smoothly.

Shen Yuege turned around, raised the bouquet above her head, and threw it behind her. The white roses and hydrangeas drew an arc in the air and landed in the arms of a girl in a light green dress in the back row.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the bouquet in her arms, while the people around her started clapping.

She sat back down in her chair, holding the bouquet, her face slightly flushed. A few friends nearby gathered around and said something, which made her face turn even redder.

Then came the distribution of the souvenirs.

Staff from the event planning company pushed two carts around the lawn, each carrying a neatly stacked dark blue paper bag. Inside each bag was a small jar of handmade cookies, a packet of tea, and a handwritten thank-you card.

Lu Ran and Shen Yuege stood at the entrance to the lawn, each taking one side and handing out paper bags to departing guests, saying "thank you" with each bag they handed out.

Most of the guests stopped to chat with them when they received the paper bags. Some said, "The wedding was really well done," some said, "I wish you two a long and happy life together," some patted Lu Ran on the shoulder and said, "You sang very well," and an older relative held Shen Yuege's hand and said several times, "I've watched you grow up since you were a child, and you've finally gotten married." Shen Yuege nodded and smiled as she listened to these words.

The white chairs on the lawn were put into carts by the staff, the string lights on the flower stand were taken down, rolled up and put into boxes, and the audio equipment was packed into boxes one by one.

The removal of the lawn was proceeding smoothly. The dew had dried, and the afternoon sun gave the lawn a faint golden sheen.

Lunch was served in the main banquet hall of the resort, and was arranged as a buffet according to the previously agreed plan. Cold dishes and hot dishes were placed separately, and a long table in the middle was set with a row of desserts and fruits.

Guests walked back and forth in front of the various dishes with their plates. Some chatted about the details of the wedding on the lawn, while others sat by the window with a plate of fried rice and said to the person next to them, "These shrimp balls are pretty good." A few young people set up a game of mobile game in a corner, and the screen flickered under the warm yellow lights of the banquet hall.

Lu Ran finally had time to sit down and eat his first bite.

He brought out a white porcelain plate with several slices of roast beef and a small salad on it, along with a fried meatball on the side.

He sat in a seat towards the back of the banquet hall, with a glass of lemonade in front of him, which he hadn't yet drunk.

Shen Yuege sat next to him, and she also carried a plate, but her plate had half the amount of food as Lu Ran's. It was mostly vegetables and fruits, with only a small piece of salmon on it.

"Are you tired?" Lu Ran asked, pushing the lemonade towards her.

"I'm not tired," Shen Yuege said with a smile, looking at him. "Because you're here."

...