Yun Xiang shifted uncomfortably on his seat as he watched the wedding progress. He doubted that Su Xiaofei would like it if he dared to speak out and stop this wedding.

Why would he anyway? Lu Qingfeng had already warned him that he shouldn’t cause any more trouble for Su Xiaofei as she would never reciprocate his feelings for her.

He had seen on various TV shows, when the presiding officer asked if there was someone who was against the union of the couple to speak now or forever hold their peace, then someone would run and yell ‘I object’.

In those scenarios, the one who objected to the union would end up confessing his feelings to the bride, only to find out that she reciprocates his feelings. It would usually end up with the bride leaving her groom behind to elope with her beloved.

Not that Yun Xiang thought it would happen. Not only would he bring shame to the Yun family, but Su Xiaofei would surely not be happy with him ruining her wedding day.

He would rather not shame his family and offend Su Xiaofei and the Lu family. Plus, he doubted that it would turn out the same way it would in the movies.

Just as Lu Qingfeng said before, he didn’t see Su Xiaofei as his cousin. He loved her as a man and wanted her to be with him. He didn’t even know when he started catching feelings for her as she had always treated him with indifference.

However, as he saw Su Xiaofei walk down the aisle with his Aunt Qingrong, Yun Xiang held his breath. He couldn’t take his eyes away from her as he had never seen her as beautiful as she was today.

A pang of jealousy hit him, thinking how lucky Lu Qingfeng was to have Su Xiaofei as his bride. Why couldn’t it be him in Lu Qingfeng’s shoes? Why did Su Xiaofei have to be his cousin?

He then saw Yun Qingrong accepting a hanky from Fang Yi and wiped her tears dry after Lu Qingfeng and Su Xiaofei exchanged their personal vows. Seeing how happy his sick aunt was, Yun Xiang didn’t think he had the heart to ruin this moment.

Everyone that was here to witness the wedding wanted nothing more than for the couple to lead a happy married life, but Yun Xiang couldn’t say the same thing.

He had been trying to find out who Su Xiaofei’s birth parents were and wondered if things would be different if she wasn’t part of the Yun family. Would Su Xiaofei treat him differently then, if they weren’t related to each other?

Once the rings were exchanged, the couple were to share their first kiss as husband and wife.

“I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Yun Xiang snapped out of his deep thoughts and watched as Su Xiaofei leaned forward to share a kiss with her lawfully wedded husband. Her eyes shone with happy tears as he bent down to meet her lips midway.

A round of applause followed as the very few guests of the couple stood up and congratulated the two. Yun Xiang even saw Xi Qian running to the altar, pulling Su Xiaofei and Lu Qingfeng together in a big hug.

Su Xiaofei allowed a few tears to roll down her cheeks as she gave her other best friend a tight hug and kissed Xi Qian’s cheek, murmuring words that Yun Xiang couldn’t understand. Meanwhile, Lu Qingfeng pulled out the silk hanky from his white tux and passed it to Xi Qian who willingly accepted it, laughing as she ruined her makeup from her crying.

Whether he liked it or not, he had to admit that he was also a witness of how romance blossomed between the two. He’d seen them as close friends, which eventually turned into lovers. He’d seen how Lu Qingfeng patiently waited for Su Xiaofei to consider him, which he, Yun Xiang, never dared to do, not knowing what he truly felt towards her.

Despite his frustration, he watched as Su Xiaofei shoot Lu Qingfeng with a smile which she only reserved for him, seeing Lu Qingfeng murmuring sweet words in her ears when he thought no one was watching and the moment of silence between the two as they held each other’s hand, content with having each other’s company.

Yun Xiang inwardly sighed as he remained seated on his seat while everyone else stood up to applaud the newlywed couple. He couldn’t really feel happy, seeing the woman he loved marrying another man.

Yun Xiang may not like Lu Qingfeng, but the younger man was right. He didn’t have a chance to be with Su Xiaofei from the very beginning. If only he was made aware of his feelings clearly earlier, he might have started avoiding her.

Not only the Yun family wouldn’t like the idea of him having such thoughts towards his cousin, regardless if Su Xiaofei was adopted or not, but he didn’t think he had the heart to hurt his aunt’s feelings.

‘Forever hold your peace.’ He told himself and shut his eyes for a moment, trying to tune out the happiness of those around him as the couple greeted their families with a big smile on their faces.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Lu Qingfeng and Su Xiaofei signing their marriage certificates before taking their wedding photos with Yun Qingrong and Chairman Lu, followed by the Qiao family before his Yun family.

Yun Xiang stood stiffly next to his father as they took the family photo with the newlywed couple. He could see from the corner of his eye that even the usually nonchalant Lu Qingfeng had a small smile on his face as Su Xiaofei held onto his arm.

He had to accept the reality that Su Xiaofei would be just his cousin and now, he also needed to accept Lu Qingfeng as his new cousin-in-law.