Chapter 100 Nearly Perfect
From a distance, they could already see the rainbow arch standing at the hotel entrance, with a banner displaying the bride and groom's names. The parking lot was almost full, and Leopold circled around before finally finding a spot.
Caroline got out of the car and walked alongside Leopold. The two of them stood out in the crowd, and his words came true—Caroline did attract quite a few sidelong glances.
To avoid stealing the spotlight, Caroline had deliberately chosen a low-key outfit today, with muted colors specifically to blend in.
Leopold suppressed a smile and said to Caroline in a voice only they could hear, "Several people are giving me envious looks."
"You better wipe that smile off your face."
"Really? Is it that obvious?" Leopold broke into a full smile.
Caroline let out a breath and shook her head helplessly.
The two approached the gift table. Caroline took out her gift from her purse and handed it over, saying "Caroline."
The person recording gifts took it, wrote the name on the gift wrapping and passed it to someone nearby for safekeeping, then wrote Caroline's name in the gift book.
Today was a good day—there were two wedding banquets on the hotel's first floor. The sign on the right read "the Jones family wedding banquet." Caroline led Leopold to the right.
The wedding venue was decorated like a fantasy castle, with flowers, crystal chandeliers, and flowing drapes. The big screen played a video of the couple's wedding photos, with "Ordinary Day" as the background music—it sounded pleasant.
Caroline scanned the room looking for Elysia when Leopold suddenly leaned close to her ear and asked, "What style of wedding venue would you like when we get married?"
She turned to look at him, a sweet smile on her lips. "I haven't thought about it. Why don't you arrange it? Give me a surprise?"
Leopold's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Do you believe in magic? How about a Harry Potter theme?"
Caroline's smile disappeared. Leopold held back a laugh. "I was wrong, I'll prepare properly."
She glared at him. "You better not pull any weird stunts that test my limits."
Leopold laughed. "I wouldn't dare."
"Over here." Elysia waved at Caroline.
Leopold looked across. "I see Mom."
The two walked toward Elysia. As a relatively senior and respected elder in the family, Elysia was naturally seated at the first table on the groom's side. As soon as Caroline approached, she saw several elders who liked to gossip sitting beside Elysia. She turned back and quietly reminded Leopold, "Say less later."
Leopold understood what she meant. "Okay."
Caroline first brought Leopold to greet the elders. Leopold had just given them cigarettes and barely said a few words before being called over to meet people one by one.
After exchanging pleasantries, they met seven or eight distant relatives, some of whom Caroline couldn't even remember, but Leopold remembered them all after just one introduction.
Seeing the two arrive together, the relatives could tell they were planning to get married. They asked Caroline when she was getting married. Elysia smiled and said soon, and once they set a date, they'd send invitations to everyone.
Caroline really couldn't keep smiling anymore. She pulled Leopold and said to Elysia, "We'll go find seats first, or there won't be any spots left."
Elysia said, "Go ahead."
The two found a relatively quiet corner to sit down. Everyone at the table was Caroline's generation, and they all got along well.
They sat with their backs to the entrance and didn't see Atticus and several people from the law firm coming in from outside after smoking. The flower arch also blocked their view. Seven or eight people sat on the bride's family side, at a table near the door, all colleagues from the law firm.
After sitting for just a short while, the wedding ceremony officially began. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the entrance.
Following the emcee's cue, music started, and the bride, wearing a white wedding dress, walked through the main entrance onto the red carpet, holding her father's arm and walking step by step toward the groom.
In that instant, Caroline inexplicably felt her nose tingle. Perhaps she was imagining her future self being led by Elijah through another important stage of her life. Just as she was about to touch the corner of her eye with her finger, a tissue was pressed into her hand.
She glanced sideways at Leopold, whose eyes were also glistening with moisture. They were both moved by the scene.
Their hands secretly clasped together under the table as they both looked toward the couple on stage.
Watching both sets of parents standing on stage, Leopold became more determined to convince Preston. He absolutely couldn't bear for his and Caroline's wedding to have any regrets.
After the ceremony, the emcee's eloquence was truly impressive—the blessings moved everyone present.
The banquet began. Leopold leaned close to Caroline's ear again and said, "Let's learn from their wedding banquet standards too."
Under the table, she kicked him. He really knew how to joke—someone in the hotel business learning wedding banquet standards here.
Although Leopold was meeting everyone at the table for the first time, he was very good at socializing and quickly became familiar with them.
Someone next to them accidentally got sauce on Caroline's clothes. While apologizing, they helped her wipe it with tissues. Caroline said it was fine and got up to go to the restroom to deal with it. Leopold followed right behind her.
The restroom door was near the bride's family side. The two walked through the crowd out of the banquet hall. Leopold waited for her in the corridor while Caroline washed for quite a while before getting the stain out.
"Let's wait a bit before going back in. Let's stay out here for a while." Caroline found it a bit noisy inside.
"Okay." Leopold looked toward the hall. "There's water on the table. I'll go get you a bottle."
Leopold went and returned, unscrewing the cap and handing it to her.
He asked, "After attending someone else's wedding, do you have any requirements for your own?"
To say she had no hopes would be unrealistic, but some things can't be forced. She didn't seek perfection, just to do her best.
Caroline shook her head. "No requirements. You can arrange it."
"Really none?" Leopold stared into her eyes. "Not even a little?"
Caroline screwed the cap back on the water bottle and handed it to him, eyes downcast. "None."
"That 'none' doesn't sound very sincere."
"How is it not sincere?"
Caroline met his gaze. "You've been in the hotel business for so many years. Don't you know better than me how to do it and what the process is?"
Leopold smiled and shook his head. "I never paid much attention to other people's weddings—forgot them right after. But when it comes to my own, I need to think it through carefully so I don't leave you with any regrets."
At the mention of regrets, Caroline immediately understood. She took Leopold's hand and said, "Having regrets in life is normal. Perfection is just hope. Nearly perfect is good enough. If fate gives you too much perfection, it will take away something precious from you.
I'm very content with everything I have now. I'm not greedy."
"My wife is truly open-minded," Leopold's eyes were full of doting affection. "I'll work hard for your 'nearly perfect.'"