Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

The two first returned to their duplex apartment by the Xiangjiang River.

Zhao Yanxi walked into the dressing room, opened the wardrobe door, and prepared to pick out an outfit.

Attending an engagement party shouldn't be too formal, nor too casual.

Finally, I chose a light yellow velvet maxi dress to pair with a trench coat.

Her makeup was also light, with only simple eyebrow drawing and a thin layer of lip gloss.

Gentle and dignified, yet not flashy.

The two went downstairs and drove straight to the Chujiang Hotel.

The engagement banquet was held in the largest private room of the Chinese restaurant, with a flower archway at the entrance and a red carpet laid out from the corridor.

Zhao Yanxi's uncle, Zhou Rongsen, stood at the door to greet the guests, dressed in a dark blue suit, looking radiant with joy!

Seeing Ding Heng and Zhao Yanxi approaching, he rushed forward and grabbed Ding Heng's hand.

"Xiao Ding! Come in, come in quickly!"

"Uncle, congratulations!"

Ding Heng offered his congratulations politely.

Zhou Rongsen said gratefully, "Speaking of which, your uncle hasn't thanked you yet. I couldn't book this hall even a month in advance, but you solved it with just one sentence. Yan hope is right, you really have a way with things!"

"Uncle, don't be so polite, it's my pleasure."

Zhao Yanxi peeked out from the side and clicked her tongue twice.

"Hey, Uncle! You've really lost weight, and you look quite dashing in a suit."

"Of course!"

Zhou Rongsen released Ding Heng and straightened his back: "Your aunt said that I have to be under 160 pounds before the wedding. I've been suffering these past two months!"

"Don't let yourself gain weight back after the wedding."

Zhao Yanxi made a few sarcastic remarks, then took Ding Heng's arm and walked inside.

Many guests had already arrived in the banquet hall, chatting in small groups.

Seeing her daughter and Ding Heng enter, Zhou Rongmei waved to them.

"You're here? Sit here!"

Zhao Yanxi obediently walked over and sat down, and Ding Heng sat down next to her.

The ceremony began promptly at 12:08.

The process is not complicated: the host says a few auspicious words, both sets of parents give speeches, the newlyweds exchange rings, toast, and take photos.

Everything went smoothly and there was nothing wrong with it.

When it was the turn of both families to take a group photo, Zhao Yanxi stood below the stage and saw the four elderly people in the camera beaming with joy.

But the moment she pressed the shutter, she noticed that the smiles of her maternal grandparents and the other party's parents began to change.

The lively scene continued, but the people were no longer purely happy... they began to scrutinize, calculate, and weigh their options.

It's like estimating how much the piece of meat on the other side is worth and how much profit can be extracted from it.

Zhao Yanxi looked away and took a sip of her juice.

After the ceremony, the guests began to eat.

Zhao Yanxi hadn't eaten more than a few bites when Zhou Rongmei came over, bent down, and whispered something in her ear.

"Yan hope, you and Xiao Ding go back first. We adults have some things to discuss."

Zhao Yanxi looked up at her mother, then glanced at her grandmother who was chatting with her father-in-law.

"what's up?"

"Don't meddle in adults' affairs."

Zhou Rongmei patted her on the shoulder, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Zhao Yanxi had no choice but to stand up obediently, and Ding Heng also stood up, nodding to Zhou Rongsen as a greeting.

The two walked out of the banquet hall one after the other, crossed the corridor, and entered the elevator.

Zhao Yanxi couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ding Heng, what do you think my mom and the others are going to talk about next?"

"What else is there to talk about?"

Ding Heng said bluntly, "Bride price, house, car, dowry. It's just a matter of the two families pooling their money together."

"Too……"

Although Zhao Yanxi has not yet entered society, she has a general idea of ​​what to expect.

Knowing it is one thing, but seeing it still makes me feel...uncomfortable.

The elevator stopped on the first floor. The two walked out of the hotel.

Zhao Yanxi wrapped her trench coat tighter and bent down to sit in the car.

"Brother Ding Heng."

"Ah."

Are you going back to Hainan Island tomorrow?

"No rush."

Ding Heng started the car: "I'll spend two days with you alone first, and also attend a few classmate reunions."

A class reunion?

Zhao Yanxi turned her head and teased, "Brother Ding Heng, you like to show off too?"

Ding Heng chuckled at her words and reached out to rub her cheek: "I found such a beautiful girlfriend and made so much money, isn't it all just to show off?"

Zhao Yanxi replied obediently, "Then I'll dress up nicely and give you a big one?"

"Indeed, let my materialistic female classmate take a good look at me."

"What? You have a female classmate?"

"Um……"

"They're not still in contact, are they!?"

"That's definitely not the case..."

After a few laughs and banter, Zhao Yanxi relaxed.

But as she laughed, Zhao Yanxi's mind replayed the scene from the banquet hall earlier.

What if... Ding Heng hadn't made so much money?

Zhao Yanxi suddenly had a thought that startled her.

She quickly shook her head, trying to shake the thought away.

But it's like it's taken root; you can't shake it off no matter what.

If Ding Heng were just an ordinary college student, he could find an ordinary job after graduation and earn a few thousand yuan a month.

Are her parents still in such a hurry for her to get married right after graduation?

Zhao Yanxi didn't know.

Or rather, she dared not think further.

Her father will probably still respect her opinion.

He has always been like this, never pressuring or urging her, only offering a few words of advice at crucial moments.

But Mother...

Zhao Yanxi pursed her lips.

Zhou Rongmei is a typical Chinese mother.

She gives everything for her family, working tirelessly and never complaining.

But precisely because of this, she understands the weight of life better than anyone else.

She knows how hard it is to earn money and how difficult life can be, so she hopes her daughter can marry well more than anyone else.

Mercenary? Somewhat.

It is precisely this complementary relationship between her and her father, one strict and one relaxed, that has supported their stable family.

Zhao Yanxi took another deep breath, forcing herself to stop thinking about it.

There are no "what ifs".

……

On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere hadn't completely dissipated, but people were already back to work or starting businesses.

Zhao Yanxi's coffee shop's hard decoration is basically finished, and the equipment has been delivered one after another. All that's left is to arrange the soft decoration, test the machines, purchase raw materials, and... recruit people!

She could handle the previous tasks personally thanks to her enthusiasm, but when it came to recruiting, Zhao Yanxi was truly apprehensive.

From childhood to adulthood, she had never even been a group leader, let alone managed people.

These past few days, she's been scrolling through short videos, and big data has been precisely pushing a bunch of melodramatic stories about bosses and employees to her, making it hard for her to sleep soundly at night.

"Brother Ding Heng..."

On the morning of the ninth day of the first lunar month, after getting up early to wash and exercise, Zhao Yanxi pounced on Ding Heng.

She cupped the man's unshaven face in her hands, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Your very, very, very precious baby is in big trouble, will you help?"

Ding Heng was still half asleep, yawning and sighing.

"explain……"

"Help me recruit people!"

Zhao Yanxi turned on her phone, and on the screen was the job posting she had drafted.