Facing their son’s accusations, Huo’s parents could only offer soothing, reasonable words.
“Sheng’an, your mom and I had no choice! Years ago, Elder Gu saved your grandfather’s life. Your grandfather is getting on in years—we simply have to consider his health!”
Huo Sheng’an felt his blood boiling. If he were marrying Gu Niannian, he could have reluctantly accepted it. But Gu Qianqian? He could never bring himself to obey.
“I am not marrying her, no matter what,” Sheng’an declared with absolute finality, turning on his heel to leave.
Huo Qianqiu snapped, “Stop right there! You are not going anywhere for the next couple of days.”
“Are you trying to restrict my personal freedom?” Sheng’an glared at his father with fierce resentment.
Qianqiu shot back, “You will go through with this marriage, or we are cutting off all ties as father and son.”
Sheng’an let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh. “Dad, you’re going to sever ties with your own son just for a woman I’ve never even met?”
Huo’s father was torn with inner conflict. It wasn’t that he was being unreasonable; it was that the old man had given his personal word. If they went back on it now, he feared his father’s heart condition would flare up again.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Huo’s parents exchanged anxious glances. They knew that when their son dug his heels in, nobody could budge him.
At this critical juncture, Elder Huo had to step in.
A veteran of many campaigns, the old man had spent his life prioritizing national duty and family honor. As for his grandson’s marriage, he figured both Gu girls were decent enough.
They were both pretty as pictures; either one was more than a match for his grandson.
Pulling a stern, weathered face, Elder Huo laid down the law:
“My big grandson, this is all my fault. Back then, it was Elder Gu and I who privately arranged the match with their eldest daughter. As for switching to the younger one later on, I had no choice. We can’t have people stabbing us in the back and calling the Huo family ungrateful, can we? Besides, both Gu girls are lovely. You’re already in your mid-twenties—no matter which daughter marries you, you’re getting the better end of the deal.”
Sheng’an gave a cold, dismissive huff. “If the bride were the eldest, I could tolerate it. But if it’s the younger one, I refuse.”
“Insolent brat! Is that any way to talk to us?” Qianqiu bellowed at him.
Sheng’an had always been a dutiful son, rarely defying his parents’ or grandfather’s wishes.
Yet this time, he refused to yield. He was twenty-six years old, a military battalion commander in his own right—surely he had a right to choose his own wife.
“Grandpa, Dad, Mom, what has happened to you all? I am not having this wedding today. If you push me any further, I’m heading straight back to my unit right now.” Sheng’an’s voice was as cold as frost.
Realizing the situation was spiraling past the point of no return, Elder Huo knew that if Sheng’an actually walked out, they would be left with an unmanageable mess.
Desperation bred a plan. Pulling rank and playing the old man card was his only remaining option to break his grandson’s stubborn streak.
Without a second thought, Elder Huo rolled his eyes back and pitched forward onto the floor.
With lightning reflexes, Sheng’an lunged forward and caught his grandfather before he hit the ground.
Committed to the act, the old man decided to go all in. The moment Sheng’an steadied him, Elder Huo rolled his eyes completely back and slumped over, utterly lifeless.
Panic ensued as everyone scrambled to carry the old man back to his room and hurriedly sent for the village doctor to check his pulse.
After examining him, the doctor delivered his verdict to the anxious family:
“The old man suffered a relapse of his heart condition brought on by severe anxiety and emotional distress. Fortunately, it’s not critical this time; he just needs rest. But you must remember—he cannot endure any more shocks, or the consequences could be disastrous.”
Huo Qianqiu and Shen Ruyi nodded frantically. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing upsets him again.”
With that, Huo’s parents cast stern, accusing glares at Sheng’an, who stood frozen off to the side.
“Did you hear the doctor? If you keep acting up and anything happens to your grandfather, you’ll be the one to blame!”
Sheng’an was already thoroughly shaken by the scare.
His grandfather was a battle-hardened veteran who had survived countless enemies on the battlefield—if he were literally frightened to death by his own grandson, Sheng’an would go down in history as an unfilial sinner.
Trapped with no other choice, Sheng’an swallowed hard and gave a stiff nod. “Fine. For Grandpa’s sake, I’ll play along for today.”
The entire family breathed a collective sigh of relief. The last thing they wanted was to lose the old man over a botched wedding.
Yet when they checked the time, they realized the scheduled hour for collecting the bride had long since passed. In the chaos of caring for the grandfather, not only had they left their guests hanging, but they had completely missed the wedding procession window.
Given how close they had just come to turning a wedding into a funeral, nobody dared bring up the bride-fetching again.
Huo’s parents were frantic with worry, while Sheng’an remained stubbornly indifferent.
In his heart, he could only pray that the bride’s family would take offense at the delay and call off the wedding themselves, sparing him any further misery.
Meanwhile, back at the Gu household, they had already dressed the drugged Niannian in bridal attire, planning to pull off a switch under the cover of the bustling crowds.
Once the night’s bridal chamber rites were complete, even if the Huo family discovered the bride was actually Niannian, the deed would already be done, just as they planned.
By then, whatever fuss the Huos kicked up wouldn’t matter anymore.
Yet the Gu family waited and waited, but the wedding car never showed up.
Anxiety mounted among the three members of the Gu household.
Particularly for Qianqian and Ning Yulian, the long-awaited payoff of their elaborate scheme was finally within reach. As long as Niannian was successfully delivered to the Huo bridal room, the deal was sealed.
Just as everything was supposed to be a done deal, the bridal escort was nowhere to be seen.
Unease gripped their hearts. Did something go wrong on the Huo family’s end?
After a quick consultation, Gu Changlin and Ning Yulian decided to take matters into their own hands: they would simply deliver Niannian straight to the Huo estate themselves.
Living in the city outskirts, the Gu home was only a few miles away from the Huos; they could still make it if they left now.
Without wasting another second, Gu Changlin directed the escort team: “Something must have delayed our in-laws. We’ll trouble everyone to escort my daughter directly to the Huo residence today.”
The Gus hired a horse-drawn cart, helping the unconscious Niannian inside.
Accompanied by four bridesmaids—including Qianqian in disguise—the group set off in a grand, bustling procession.
Just as the Huo family was finally organizing their wedding party to head out to the Gu household in the suburbs, a massive crowd of people suddenly came surging down the road.
Taken aback, everyone froze, staring in stunned silence at the approaching throng.