The doors of the ceremonial hall slowly swung open. Holding her bouquet, Xie Ning stepped forward, one foot in front of the other.
Today was the day she would marry Lu Tingyan.
Holding her breath, she walked forward under the watchful eyes of the guests and reporters gathered on both sides. Their gazes were fixed intently on her, making her—usually so calm and composed—feel a surge of uncontrollable nerves.
She pursed her lips slightly, her body tense and her heart racing.
The spotlight shining down on her was the only point of light in the hall; the darkness ahead brightened with every step she took. At the end of that path, she would find the man waiting for her—Lu Tingyan, her husband, the man she had been determined to marry for ten years.
At the thought, a faint smile touched Xie Ning’s lips, and a wave of shy warmth rose in her heart.
As the spotlight shifted, it grazed the railing on the third floor, and for a fleeting second, the tall, upright figure of a man flashed by.
Xie Ning’s heart skipped a beat. That figure just now… why did it look so much like Lu Tingyan?
But as the groom, shouldn’t he be waiting for her at the ceremony stage at the end of the aisle? Why would he be on the third floor?
Xie Ning’s breath hitched. Forcing down her pounding heart, she told herself repeatedly that she must have misseen.
Her joy was eclipsed by a sudden surge of unease, and her pace became frantic in a way she didn’t even realize.
The dozens of meters of the walkway felt like they took an eternity to traverse. When the lights on the ceremony stage finally flared to life, a collective gasp erupted from the audience.
Xie Ning’s heart sank. She gripped her bouquet tightly, her entire body turning rigid.
Standing shrinkingly before her was a small, scrawny man. The oversized suit he wore made him look both pathetic and ridiculous. The diamond brooch pinned to his chest, labeled “Groom,” made the scene even more surreal.
The man’s stuttering voice was amplified by the microphone on the stage. “M-M-Miss Xie, Third Young Master Lu has… has business and c-c-can’t make it today. I’m here to p-p-perform the ceremony in his place.”
Xie Ning felt a roar in her head. Her ears rang, and her vision went white.
He couldn’t make it because he had “business”? He found someone to take his place in their wedding? And he found such an… unpresentable man?
The whispers of the guests below were laced with mockery and ridicule. They dragged Xie Ning from her hopes for the future straight into hell, leaving her scalp tingling and her body chilled to the bone.
Why? Why would Lu Tingyan do this to her?
The sound of shutters clicking rose from below as the opportunistic paparazzi began filming Xie Ning frantically. They had been confused at first; normally, high-society weddings wouldn’t invite reporters like them, yet the Lu family had specifically extended an invitation. They had thought the Lu family cherished this future young mistress, but it turned out they were invited just to watch a farce!
To find such a man to stand in for the groom—wasn’t this a blatant attempt to humiliate the bride?
Just as they were thinking about how to write tomorrow’s headlines to maximize clicks, a cold, steady female voice rang out from the stage: “Let’s see who still dares to take a photo.”
Xie Ning’s body stood straighter because of her rigidity. Her face, pale from the shock, was hidden behind her exquisite makeup. She lifted her chin slightly, her almond-shaped eyes sweeping across the crowd. She repeated, “Who else dares to take a photo?”
She forced down the tremor in her voice, warning herself not to show weakness. The more she faltered, the more she would become a laughingstock in their eyes.
She could barely hold the bouquet; her rounded nails dug deep into her palms. She used the pain to remind herself not to be crushed by this humiliating predicament. She had always been resilient; the more desperate the situation, the stronger her pride became.
The man pretending to be the groom stuttered again, “M-Miss Xie, the ceremony needs… needs to b-b-begin.”
The man’s stutter sounded like a bad rap, and a burst of raucous laughter erupted from below.
The luxurious hall instantly transformed into a rowdy marketplace; the solemn atmosphere of the wedding vanished without a trace. The stunningly beautiful bride on stage and the cowering, scrawny fake groom formed a sharp contrast, yet they were bound together as the butt of everyone’s joke.
The laughter made Xie Ning’s lips tremble slightly. The sound of camera shutters, mixed with the laughter, felt like claws tearing at her nerves.
Xie Ning strode to the side toward the champagne tower. She grabbed a bottle from the very top, turned, and hurled it—
Crash! The champagne bottle shattered the spotlight above the ceremony stage. The entire hall was plunged into darkness, and the laughter turned into cries of surprise.
In the darkness, several camera flashes were particularly obvious.
Xie Ning stepped off the stage, walked up to a reporter, snatched the camera from his hands, and slammed it onto the ground.
The heavy camera let out a sickening crack as it broke, a dull thud that seemed to strike everyone’s heart. The hall fell deathly silent.
“Did you not hear me when I told you to stop?” Xie Ning’s cold voice carried a terrifying weight in the silent, dark hall.
Before the paparazzo could respond, Xie Ning had already moved to another spot. Every camera she had seen flashing moments ago was snatched and violently smashed onto the floor, rendered completely useless.
The paparazzi were stunned by her sudden explosion of aggression.
By then, Xie Ning had already returned to the stage.
“Since Lu Tingyan is not here, today’s wedding does not count. When Lu Tingyan finally crawls back, only then will I consider whether or not to hold a ceremony with him.” As she spoke, she shot a glance at the fake groom. “Remember to tell Lu Tingyan that by finding you to impersonate him, he has only humiliated himself.”
Xie Ning turned to leave, but as she reached the edge of the stage, she paused.
She looked down at the crowd once more and said forcefully, “One more thing. I’ve already warned you. If I see any reports about me today in any media after tomorrow, I don’t care who you are—I will sue you for defamation and fight you to the bitter end. If you aren’t afraid of trouble, feel free to try me!”
With those words, she ignored the stunned crowd and stepped off the stage.
Her pace was fast. Only when she reached the shadows did she finally lean against a wall, taking several deep breaths, looking like a fish that had finally leaped out of a swamp.
Her best friend and bridesmaid, Song Ziyan, hurried over and asked worriedly, “Ningning, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Xie Ning gritted her teeth. “You’ve worked hard these past few days. Go back and get some rest. I’ll contact you later.”
Song Ziyan wanted to say more, but she saw Xie Ning lift her skirt and head upstairs.
Xie Ning was certain now that she hadn’t hallucinated. The figure on the third floor was Lu Tingyan!
He was watching her humiliation!
Xie Ning gritted her teeth and shoved open the door to the bridal suite. Instantly, she felt a powerful, undeniable aura in the room.
The man sitting on the sofa had his legs crossed, his shirt collar slightly open, adding a touch of nonchalance to his noble air. A cigarette glowed between his fingers, and his deep, peach blossom eyes were fixed on her with cold indifference.
Taking in her tense body and pale face, a mocking, thin smile escaped his throat. He said slowly, “And here I thought you were always unflappable. It turns out even you know how to be afraid.”
Xie Ning slammed the door shut and rushed over to Lu Tingyan, questioning him in disbelief, “Why?”
Lu Tingyan sneered. He took a drag of his cigarette and blew a ring of smoke in her direction. His voice was deep and slow. “Because you don’t deserve it.”
Xie Ning’s pupils constricted, but her confusion only grew.
“Now that you’re doing so well for yourself, have you forgotten the days you spent in the gutter? Have you forgotten Lu Sibo, the man who dragged you out of that misery?” Lu Tingyan crushed the half-finished cigarette into the ashtray, his eyes turning incredibly sinister. “Lu Sibo was so good to you, yet you caused his death!”
Stung by the name “Lu Sibo,” a flash of dazed pain crossed Xie Ning’s eyes, and her body felt weak. She opened her mouth blankly. “He…”
“He was my older brother!”
Lu Tingyan rose abruptly. His tall frame cast a shadow under the bright crystal chandelier that completely enveloped Xie Ning.
Xie Ning instinctively took a step back, but she tripped over her voluminous skirt and fell to the floor.
Lu Tingyan hovered over her with an overwhelming force, his jaw tight and his brow dark. The sheer intensity of his presence seemed ready to consume her.
“You killed my brother, and yet you still want to marry me? Xie Ning, are you worthy?”