"Such a grand occasion for Qiao Hongchang to marry off his daughter—I couldn't afford not to come. Something held me up, and I arrived late. I hope you'll forgive me, Mr. Qiao."
Qiao Hongchang had been entertaining guests in the banquet hall all evening and had naturally overheard the whispers making their rounds. He instantly understood Ji Chengzhou's motive for attending under the identity of Song Shijing. A wave of gratitude filled him, and he graciously played along: "You had urgent matters to attend to, so there's no need for you to go out of your way. Between you and me, formalities like this don't matter."
The scene quickly reignited the guests' murmurs.
"So it turns out Mr. Song was only late because he had other things to do. Look at his relationship with Mr. Qiao—still as close as ever, like father and son."
