Chapter 23 - The Kingmaker

Qing Lok was busy slashing the other heroes in his game with a massive sword. He kept his hands below the table as someone was busy making a speech about his brilliant brother in the middle of the dance floor holding a slim glass of champagne.

"Qing Lok!"

He raised his head and found his grandmother's glaring eyes at him. He wanted to laugh at her because she looked so mad. But cheeky as he was, he just smiled at her and mouthed "last game".

Qing Lok easily got bored with these type of events. He was so delighted to meet Feng Xuan earlier. She looked even more beautiful in person. Like she was really an angel who came down from heaven.

He was much more interested with what his grandmother had to say. When the wedding announcement came in their family, it was Xie Changying who had protested with the idea of marrying Qing Chen to Feng Xuan. Nobody else had minded because the daughter was Feng Lizhao's, such a powerful man in Chengshi.

"I can be married to the girl instead," he offered in the family meeting and his father, Qing Zihao, only narrowed his eyes at him. He stuck his tongue out to his father who frowned at him before saying to everyone in the room that he had already made his decision and nothing else would change his mind.

Although Qing Zihao got the final word in those meetings, Qing Lok just knew his grandmother was brewing something. It was not impossible. How could it be? She was Xie Changying, the mother of the child equally notorious as his father. She raised a mafia lord. Surely, she had a few tricks up her sleeve.

"Look at her," his grandmother whispered to him as they were sitting together in one of the front tables closest to the couple looking over them like a king and a queen on the stage. "She smiles so innocently but I know she agreed to this marriage because she wants this family's money."

Qing Lok sighed. "She met brother on the day of their marriage. Don't go judging her like that."

"Hmm," her grandmother said. "I might have to use another approach in this." Xie Changying turned to her side, to her old maid. "I think I am going to send you to them. Make sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing."

True, Xie Changying would admit that Feng Xuan was truly a beauty to behold. But would she be a good wife to Qing Chen? With that pretty face and slim body, would she be able to raise children well? There was only one way to find out.

Back to Feng Xuan who was feeling really fl.u.s.tered being in the center of the room, she could hardly see the people from where they were sitting. It was as if they were in another world. People were giving short speeches and toasting to them as a couple, wishing them luck.

"It's now time for the groom and the bride's first dance," said the emcee.

Qing Chen helped her out of the seat and brought her to the middle of the dance floor, under the suspended flowers in the air. Feng Xuan was only waiting for them to fall on her. "How did you get this room to look like this?" she asked as they started to move towards the music.

"You do realize that this is a hotel and it's a very famous wedding reception place. Even wedding ceremonies happen here everyday. I have tons of contacts for these kind of things. Don't think too much about it," he smiled at her.

She put a smile on her place but her next words contained sadness. "Your grandmother does not like me. She barely said anything."

"She tends to do that. She said talking tires her."

"But she doesn't approve of me, does she? Because I'm a bride for a sale."

Qing Chen shrugged at his wife. "I'm the one who's married to you. Not her. If she has any problem she will come to me."

Feng Xuan fought the urge to pout. Was she unpleasing? Or was Xie Changying was just any typical mother-figure who thought no one deserved her children? "I'll find a way for her to like me."

Qing Chen chuckled, it was almost a laugh. "Here's the thing, she's probably going to throw a bomb. Just catch it, then throw it right back at her."

"Wouldn't that make her more angry?"

"It'll make her respect you. It means you got game." Qing Chen twirled Feng Xuan twice and she made a sound when he spun her right back to him. "Are you alright?"

"I just feel a little dizzy."

"Do you want to stop?"

"No, we have to keep dancing some more so people can join in."

But as soon as another pair entered the scene, Feng Xuan removed herself from Qing Chen and rushed to the bathroom. He immediately ran after her, making it quite subtle that there was nothing to worry about. Still, people turned to look where the couple disappeared to.

"Feng Xuan?" he knocked on the girl's lavatory. "Are you okay?"

She was definitely not okay. He could hear her vomitting. He cracked the door open to make sure no one was there and he found Feng Xuan knelt on the floor on an open cubicle. He locked the door and soothed her back. "Did I spin you too much?"

"No," she sniffed. "My stomach had been feeling funny even before the party started. I must've eaten or drunk something."

When Feng Xuan raised her head her nose was running and her eyes were puffy with tears.

"Feeling better?" he asked her.

She nodded. He helped her to the sink and she washed her face, removing most of her make up.

"Do I look pale?"

"I'll send Wang Yimin over."

Feng Xuan waited for her dear cousin to enter the bathroom. "What happened to you?" Wang Yimin asked, pulling out a small bag from her purse. "People were talking. They think you're pregnant."

Feng Xuan's eyebrows furrowed and she felt like she would vomit again. "That's crazy."

"Well, not really. How timely it was that you're puking a week after your marriage? They're thinking Qing Chen only married you because he got you knocked up."

Feng Xuan's head felt light but she reapplied lipstick on her lips and chewed on some gum before spitting it in the trashcan. "Let them talk."

She never thought people would be this malicious about it. Maybe their riches weren't satisfying their boredom and they had to find some issue to think about before going to sleep.

She went out to the venue and found that her grandmother was waiting for her by her seat. She was wearing a light gray dress with an orange flap that was supposed to be a belt. Her shoulder-length hair looked frizzy and bronze. Her fashion choices were questionable but Feng Xuan was only glad to see her grandmother.

As the other people danced, they embraced. "Oh, don't you look so beautiful," said her grandmother with a wrinkled hand to her cheek. "How are you?"

"I am fine," she said and led the woman to a seat. "How are you?"

"Rocking," her grandmother answered without a second thought. "That's what a divorce does to you. Amazing."

Feng Xuan raised her eyebrows. "You're at a wedding, grandma. You might want to hold on about the divorce talk."

"Oh, please," her grandmother waved, a huge purple ring was on her index finger. "When your husband gets old, pray that he wouldn't exchange you for a younger wife, ha!"

Her eyes searched for Qing Chen and she found him by his grandmother's table.

"Ah, look at that. Xie Changying."

"You know her?!" Feng Xuan asked.

"Of course I did! She was the most uptight lady among the society before. She and her husband were the perfect match. They were both sour! You be careful around her. She might plant ideas in your husband's head and get in the way between the two of you. Don't let that happen."

Feng Xuan looked at the old woman again from across the room. It just so happened that Qing Chen moved from her line of sight and her eyes landed on Feng Xuan. Feng Xuan felt a chill down her spine with the cold look Xie Changying gave her. "I won't."