Li Jiabao sucked on his fingers after finishing the last bit of chicken, clearly savoring the flavor.

“Brother Yu, you and Zhihuan… you guys…”

Su Ziyu lay lazily on a large stone, his hands behind his head, exuding a mix of abstinence and casual indifference. “When I’m not around, keep an eye on her. Don’t let anyone…” bully her.

“Don’t worry! Leave it to me,” Li Jiabao said, thumping his chest.

Who ever would dare mess with brother Yu’s girl? He’d make sure they regretted it.

“Brother Yu, your second uncle and aunt have been bustling about for so long. If Su Zijie refuses to go through with the wedding, won’t your second uncle and aunt be so angry they’ll drop dead?” Li Jiabao suddenly asked with a chuckle.

The Su family and the Xu family were creating such a big scene, but if Su Zijie, the main character, refused to cooperate, how could the engagement proceed?

“I don’t know if my second uncle and aunt will drop death, but one thing’s for sure—Su Zijie and Xu Jiaojiao’s wedding is as good as set in stone,” Su Ziyu replied with a snort.

---

Su Zijie’s face was dark as he stared at the cigarettes, alcohol, and fabric in the room.

“I don’t agree to this wedding,” he said firmly.

He’d said it hundreds of times: he didn’t like Xu Jiaojiao. Why couldn’t his parents understand?

Why did they insist he marry a woman he didn’t love? Did a steady job mean more to them than his lifetime of happiness?

Just for the extra 15 yuan a month a permanent job would bring over a temporary one, they were asking him to spend his life with someone he didn’t like?

“Don’t agree?!” Su Changhe exploded in anger. “We’ve already informed the relatives and invited the neighbors, and now you’re saying you don’t agree?! Are you trying to force your mother and me to our graves? Or drive Xu Jiaojiao to despair?”

Wang Chunmei gave her husband a glance and then turned her gaze to their son, whose expression was equally grim. She softened her tone, speaking earnestly.

“Son, I know you’re loyal and trustworthy. But your father is getting old, and your younger brother is still just a child. This family depends on you now.

“Xu Jiaojiao may not be as pretty as Zhihuan, but beauty won’t fill your stomach! Besides, you know what kind of temper Li Qiuhua has. She said in front of the whole village that she wouldn’t associate with our family anymore…”

“Mother, let me talk to Aunt Li again. She’ll definitely agree…” Su Zijie began desperately.

“Unfilial brat!” Su Changhe jumped up, “The wedding is tomorrow! What are you going to say to that widow? Let me tell you, the only way you’ll marry that sickly girl is over my dead body!”

Wang Chunmei quickly pulled Su Changhe back, giving him a covert signal to calm down. Su Changhe sat back down angrily.

“Zijie, please, I’m begging you,” Wang Chunmei said, her face lined with worry. “Your father isn’t as strong as he used to be. If you upset him to the point of illness, this family will fall apart.”

Hearing this, Su Zijie finally noticed the strands of white hair at his father’s temples.

Seeing her son’s resolve wavering, Wang Chunmei took the opportunity to toss her cane aside and fall to her knees with a dramatic thud.

“It’s all my fault. I’ve failed you,” she wailed.

Su Zijie panicked and hurried to help her up.

“Fine, Mother. I agree,” he said at last, his voice resigned.

The Next Morning

The Su family was bustling with activity.

They borrowed tables, chairs, pots, and pans from their neighbors, turning the courtyard into a lively scene.

Friends and family showed up early to help, washing vegetables and peeling potatoes as laughter filled the air.

Meanwhile, under the large parasol tree at the east end of the village, a group of gossipy villagers had gathered.

“Did you see Xu Jiaojiao’s smug look just now? She picked up a man Zhihuan didn’t want and acts like she’s found a treasure!”

“The Xu family really has no shame. Xu Jiaojiao would even steal her best friend’s man. You’d better watch your husbands; otherwise, if someone seduces them, you’ll have no one to blame but yourselves.”

“Xu Jiaojiao used to seem so well-behaved…”

“Well-behaved? She just pretended to be. Don’t forget how the Xu family pulled that stunt during the grain distribution! They really thought we were fools!”

“Look, is that Xu Jiaojiao heading to the west side of the village?” one of them asked, pointing to a pink-clad figure.

“Is she going to invite Zhihuan to the wedding?” someone else suggested, clicking their tongue.

Everyone under the tree was speechless.

Shen Zhihuan, who opened the door, was even more speechless.

Couldn’t she just stay in bed, “heartbroken and devastated,” in peace?

“Zhihuan, you’re my best friend,” Xu Jiaojiao said, biting her lip, her expression pitiful.

“Are you seriously inviting me to your wedding?” Shen Zhihuan asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Mhm!” Xu Jiaojiao’s face lit up with joy.

“Well, since you’re so insistent, how could I say no after all these years of friendship?” Shen Zhihuan replied with a sly smile.

Xu Jiaojiao quickly made her excuses and left, satisfied.

Shen Zhihuan leisurely finished her breakfast and tidied up the kitchen before finally returning to her room.

She chose a red dress—a recent purchase she’d thought was pretty. Who would have guessed it would suit her so perfectly?

Switching her usual pigtails for a high bun, she added a touch of elegance to her casual style.

Before leaving, she stopped by the chicken coop to grab two freshly laid eggs.

The midday sun was still scorching, making her squint against the glare. The streets were quiet; it seemed most of the villagers had gone to the Su family’s event.

Even the usual gossipers under the big tree were absent.

Standing beneath the tree, she could hear the distant sound of laughter and chatter from the Su household.

Turning the eggs in her hands, Shen Zhihuan walked toward the lively gathering.

Inside the courtyard, Su Zijie stood among the crowd, his expression distant. When someone teased him, he responded with a half-hearted smile, looking more miserable than cheerful.

His childhood friends, who knew about his feelings for Zhihuan, watched with a heavy heart.

Meanwhile, Xu Jiaojiao, full of smiles, flitted around the courtyard, greeting guests and radiating joy. Her demeanor seemed to scream to the world that Su Zijie was now hers.

When Shen Zhihuan entered the courtyard, the chatter paused momentarily.

The bright red dress made her look like a blooming rose—vivid, lovely, and impossible to ignore.

Su Zijie’s dark eyes locked onto her, his emotions a tangled mess of sorrow and despair.