Parasite (12): Coveted

Five days were indeed a bit rushed, but who had made the heir of the CS Group so capable? With the top-notch wedding team working overtime, five days were enough for them to rehearse an enviable century wedding.  

Tan Xiao took a leave of absence, and General Manager Wen Yi also threw up his hands, delegating all the work he had on his plate. They were very busy—busy trying on wedding dresses, setting up the schedule, and personally writing invitations.  

Of course, they only handwrote one invitation template; the rest were all photocopied. If they had ample time, they might have needed six months or even a year to plan a wedding thoughtful enough. Given the limited time, they had to participate in every aspect.  

The wedding candies and favors were all chosen together by the couple, and the schedule was quickly set. The rest was naturally arranged by the work team.  

The large diamond ring that Tan Xiao had brought for the proposal was locked in the safe by Wen Yi, and they had to choose another ring for their wedding.  

When selecting a style, Tan Xiao’s gaze subconsciously shifted to those plain rings without large diamonds.  

He pulled out a necklace with a ring hanging from his collar: “Baby, how about we choose this style? An infinite loop of love, meaning love is never-ending.”  

For some reason, he felt that this ring was very important to both him and Wen Yi.  

Wen Yi looked at the exquisite ring and indeed had a very good impression of the design. The meaning Tan Xiao mentioned happened to match what he had said during their proposal!  

Tan Xiao’s ring, of course, could not be used as a wedding ring because there was only one, and the craftsmanship was relatively rough.  

However, Wen Yi thought Tan Xiao’s suggestion was excellent: “Then let’s use this as the basis for designing the wedding ring.”  

The ring was designed based on a sketch, the two of them took their measurements, and the next day they received the perfect wedding ring.  

If a diamond were set in the middle of a Möbius strip, it always felt unlucky because it meant the cycle was interrupted by the diamond, so the two people should still have plain rings.  

Since they couldn’t set sparkling diamonds, they could only make the most of the ring’s material itself.  

Wen Yi said, “I checked; the most expensive metal is thulium. How about we make a ring out of thulium?”  

Thulium, just 1 gram, could be worth a villa in the city center of City A, barely matching him and Tan Xiao.  

Tan Xiao had never heard of this metal, even in jest. After searching, the first line of the relevant entry that came up was: toxic, radioactive, commonly used in medical equipment.  

Although the existence of parasitic species might prevent them from being together forever, Tan Xiao didn’t want to be cut short by radiation-induced shorter lifespans.  

Moreover, radiation could cause hair loss and skin ulcers, which could damage one’s appearance.  

He ultimately stopped Wen Yi from having a wedding where everything had to be the most expensive, but he couldn’t bring himself to say a harsh word to the latter: “Not everything that’s the most expensive is the best, just like you and me.”  

He joked, “The name ‘Aurora’ comes from the story of Aurora, meaning ‘shining dawn.’ I think its meaning is very good. Everyone says marriage is the grave of love, but our marriage is a shining dawn.”  

He held up the ring he had before: “This one is platinum. Let’s use gold for our engagement ring. How about we both try polishing it ourselves?”  

Although Tan Xiao had never made jewelry, he could learn. He didn’t expect it to be perfect or artistic; he just wanted it to be unique.  

Wen Yi praised, “You really thought this through, baby! Then let’s use gold.”  

So the two rings became personally polished golden wedding rings. Wen Yi, being an elemental being, was very skilled at shaping and transformation. He personally polished the rings, while Tan Xiao was responsible for engraving the inner sides of the rings.  

This grand wedding was naturally on a very large scale, and the place Wen Yi chose was an estate under his name.  

When Wang Mingming received the invitation, he looked up the address and discovered that this estate was actually a famous attraction. He never expected it to be a private estate!  

He was extremely envious: last time he became a middle-aged woman running a fruit shop, who still had a daughter and a grandson to take care of at home. This time, although he was using his own body, his persona had turned into an unknown small-time streamer, making him even poorer than before.  

When would he be able to become a wealthy NPC, just like the big shots? He also wanted to experience what it was like to be rich.  

Before deciding to attend the banquet, Wang Mingming asked, “Boss, I have to keep the live stream going. Can we broadcast your wedding venue?”  

Tan Xiao and Wen Yi discussed it for a moment: “Okay.”  

In order to let the entire city witness their wedding, they had originally arranged a special platform for live streaming; having one more person, Wang Mingming, wouldn’t make much of a difference.  

“However, there will be many guests attending the wedding, so be careful not to let others accidentally get into the frame.”  

“I promise I won’t!” He just wanted to ride the wave of the livestream’s popularity to get more people to pay attention to his channel.  

In the blink of an eye, it was the day five days later, and the two grooms got up early to groom and dress.  

Whether it was Tan Xiao or Wen Yi, they were both the type who looked great without any makeup. However, they still styled their hair according to the design of the dress that day, using hair gel to set it in place.  

The camera could wash out makeup and make one’s complexion look bad. Considering the recording effect of the shoot, Tan Xiao and Wen Yi simply touched up their eyebrows, using eyebrow powder to darken them, and finally applied some lipstick.  

On the day of their wedding, the heavens were very gracious, with bright sunshine and clear blue skies, making it an exceptionally beautiful day.  

On that day, there were 99 tables set up in the manor, with both large and small tables, inviting a total of 1,010 guests, symbolizing a long-lasting marriage and a perfect union.  

Wen Yi’s grand wedding naturally invited celebrities from all walks of life, including the mayor of City A and the current leadership team.  

Wen Yi and Tan Xiao, wearing the initial reception attire, stood at the door to greet guests. They both smiled mechanically. The groom’s smile had originally been very sincere, but there were just too many guests, and after smiling so much, their faces had become stiff.  

The stiff face effectively concealed Wen Yi’s true emotions. It had only been twenty days since he saw the news, and the parasite levels had skyrocketed.  

Especially the leadership team of the mayor of City A; the parasite content had reached ninety percent.  

Not only that, Wen Yi also detected the same energy fluctuations from these people, indicating that the other parasites should have been sent out by the mayor.  

After seeing 1,010 guests, Wen Yi felt that one-third of them were parasites.  

The only thing worth being thankful for was that he felt stronger than these parasites, but still much weaker than the one on the mayor.  

If a parasitic species consumed a large number of intelligent beings, it became very powerful. The parasitic species on the mayor could produce so many offspring; who knew how many people it had actually eaten?  

Tan Xiao noticed that Wen Yi seemed to be in a bad mood, so he gently squeezed the other person’s hand and asked, “What’s wrong?”  

Wen Yi said, “It’s nothing. The guests coming today are a bit complicated. Just stay by my side the whole time, don’t go anywhere. Even if you need to go to the bathroom, don’t leave me.”  

From his reaction, Tan Xiao inferred that the situation in City A might not be very good. Faced with this seemingly unreasonable request, he nodded without thinking and agreed, “Okay, I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay by your side the whole time.”  

The music began to play, and under the gaze of countless cameras and onlookers, the two people completed a rather grand wedding.  

They had rehearsed three times before, and there were no mistakes in the process.  

From the beginning to the end of the wedding, reciting vows, exchanging rings, and then: “Next, the groom can kiss the groom.”  

Two people were passionately kissing amidst the thunderous applause that echoed throughout the entire estate.  

In the place where Tan Xiao could not hear, the system continuously emitted alert sounds.  

[Complete the achievement to earn the special and unique title: The Monster’s Groom]  

[Acquire special bound equipment: Ring of Dawn]  

This special bound equipment was the wedding ring metal with engraved words on Tan Xiao’s finger.  

This ring, due to its special significance, came with additional powerful attributes and dealt double damage to single monster NPCs.  

The wedding concluded with the host’s words, and the remaining process was Wen Yi and Tan Xiao going around the tables to toast and chat.  

The two people were using specially made small wine glasses, with very thick glass bases. The capacity was just a bit deeper than a thumb, and when filled, it held about 15ml.  

This wine glass only had the rim smeared with strong-smelling white wine; in reality, it was filled with pure water.  

Moreover, only during the toasts at the first few tables did the two of them need to take a sip. For the guests of lower social status than Wen Yi at the later tables, the groom just pretended to sip, and after toasting at 99 tables, he probably only drank a bottle of mineral water.  

After the toast, everyone would have their meal and then watch the performance.  

As the protagonists, Tan Xiao and Wen Yi withdrew from the banquet and turned to enter a private lounge.  

Tan Xiao removed the small piece of confetti stuck to Wen Yi’s hair and clothes, and the two of them changed into a new set of clothes.  

In order to appear taller and more attractive, the clothes they wore were quite fitted, and they had to constantly maintain a flat stomach and a proud chest.  

Wen Yi was fine; he ate an entire table of food, and his stomach remained flat. After all, Tan Xiao was an ordinary person. If he ate too much, his stomach would really become bulging, and wearing clothes that were too tight would ruin his perfectly handsome image today.  

He changed into looser clothes and also took off the bow tie at his collar.  

Looking at Wen Yi’s face, Tan Xiao pinched his cheek and said, “What’s wrong? Today is our big wedding day, why do you look like you’re not very happy?”  

Clearly, before today, Wen Yi had been extremely excited; last night, he had been so excited that he couldn’t sleep.  

They had just gotten their marriage certificate five days ago, and this was the first day of the wedding. Wen Yi looked very unhappy; their love couldn’t have an expiration date this short.  

“You’re wrong”  

“Still denying it? Just look at your sour face, your mouth could hang an oil jar!”  

Wen Yi couldn’t help but touch his own face: “Did I show it too obviously?”  

“Yeah, is it because toasting is too tiring?”  

There were many guests who had come, but actually, a considerable portion of them were just partners and employees of the CS Group, and these guests were not familiar with either of them.  

Although they didn’t drink much, organizing a wedding was very tiring—exciting, joyful, and exhausting.  

When they were outside, they could still hold on, but once they returned to their private lounge and changed into looser clothes, the fatigue surged through their entire body.  

Wen Yi shook his head, “No, it’s our wedding, no matter how tired I am, I’m happy. I just feel like we’ve run into some annoying guests.”  

He then talked about the parasites: “One-third of the guests who came today are parasitized; the situation is worse than I thought.”  

Wen Yi thought angrily: That official in charge of the investigation was really useless. Given the current situation, he estimated that in a few days, that official would definitely be parasitized and then become one of the parasitic faction.  

The more parasites there were in this city, the less safe his lover was.  

Tan Xiao paused for a moment and said, “Maybe it’s because everyone in your circle has been in contact with each other, so the situation with today’s guests is a bit more serious. Aren’t the people from the CS Group doing well?”  

If they went by the 30% ratio, then the rest of them didn’t need to resist anymore. Each parasitic species could share a bit of energy, and if it was done twice, that was 90%. What a terrifying number that was.  

They said that if you saw one cockroach, it meant there were hundreds more, and it seemed that parasitic species were quite similar in this regard.  

They were KK Smart Company, a small company with only about 100 people, yet they already had a parasitic species. Among all the employees working in the entire headquarters building, there were even more parasitic species.  

Wen Yi felt that Tan Xiao was right: “There are many fewer employees working now, and on average, the current occupancy rate should be around 5%.”  

But 5% was still a lot. You had to know that City A was a super metropolis with nearly 100 million people. Five percent of 100 million was 5 million.  

Although there were definitely weak and strong parasitic species, not all parasitic species could have sufficient energy for the next parasitism. However, if this progress continued, City A might not last another half a month.  

What did this mean? It meant that their honeymoon period after the wedding was destined to be incomplete.  

“Really annoying,” Wen Yi said, “I hate the way that mayor of City A looks at you!”  

That was right, the culprit who made Wen Yi very unhappy today was the mayor of City A.  

He swore he saw a look of covetousness on the other person’s fake face; the mayor of City A was coveting his boyfriend.  

Although the mayor had great power, he was already middle-aged and not very well-maintained. Even though he held a high position, his brain was barely enough to be considered edible for those who depended on him.  

But his boyfriend was different; his boyfriend was so handsome.  

In Wen Yi’s eyes, his dear boyfriend—no, it should be fiancé, no, now it was his legal partner, his husband—was like a sweet and delicious cream cake, incredibly tasty, so everyone who saw him wanted to take a bite.  

“You smell amazing today!”  

When Wen Yi said this, there was a hint of gritting his teeth. He felt angry, angry at that shameless parasitic species, but the other party wasn’t human and wouldn’t adhere to human ethics and morals.  

The law of the jungle was so cruel; the hunter didn’t care whether their prey had a lover. 

Tan Xiao sniffed his own clothes and indeed detected a unique, faint fragrance.  

This was the incense prepared by the staff responsible for taking care of and ironing their gowns. It was a rather pleasant floral scent, fresh and gentle, not strong or irritating.  

“Is it very fragrant? I actually think it’s okay, I don’t dislike this smell.”  

After all, it was their wedding. Although the implementation of the process was arranged by the staff, they had finalized each step and chosen every detail together.  

Logically speaking, Wen Yi shouldn’t dislike this fragrance.  

“How about I change into some clean clothes or take a shower?”  

The manor was very large, so of course, there was a shower room specifically for the owner.  

Wen Yi nodded in agreement, then quickly shook her head: “I’m not saying your perfume smells bad, nor am I talking about the scent on your clothes.”  

Wen Yi said, “Did you notice that annoying guy’s eyes? He actually dared to covet you right in front of me!”  

Tan Xiao nodded, “I did feel that his gaze was unfriendly, but it shouldn’t be the kind of situation you’re thinking of.”  

Wen Yi said, “I didn’t think wrong; he just wants to parasitize you, eat you, and take over your body!”  

Wen Yi usually ate Tan Xiao a lot, but his way of eating was different from this ferocious parasite.  

His eating wouldn’t cause any harm to Tan Xiao; in fact, it might even help the other person exercise. After all, it was also a form of exercise, and quite intense and enduring at that.  

Other parasitic species were different; when they set their sights on their partner, they literally wanted to eat their dear husband.  

It just so happened that today was their wedding day. Wen Yi did not want their wedding to be marred by any bloody fights or chaos. Otherwise, even if it meant taking a risk, he would have to teach that mayor of City A a harsh lesson.  

“Don’t mind him, after all, he hasn’t made a move, has he? Today is our wedding, he wouldn’t act out at a time like this. If the enemy doesn’t move, we won’t move either.”  

After all, it was a day of great joy, and it always felt inauspicious when something went wrong. Tan Xiao added, “You performed exceptionally well today, and you looked especially good!”  

He kissed Wen Yi’s slightly pouting cheek and said, “With my wife here, I’m not afraid of them at all. I won’t go anywhere from now on, I promise to stay by your side.”  

After all, it was the day of the grand wedding. As long as the wedding proceedings went smoothly without any unexpected issues, this matter could come to a peaceful conclusion.  

Tan Xiao successfully changed the subject and instantly turned Wen Yi’s previously stormy face back into a bright smile.  

“Alright, let’s continue eating. Once all the guests have left, we can wrap up for the day.”  

Just like Tan Xiao said, there were cameras and camcorders everywhere, with dedicated photographers and editors carrying heavy cameras patrolling and filming, and live streaming platforms broadcasting everything in real-time.  

Under so many watchful eyes, the mayor of City A wouldn’t do anything outrageous, and this wedding ended perfectly.  

But this day seemed like the beginning of a war, and this night was also the most beautiful night.  

On their wedding night after the ceremony, Tan Xiao and Wen Yi naturally had an in-depth conversation all night long.  

The dresses worn by the two people had turned into shreds due to their overly intense movements.  

Then, early the next morning, Tan Xiao was awakened by the excessively loud sound of wind and rain, along with the thunder.  

He glanced at his phone, the time showing 10 AM. Usually, by this time on a sunny day, the bright sun would already be shining, making the whole room very bright.  

Every time if Tan Xiao and Wen Yi had nothing to do, the two of them would sit on the rattan chairs on the balcony together and enjoy the golden sunlight.  

There were two rows of flowers on the balcony, including orchids, cacti, and aloe vera…  

Let’s get back on topic. Because of the strong winds and heavy rain, visibility outside was obstructed, making the light inside the house particularly dim. It felt like it was 10 PM even though it was still morning.  

Tan Xiao casually turned on the light, restoring brightness to the room. He glanced at the severe convective weather outside.  

The trees planted in the community swayed back and forth in the strong winds, and amidst the storm, there were faint sounds of thunder, as if the thunder was exploding right above their heads.  

The building they lived in shook violently on the top floor due to high-rise resonance, with the windows, glass doors, and even the entire wall seeming to vibrate.  

Today was obviously a rather terrible thunderstorm day, making one think of divine punishment.  

Watching the lightning and thunder outside, Tan Xiao suddenly had a thought: “Wen Yi, do you think the parasitic species are afraid of thunder? Can heavenly lightning kill them?”  

Wen Yi shook his head, “It shouldn’t be anything to be afraid of. After all, they can enter a dormant state after consuming everything. Some planets have had their entire infrastructure devoured clean. This thunder isn’t much of a concern.”  

A hint of disappointment inevitably appeared on his smiling face, but Wen Yi had said that these creatures, Yan, were immortal and indestructible. Even if this world were to disappear, they would not.  

He quickly adjusted his mindset: during the honeymoon period, they should do what honeymooners do, and since it was windy and raining outside, they could enjoy the rain together at home.  

The heavy rain on the second day continued all day without stopping. Although there were brief pauses, it only changed from strong winds to gentle breezes, and from heavy rain to light rain, with no sign of the sun appearing.  

Fortunately, they had stored enough food at home, so they didn’t have to worry about going out or going hungry.  

The area where the office building was located was the city center, and since the location was relatively high, there hadn’t been any instances of flooding.  

Tan Xiao observed the continuous rain with a somewhat melancholic gaze: “This rain covers all the sins and washes away the traces of evil and slaughter.”  

Thunderstorms could make people feel down and irritable, but bad weather was actually good weather for committing crimes. After all, the rumbling thunder and the sound of wind and rain could cover up cries for help, yet they had no effect on other intelligent beings.  

Wen Yi hugged his neck from behind: “Then don’t look at the rain, look at me.”  

After they got married, they still lived in a high-rise. The view outside was either clouds or the rare bird, but now it was just a blurry mist. These unchanging scenes couldn’t compare to how good he looked.  

Tan Xiao’s gloomy mood was swept away: “Well, look at you, my wife is like the sun. Just looking at him brightens me up.”  

This rain had been falling for five consecutive days, and the two of them had been entangled in the house for a full five days.  

The days spent together during the honeymoon phase passed particularly quickly, especially since most of the time outside was gloomy, blurring the boundaries of time, making it easy to lose track of night and day.  

Unknowingly, time had reached the twenty-fifth day in the game.  

While these two were holed up at home on their honeymoon, the parasitic species outside were growing stronger at an astonishing rate.  

At the upper floors where Tan Xiao and Wen Yi were, Yans arrived at the balcony following the wind and rain. Just as Wen Yi had said before, Tan Xiao was so fragrant that he was coveted by countless greedy Yans.