Chapter 1168: Awakening Lion Delivers the Bride

Chapter 1168: Lion Dance Escort

“A wedding convoy? Is it really that impressive?! Hey, are there any Mercedes or BMWs? Given Brother Pao’s status, it would be a downgrade if the lead car isn’t a BMW!”

“BMWs? Seriously? Who drives that trash? We’re talking Panamera, you get me?!”

“Wow, how much would that cost?”

“Money isn’t an issue; we’re all brothers, you know? I’ll handle it; we’ll get it for Brother Pao for just 300 yuan!”

“Brother Pao! It’s a Panamera!! Sister Yu will be absolutely thrilled when she sees this setup, won’t she?!”

“Exactly! Let Sister Yu see what a grand entrance looks like!”

Among the crowd, a young man with a red flower pinned to his chest looked embarrassed, his face and neck flushed red. He couldn’t help but speak:

“Won’t it be too high-profile…? What if it scares Xiaoyu?”

“Oh, no, it won’t. It’s a wedding procession; shouldn’t it be high-profile? The more high-profile you are, the more prestigious it is for Xiaoyu’s family!”

“Hey, hey, hey, move aside, you’re blocking the way.”

Seeing Sun Bumian and Chen Ling approach, the young men spontaneously moved aside, squatting in a corner near the door to clear the path, and offered apologetic smiles.

However, Sun Bumian didn’t seem to intend to pass through. Instead, he squatted beside them, pulling down a corner of his small round sunglasses on his nose, his eyes curving into crescents as he smiled:

“What’s going on? Getting married today?”

The young man in the Tang suit’s remark surprised the others. They eyed him cautiously.

“What is it?”

“You must be the groom, right?” Sun Bumian looked at the young man with the red flower pinned to his chest. “Hmm… your eyes are firm, your red string is pure, and your auspicious aura shines through. You’re quite the romantic… It seems you and your fiancée have a very deep affection for each other.”

As soon as he said this, the group became restless. Young men at this age love to tease. They all grinned, nudging Brother Pao with their elbows and teasing:

“Brother Pao, he says you’re a romantic!!”

“What did I tell you? Sister Yu loves Brother Pao a lot too, don’t chicken out, Brother Pao!”

“I… how could I chicken out! I’m already here; anyone else can chicken out, but not me!” Brother Pao’s face flushed red as he joked and played with the other young men, his wariness toward Sun Bumian largely disappearing.

“A wedding procession needs to be lively and high-profile!” Sun Bumian finally got to the point. “By the way, do you need a lion dance performance?”

“Lion dance?”

The young men exchanged glances.

“Exactly.” Sun Bumian reached behind him and, as if by magic, produced an exquisite lion’s head prop. He hoisted it onto his shoulder and, smiling, said:

“On the wedding day, a lion dance leading the way brings double happiness and great fortune. I guarantee your love will be blissful and you’ll grow old together!”

Hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in Brother Pao’s eyes. He was clearly tempted.

The other young men also turned to look at Brother Pao, hesitating to speak.

“Can we really grow old together?” Brother Pao couldn’t help but ask.

“Absolutely.” Sun Bumian nodded. “It’s a big wedding, after all. Adding a little something extra for you and the bride wouldn’t hurt.”

One young man looked at Sun Bumian with a strange expression, quietly wanting to say not to trust these things too much, but the guy next to him silently pinched his thigh, making him hold his tongue.

“Brother Pao, you decide! Whatever you say goes!” A young man nearby spoke firmly, “Old Ba and I still have enough credit; it should be plenty!”

“That’s right, Brother Pao, just name it.”

Brother Pao hesitated for a moment, but still quietly asked Sun Bumian, “Um… how much for the lion dance?”

Sun Bumian glanced at the young men, his gaze finally settling on Brother Pao’s wrist, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I don’t need money. Just give me that small piece of gold on the string on your wrist.”

Brother Pao was startled and looked down. Indeed, there was a red string bracelet on his wrist, from which hung a piece of gold the size of a pinky fingernail, shaped like a small dog. It was a gift from his mother when he was a child, for his zodiac year.

The gold was small, not very pure, and had a hole for stringing it through. Brother Pao remembered it costing only a few hundred yuan when it was bought... Still, it had been with him for so many years; letting go of it felt a bit like cutting a piece of his flesh.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth and took off the small gold piece.

“Deal! Here you go!”

Sun Bumian took the small gold piece, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. He examined it carefully in the sunlight streaming through the window. A faint golden glow reflected on his sunglasses, and his eyes were filled with delight.

A brilliant smile appeared on his lips. He carefully put away the small gold piece.

“Brother Pao, right? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get more than your money’s worth.”

Once Sun Bumian stood up, Chen Ling looked at him with a strange expression and whispered:

“Weren’t we going to Wushan Convention? Why are we escorting a wedding party now?”

“Oh, it’s on the way anyway. Do you know how long it’s been since I had any business?” Sun Bumian seemed to be in an excellent mood. “Wushan Convention? When there’s a joyous occasion like this, everything else takes a backseat!”

“…” Chen Ling sighed deeply. “Have it your way.”

He had no choice, as he still needed Sun Bumian to get into the convention.

Chen Ling suddenly noticed the small gold piece, as if realizing something.

“So, all that gold you collect, is it all...?”

“You could say that.” Sun Bumian said, hands in his pockets. “Some of it I bought with money after performing, but most of it is payment for services during festivals, or when escorting wedding parties... If it’s for young masters or ladies from wealthy families, I’ll ask for a bit more, like bracelets or necklaces. If it’s for ordinary families, then I take what I get.”

Chen Ling’s expression was complex. He now understood why Sun Bumian showed no interest in the mountains of gold he could conjure, yet treasured the gold hidden underground... He also understood why Sun Bumian was so heartbroken and devastated after the Red King stole his gold.

For Sun Bumian, gold was no longer just currency. It was a pyramid of “precious moments,” painstakingly collected and built brick by brick.

As the train slowly pulled into the station, Brother Pao and the others rushed out like the wind, but two young men remained behind, following Chen Ling and Sun Bumian, as if worried the pair might abscond with the money.

“Exit 2, Exit 2... Over here, over here!!”

Several young men in crisp suits enthusiastically ran out of the station. Under the puzzled gazes of passersby, they lined up neatly at the exit, seemingly waiting for something.

Brother Pao, especially, with a large red flower pinned to his chest, attracted the most attention. He pretended not to care, but his face was already red down to his neck...

After a long wait, he quietly nudged the friend next to him:

“Hey, where’s the convoy?”

“I don’t know... They should have arrived by now, logically.” The young man spoke suspiciously, “Don’t worry, I’ll call and check.”

“Hello, the number you have dialed is not in service.”

A gentle breeze swept through the station entrance where people were coming and going.

The young man stiffly turned his head, his face as pale as a corpse.

“Bro... Brother Pao... something seems wrong...”