Only after the girl thanked me and left did I return to my senses and set out on my way with Hendrix. The problem was I could no longer concentrate on having fun.
People who looked exactly the same were indeed difficult to distinguish. How many of those around me could actually recognize and tell apart me and someone who looked like me?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not notice Hendrix had fallen behind me. Catching the empty space beside me out of the corner of my eyes, I stopped and turned around.
The streets were bustling with tourists. Hendrix, however, stood out with his height even though he wore ordinary outfits.
Even so, we were soon separated by the crowd on the street.
"Ninety- nine couples will perform their wedding rituals on the city's main stage soon. Those wishing to witness these rituals should make preparations ahead of time."
People rushed to their own destination in the bustling crowd without realizing that they were pushing against each other to do so. To avoid
being squeezed, I stood on my tiptoes and held myself tightly.
In the past, I had only watched the crowded state of the Jarold City subway on TV. At the time, I felt that these people were merely standing slightly closer to each other, but right then, I could feel the power of the collisions confined within. For a skinny and petite person like me, it was a force majeure that could accidentally drown me in this sea of people at any time.
When my feet slackened, I could not resist calling out, "Hendrix!"
Just a moment ago, he had sworn that he would never leave my side, but right then, as I struggled to hold on, I could see no signs of him.
The next instant, a large hand jutted out of the crowd and rested on my waist.
As I felt the force from his hand, Hendrix's face leaned in close to me. He wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me into his embrace.
I was stunned by his sudden presence.
Hendrix spoke all of a sudden, "I'll recognize you."
After taking a deep breath, he said more earnestly, "I will recognize you no matter how many "Ariannas" are out there. Could you please have more confidence in me, Mrs. Roberts?"
As soon as the couples left, Hendrix brought me away.
As we aimlessly walked the streets, he told me, "If you like, I'll hold wedding ceremonies at Cultural City every day."
I knew that he was trying to divert my attention. Laughing, I teased him, "Why don't you organize one for me every day? Will the budget be too high?"
Hendrix squinted at the mention of that and curled the corners of his mouth into an imperceptible smile, "I'm fine with that. I'm just afraid that you can't handle it."
"Aren't you underestimating me?" With my head drooped, I trailed behind him, muttering to myself in a whisper, "It's not like I have to put much effort into being a bride. All I need to do is to walk a few steps and comfortably sit in a sedan..."
While Hendrix remained grinning, he did so without saying a word. It felt strange.
Soon after we left the crowd, I noticed he was leading me out of town and we were about to reach the city gate.
"Are we going home?" It was the night of our wedding, after all. I still selfishly wanted to have alone time with him.
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