Chapter 772 - 419: Wedding Pranks, Snatching the Groom

Are you just going to stand by at the banquet drinking? I don’t believe you!

Yu Huizhi was very uneasy about these three big surprises; if they lost their temper, a happy occasion could easily turn into a disaster. But since they were staying, Yu Huizhi couldn’t very well chase them away, so she brought them to the groom’s family seating area.

"Huizhi, these few look unfamiliar. Whose children are they?"

An elder at Li Peifeng’s table saw Yu Huizhi bringing three girls over and asked with a puzzled look. Yu Huizhi managed a forced smile and replied, "Mine, they’re all my daughters."

Li Peifeng’s grandmother was astonished, "When did you adopt these three goddaughters? How come I didn’t know?"

Li Qiyuan gave an awkward smile, "There are plenty of things you don’t know about, we’ll tell you when we get back!"

Someone at the table wanted to continue asking questions, but was interrupted by the sudden sound of drums, deep and resonant like summer thunder.

"Boom boom~ boom boom boom~"

On stage, the two drummers wore red short jackets, their hands swinging the drumsticks to strike the big drums, with the rhythm shifting from slow to fast. Then, several elderly musicians holding various traditional instruments like flutes, reed pipes, and bamboo flutes also took turns to grace the stage.

"A lifetime of well-matched bliss as long as the earth endures, a century-long union with heaven forever! Newlyweds joyously welcome friends and family to gather, sincerely inviting you guests to join the happy bond..."

"Good morning, everyone. It’s now nine fifty-eight. Welcome to the wedding of Mr. Li and Ms. Zhao. I am your host, Shi Hao... The auspicious time has arrived, would the groom please enter the hall!"

With the warm-up performances over, the wedding ceremony commenced. Guests took their seats, and when Li Peifeng appeared wearing a crisply ironed Zhongshan suit, there was a round of applause from the audience, accompanied by hushed murmurs.

From the host’s words, the opening music style, and the groom Li Peifeng’s attire, it was clear that the wedding wasn’t Western-styled nor was it traditionally Chinese; it was a new Chinese style, a hodgepodge, to put it simply. It brought a sense of novelty to many guests present, though some focused their comments more on the groom!

"Oh my god, am I seeing things? Is he really her student, Li Peifeng? When I got the invitation, I thought it was just a name coincidence! What’s going on with Qingge?!!"

"The situation is apparent, no wonder, no wonder she got transferred this season! She’s been hiding it too well."

"Gosh, how many years apart are the two of them?"

"Age isn’t the issue, the important thing is Qingge truly is stunning, plus her status as a teacher... haha, it’s really appealing to young folks like Li Peifeng, but still, I never expected it!"

Former colleagues from Beihua University were all placed by Zhao Qingge at a table on the right side of the third row. At this moment, they were all incredulous, eyes wide and mouths chatting away nonstop.

Initially shocked, they then reflected on the unpredictability of human nature. Zhao Qingge used to be so discreet, the epitome of a model teacher... how did she end up being won over by her own student?

No, this is a classic case of an old bull eating young grass. Even if she looks like a heavenly figure, her age is there for all to see. Despite her excellent family background, Li Peifeng, this talented young man, has endless potential, so in the eyes of these teachers, clearly it was Old Zhao, this troublemaker, who took down her student!

Ugh, a rotten apple spoiling the bunch, abusing her authority to feast on the fresh young student, truly tarnishing our profession’s image!

Seated at the head of the table, Chen Shucheng glanced around and saw that the neighboring table was filled with familiar faces from the education system. Hearing the sour gossip from these female teachers, he gave a dry cough and said, "Alright, keep it down, mind the impression you’re making."

"I say, Dean Chen, you honestly don’t find this surprising?" a senior female teacher probed, "Did you know about this all along?"

Chen Shucheng chuckled, "Had no idea, absolutely no idea. It’s quite nice to muddle through life a bit, why know so much anyway?"

Adults quickly learn a vital truth after entering society: at your workplace, forming genuine friendships with colleagues is rare, even after knowing them for over a decade.

Because the relationship between colleagues is bound by competition and interests, even if there are no direct ties, there are indirect ones, making most interactions polite but insincere.

Of course, in some special professions, colleague relationships might be closer, but for university professors, it isn’t considered special.

Competition for honors and promotions is intense, teachers form cliques, looking out for themselves; some young lecturers advance cautiously, others stray from the path. Beneath the seemingly pure and peaceful ivory tower, it is tumultuous.

As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun, wherever there are people, there are conflicts. And where women gather, palace intrigue inevitably ensues.

During Zhao Qingge’s teaching years at Beihua University, she never fully integrated into the circles of other female colleagues, because their conversations often revolved around things like where to get beauty treatments, who traveled abroad, and could bring back skincare products, or discussing how much their husbands earned or which elite preschool their kids attended.

As an unmarried woman in her late 30s, Zhao Qingge had no common ground with her married female colleagues. After several futile attempts at socializing that left her feeling bored, she simply gave up.

Moreover, many female teachers envied her appearance, family background, and associate professor status, while Zhao Qingge remained aloof from their circles, leading a few idle female teachers to gossip behind her back, focusing mainly on her single status, such as; being so old and still not married, having high standards and being proud, destined to remain alone forever.