But less than two seconds later, she couldn't help looking back at him.
As long as he was single and she still had the chance to admire him freely, she might as well take a few more glances.
Jiang Yang asked, "Brother Shi, where do you want to stand?"
Shi Wenli said, "Anywhere is fine."
He had already taken plenty of photos with his sister at the wedding home, so it didn't matter where he stood.
He walked to the edge and casually stood next to Xu Qinghe.
As he settled beside her, the breeze from his brisk stride carried his cool, subtle scent.
Xu Qinghe had just steadied her breathing when "Click, click—" the group photo finished.
She turned her head. "You must have been exhausted these past few days, right?"
Shi Wenli smiled lightly. "A little."
There was too much to do today, so he didn't have time to chat with her. He called Jiang Yang over and instructed, "Take Dr. Xu to her seat. She'll sit at our bridal party table."
He had many friends, but Xu Qinghe was his only female friend, so he tried to make sure she was well taken care of.
Xu Qinghe took a few more photos alone with the bride, then put away her phone and followed Jiang Yang into the banquet hall.
It was still early, and the other guests hadn't arrived yet. The grand ballroom was sparsely occupied by the bride and groom's family and relatives.
"Sis, this way." Jiang Yang enthusiastically led her through a sea of flowers.
For the bridal escort, he had specially bought a suit and had a stylist give him a handsome hairstyle in the morning.
Xu Qinghe teased him, "Today, you live up to your title as 'Second Handsome of This Hospital.'"
Jiang Yang laughed heartily. "Thanks, thanks."
"Sis, this table. Come, sit here." He gently pulled out a chair, fully embracing his role as one of the bride's family, attentively hosting the guest.
Xu Qinghe was surprised to find it was the secondary head table. She quickly waved her hand. "I can't sit here."
She turned to look behind her. "Where are my hospital colleagues sitting?"
"If Brother Shi says sit, then sit. No outsiders at this table—all doctors."
Jiang Yang pulled out a chair for himself and plopped down unceremoniously, patting the back of the chair next to him. "Sis, just sit. This table won't be full anyway."
Xu Qinghe asked, "Who's at this table?"
"My dad and mom, our department head and his wife, Brother Shi's aunt and uncle, and a few of us bridal escorts. The escorts, besides Brother Shi, are all from cardiac surgery—you know every one of them." Jiang Yang tugged at his suit pants to pull up the leg; he wasn't used to these trousers and felt his legs couldn't stretch properly.
He patted the chair again. "Sis, sit next to me. If my parents start scolding me later, you can shield me."
No one else had arrived yet, so it was just her and Jiang Yang at the table.
Xu Qinghe took out her phone to check the time. It was 11 o'clock—she was the earliest guest to arrive for the banquet.
Unconsciously, she began to scan the banquet hall.
It seemed like she was admiring the wedding setup, but her eyes were subconsciously searching for a certain figure.
Jiang Yang was hungry, so he went to the dessert table in the welcome area and grabbed two cupcakes, sharing one with her.
Xu Qinghe watched him wolf it down and gave hers back. "I'm not hungry. Didn't you have breakfast?"
"I did. Brother Shi made us tomato wontons before 4 a.m. After a morning of running around, I've already digested it all."
Xu Qinghe said, "Rumor has it that Dr. Shi's tomato soup is especially rich."
"Absolutely! Fragrant and thick, sweet and sour." Mentioning Shi Wenli's tomato soup wontons made the cupcake taste bland in Jiang Yang's mouth. "I've got to get Brother Shi to make me another bowl someday. I didn't get my fill today."
His description made Xu Qinghe want to try it too.
She had never tasted Shi Wenli's cooking, but everyone who had raved about it.
"Is your department head the witness?" she asked casually.
Jiang Yang rested his chin on his hand and nodded. "Shi Miao is his star student. He cares more about her than her own father does. Of course he has to be the witness."
By 11:20, guests began arriving in the ballroom.
Gu Changshen, as the witness, also hurried over.
"Director Gu." Xu Qinghe greeted him.
Gu Changshen took his seat. "It's rare for you to have time to attend a banquet."
Xu Qinghe smiled. "My department head is carrying the heavy load for me today."
Jiang Yang, bored, chimed in teasingly, "Watch out—he might call you back with one phone call."
Xu Qinghe: "…"
Gu Changshen scolded Jiang Yang, "You and your big mouth!"
Jiang Yang was used to being scolded and was impervious.
To put it bluntly, he was thick-skinned.
As they chatted, the ballroom filled up, and the wedding was about to start.
Xu Qinghe opened her phone to record the bride and groom's entrance.
Three minutes before the ceremony began, she aimed her camera at the stage.
Shi Wenli, having finished his tasks, came over and accidentally walked into her frame, blocking the stage behind him.
Xu Qinghe kept her phone up. "Dr. Shi."
Shi Wenli was talking to Jiang Yang when he turned to look at her, realizing she was filming. He smiled and said, "I'm blocking your view, aren't I?"
As he spoke, he stepped aside.
Since he had already wandered into her shot, Xu Qinghe didn't intend to move the camera or secretly take photos. "Dr. Shi, you rarely dress up so formally. Let me take a few pictures of you."
"Sure." Shi Wenli never dampened anyone's spirits, at least not hers.
He turned around to face away from the stage, posing for her.