Li Houliang pulled Wang Yanan along as they went downstairs.
Not a word was exchanged on the way.
Once they were in the car, they finally started talking.
After the initial joy, Wang Yanan was more worried: "A-Liang, Brother You gave too much. How are you going to pay it back?"
Li Houliang had already mentally prepared himself. He grinned slightly: "It's a lot to us, but to Brother You, it's just a drop in the bucket. Don't overthink it!"
"But I'm scared. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I'm afraid one day you'll have to risk your life!" Wang Yanan was just an ordinary person. Although she was content with her current life, she didn't want Li Houliang to take risks.
"Risk my life? Risk what life? This is a society governed by law. Who would want my life? It's just Brother You wanting to care more about the people around him and make me more dedicated. Why wouldn't he give it to others?" Li Houliang knew his own worth.
"Think about it. Since Brother You invested, how much have I gained? I've brought home a million, plus the training center salary and 40% shares. Based on current profits, I'll get at least a few hundred thousand in dividends by year-end. Do you think I'm worth that much?" Li Houliang countered Wang Yanan.
Wang Yanan stayed silent, lowering her head.
"People need to be content and grateful. It's not that Brother You needs us; it's that we need him. If he doesn't come to me, he'll find someone else. But who would I go to?" Li Houliang wanted to clear the air this time, or Wang Yanan's knot would cause trouble.
"This wedding, he gave us a house worth at least 1.4 million at market price. You can just go handle the property certificate directly—no transfer needed. Following Brother You, I might never face danger in my life. Even if I do, it won't be life-threatening. People walking on the street risk getting hit by a car these days. What isn't dangerous?"
"Your husband faces dangers a hundred times worse in the ring—crippled, concussed, even killed. Look at my past opponents; how many of them aren't riddled with health issues?"
After hearing Li Houliang out, Wang Yanan realized she had overreacted. It was just that Zhou You had given too much, scaring her into thinking Li Houliang would be sent to risk his life. But then she thought again—if this amount were for risking one's life, plenty of people would jump at it.
With that, she finally smiled: "It's just that Brother You suddenly gave so much; I'm not used to it. As ordinary folks, when someone suddenly treats us this well, the first reaction is joy, and the second is fear!"
Seeing his wife's knot untied, Li Houliang said, "Once you interact with him more, you'll understand. Brother You is generous and easygoing, not one to sweat the small stuff. This money really means nothing to him—just pocket change for a few bags. But the fact that he gave it to us shows he remembers us. We just need to keep working hard."
Wang Yanan's emotions came and went quickly. She then asked happily, "Will there really be celebrities at our wedding?"
"If you want, Brother You could bring a whole bunch. But then who would be watching us? It wouldn't be our wedding anymore; they'd steal the spotlight." Li Houliang knew Zhou You's capabilities and personality.
Wang Yanan shook her head. It was better to be the main focus at her own wedding.
Those words were for his wife. Li Houliang knew in his heart what was what. As an old saying goes: "If a lord treats me as a scholar, I will repay him as a scholar." Though he wasn't a scholar, Zhou You treated him with sincerity, so he would repay that sincerity.
The wedding preparations were in full swing.
Fortunately, with plenty of money and people, everything went smoothly.
On the first day of National Day, it was auspicious for weddings, banquets, and visiting friends and family.
They had originally planned to start from their hometown, but it was a bit far, so they just began from their current residence, since they'd move to the new house after the wedding.
They didn't hire a fleet of cars.
They used Zhou You's and the training center's cars. Zhou You even asked if they should buy a luxury car for the brothers to use as the lead car for future weddings, which made everyone laugh. They said it would be better to buy a few more cars for the center—more practical and still decent.
So Zhou You waved his hand and bought a few more cars to make a full fleet.
They drove in a grand procession from the east side of the city to the south side.
Wu Jing, Xie Nan, and Li Ronghao had arrived the day before, bringing a small USB drive with a surprise from others. Zhou You previewed it—though it was old hat in later years, it was still trendy now.
Not bad. They put thought into it.
Wang Yanan wore a white wedding dress today, a happy smile on her face.
The bridesmaids included people from the swimming center, former teammates, and close friends. Li Houliang's groomsmen were easy to pick—a bunch of young guys.
The emcee was one who regularly worked with the reception hall, reliable.
Xie Nan also changed into formal attire and took the stage as the host.
The emcee introduced: "Today, we are honored to have former provincial TV host, now CCTV host, Xie Nan, to preside over this wedding. Let's welcome him."
Xie Nan walked gracefully onto the stage, dignified and poised, with a strong stage presence.
"Today is the wedding day of Li Houliang and Wang Yanan. I am honored to be the host of this banquet."
The relatives and friends below were stunned to see a CCTV host appear on stage. The venue was already high-end, but the host was even more so. A-Liang had really made it big.
"Li Houliang is a renowned Sanda athlete, now the head of a Sanda training center—tall, handsome, and dashing."
"Wang Yanan was formerly a trampoline athlete with the provincial team, making outstanding contributions to sports—young, beautiful, and gentle."
"Today, we've all gathered here, which is no small feat. For this occasion, we've specially invited the famous singer Li Ronghao, who released a new album 'Model' this year. Let's welcome Li Ronghao to perform 'Model.'"
Some of the younger audience members knew the song and craned their necks to see what Li Ronghao looked like. Though not widely known, he was still a singer.
Li Ronghao was a bit nervous, lacking his usual ease and confidence.
Stage presence takes time to develop.
Zhou You sat below, listening. His live performance was decent, though Zhou You wasn't a big fan of the song—too flashy, not sincere enough. The simpler and more unadorned the lyrics, the more they hit home.
After the song ended, Li Ronghao left the stage.
Xie Nan returned: "That was a great song. Now, some friends couldn't make it in person due to scheduling conflicts, but they've recorded video messages to send their blessings. Let's watch the big screen."
"Hello everyone, I'm Yu Qian. A-Liang is getting married, and I couldn't make it to the scene, so I'm sending my wishes from afar for a happy marriage and a lifetime of harmony. Next time I'm free, I'll come to your center for a drink. Go for it, man!"
The first video was a heavyweight. Everyone knew Yu Qian, and the guests erupted.
"Damn, Li Houliang is amazing! This is some serious clout!"
"Jealous! Is this for real? A comedy legend!"
Second video: "Hello everyone, I'm Bo Bo. I heard Li Houliang was getting married and wanted to come in person, but I'm in the middle of filming. I can't make it, so I'll just wish the couple mutual respect and a long life together."
Bo Bo, who had a solid fan base, had somehow heard the news and recorded a video to send his blessings.
It only took a few minutes, and it was a good way to build goodwill.
Third video: "Brother Liang, congratulations on your wedding! I wanted to come, but Brother You wouldn't let me—said I'd steal the spotlight. So he told me not to come. I mean, I'm a guy—who's going to look at me? Anyway, I can only send my wishes from afar for a happy marriage to Brother Liang and Yanan. Next time I get a chance, I'll visit your center."
Holy crap, Wang Baoqiang! Everyone shouted instinctively. The "Xu Sanduo" label was almost gone now; Baoqiang had successfully shed that role's stereotype.
Fourth video: "A-Liang, I'm Huang Bo. We've never met, but I wanted to! But Brother You wouldn't let me. I don't ask for much—next time, help me beat up Baoqiang. He gave me a hard time filming the last movie. Just kidding. Wishing Li Houliang and Wang Yanan a happy marriage, eternal unity, and a baby soon!"
The audience below was buzzing. What was going on?
Wasn't Li Houliang just a martial artist? How did a martial artist know so many people?
All household-name celebrities.
They were also amused by Huang Bo's joke. Brother You wouldn't let you come, so why take it out on Baoqiang?
Li Houliang and Wang Yanan were preparing backstage and hadn't seen these videos. Hearing the commotion up front, they craned their necks to look and caught Huang Bo's blessing.
The people around them filled them in on who had appeared in the earlier videos.
Li Houliang kept his composure—a man who could hold his cards close, knowing this was Zhou You's doing, silently grateful.
Wang Yanan was emotional, as women often are, nearly crying with joy, at a loss for words.
They continued watching.
Fifth video: "Hello everyone, I'm Yang Mi. Today is the happy day of Li Houliang and Wang Yanan's wedding. Along with a few friends, I wish you all the best. If fate brings you together, cherish this bond like a treasure. May you never forget your original intentions and always be in love!"
Yang Mi, with her studio team, offered their blessings. She stood in front, with a row of handsome men and beautiful women behind her.
The guests below were speechless, feeling that attending this wedding banquet was worth it. Such scenes were rare in life; for ordinary people, maybe once in a lifetime.
After the video ended, Xie Nan returned to the stage.
"Thank you to all these friends for their blessings! They're not as lucky as me—I got to come! Just kidding. The auspicious hour is almost here; we can't miss it. Let's welcome the famous singer Zhang Yu to perform 'For You.'"
Zhang Yu had rushed over early in the morning. He had another gig he couldn't cancel—such was life in the entertainment world.
"I'm honored to attend the wedding of Li Houliang and Wang Yanan today. I'll sing 'For You' for the couple, wishing them a happy union."
He will be your groom From now on, he'll be your lifelong companion Everything about him will be closely tied to you Through joy and hardship, you'll share it all
She will be your bride She is someone entrusted to you with care You must double your efforts to care for her Through bitterness and happiness, you'll share it all
It must be a special fate That brought you together to become a family
"For You" was known as the wedding anthem, the most played song at wedding ceremonies later on. Perfect for weddings, unmatched in setting the mood, especially live, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
Amid the song,
Li Houliang walked onto the stage.
Wang Yanan, accompanied by her father, walked slowly toward Li Houliang. At the lyric "She is someone entrusted to you with care," her father handed her over to Li Houliang, and the wedding ceremony reached its peak.
The guests below, led by the training center staff, burst into applause.
The song ended, and Zhang Yu left the stage. He had a quick bite to eat before heading to his next engagement.
Zhou You and Wu Jing went to see him off.
Zhou You sighed—everyone had it tough.
Wu Jing remained silent.
In the world of fame and fortune, who had it easy?
The ceremony continued.
The witnesses and officiants were the couple's coaches, respected figures.
Next came the couple's remarks.
As usual, they thanked their parents, mentors, and friends and family.
Finally, Li Houliang turned toward Zhou You and said, "Lastly, I want to thank the person who has helped me the most in life—Brother You."
"Without him, I'd still be drifting somewhere."
"Without him, I wouldn't have a place to call home."
"Without him, I couldn't have dreamed of a wedding like this."
"Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"I'm just a martial artist, clumsy with words. I can only keep it in my heart, but I'll never forget it."
With that, he and Wang Yanan bowed in gratitude.
The training center and swimming center staff clapped wildly. Saying it was like being reborn might be an exaggeration, but it wasn't far off.
Seeing Li Houliang's treatment, it was hard not to envy him. They only hoped for a fraction of that honor—enough for a lifetime.
Fame and fortune, a beautiful wife by his side—that was the reward for following the right boss.
With Zhou You treating his people so well, who wouldn't give their all?
The poor guests, unaware of the full story, kept hearing the name "Brother You" without even knowing his surname or who he was. All they took away was that Li Houliang had met a benefactor.
Wang Fangfang had been sitting with Zhou You the whole time. Watching Li Houliang's wedding, it was hard not to envy her. Her eyes were fixed on Wang Yanan's wedding, lost in thought, her eyes slightly red: wondering if she'd ever get to wear a wedding dress.
Zhou You noticed Wang Fangfang's expression and knew what she was thinking, but he definitely wouldn't be getting married anytime soon.
He leaned close to her ear, holding her hand: "Don't worry, you'll wear a wedding dress too. Our wedding will be ten times better than this."
Hearing Zhou You's words, Wang Fangfang leaned into him: "It's okay, I'm not in a hurry. Don't put pressure on yourself. I know you're sincere with me, and that's enough."
Zhou You held her tightly, watching the ceremony on stage.
In his heart, he already had plans. He'd give what was due, just maybe not in the traditional way.
With so many people who loved him and whom he loved, he had to take care of them all.
The world was vast; he couldn't be bound by the customs of one country or place.