Ning Kan snapped out of her awe of Da Tian Ting’s beauty. She noticed Da Ming Sheng was going to explode if she didn’t divert everyone’s attention.
‘It’s time for the groom to kiss the bride,’ Ning Kan said.
The wedding guests chimed in too.
‘Kiss the bride,’ the wedding guests said.
The wedding guests’ voices brought Shang Duan Hua’s senses back. He didn’t know why he couldn’t look away from Da Tian Ting earlier. He turned around and faced Da Ming Sheng. Suddenly he regretted marrying Da Ming Sheng.
‘Tian Ting, why did you come here?’ Lam Shu Pan asked.
‘Revenge,’ Da Tian Ting said.
‘You!’ Lam Shu Pan said. ‘Why are you here to ruin Duan Hua and Ming Sheng’s happiness? If you can’t see they truly love each other then I’ll ask the security guards to escort you outside.’
‘Aunty Lam, I said I came here for revenge,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘I didn’t say I want to separate Duan Hua and Ming Sheng. I do truly wish them happiness like how they truly love each other.’
‘What do you want?’ Lam Shu Pan asked.
‘Aunty Lam, what do you think I want?’ Da Tian Ting asked.
‘Tian Ting, Duan Hua was wrong to leave you for Ming Sheng,’ Lam Shu Pan said. ‘I hope you can understand that love can’t be forced.’
Da Tian Ting turned to Shang Duan Hua, and spoke from her heart.
‘Shang Duan Hua, for ten years you accused me of not having a feminine bone in my body,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘You left me because you couldn’t stand being with an ugly person. Thank you for leaving me, and giving me the chance to experience true love and happiness. Someone shallow like you who only care about appearances, isn’t worthy of receiving my love. Looks fade. I’m grateful I didn’t marry you, because you’ll leave your wife after her looks are gone.’
‘You!’ Shang Duan Hua said.
Shang Duan Hua told himself not to be fooled by Da Tian Ting’s transformation, because underneath was a shrew.
‘Da Tian Ting!’ Lam Shu Pan called. ‘Don’t you know how to live with a conscience?’
‘Aunty Lam, if I didn’t have a conscience, Duan Hua and Ming Sheng’s wedding ceremony wouldn’t have ran as smoothly,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘Ask yourself who is the selfish one between us. Have you and your family thought about my feelings? Ask yourself how I took care of your family for ten years. Why did I waste my love on a man who isn’t worth a cent? I came here to take revenge. I want to show Duan Hua and Ming Sheng their love was built on betrayal and deceit. A marriage based on appearances is doomed to be an unhappy marriage.’
‘Why do you need to be bitter when Duan Hua always hated you?’ Lam Shu Pan asked. ‘Why can’t you let go of the past? Don’t you understand love is a two way street?’
‘Aunty Lam, thank you for enlightening me,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘I’ve found the man of my dreams. He loves me unconditionally, and we’ll live a happy life together.’
Feng Kai Ze and Da Tian Ting gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes. The wedding guests thought they were seeing a real life prince and princess popped out of a fairy tale.
‘Shu Pan, stop insulting Tian Ting,’ Shang Ming said. ‘It’s Duan Hua and Ming Sheng who don’t have a conscience. For ten years they had an affair behind Tian Ting’s back. You have no right to insult Tian Ting.’
‘Shang Ming, shut up!’ Lam Shu Pan said.
‘It’s you who should shut up,’ Shang Ming said. ‘Stop embarra.s.sing yourself.’
‘Tian Ting, uncle is sorry Duan Hua and Ming Sheng hurt you,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Can you forgive them for me? They’re husband and wife now, let them live their own lives.’
‘Uncle, this isn’t about forgiveness,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘I do wish Duan Hua and Ming Sheng happiness. Since I’m an unwelcomed guest, I’ll leave.’
‘Done?’ Feng Kai Ze asked.
‘Yes,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘From today, I have nothing to do with them. I’m starting a new life without them.’
‘Good,’ Feng Kai Ze said. ‘Now you have closure, and Shang Duan Hua is no longer in your heart. You and I only need to focus on us.’
‘I, Da Tian Ting, solemnly swear that I’ve cast Shang Duan Hua out of my heart,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘From today, Shang Duan Hua and I are strangers.’
‘Tian Ting, I’ll be happier if you swear you’ll only love me for the rest of your life,’ Feng Kai Ze said.
‘Hey,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘Don’t take advantage of the situation.’
Feng Kai Ze squeezed Da Tian Ting’s nose.
‘It’s enough if you swear in your heart,’ Feng Kai Ze said. ‘Let’s go.’
Feng Kai Ze held Da Tian Ting’s hand, and they left the church together.
The wedding guests couldn’t recover their initial joy of seeing the union of the bride and groom. Their minds were preoccupied by the prince and princess who left the church.
Shang Duan Hua felt like Da Tian Ting stomped all over his pride. But he couldn’t forget how beautiful Da Tian Ting looked on his wedding day.
‘Duan Hua, are you OK?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
Da Ming Sheng calmed down because she was Mrs Shang, and Da Tian Ting could do nothing to change her status.
‘Duan Hua, forget the crazy words of a bitter woman like Tian Ting,’ Lam Shu Pan said.
‘That’s right,’ Ning Kan said. ‘Forget about Tian Ting. Now you and Ming Sheng are husband and wife. You and Ming Sheng will live a happy life together.’
Da Ming Sheng and Shang Ming both thought their children would regret marrying each other.
Shang Duan Hua wanted to salvage a bit of pride.
‘Doesn’t everyone think my bride looks beautiful?’ Shang Duan Hua asked.
‘Yes,’ the wedding guests agreed to disperse the tension.
Everyone congratulated the newlyweds, and didn’t notice Da Tian Ting’s mother who wore a designer dress and sat in a corner of the church since the start of the wedding ceremony. She witnessed how the Shang family mistreated her daughter. She discreetly walked outside the church, took off her sungla.s.ses and called her second in command, ‘I want all the bank loans given to Shang’s company to be cancelled by the end of today.’