In the blink of an eye, it was almost October. Li Houliang had been busy with his National Day wedding plans. Although his parents were handling most of the arrangements, his relatives and friends were all in the provincial capital, so the main wedding would be held there, at the Feicui Lake Guesthouse—a venue classy enough for the occasion.
Originally, Li Houliang wanted to find a cheaper hotel, but Wang Ping and the others weren’t happy about it. "We’ve worked with so many hotels, and if we end up holding it at a small one, it’ll be embarrassing."
Who would’ve thought that after the discount at the guesthouse, it would be cheaper than a small hotel?
While discussing the wedding car arrangements with Wang Ping, he suddenly got a call from Zhou You: "Brother Liang, bring Yanan to the fourth floor."
Wang Yanan was now also at the martial arts gym, much more comfortable than before, with better treatment. She had finally made it through the tough times and was completely obedient to Li Houliang. From a distance, she hadn’t realized it, but up close, she saw that her husband was wise in his simplicity, seeing things more clearly than she did.
Li Houliang hung up and took Wang Yanan to Zhou You’s office.
On the way, he wondered what it was about. Usually, Zhou You only called for him, not Wang Yanan. It was probably related to the wedding. A few minutes later, they arrived, and guessing was pointless.
"Brother You, what’s up?" Li Houliang pushed the door open and said softly.
Zhou You stood up and sat on the sofa opposite. "Nothing much. You and Yanan, have a seat. Grab whatever you want to drink, don’t be shy."
Li Houliang was indeed a bit thirsty. He got up, took two bottles of water, handed one to Yanan, and checked the date. "Brother You, next time I’ll have them replace the water regularly. You don’t use much, and it’s almost expired. Downstairs, they use a lot more."
Zhou You smiled. "These are small matters. I heard the wedding date is set for this National Day, right?"
Wang Yanan smiled and said, "Yes, thank you, Brother You. We were hoping you could be the witness."
Zhou You shook his head. "It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be the witness. Brother Liang’s coach would be more suitable."
Wang Yanan was a bit disappointed when she heard Zhou You wouldn’t be the witness. Having him as the witness would have been the best choice in their eyes.
"The witness and the officiant should be respected elders. If I took that role, people would laugh at us for not knowing proper etiquette. Brother Liang and I are brothers; I can only help behind the scenes."
"Have you found a wedding host yet?" Zhou You asked one thing at a time.
"Not yet. We were planning to hire a master of ceremonies," Li Houliang said, not wanting to make things too complicated. He didn’t have the means to overthink it.
Zhou You looked at Wang Yanan. "What do you think, Yanan?"
Wang Yanan glanced at Li Houliang. "I think it’s fine as is. I’m content. I never thought we’d be able to settle down in the provincial capital. We have you to thank for that, Brother You." She started to stand and bow.
Zhou You quickly stood up and pressed her back down.
"Since you have no objections, I’ll take charge. I’ll get a host from the provincial TV station to be your wedding host. How about that?"
Wang Yanan was a woman, and what woman wouldn’t want her wedding to be beautiful? If conditions allowed for something better, of course she’d be happy.
She nodded eagerly. "I’ll go with whatever Brother You says."
Seeing that the first matter was settled, Zhou You continued, "For the wedding, let’s make it generous. It’s at the guesthouse, right? That’s a good place, grand. Any favorite celebrities you’d like to have sing live at the event?"
Li Houliang quickly interjected, "Brother You, no need. It’s already more than enough. Really, no need."
Zhou You ignored him. "Today, Yanan has the final say. Pick a singer you like."
Wang Yanan felt like stars were dancing before her eyes. One happy surprise after another was laid out before her, and she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t dare speak recklessly, wanting it but sneaking glances at Li Houliang, afraid he’d be upset. She was torn.
Seeing her state, Zhou You decided to just take charge.
"How about this: we’ll have Li Ronghao sing a song. He’s a fellow townsman, very talented. I have high hopes for him; he’ll become huge. And we’ll get another singer—hard to pin down who exactly, since time is short. We’ll see who’s available."
Wang Yanan nodded wildly, and Li Houliang was overjoyed too. Who wouldn’t want their wedding to be grand and classy? But if it exceeded what they could handle, that wasn’t the way of ordinary folks.
Zhou You saw they were both satisfied.
He got up, walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a key.
"Last time, I told Brother Liang that when he got married, I’d give him a big gift. The first two don’t count; this one does." He handed the key to Wang Yanan.
Wang Yanan took the key instinctively, not knowing what it was for.
Then Zhou You continued, "It’s for an apartment in the high-rise behind us. 130 square meters, lake view, great location. It’s my wedding gift to you. No cash gift from me, haha."
Wang Yanan immediately stood up and tried to push the key back into Zhou You’s hand. "Brother You, this is too much. The last house was already thanks to you. How can we accept such a valuable gift?"
Li Houliang was stunned too. He thought the first two surprises were it, but this last one was the real deal. When he and Zhou You had bought their places together, he’d been there but never imagined he’d own one himself.
The market price was over a million—unthinkable.
Zhou You had anticipated their reaction. He said seriously, "Brother Liang travels all over with me. You live far away, and it’s inconvenient for work. If something comes up, it’s a hassle for the brothers to get to you."
"This apartment is right next to mine and the Zhulang Gym. It’ll be easier to get help when needed. Having Brother Liang close by puts my mind at ease."
"If you don’t take it, I won’t feel at ease when Brother Liang goes out with me in the future."
"Besides, don’t think it’s expensive. I bought it cheap, with Brother Liang there. It’s not that valuable. In a few years, Brother Liang could afford it too. Don’t judge it by your old income."
Li Houliang was about to refuse again, but when he heard Zhou You say, "If you don’t take it, I won’t feel at ease when Brother Liang goes out with me," it struck a chord. If he went out and left his wife alone at home, he really wouldn’t be at ease.
The apartment was close to the gym, making it easy to get help if needed.
His work was also shifting. From now on, he’d be with Zhou You year-round, and strengthening their bond was common sense.
"Yanan, take it. After the wedding, we’ll fix it up nicely. If Brother You gives it, we take it," Li Houliang said firmly.
Only then did Wang Yanan accept it.
Seeing she’d taken it, Zhou You told them to go about their business.
He started making calls.
First, he called Wu Jing: "Brother Jing, my buddy’s getting married on National Day. Have Sister Xie Nan find a provincial host to help out."
Wu Jing chuckled on the phone. "Xie Nan’s at CCTV now. Wouldn’t it be even more impressive to have her as the host? She used to work at the provincial station too."
Zhou You wasn’t entirely sure. "That’d be even better. But I don’t know if she’s available."
"She is. We’re planning to go back to Luzhou for National Day anyway to talk to my father-in-law about our wedding. I’ll take care of it for you." Wu Jing sounded troubled on the other end, unsure how to broach the topic with his father-in-law.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you," Zhou You said without hesitation.
One thing settled.
Next, he called Li Ronghao, and that went smoothly too.
Li Ronghao had just released an album and wasn’t famous yet. He had nothing planned for National Day, and since Zhou You asked, it was no problem.
Then he called Yang Mi: "My buddy’s getting married on National Day. Help me find Zhang Yu. If he’s free, ask him to sing the song *Gei Ni Men*." This was the first time Zhou You had asked for a favor since the studio was established.
Yang Mi was very cautious. "I’ll contact him now. Time’s tight, so I can’t guarantee it. If not, I’ll find another singer suitable for a wedding. Should I bring a few celebrities along?"
That was Yang Mi’s strength—she’d been in the entertainment industry for years and had a wide network. If it were him, he wouldn’t even know who to contact and would have to go through several intermediaries.
"No need. If you come, you’ll steal the spotlight. Everyone will be looking at you instead of the bride," Zhou You said, flattering her for being so considerate.
Yang Mi’s wide mouth couldn’t stop smiling.