"Don't blame yourself," Chen Lu's father patted my shoulder. "But if people find out the groom-to-be from our family only gave a gift of ten thousand, it wouldn't sound good..."
"Then I'll go get the money now." I wasn't short on cash, and was about to get up when Chen Lu's father stopped me.
"There's no time, the wedding is about to start. How about this," Chen Lu's father rolled up his left sleeve and took off his watch. "I've never worn this watch before, so no one will recognize it. You can give this to the groom as a token of your good wishes."
I took the watch and looked at it. Wow, it was some Rolex model, I couldn't remember the name, but I knew the price. My boss at work had one, it cost over four hundred thousand!
"Thank you, Uncle. You've thought of everything. I'll present this offering with gratitude!" I took the watch and buckled it on. I couldn't wear it myself, so I put it in my pocket.
"It would be even better if I had another watch on this wrist, to make it look even more like it was prepared in advance," I muttered to myself.
"That makes sense," Chen Lu's father picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Assistant Liu, come in for a moment."
Shortly after, a man dressed as a secretary entered. "Mr. Chen."
"Did you bring that watch you showed off last time, the one your father-in-law gave you, that Lange brand one?" Chen Lu's father asked.
"Yes, I did."
Chen Lu's father pointed at me. "Lend it to him."
"Certainly." Assistant Liu took off his watch and helped me put it on. I didn't recognize this one either. It had a brown leather strap, a gold bezel, and the letters on the dial looked German.
"Alright, Assistant Liu, take him out. I need to make a call." Chen Lu's father dismissed us.
I followed Assistant Liu out. He asked curiously but politely, "What's your relationship with Mr. Chen...?"
"Ah, I'm Chen Lu's boyfriend," I said casually.
Assistant Liu was surprised. "So you're the son-in-law! May I ask which prominent family you come from?"
I waved my hand. "I'm no young master. We're college classmates."
"Then your relationship must be even stronger!" Assistant Liu confidently patted my shoulder. "Alright, young man, treat her well. Marrying Lulu will save you thirty years of struggle!"
"I hope you're right," I said with a wry smile. Thirty years of struggle? With so many enchantresses around me, not to mention a Qing Dynasty princess, how could mere money measure their worth?
"How much is that watch? It's quite nice," I said, mainly because it matched my suit. In professional terms, it was a "dress watch."
"Not expensive, not expensive, only a little over a hundred thousand. If you like it, I can give it to you!" Assistant Liu said generously, giving me a look that was clearly implying that if I accepted his watch, I should put in a good word for him with Chen Lu's father later.
But I couldn't accept, because I was a fake son-in-law!
"I'm not that interested in watches. I'm just helping out in a pinch as Uncle Chen requested. I'll return it to you later," I said.
Assistant Liu's expression was quite disappointed. I was good at comforting those trying to bribe me, so I smiled and said, "You're Uncle Chen's personal assistant, right? We'll have plenty of opportunities to interact in the future."
"Indeed, indeed!"
Assistant Liu led me back to the reception hall, where Chen Lu and her mother were waiting. Chen Lu's mother clearly knew about the gift-giving situation. She smiled at me, and I nodded, indicating that everything was arranged.
Chen Lu pulled me to a table not far from the main stage. This table was probably a reserved table for her branch of the Chen family. Chen Lu introduced me to everyone one by one. They were mostly from her mother's side of the family: aunts, uncles, and two married older cousins. The last one didn't need an introduction; she was the fox demon. Chen Lu, following our pre-arranged personas, introduced the fox demon as my sister to her family.
The sound system blared to life, and the wedding began. The noise was deafening. I had to press my lips to Chen Lu's ear to speak with her, and perhaps her family members mistook this gesture for affection. They all cast us glances of blessing and suppressed laughter. I noticed that this peculiar kind of glance was unique to Northeast China. Relatives from the South would usually avert their gaze when seeing young couples being intimate, perhaps because people in the Northeast are more open?