Flash marriage Chapter 7

Taking wedding photos was indeed physically demanding, but fortunately, both of them regularly exercised; otherwise, they would be exhausted by now.

“Yes, yes, bride, smile a bit more!”

“Groom, open your eyes wider, don’t squint!”

“Get a little closer, more intimate, yes, perfect! Looks great!”

The photographer professionally directed them and then frantically pressed the shutter.

In the frame, under the blue sky and white clouds, on the lush green grass, the bride looked stunning in her white wedding dress, her waist slender and the skirt wide, resembling a blooming lotus flower. The groom looked handsome in a well-tailored vest suit, making his tall and lean frame even more striking, like a noble prince from medieval Europe.

He wrapped his arms around the bride’s slim waist from behind, both of them standing close and intently looking at the camera.

After working hard to complete a set of poses, Chen Shuangshuang sat down heavily on a folding chair, held a small fan, and complained about the mastermind:

“I told you that we should have taken the photos in an indoor studio. It’s more comfortable. Now look, the sun is scorching, and we have to walk around, everyone is exhausted!”

Leaning on the adjacent folding chair, Zhang Dai defended his decision indignantly: “You only take wedding photos once in a lifetime. Real scenes look much better!”

“No matter how good they look, they still need to be Photoshopped in the end! And outdoor lighting is hard to control; even with extra lighting, it doesn’t help much. It still makes people look ugly! It’s a waste of money, exhausting, and not even pretty!” She gave him a disdainful glance.

Zhang Dai quickly changed the subject: “Stop glaring! If you keep doing that, your eyes might become crooked!”

“No way!” She immediately got up, hurriedly leaned towards the makeup box, and carefully examined her eyes in the mirror.

Realizing her eyes were perfectly normal and that he had tricked her, she angrily kicked his long legs.

Zhang Dai clutched his calf, groaning in pain, “Ouch! Attempted murder of your husband!”

The day after their wedding photoshoot, the photos were ready. Chen Shuangshuang and Zhang Dai sat with a tablet, seriously selecting the pictures.

Zhang Dai excitedly pointed at a photo on the screen, seeking her opinion: “This one looks great! Look how happy we are! Should we include it?”

Chen Shuangshuang made a face like an old man looking at a phone and pointed out the flaw: “Great my foot! Look at us! We’re smiling so exaggeratedly that we both have double chins!”
The staff member chimed in with professional advice: “Double chins can be edited out in post-production. Look how natural your smiles are; this photo is really beautiful!”

“Thank you! No need!” Chen Shuangshuang politely declined, not taking the advice to heart.
Zhang Dai silently moved on to the next photo.

Suddenly, he found another good photo and quickly showed it to her: “How about this one? It has a high-class vibe of a cold nobleman and a cool noble lady!”

In the photo, Chen Shuangshuang wore an exquisite floral headpiece and a red embroidered cheongsam[mfn]photo 1[/mfn] that accentuated her curves. She looked coldly at Zhang Dai, her fingers lightly touching his hand.

He wore a warlord’s coat, standing on the steps with an indifferent and distant expression, holding her slender fingers.

They seemed casual, but their eyes were filled with an indescribable ambiguity.

Chen Shuangshuang nodded in satisfaction: “Not bad, this is the kind of atmosphere I want! It seems your taste has improved! Approved for the album!”

“My taste has always been great!” He puffed out his chest with a bit of pride.

She rolled her eyes: “Look at you, so smug!”

The photographer’s skills were exceptional, always finding the right angles to capture the most beautiful moments.

However, there were so many good photos that it was overwhelming, and they both struggled with choice. After several rounds of elimination, they still exceeded their package limit.
“Why not just pay to add a few more photos?” Zhang Dai suggested, having been at it for nearly two hours, finding it difficult to choose.

“No way! We can’t let the studio profit too easily!” Chen Shuangshuang pressed her temples with her fingers, forcing herself to stay clear-headed and not be swayed.

The customer was too rational, so the salesperson gave up pushing extra purchases and remained silent.

In the end, Chen Shuangshuang reluctantly cut down the number photos to fit within their package limit.

As they walked out of the studio Zhang Dai took a breath of fresh air and felt a sense of liberation, like escaping from a difficult situation.

Feeling light-hearted and pleased, Chen Shuangshuang patted his shoulder, seeking praise: “See? I’m clever, right? Stayed calm and didn’t add extra photos, saving us a lot of money!”

He shook his head helplessly: “Actually, adding one more photo wouldn’t have been that expensive. No need to be so hard on yourself! After all, I’m paying for it!”

Chen Shuangshuang couldn’t stand it and gave him a heavy smack on the head to teach him a lesson: “You spendthrift! The studio charges 80 yuan for each additional edited photo, but I can get it done for 5 yuan on Taobao. There’s so much better use for that money!”

A month later, on a certain Saturday, Chen Shuangshuang got married. Her bridesmaids, friends from all stages of her life—elementary school, middle school, high school, and university—gathered together.

One friend secretly pulled her aside and stuffed a large red envelope into her hand. She quickly refused: “I said in the bridesmaids’ group chat, having you as my bridesmaids is already a lot. Your presence is more than enough, I can’t accept this money, it makes me feel bad!”

Having been a bridesmaid for many friends, she deeply understood the hardships of marriage and the difficulties of being a bridesmaid. So, she simplified the wedding process as much as possible, cutting out all unnecessary steps.

In the evening, the makeup artist and photographer arrived, and Chen Shuangshuang, having just bathed, began getting ready for her makeup.

Bridal makeup was really complicated. Layer upon layer of foundation, meticulously applied from eyebrows to eyeliner and mascara. Her long hair was styled, and she donned a beautifully intricate gold-embroidered dress, transforming into an elegant and virtuous lady of a noble family.

“Wow, Shuangshuang, you look amazing!” Her bridesmaids took turns taking photos with her, and she smiled, making the ‘Yeah'[mfn]photo 2[/mfn] gesture crazily.

Relatives and friends gathered at her house, bringing good cheer, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

At 11 PM, even before the groom’s arrival, the sound of firecrackers announced the arrival of his entourage, only to be stopped at the door by the bridesmaids.

After the bridesmaids successfully collected a large stack of red envelopes, they let them in. The first task for the groomsmen inside was solving advanced math problems and CET-6 English reading questions, reminiscent of their school nightmares.

Meanwhile, the groom, Zhang Dai, wasn’t idle either. He was struggling with a difficult LeetCode programming problem on the computer, with the whole wedding scene feeling like an exam hall filled with tension.

Finally, after much effort, Zhang Dai passed all the tests set by the bridesmaids and met his bride.

As soon as Chen Shuangshuang got into the car, her bright smile immediately faded. She angrily complained, “We could have simply walked from my house to yours in a few steps! Instead, you insisted on following some tradition, renting a wedding car, and driving around the village. It’s a waste of money and it’s troublesome!”

Zhang Dai, smiling, explained, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, it should be done with style!”

Diary entry:

Shuangshuang, you look beautiful today!
— Zhang Dai

photo 1

photo 2