When Jiu Jue's watch pointed to midnight, he and I were standing in front of this enormous three-story villa. Looking at the four words "East China Sea Villa" written on the gate, we couldn't help but share a laugh.
When we came in the morning, this place was still a desolate and uninhabited low area. In just a short ten hours or so, a tall building appeared from the level ground.
White marble covered the entire building. In this moment when day and night were completely mixed up, it stood conspicuously and abruptly here, like a pile of accumulated white bones, cold and solid. The two "囍[1]" characters affixed to the two stone pillars on either side of the gate were more gorgeous than festive, which altogether made people think of a pale-faced woman with overly bright red lips.
The door suddenly opened, sliding slowly to the sides. The people inside seemed to know that there were "guests" outside.
Several young girls, looking exactly alike and dressed in identical bright red cheongsams, warmly smiled at Jiu Jue and me, and said with the same expressions and voices, "Welcome guests! Please come this way! The wedding is about to begin!"
As soon as we entered, the door slowly closed. The sound of the two thick stones colliding together was enough to make our hearts sink a few inches.
The figures of the girls leading the way were all incredibly graceful, walking through the flower-lined corridor on either side while giggling. Exquisite wall lamps were placed every two meters, with aqua-blue lampshades adorned with carvings of wheels and feathers. The light beneath was not from light bulbs but from individual white candles.
The cheongsam girls weren't walking; it was more like they were gliding or drifting on the ground. Those slim and beautiful feet wearing red high heels were standing slightly on their tiptoes, their heels never touching the ground.
After walking for almost five minutes, they stopped in front of a tall, Baroque-style door.
"Distinguished guests have arrived!" they announced in high-pitched voices, splitting into two rows and opening the door for us.
So sorry, but hearing "Distinguished guests have arrived!" sounded more like "Guests have arrived!" shouted when someone comes to offer condolences[2].
What that doomsayer Jiu Jue said is right. I totally feel like I'm attending a funeral rather than a wedding.
[1] 囍: double happiness. A symbol of good luck, especially marriage.
[2] Funerals held in funeral parlors, particularly for the wealthy, are a huge affair, and police may be present for security reasons. An emcee or two announces the arrival of people paying their respects by yelling "有客到!" i.e. "We have a guest/guests!"
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