5 – Marrying into the Royal Family
Ten minutes later, Lu Xiao Ning finished a quick wash-up, lazily yawned, and walked into the living room.
The living room was already filled with a crowd of people standing there, a dark mass, each one looking quite respectful.
Lu Xiao Ning recognized at a glance that the man at the front was the second suited man she had encountered yesterday.
Upon seeing Lu Xiao Ning, the man immediately smiled and nodded.
“Miss Lu, His Highness requests that you go with him to register your marriage today.”
“What?”
Mother Lu and Lu Xiao Ning spoke almost in unison.
“His Highness… you’re from the royal family? Ning Ning’s partner is a prince…”
Mother Lu could hardly believe it. As commoners, it was already rare for them to meet someone from the royal family in their lifetime.
Now, her daughter was actually involved with a prince—it was simply unbelievable!
“Indeed, Madam,” the man replied, still respectfully.
“I… I don’t agree!” Mother Lu immediately grew anxious.
T Country was a nation where royal authority reigned supreme, but scandals involving the royal family were no strangers to the common folk.
The current emperor of T Country, in particular, had multiple wives and concubines. Moreover, the power struggles within the royal family were treacherous and fraught with danger.
She had only one daughter—how could she let her step into such peril?
“Madam, you have already accepted the dowry of thirty million. I assumed you had agreed. Furthermore, I have already reported this matter to His Highness. He is scheduled to go abroad for a month-long visit soon and wishes to marry as quickly as possible to avoid mistreating Miss Lu.”
Heh heh heh…
Hearing the man’s seemingly reasonable words, Lu Xiao Ning merely sneered inwardly.
Would that scumbag Zongzheng Ting really be so kind-hearted?
He was probably harboring some malicious intent, right?
However, regardless of Zongzheng Ting’s true motives, Lu Xiao Ning had already decided: she must go through with this marriage.
She wanted to enter the royal family, get close to Zongzheng Ting, and seize the opportunity for revenge!
Thinking this, she immediately teared up, her acting skills coming on cue.
Turning around, she took Mother Lu’s hand, her expression filled with anguish.
“Mom, please let me have this? We truly fell in love at first sight, and our feelings are mutual! In this lifetime, I won’t marry anyone but him! After all, he is the only man for me in this life!”
Everyone: “…”
The man at the front was particularly speechless.
She and His Highness had only met once—surely their love couldn’t be this intense, could it?
In the end, she was probably just a woman coveting the royal family and chasing vanity, right?
After all, in their T Country, which single adult woman didn’t dream of marrying into the royal family?
“Ahem, ahem,” the man pretended to cough and quickly chimed in, “Madam, His Highness has already made up his mind. Whether you agree or not, you must accept it. But rest assured, our His Highness will absolutely not mistreat Miss Lu.”
As the man spoke these words, although he wore a smile on his face, a cold glint flickered in his eyes.
Lu Xiao Ning immediately caught this dangerous look and quickly shielded Mother Lu behind her.
“We agree!”
“But Ning Ning…”
“Mom, don’t worry. I’m going there to enjoy a life of luxury, not to suffer.”
Patting the back of Mother Lu’s hand, Lu Xiao Ning turned back to face the man before her.
“However, I have one condition.”
“Please go ahead, Miss Lu.”
“That dowry worth thirty million—please convert it into cash. If you agree, OK, no problem. I’ll go register with your His Highness today.”
The man: “…”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but the smile on his face remained composed. “Absolutely no problem.”
“OK.” Lu Xiao Ning made a gesture.
Bargaining over marriage—how did it feel as simple as going to the market to buy groceries?
“Then, may we trouble Miss Lu to freshen up a bit? We’ll wait outside.”
“No need, I’m perfectly fine as I am! I’ll just grab my documents and be right back.”
Pah! Just going to register with that scumbag Zongzheng Ting—why should she bother dressing up?
The man looked her over from head to toe.
A slightly yellowed floral dress, with flip-flops on her feet.
If it weren’t for her looks carrying the outfit, this getup would be completely country bumpkin attire.
“Ahem, if that’s the case, then fine.”
Two minutes later, Lu Xiao Ning emerged clutching the documents needed for marriage.
“Miss Lu, please get in the car?”
Before leaving, Lu Xiao Ning patted Mother Lu on the shoulder.
Mother Lu seemed to want to say something but held back, her eyes filled only with worry.
It wasn’t the first time a commoner had become an Imperial Consort in T Country.
The eighth emperor had married a commoner queen, which became a celebrated tale.
And since the imperial decree could not be defied, even if Mother Lu was worried, she had no power to openly resist.
…
Lu Xiao Ning got into the car, feeling not the least bit troubled.
Neighbors nearby greeted her, and she waved back one by one.
“Ning Ning really has made something of herself. I wonder which chaebol family she’s marrying into?”
“Judging by this spectacle, it must be at least one of the four major families.”
Everyone chattered away, but no one could have imagined—what are the four major families? Lu Xiao Ning was entering the royal family!
…
A little over an hour later, the car finally arrived at the civil affairs bureau.
Lu Xiao Ning was escorted out of the car and stepped up the stairs one by one, stopping before the entrance of the silver-gray building.
Looking at the building’s sign, she couldn’t help but find it amusing.
In her previous life as Chu Ke, despite all she had given, she never had the chance to stand here.
Now, in this life as Lu Xiao Ning, on her very first day of rebirth, she was about to walk in and register with Zongzheng Ting?
Hah, fate really loves to play tricks on people!
At this moment, Lu Xiao Ning’s heart was calm, like the stillness before a storm.
Zongzheng Ting, who would have thought we’d meet again so soon!
The blood in Lu Xiao Ning’s body surged, and her eyes held a hidden killing intent.
Finally, she saw an extended Lincoln limousine pull up. The door opened, and a man’s legs stepped out first.
Lu Xiao Ning widened her eyes, rubbing her hands together behind her back. She flexed her fingers, and her knuckles immediately emitted crisp cracking sounds.
However, her gaze soon dimmed again.
Because the person who got out of the car was not Zongzheng Ting.
A strange man stepped out first. Then, he took out a metal plate from the car.
He placed the plate on the ground, forming a ramp.
Soon, a wheelchair slowly descended from inside the car.
The person sitting in the wheelchair had a stern, cold face, with icy eyes that sent chills down one’s spine.
His sharp, slanted eyebrows carried a man’s coldness and masculinity.
His features were well-defined, his face almost perfectly symmetrical.
He was unsmiling, his handsome face tense.
Yet even so, it couldn’t conceal the noble aura he exuded.
Without any expression or movement, just sitting there, his cold, unapproachable demeanor was enough to captivate and intimidate.
What a pity—a man with such flawless looks was actually a cripple!
This person was none other than Zong Zheng Ye!
“Third Highness?”
Lu Xiao Ning was utterly stunned, her eyes wide open, unable to even speak.
What the hell was going on?
The person who came to register the marriage with her should have been that scumbag Zongzheng Ting, shouldn’t it?
How could it be Zong Zheng Ye?