CHAPTER 527: CHAPTER 527: I AM THE GROOM

Aunt Xue nodded repeatedly with joy, "Yes, it’s my honor to make sweet dumplings for Princess Chu Hua."

Yan Qianyi took a few bites and then set down her bowl, turning back to look at Yan Chuhua. She asked, "How have things been between you and Yun Mu lately?"

Yan Chuhua felt somewhat embarrassed and feigned ignorance, "How what? I... There’s nothing between us."

"Don’t pretend in front of me. I know your feelings for Yun Mu."

Yan Chuhua pouted slightly, "Then you also know about my engagement to Ziyu. With that in place, Yun Mu and I can’t really do anything. Speaking of Xia Ziyu, it’s infuriating—had he not insisted on being a groomsman, today’s groomsman would have been Yun Mu!"

Such a perfect opportunity and romantic atmosphere, yet Xia Ziyu, that madman, just had to barge in uninvited.

Utterly annoying!

Yan Qianyi smiled, "Blame me, for not having many friends; otherwise, we could have had two bridesmaids and two groomsmen. But you needn’t be upset. If Yun Mu can’t be a groomsman this time, just work hard to make him your groom in the future. When that happens, Mu Yunlie’s and Ah Lie’s child might even be your flower child."

Hearing Yan Qianyi say this, Yan Chuhua immediately fantasized about her and Yun Mu’s wedding, her eyes and brows filled with sweet smiles.

"Look at you, smiling so cheerfully," teased Yan Qianyi. "You look more like the bride who’s about to get married today."

Yan Chuhua snapped back to reality, blushing, "You better sit down and get your makeup done quickly, or it’ll be too late."

Meanwhile, Xia Ziyu, who was a groomsman, had also arrived at Mu Yunlie’s place.

He had put on the groomsman’s suit and was sitting on the sofa downstairs, waiting for Mu Yunlie.

Thinking that soon he would have to watch the woman he loved walk down the aisle with another man, making their vows of love before God, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Hearing footsteps from upstairs, he looked up.

Expecting Mu Yunlie, he was surprised instead to see Pei Yuexuan.

Xia Ziyu was somewhat astonished, "Vice Officer Pei, instead of staying by the Lord Commander’s side, what brings you here to join in the commotion? Are you also a groomsman?"

Pei Yuexuan walked up to him, "Prince Ziyu, I am not a groomsman. I’m just here to take care of the Commander."

Xia Ziyu looked puzzled. Wasn’t the Lord Commander going directly to the wedding venue? What was Vice Officer Pei taking care of here?

Mu Yunlie had a lot of face value, as not only the Lord Commander but also his father, the King, and mother, the Queen, would attend the wedding.

Xia Ziyu crossed his legs and checked the time, becoming somewhat impatient.

After a while, there were footsteps from upstairs again.

He lazily lifted his eyelids to look. Suddenly, he was startled!

Almost reflexively, he sprang up from the sofa.

"Lord Commander, you’re here too."

Mu Yunlie was dressed in a crisp, robust military uniform.

Under the military cap, he wore that terrifying face mask.

He nodded slightly at Xia Ziyu.

Xia Ziyu stood upright, his gaze filled with reverence as he looked at him.

In his teenage years, Xia Ziyu had heard many rumors about the current Commander.

Rumors said he was bloodthirsty and ruthless, with harsh tactics, yet he was the Guardian God of the Federation Empire.

Even the King and Queen showed him deference, to say nothing of the princes and princesses of the palace.

Whenever the princes and princesses disobeyed, the Queen would threaten, "If you don’t behave, I’ll send you to the cold-faced Commander for military training."

Each time she said this, everyone would behave obediently.

Therefore, the princes and princesses were very fearful of the cold-faced Commander, and Xia Ziyu was no exception.

He remembered, a few years back when he was about fourteen or fifteen.

One evening, he wanted to sneak out of the palace to play and bumped into the Commander. He was so scared by the mask on his face that he cried.

"Let’s depart," said Mu Yunlie.

Xia Ziyu, bewildered, "Depart? But the groom hasn’t come down yet."

Mu Yunlie tilted his chin slightly, "I am the groom."

Finished speaking, he stomped in his military boots and walked briskly outside.

"..." Xia Ziyu stood rigidly in place, completely dumbfounded.

The Lord Commander was the groom?

What did that mean?

Where was Mu Yunlie?

Had the groom been changed at the last minute?

Only when he saw the meaningful smile on Pei Yuexuan’s face did Xia Ziyu finally catch on, inhaling a breath of cold air in disbelief.

God!

So Mu Yunlie was the Commander!!

No wonder Mu Yunlie always acted so superior and imperious in front of him!

"Please don’t tell Yan Qianyi yet, Prince Ziyu. This is the surprise the Lord has prepared for her," said Pei Yuexuan, then immediately followed him out.

Xia Ziyu’s mouth hung open in shock.

A surprise?

Sure it was a surprise?

Wasn’t it rather a shock?

He himself was completely startled!

...

The vehicles of the Federation Empire’s Royal Family personally picked up Yan Yao and Queen Andelle from the spaceship’s landing site and brought them to the Yan Family home.

After getting off, Yan Yao looked up at the villa in front of him, as memories flooded him overwhelmingly.

Everything here seemed unchanged, yet everything felt so different.

Andelle, linking her arm with his, asked softly, "How do you feel returning here once again?"

Yan Yao smiled faintly, "Very complicated."

This home had given him many joyful and beautiful memories, but also memories filled with unbearable pain.

The pain began when he found out that he was not Yan Hong’s biological son...

When he had left that year, his mother had seen him off with tears in her eyes.

The next time he returned was to attend his mother’s funeral.

As he got out of the car just now, there was a moment of daze when he felt as if his mother would soon push the door open and walk out with a smile to welcome him.

Looking at the familiar house, he almost forgot that he had lost his mother forever.

Yan Yao’s eyes reddened slightly; he took a deep breath with effort, trying to adjust his emotional state.

Queen Andelle, sensing her husband’s mood, consoled, "Your mother’s spirit in heaven, seeing the scene today, would certainly be happy."

Yan Yao nodded; Yan Qianyi was marrying a man who would cherish her and keep her in the palm of his hand. If his mother’s spirit in heaven knew this, she would indeed rest easy.

Just then, Old Lady Yan and Yan Hong came out of the house.

Seeing them, Yan Yao immediately hid his delicate sorrowful emotions, putting on a standardized smile.

"Prince Yao, Queen Andelle, welcome back," Old Lady Yan said with respect.

Yan Hong stood by the side, silent, with an embarrassed expression.

He feared that he had wronged Yan Yao in the past, and now that Yan Yao had become the ruler of a nation, he might seek retaliation.

"Grandmother, please call me as you used to, no need to be so formal. Today, I’m just Yan Qianyi’s brother, here to send my sister off to her wedding."

Old Lady Yan nodded, her gaze sizing up Andelle, "Qianyi showed me pictures of the Queen. I never thought that you would be even more beautiful in person than in the photos."

"Hello, Grandmother, just call me Andelle."

Yan Hong urged, "Let’s quickly go inside."