Su Qingning's face was deathly pale, and her body trembled. Su Qingfeng's last words had been like a death sentence.

Lin Xiao took her hand. It was ice-cold and quivering. She was clearly terrified.

Without a second thought, Lin Xiao pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back. "Baby, don't be afraid. The real show is about to begin!"

That single word, "baby," was enough to slowly warm Su Qingning's icy, fearful heart. Her frantic pulse gradually steadied, and she wrapped her arms around him in return.

The crowd was green with envy. That was Jinling City's number one beauty, yet she was letting that filthy beggar hold her like that! He held her so tightly it looked as if he was trying to meld her body into his own.

Lin Xiao noticed everyone staring, but he couldn't care less. In fact, he even leaned in and brazenly kissed her.

Su Qingning blushed shyly while the onlookers nearly went mad with jealousy.

But soon, their attention was drawn to the man who had just entered. It was Xiao Shixiong, followed by several dozen men in black suits who were clearly his personal bodyguards.

After escorting Xiao Shixiong to the ceremonial platform, the men formed two disciplined rows along the main aisle. They stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, their presence formidable and chilling.

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy. Everyone suddenly realized the Su Family's fortunes were about to change. Those who had been badmouthing the family just moments before guiltily lowered their heads, terrified of offending Su Daonong.

The moment Su Daonong saw Xiao Shixiong, his face lit up as if he were seeing a long-lost relative. He rushed forward and excitedly grasped Xiao Shixiong's hands. "Lord Xiao! I... I was afraid you weren't coming!" Su Daonong said, a wide smile plastered on his face.

Even though his wrist was still throbbing with pain, he couldn't be bothered with it now.

Xiao Shixiong beamed. "How could I possibly miss this? On such a joyous occasion, I had to come and offer my sincere congratulations to you, Mr. Su!"

Su Daonong's smile grew even wider as all his worries vanished in an instant. "Lord Xiao, thank you, thank you so much! Please, rest assured. Once this is all settled, I, Su Daonong, will reward you handsomely!"

Xiao Shixiong chuckled. "Of course, of course!" With that, he turned to look at Su Qingfeng.

He said with a warm smile, "My, Miss Su, you look absolutely stunning today!"

Xiao Shixiong naturally had the benevolent look of a Maitreya Buddha and was always smiling. His grin had a way of making people feel as comfortable as a warm spring breeze.

Su Qingfeng beamed with pride. "Thank you for the compliment, King of the Southern Town!"

"You're most welcome," Xiao Shixiong replied with a smile.

Su Daonong asked cautiously, "Lord Xiao, the auspicious hour has arrived. Should the groom make his entrance now?"

"No rush. Allow me to say a few words first," Xiao Shixiong said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Surely you wouldn't deny this matchmaker a chance to speak, would you, Mr. Su?"

Su Daonong shuddered. "Lord Xiao, of course not! Please, speak your mind!"

Someone handed him a microphone. Xiao Shixiong took it, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present. Then, his voice boomed, "It looks like all the prominent families of Jinling City, big and small, have gathered here today!"

Xiao Shixiong smiled before continuing. "A few days ago, a certain someone came to me asking for help in arranging a marriage. I thought it was a wonderful idea, so I asked which young lady had caught his eye. He told me he'd taken a liking to Miss Su Qingfeng of the Su Family. I must admit, I was impressed! The man has excellent taste, setting his sights on the most beautiful lady of the Su Family, the very apple of their eye."

Here, Xiao Shixiong paused deliberately. Su Daonong beamed, and Su Qingfeng's grin was so wide it nearly split her face.

Just then, Xiao Shixiong continued, "He pleaded with me to act as the matchmaker, and of course, I agreed. As the old saying goes, 'Better to tear down a temple than to ruin a marriage.' With such a fine union to create, how could I, Xiao Shixiong, refuse to help someone achieve their happiness?"

"Afterward, I paid a visit to the Su Family. I was worried there might be some resistance, but to my surprise, Su Daonong agreed readily. I always took Su Daonong for a pragmatic businessman, but I never expected him to be such a man of passion. Very good. Su Daonong, for giving me this much face, from this day forward, you and I are friends!"

As he spoke, Xiao Shixiong glanced at Su Daonong, who was overcome with elation. Today was truly a day of double blessings! His daughter was marrying into a powerful and noble family from Shengjing, and he himself had just become a friend of Xiao Shixiong.

The guests below the stage, however, were stunned. No one had expected Xiao Shixiong to say such a thing. It seemed Su Qingfeng's future in-laws were from an extraordinary background. Otherwise, why would Xiao Shixiong give Su Daonong so much face, let alone publicly declare them friends? Everyone present was shrewd. Not a single one of them believed Xiao Shixiong would befriend Su Daonong simply because he was a 'man of passion.'

Su Qingning's expression fell. She had been hoping that after Su Qingfeng's wedding, she could ask Lin Xiao to find Xiao Shixiong and have him mediate with the Su Family. After all, Xiao Shixiong owed Lin Xiao a significant favor.

But now, even Xiao Shixiong had taken the initiative to call Su Daonong his friend. Su Qingfeng's future family must be incredibly powerful. Under these circumstances, asking Xiao Shixiong for help would likely be futile, even for Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao noticed Su Qingning's disappointment and squeezed her hand under the table, even tracing small circles on her palm. The tickling sensation made her shoot him an annoyed glare, but his silly little gesture was enough to completely dispel her gloomy mood.

On the platform, Xiao Shixiong continued, "Miss Su, before you meet your husband, allow me to be presumptuous and say a few more words."

"Please, go ahead!" Su Qingfeng said eagerly.

"Marriage is a commitment for life. It wasn't easy for you two to get to this point, so I hope you will cherish and love your husband with all your heart."

"Rest assured, King of the Southern Town, I will!" Su Qingfeng declared, as if taking an oath.

"Good. And no divorcing. If you do, I will be very angry."

Although he said it with a smile, everyone knew there were no empty threats when the King of the Southern Town spoke. In other words, if Su Qingfeng ever dared to get a divorce, the King would absolutely not let her off easy.

Su Qingfeng knew this, of course. She nodded quickly and vowed, "We will never divorce! We will be together even in death!"

Xiao Shixiong laughed. "Alright, I've said enough. I'm sure Miss Su is impatient to see her husband. In that case, I won't waste any more time. Let's give a grand welcome to Su Qingfeng's husband, Huang Shizhuo, as he makes his dazzling entrance!"

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