At the Tenoah Crown Hotel.
Rong Qing sat before the vanity mirror in a custom wedding dress, feeling nervous and uneasy.
They had known each other for eight years and been in love for four. Was she finally going to marry Xue Qiushu?
Someone pushed open the makeup room door and came in to hurry them along.
“The host is already onstage. The bride and groom can make their entrance now.”
Rong Qing stood and looked at Xue Qiushu, her palms growing slightly damp.
Just as she was about to take his hand, his phone rang again.
Xue Qiushu clutched his phone, looking troubled.
“Why aren’t you answering? Is there a problem with a project at the company?” Rong Qing asked.
Xue Qiushu picked up his coat and headed for the door.
“Nuannuan’s been in a car accident. Her condition is critical. Uncle and Auntie have already gone to the hospital. We may have to postpone the wedding.”
“Qing’er, Nuannuan wants to see me before she goes into surgery. I have to get there as soon as possible.”
Rong Qing’s face turned deathly pale.
Whenever Rong Nuan was involved, Xue Qiushu always put her second.
That was how it had been throughout the eight years Rong Qing had lived with the Rong family.
“I’ll go with you.”
Rong Qing suppressed the ache in her heart and rose to change out of her wedding dress.
“There’s no time. I’ll go ahead.”
Xue Qiushu made sure to remind her, “So many guests came today. My parents can’t manage everything by themselves. You should stay and help receive the guests.”
“She got into the accident because we’re getting married. Don’t go and upset her.”
“…” It felt as though a heavy blow had shattered her heart.
Li Xiao could take it no longer.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Xue Qiushu? Rong Nuan gets into a car accident and you blame Qing’er for it?”
Li Xiao pointed at him, furious. “Do you know what it means to Qing’er that you’re leaving right now?”
Xue Qiushu glanced at his watch again.
“Qing’er, you know I’ve always treated Nuannuan like a younger sister. She’s just used to having me look after her. She’s afraid I’ll stop once we’re married.”
“We can have the wedding another time, but Nuannuan’s condition is critical. I have to go. You’ve always known how to weigh what’s important, Qing’er.”
He shot Li Xiao a reproachful glance.
“When I get back, I’ll make it up to you with a grand wedding…”
Rong Qing calmly cut him off. “Go. Don’t worry about me.”
The next moment, Xue Qiushu disappeared through the doorway.
Li Xiao angrily flung down the lily-of-the-valley bouquet. “What a piece of work. What do you even see in him?”
“Actually, I already knew Rong Nuan had been in an accident.”
An hour earlier, someone online had started a poll asking whether Xue Qiushu would abandon Rong Qing to go to the hospital.
“I even asked a friend at the hospital. Rong Nuan only has a few scrapes. She doesn’t need surgery.”
Standing before the full-length mirror, Rong Qing gave a self-mocking smile.
“I should’ve understood sooner. I’m just the stepdaughter the Rong family kindly took in. My mother only loves Rong Nuan, and the Xue family wanted Rong Nuan as their daughter-in-law from the start.”
“Xue Qiushu is marrying me only because I’m suited to the role. I won’t hold him back.”
She had grown up in the countryside with her father.
Eight years ago, after her father died, her mother brought her from the countryside to live with the Rong family.
In this cold, unfeeling city, Xue Qiushu was the only person who hadn’t looked down on her.
He became the person she trusted most.
For his sake, she gave up the chance to study abroad, gave up becoming a singer, and abandoned all her other interests. She worked at his company to help shoulder his workload.
Although they were in a relationship, Rong Qing had never once felt loved by Xue Qiushu.
Eight years had passed. She didn’t want to keep deceiving herself.
Li Xiao hugged her and comforted her softly.
“I’m glad you finally see it. Xue Qiushu doesn’t deserve you.”
“He even expects you to stay and comfort the guests. He’s so awful it’s unbelievable!”
Rong Qing nodded calmly. “Let’s go.”
They had just come out through the hotel’s back entrance when Li Xiao suddenly got a stomachache.
“Go wait in the car. I’ll use the restroom.”
*
“The Rong family’s stepdaughter, Rong Qing, failed to marry into a wealthy family. The groom, Xue Qiushu, ran off before the wedding even began.”
“Serves her right! She’s a fake who stole the Rong family’s real daughter’s childhood sweetheart. Shameless.”
“What’s ridiculous is that Xue Qiushu dated her for four years. I’m starting to wonder if someone put a spell on him.”
“Congratulations to our nation’s dream husband for cutting his losses in time. If he’d really married a scheming green-tea woman like that, he’d be kicking himself for the rest of his life.”
“I never approved of those two anyway. Now that she’s been jilted, I’m setting off firecrackers to celebrate for three days and three nights!”
Sitting in his car, Yan Zichen scrolled through his phone, frowning hard at the comments online.
She’d been stood up at her wedding?
At the sight of Xue Qiushu’s name, his brows drew sharply together.
Bang!
The car hit something and came to an abrupt halt.
Thrown forward by the impact, Yan Zichen slammed his face against the seat.
His head spun.
“Sorry, President Yan. A car suddenly crashed into us. I’ll get out and take a look.”
Old Liu climbed out of the car nervously, afraid President Yan would lose his temper.
Holding his forehead, Yan Zichen looked outside. A woman in a wedding dress was getting out of a white sedan.
The instant he saw her face, his pupils contracted.
He immediately pushed open the door and got out.
“I’m so sorry! Are you all right?”
Rong Qing kept bowing to the driver as she apologized.
There were cars in front of and behind her. She hadn’t had her license long, and in her panic she’d stepped on the accelerator. The car had shot straight into the middle of the road.
At the sight of the Rolls-Royce emblem in front of her, her heart sank.
“Shall we settle this privately, or call the traffic police to determine responsibility?”
Old Liu hadn’t yet answered when he saw Yan Zichen getting out.
“President Yan.”
Old Liu panicked. “I’ll take care of it right away. Please, President Yan—”
Yan Zichen ignored him and walked straight over to Rong Qing, who was still in her wedding dress. He held out a tissue.
“Thank you.” It really wasn’t her day. Unable to hold back, she started crying.
“The car’s fully insured. Just have the driver take it in for repairs. I wasn’t wearing my seat belt just now, and I hit my head pretty hard. I feel a little dizzy.”
The young man’s voice rang out above Rong Qing’s head, gentle and even.
“I’m sorry. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Rong Qing understood at once and took out her phone to message Li Xiao.
“No need to go to the hospital. I have something urgent to take care of right now, and I may need your help.”
Yan Zichen turned to Old Liu and signaled for him to drive the car away.
Old Liu hesitated. “President Yan, weren’t you in a hurry to go on a blind date?”
Yan Zichen smiled at Rong Qing. “I was. That’s why I’d like to ask this young lady for a favor.”
Rong Qing nodded. “What is it? I’ll help if I can.”
“The person I was supposed to meet was the marriage prospect my parents chose for me.”
“So you need me to pretend to be your girlfriend?” She knew this kind of scenario.
“Since your wedding didn’t happen, I imagine it’ll be hard to explain. What I mean is, why don’t we just get married on paper?”
His gaze fell on her pure white wedding dress, so solemn and sacred. “It’d be a shame to waste all this effort getting dressed up.”
“…” She was a little touched.
She’d put a lot of effort into her makeup and styling, but that was no reason to get married.
“I thought you wanted to get away from the Rong family,” Yan Zichen reminded her casually.
Rong Qing jolted.
She’d almost forgotten that one of the reasons she was marrying so young was to leave the Rong family.
“It’ll just be a marriage of convenience. We can divorce in two years.”
Old Liu stared at them, dumbfounded.
Rong Qing saw a message from Xue Qiushu telling her to go back and comfort his parents.
She took a deep breath. “All right.”
“Did you bring your household registration booklet?”
Yan Zichen took his bag from the car. “The Civil Affairs Bureau will be closing soon.”