Ye Wenxi turned, meeting Xu Miao’s venomous gaze.
Her eyes carried neither triumph nor anger—only a nearly transparent clarity and resolve.
Her voice was low, but clear enough for everyone around to hear.
Her words seemed directed at Xu Miao, yet also served as a declaration to all bystanders:
“My acquaintance with Lu Weidong hasn’t been long, yet we have already officially registered our marriage.”
“Do you think today’s incident would embarrass me or make me feel ashamed?”
“Let me tell you—I fear no rumor, and I am not intimidated by your speculations.”
“Lu Weidong and I married by our mutual choice.”
“Perhaps in your eyes, you think he’s someone I had to use every trick in the book to ‘get.’”
“You’re wrong. No man is worth sacrificing my dignity, nor worth using the kind of despicable methods you speak of to obtain.”
She paused, her gaze toward Xu Miao softening slightly into a trace of pity:
“Xu Miao, I feel sorry for you. To think you would give up self-respect and self-love for a man.”
Ye Wenxi then turned her attention to the growing crowd.
She knew that in the future, there would be many more troublemakers like Xu Miao.
Her eyes seemed to pierce through the people, addressing all the potential “Xu Miaos” in existence:
“You may compete for him, use tricks, even try to pry him away.”
“You’re welcome to try, go ahead, see what happens.”
Lu Weidong, hearing this, sharply turned to look at her, brow furrowed.
But the next words from Ye Wenxi made his frown vanish instantly.
His lips even curved upward subtly.
She lifted her chin slightly, her tone carrying a faint, almost compassionate sarcasm:
“To me, all of this is merely a joke.”
“Because if he can be taken away so easily, it only proves that he is unworthy of being my husband—and not worth my attachment.”
Xu Miao stared at the woman before her.
She bore no smugness, no arrogance from favor.
Yet this was Lu Weidong—the unmatched, enviable, and admired man.
Xu Miao’s mind screamed silently.
Not just anyone could have him. He was a man many admired, coveted, and deemed unattainable.
She never imagined that a woman who truly “obtained” Lu Weidong would be like this.
She seemed to simply pass through his life’s path, calm and unhurried.
Without trying to linger, she relied solely on a subtle, unexplainable power of her own, and Lu Weidong willingly moved toward her.
Xu Miao watched in disbelief.
She felt a strange illusion forming.
The dazzling Lu Weidong she once idolized now seemed… ordinary, standing beside Ye Wenxi.
Ye Wenxi’s aura of quiet confidence was like a deep, still pool, steadying all gazes and drawing away the shallow light from others.
A firm point Xu Miao had believed in quietly shattered.
“Xu Miao, take care of yourself,” Ye Wenxi finally said, leaving the words hanging in the air, not looking back at her.
Lu Weidong signaled the guards to handle the thugs, then gently wrapped his arm around Ye Wenxi’s shoulders.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
He shielded her, and amidst all the complex gazes, they got into the jeep.
The door closed, cutting off all outside noise and prying eyes.
Silence settled in the car. Lu Weidong glanced at Ye Wenxi; her face was neutral, but her brows held a subtle tension and fatigue.
“Wenxi,” Lu Weidong began softly.
“I’m fine,” Ye Wenxi interrupted, voice low. “When we get home, don’t mention what just happened to your parents.”
“Mm,” he replied, asking no further questions.
Yet Ye Wenxi’s heart was not calm.
She glanced at Lu Weidong; he was focused on driving, the sharp lines of his profile hardened by the passing light outside.
If he hadn’t arrived in time today, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
She had anticipated Xu Miao’s resentment, anticipated trouble, but never imagined the other’s actions would be so direct, even dangerous.
Nor had she expected it to escalate this far—right in the family compound, in full view of everyone.
Too many had seen, the impact had already been made.
Like a stone thrown into a lake, ripples would inevitably spread, triggering unforeseeable consequences.
More events deviating from the original storyline would likely follow.
Half of Ye Wenxi’s mind felt a quiet worry for the unknown troubles and risks.
The other half stirred a strange, thrill-tinged anticipation.
Since the plot had been disturbed and such a large deviation occurred, did that mean the original, destructive ending could now be rewritten?
Would she no longer have to face divorce, or the “plot death” that awaited her?
The two families’ homes were only a few buildings apart; a single press of the jeep’s accelerator brought them to the Lu family’s small residence.
At home, no one knew about the earlier commotion. They arrived just as dinner was being served.
Liu Xiuyun came out of the kitchen carrying a tray.
“Back already? Why were you gone so long? Didn’t find the book?”
“Ran into someone I knew, chatted a bit.”
At the dinner table, the Lu family and Ye Wenxi discussed arrangements for tomorrow’s wedding.
No external guests—just family, a simple “homecoming” ceremony.
“Your dad agrees too,” Liu Xiuyun said, placing a rib on Ye Wenxi’s plate.
“Retired, doesn’t want to deal with formalities, keeps it simple.”
They settled on completing the ceremony tomorrow; early the next morning, the couple would return to the military base.
Lu Weidong went to the bedroom.
The room had been decorated as a bridal suite.
Red “double happiness” characters adorned the walls, the sheets were new red ones, and two festive pillows embroidered with mandarin ducks rested side by side on the bed.
He looked at the bright red spread, throat drying, Adam’s apple moving involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Ye Wenxi, freshly showered, returned to the guest room.
She wore a thin, floral camisole.
The autumn night was growing chilly, and the room wasn’t yet heated.
She layered a new long-sleeve cotton pajama set over it.
Then she began packing the books and items they would take after the ceremony.
While packing, she recalled the wedding arrangements discussed at dinner.
Early tomorrow, her younger sister Lu Weihua would drive her to a nearby state-run hotel to book a room, a temporary “parental home.”
Then Lu Weidong would drive a decorated jeep to “fetch the bride,” bring her back for the ritual tea ceremony with their parents, completing the essentials.
The rest of the time would be for the couple to manage themselves.
Some large items, like the sewing machine, hadn’t been purchased yet.
Ye Wenxi planned to go shopping with Lu Weidong in the afternoon after the ceremony.
She left the door open; while packing, she could see Lu Weidong’s bedroom door ajar, light spilling out.
Books and daily items were packed, but her new clothes exceeded the space of the original bag.
Thinking Lu Weidong likely had spare luggage, she carried the clothes to his room and knocked.
Lu Weidong seemed to have been waiting; the door opened almost immediately.
The scene behind the door made Ye Wenxi pause in breath.
Lu Weidong had just showered as well, shirtless.
Water still clung to his hair.
Her eyes traced his firm chest and chiseled abs, down to the low-hanging shorts at his hips.
Two sharp oblique lines and tight side-waist lines were visible; veins faintly raised under the skin.
Ye Wenxi’s mind went “buzz.”
Before she could recover, Lu Weidong suddenly reached out and pulled her into the room.
If you like, I can continue translating the next chapter, keeping the tension and intimacy between Ye Wenxi and Lu Weidong intact.
Do you want me to continue?