Chen Mo and Xiao Yu used to live in small villas.
At the moment, Xiao Yu sat on her bed, the small fishing rod leaning beside it. She looked at photos of the two of them on her phone, reminiscing about the ups and downs of their relationship. A sweet smile bloomed on her face.
Tomorrow was the wedding day. Chen Mo would come for her, and she would marry him in full view of the world. She would proudly declare to everyone that she belonged to this man—forever.
Thinking about walking down the aisle in a wedding dress to marry the one she loved made her feel giddy with excitement.
"Sis, that smile's suspiciously sweet. Thinking about your future husband?" Xiao Man walked into the room, caught sight of Xiao Yu's dreamy expression, and immediately guessed her thoughts.
"Just remembering everything we've been through," Xiao Yu replied, not bothering to deny it.
"You're getting married tomorrow. You should spend tonight with Mom and Dad."
"Yeah." Xiao Yu nodded, put down her phone, and left the room with Xiao Man.
When He Zhenhua and Wang Lan saw Xiao Yu come out, smiles lit up their faces. Their daughter was about to get married—to a good man from a good family. Naturally, they were happy.
But behind their joy, there was a sliver of worry. After all, the gap between the two families was wide. Although they liked Chen Mo, as parents, they couldn't help but be concerned. And watching their most beloved, sensible daughter get married so soon inevitably brought a touch of sadness.
"If you ever feel wronged, just come home. Dad will always be here for you," He Zhenhua said.
"Why say that? Xiao Mo is a thoughtful man. He'd never let Xiao Yu suffer," Wang Lan added. "Xiao Yu, you have to live happily. And try to have a baby soon. Once you do, Xiao Mo will settle down more, and I can finally hold my grandson."
"Mom, Dad, don't worry. Chen Mo treats me very well. I won't be unhappy," Xiao Yu said, sitting between them, her heart full of warmth.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo was lying on the living room sofa, quietly reading. His sister, Zhang Xinxin, sat beside him. His parents, along with Jian and Uncle Wang, were nearby, chatting about tomorrow's wedding.
Chen Mo wasn't really paying attention to their conversation. He was focused on his book—not a dense math textbook or a philosophical work, but a physics book titled The Shape of Time, which detailed the development of relativity.
He read slowly, savoring the book's clear and engaging language. Well-written popular science, in his view, was both enlightening and enjoyable.
Tomorrow, he and Xiao Yu would be married. The excitement in his heart was difficult to suppress. Reading was the only way to calm himself.
"Brother, are you excited to marry Xiao Yu tomorrow?" Zhang Xinxin leaned over with a teasing smile.
Chen Mo closed the book. "Of course. Are you studying hard at university? Decided on your major yet? Next year, I'll send you abroad. After you graduate, you can come work at the company."
"Ugh, don't ruin the mood with school talk," Zhang Xinxin pouted playfully.
Changqin Island
Inside a temporary control room, Zhang Fengyun monitored the wedding venue via video feed, issuing instructions through her walkie-talkie as staff bustled about.
The wedding rehearsal had been run over ten times and was being refined to perfection. Tonight was the final one. Tomorrow would be Chen Mo's big day.
"All right, start the holographic projection. Bring in the bride and groom stand-ins."
At her command, every holographic projector on-site lit up. The actors standing in for the bride and groom walked onto the red carpet.
As they stepped forward, the holographic scenery transformed. Starting from where the couple stood, a beautiful romantic world unfolded across the venue like a blooming flower—breathtaking and magical.
Zhang Fengyun admired the scene on the screen.
Other wealthy weddings featured luxury cars, rose-covered paths, extravagant jewels, and glamorous guests. But Chen Mo's wedding was different—high-tech and utterly unique. A romance only someone like him could pull off.
Elsewhere, Liang Jing was personally checking over every project manager's tasks and confirming details for the big day.
Chen Mo's wedding would draw many important guests. Security was absolutely critical.
Although the marching ant company would be sending their own personnel, Liang Jing had to ensure her team wouldn't make mistakes—and wouldn't create problems for the venue's image.
"Menus, utensils, glassware, tables and chairs—double-check everything. Sanitize the tableware thoroughly. Confirm the chefs, waiters, and hostesses. No last-minute replacements, and no unverified staff blending into the team.
"Most importantly: no outsiders allowed into the venue tomorrow. If someone can't make it, contact me directly. No sending replacements without clearance.
"The kitchen must be strictly controlled. Only authorized kitchen staff are allowed inside. I'll assign a supervisor for it. We'll also have facial recognition at the entrance. All kitchen staff data is already in the system. If anyone tries to sneak in unauthorized personnel, they'll be severely punished. If there are any special cases, apply for permission in advance."
The media had already caught wind of the wedding location—Changqin Island—and were desperate to sneak in. Liang Jing had to make sure that wouldn't happen.
"Group One, maintain security outside the venue. No reporters allowed. Police will assist.
"Group Two, handle security checks and face recognition at the sign-in area. Keep an eye on the guests.
"Group Three, keep order inside the venue. Stay alert for suspicious individuals and report immediately.
"Group Four, guard the kitchen. Don't let anyone unauthorized sneak in."
Black Hawk stood on-site at Changqin Island, directing security personnel for tomorrow's deployment.
This wedding wasn't just about Chen Mo—it would gather numerous elites and high-profile figures. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be serious, potentially damaging Chen Mo's reputation and company image.
Changqin Island was under the spotlight, and many people were already plotting to infiltrate the event. Wang Hai had sent Black Hawk early to take charge of all security preparations.
"Ye Bo, you're the crafty one. Got any way to sneak footage from Chen Mo's wedding tomorrow?"
"Nothing obvious. Security's going to be airtight," Ye Bo replied, shaking his head. "But maybe… there's a workaround."
"I'm listening," Lu Wenzhao leaned in.
"There are some neighbors or acquaintances of Chen Mo who got invited. If we offer them some money, we might be able to get photos and videos taken from the inside. We can then upload those on our social accounts."
"Smart thinking." Lu Wenzhao clapped. "I'll leave that to you. Here's a thousand yuan for expenses."
Exclusive footage of Chen Mo's wedding would draw massive online traffic. A thousand yuan was a small price for that kind of attention.
Because of the huge public interest, various media outlets were going all out to gather gossip—any kind of wedding news would be valuable. Rumors and speculation had already begun circulating online, with some predicting the event would be the wedding of the century.
Guests who had received invitations were already booking flights and preparing to head to Binhai.
Under the cover of night, countless lives were busy in their own corners of the world.