"Is it the right one?" Chen Mo asked as he returned, referring to the choice of wedding photo.
"Yeah," Xiao Yu nodded. "Everything's been handed over to Shilihong Makeup. I played a few rounds of billiards with them at the clubhouse, so I came back a little late."
"You play billiards?"
"Started in elementary school," Chen Mo said casually. "By junior high, I was the class tyrant—bullied all the little kids. Haven't played in years, but the accuracy and technique are still there."
"Big talker." Xiao Yu smiled. "Mom just called. They picked a good date and helped plan the wedding. My parents are already here. I set them up in the small villa, and I'll stay with them until the wedding day. You can come pick me up then."
"Then I'll be coming for the bride."
"First, we need to pick the wedding photo. We need it to decorate the wedding room. We'll also need to shop for some things for the house," she said, clearly excited about the upcoming ceremony.
"Which one should we pick? The mermaid one looks good, fits your vibe. Or this flower fairy—stunning."
"You're too biased. You're going to make me blush to death."
"I'm just being honest."
In the days that followed, both sets of parents and Zhen Zhen's family arrived in Binhai. Chen Mo and Xiao Yu, along with Zhen Zhen, went out to buy supplies for the wedding room and finalized the bridesmaids.
Once everything was settled, Xiao Yu moved to the villa to stay with her parents, waiting quietly for the big day.
Shilihong Makeup Company worked at full speed, printing and distributing the invitations. Zhang Fengyun brought in his own team to take charge of the ceremony design. Everything was progressing smoothly, step by step.
Meanwhile, Zhuo Jiu was working on this week's celebrity gossip.
As a seasoned paparazzi, juicy celebrity scandals were his bread and butter—perfect for driving clicks and engagement.
He had just finished sorting some spicy photos when the quiet hum of his office was interrupted.
"Mr. Jiu, Ahu is calling."
The voice of his smart assistant rang out, followed by the phone ringing. Zhuo Jiu set aside his mouse and answered.
"Big news," came Ahu's excited voice.
"Oh?" Zhuo Jiu's interest was piqued. "What kind of scoop?"
Over the years, Zhuo Jiu had built a network of informants. Many of his viral headlines were thanks to their tips. Some stars even leaked fake scandals just to stay relevant, using him as a tool for exposure.
"Chen Mo's getting married this month. Invitations are already out."
"Chen Mo?" Zhuo Jiu's eyebrows rose. "Are you sure? Don't mess around with this. If it's fake, the Marching Ant Company will be all over me."
"It's solid. I heard it from multiple sources. Some big names have already received the invitation. I'll send you a picture of the back of one."
"Perfect. Time to grab a headline."
After hanging up, Zhuo Jiu logged onto Weibo and posted a dynamic image of the invitation with a teaser:
See you on Wednesday. According to reliable sources, the most talented and youngest big name in China is getting married this month. Silence is gold, silence is gold, silence is gold—because some things are worth repeating. @MarchingAntTech @WeiboEntertainment
"I swear, is he talking about Chen Mo?"
"Nine Dog's teasing again. But this time… it has to be Chen Mo, right?"
"Who else fits 'youngest and most talented big name'? And he tagged Marching Ant's official account!"
"I refuse to believe it. That's my husband!"
The post exploded.
Within half an hour, it had been forwarded tens of thousands of times. Other entertainment accounts jumped on the story, and soon it was trending on Weibo.
Chen Mo was always in the public eye. Once the media confirmed the wedding through their own sources, it became official:
Chen Mo is getting married this month.
Major entertainment outlets jumped into action.
"Chen Mo Is Getting Married!"
"Confirmed: Wedding Date for Tech Genius Chen Mo Revealed"
"Chen Mo to Tie the Knot—Guess Who the Bride Is?"
"Wedding of the Century: The Woman Who Captured the Time Giant's Heart"
"Chen Mo's Getting Married—Are You Heartbroken Yet?"
The internet went wild.
As the youngest super-rich tech mogul in the world, Chen Mo was idolized by millions—young, brilliant, confident, mysterious. He was the dream guy for countless fans.
Unlike many wealthy heirs who played around into their thirties or forties, switching women like clothes before settling with a model or actress, Chen Mo was in his twenties and had never even been linked to anyone. Not once had he been caught in a scandal.
Now he was getting married.
And the bride?
Definitely not them.
"How many women are having their hearts broken right now?"
"My dream guy is getting married! And it's not me!"
"I've lost in love. The woman stole my male god."
"This can't be real. I refuse to believe it. I'm jumping off a building!"
"Chen Mo, marry me instead!"
"This is the year's greatest tragedy—hundreds of millions of girls lost love on the same day."
On Weibo and across social media, the heartbreak was real. People were reposting, crying, joking, and even blessing him, all in equal measure.
Thanks to nonstop media coverage, Chen Mo's wedding quickly became the event of the season.
Back in Binhai, preparations were in full swing on Changqin Island.
A popular resort island with beautiful beaches and meadows, it was the perfect venue for a wedding. Naturally, Chen Mo had reserved the entire island.
Zhang Fengyun's team had already arrived. With help from the wedding company, they were in the final stages of setup. According to Zhang's design, this would be a wedding for the ages.
"How's the last projector coming along?" Zhang shouted through a speaker.
"All done!" came the installer's reply.
Relief washed over the team.
On a 300-meter grass field, nearly 200 holographic projectors—large and small—were set up. To handle the data load of their linked projection system, a high-performance mainframe from the Marching Ant Company had been delivered to the island.
There was still a week until the ceremony—plenty of time for rehearsals.
"Alright," Zhang said, "start testing. Link all the projectors."
"Connection successful."
A technician gave him a thumbs-up.
"Kill all lights. Let's run the test hologram."
Night had just fallen—perfect timing. The projections would be clearest without interference from daylight, and the wedding itself was also planned for this time.
Zhang Fengyun was buzzing with anticipation. Even he had never used this many holographic projectors at once. The potential visual effect had him excited.
All the videos had been provided by Chen Mo himself. Zhang didn't know how Chen Mo managed to produce such high-quality holographic footage, but he didn't question it. Chen Mo, after all, was known for defying common sense.
As the lights went out, the island was bathed in dusk. The technician clicked "play" on the computer.
Nearly two hundred holographic projectors lit up simultaneously—from above, the sides, the front, and behind—filling the entire field in shimmering light.
What happened next stunned everyone.
"Unbelievable."