CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER 314: DEFUSING A DIFFICULT SITUATION

After finally managing to handle the table with the acne girl who was spraying colored powder, Gu Jingyu quickly pulled Lin Wanwan back to the bridal room to touch up their makeup and change outfits.

Just now, the situation had made her so nervous, fearing that the girl would spill wine on her, so it was better to change clothes and feel at ease.

"Wanwan, I’ll return your clothes after I have them dry-cleaned." Putting on the qipao, Gu Jingyu carefully removed her hair crown and pins while speaking.

The hair crown was indeed beautiful but too heavy.

Lin Wanwan replied, "No need, I can wash it myself."

Once the bride removed her Hanfu, it was customary for Lin Wanwan, as a bridesmaid, not to wear hers either, lest she upstages the bride.

However, all the bridesmaid dresses Gu Jingyu had prepared for her were covered in colored powder, making them unwearable, and her modern clothes were left at Gu Jingyu’s house.

To keep a low profile, Lin Wanwan took down her hair bun and hairpins, changing her half-draped hair into a low ponytail.

This way, she lost a lot of the ethereal look compared to Gu Jingyu’s form-fitting qipao, making her appear more understated.

After tidying up herself, she packed Gu Jingyu’s Hanfu, hair crown, and other items into a suitcase.

This hair crown was too valuable; with so many people coming and going today, Lin Wanwan didn’t feel comfortable leaving it just anywhere in a suitcase.

So she made an excuse to use the restroom, took the suitcase with her, and returned directly to her room in Great Tang, storing it in the dressing box.

Coming out of the restroom, Lin Wanwan saw that Gu Jingyu had already inserted pearl flowers in her bun and wore a pearl necklace around her neck.

Gu Jingyu, in a short-sleeved red qipao, revealed her snow-white arms, matched with her slightly round face, exuding elegance and charisma as she walked, full of charm and grace.

Though not as grand and stunning as when she wore the Great Tang peony skirt with a hair crown, she was still absolutely eye-catching.

"Truly beautiful, the qipao really flatters your figure," Lin Wanwan complimented.

Gu Jingyu laughed, "Really? Come on, let’s go down. There are only two tables left, I guess the remaining ones won’t be easy to deal with, since they’re full of people our age who definitely love to play, which is why they left them for the end."

"Let’s play it by ear, I have an idea to help you avoid drinking," Lin Wanwan said mischievously.

Curious, Gu Jingyu asked, "What idea?"

Lin Wanwan smirked, "Just say you’re pregnant and can’t drink."

"Oh, you!" Gu Jingyu blushed, "I can’t say that."

The two laughed and went downstairs.

The next table was Liang Xingchi’s troublesome friends, indeed hard to handle.

They encountered a crew-cut guy who laughed like a silly dog. Instead of making the bride and bridesmaid drink white wine, he slowly took out a cigarette for the bride to light, claiming that by family hierarchy, he was of the groom’s grandfather’s generation.

Lin Wanwan found it quite unpleasant to watch, but Gu Jingyu still ended up lighting the cigarette for him with a smile.

Through Uncle Liang’s introduction, Lin Wanwan learned that this crew-cut guy was a neighborhood police officer.

This slick-talking, flirtatious guy was actually a neighborhood police officer! Lin Wanwan doubted the truth of it all.

She was also naive; weren’t most police like this?

Think about it, among her classmates, wasn’t the one who was the most mischievous and troublemaking the one who later went to police school?

Those new to the job might still be a bit green, but after staking out in a car for several nights, or peeing in a bottle, their skills could instantly improve, all cunning like foxes.

With such a beautiful bride and bridesmaid offering drinks today, it was sure they wouldn’t be let go easily.

From dancing to singing, they were all about teasing the bride and bridesmaid.

Fortunately, Liang Xingchi managed to talk his way through, solving more than half the table’s challenges.

Lin Wanwan could see that both the groomsmen and the groom had drunk too much; just dealing with this table had emptied half a bottle of red wine, so for her friend’s happy wedding night, Lin Wanwan decided to step in and help.

If the groom got dead drunk, wouldn’t that leave Gu Jingyu with regrets on their wedding night?

Just as Liang Xingchi was about to down another glass of red wine, Lin Wanwan spoke up, "Isn’t it just a performance? Okay then, since I’m wearing traditional attire today, let me perform a Konghou piece for everyone. But you have to promise, after my performance, you’ll be lenient, right?"

A man with a beer belly, not yet thirty, shouted, "Okay! It’s up to the beauty!"

"Sure, sure!"

"What’s a Konghou? I don’t understand; beauty, I want to see you play the flute!" another oily man interjected flirtatiously.

A vehicle seemed to whiz past Lin Wanwan’s face!

Though she hadn’t eaten pork, she had seen pigs run; Lin Wanwan instantly understood. Good words were ruined by people like this, making them crass.

Men in society couldn’t talk without being a little risqué!

Lin Wanwan decisively pretended she didn’t understand, turned around and walked away, "I’m going to get the Konghou, be right back."

Saying she was going to the car to get it, but quietly found an opportunity to return to Great Tang for it.

Returning, the table had already finished toasting, and they kept their word, not giving her a hard time after the performance.

Lin Wanwan held the Konghou and stepped onto the stage; this was the first appearance of a genuine Konghou in modern times, how meaningful!

Lin Wanwan took a light breath, her expression becoming solemn. Even though no one knew the significance of this Konghou in her hands, she understood well.

Compared to the Ancient Zither, Lin Wanwan had much more talent for the Konghou.

She knew the Ancient Zither since university, and the Konghou only recently; even accounting for the time bug between worlds, it couldn’t match her years of zither practice.

Yet her current playing level on the Ancient Zither couldn’t compare to her skill with the Konghou.

No one at the banquet recognized the Konghou, mistaking it for a small harp until the table from before used their phones to search and understand.

The MC briefly introduced from the side, "Now we have the bridesmaid performing a Konghou melody."

Lin Wanwan adjusted her posture, nodded lightly to the crowd, and began to pluck the strings and play.

Even though those before her were the crudest audience, since this was a performance that would be part of Gu Jingyu’s wedding video, she couldn’t be careless.

The piece Lin Wanwan played was an introductory Konghou melody, personally taught by Master Heng Wu, possibly the most authentic technique in contemporary times.

After all, modern Konghou is based on poems and murals, with playing techniques researched by contemporary masters rather than ancient traditions.

This piece, Lin Wanwan was very familiar with, embodying the essence of "Kunshan jade breaks, phoenix calls, hibiscus weeps with dew, orchids smile."

Though Lin Wanwan was bare-faced, looking down, with a simple low ponytail, and only a jade bracelet on her dainty white wrist without other accessories,

she seemed to radiate in others’ eyes.

This was the allure of music and charisma; those greasy men who had earlier made inappropriate jokes, felt a tinge of inferiority as the melody played, feeling even one more glance at Lin Wanwan would be a desecration.

This kind of fairy, should not be tainted by dust.