After hanging up the phone, Ruan Zhiyin caught sight of the glaring red exclamation mark on the WeChat icon and tapped it open.

Her finger slid down, revealing dozens of contacts.

All of them had sent half-genuine, half-mocking words of concern after seeing the trending searches. Clearly, today’s wedding had already become their favorite topic of gossip.

Ruan Zhiyin did not have many friends in the country, and those who had sent messages were not close to her.

She only opened the group chat with her two best friends.

Gu Linlang and Ye Yanchu had already cursed Qin Jue and Lin Jingfei eight hundred times.

【Gu Linlang: Damn, I used to think Qin Jue was decent. I didn’t expect my eyesight to deteriorate at such a young age.】

【Ye Yanchu: Someone lock them up together and let Lin Jingfei taste the torment from Qin Jue’s mother. Let’s see if that fake face of hers can hold up.】

【Gu Linlang: ‘Oh please, Ah Jue and I are just brother and sister. Otherwise, back then we wouldn’t have…… Cousin, why are you misunderstanding again?’】

【Ye Yanchu: Ugh! Just remembering that makes me sick. On Valentine’s Day, she pretended to be drunk, claimed she was harassed, and called Qin Jue away. And she dared to say Yinyin was overthinking? What bullsh*t ‘brother and sister’!】

【Gu Linlang: F*ck, that necklace Lin Jingfei is wearing, isn’t it the one Qin Jue bid for? An eight-figure pink diamond to build her princess image in the entertainment circle. My fists are clenching.】

【Ye Yanchu: Yinyin stayed in the U.S. to earn money for him, only for him to buy diamonds for another woman?! I really want to slap out a whole 《Croatian Rhapsody》 across that dog man’s face!】

【Gu Linlang: I’m triggered. Their disgusting behavior robbed elegance from my mother. I want to roll that dog couple into a ball, spin them in a Thomas flair^[1]an acrobatic move, specifically a type of flare, popularized by gymnast Kurt Thomas, and kick them across the horizon, so when they land, they’ll understand what true justice is!】

The later parts were far too intense to mention.

Ruan Zhiyin glanced briefly and scrolled straight to the bottom.

【Ye Yanchu: Yinyin, can I still be your bridesmaid?】

Since Gu Linlang was married, the task of bridesmaid naturally fell to Ye Yanchu.

Last night, Ruan Zhiyin had wanted her to stay at the hotel, but she said she had to deliver a contract to a client early in the morning and thus didn’t come over.

Ruan Zhiyin replied, 【Don’t worry, I’ve already found a groom.】

【Ye Yanchu: I’m crying. I never thought even someone as hateful and annoying as Senior Cheng would turn out to have more conscience than Qin Jue.】

【Gu Linlang: Enlightened. Even Cheng Yuelin, with his venomous tongue that kills all peach blossoms^[2]romantic prospects in one sentence, has certain merits.】

Ruan Zhiyin: “……”

Such forced compliments were really unnecessary.

────ρя

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

At eleven o’clock, the guests arrived at the Simo Hotel.

Gu Linlang and Ye Yanchu, dressed in gowns, stood in the wedding banquet hall, smiling and leading the guests to their seats.

Ruan Zhiyin’s grandfather was bedridden with illness, and her parents had passed away early, but thankfully, she still had her two friends.

For the Qin and Ruan families’ marriage alliance, today’s wedding invitations had gone out to more than half of the prestigious families in Lanqiao, along with former classmates from Lanzhong and A University.

But naturally, the Qin family hadn’t been informed that a ceremony would still take place. And with Qin Jue’s runaway groom stunt making the rounds, only about half of the originally invited guests showed up in the end.

Most came to see how the Ruan family would wrap up this marriage mess. As for those close to the Lin family, they likely wanted to watch Ruan Zhiyin’s humiliation in person.

Although the crowd was smaller, it was already enough.

In the center table of the hall sat Xu Fei and Wang Xin, two notorious playboys in the circle. They usually loved to organize gatherings for drinking and entertainment, and thus were quite popular.

After arriving, Wang Xin tried probing questions while chatting with Gu Linlang and Ye Yanchu. But the two only smiled politely and refused to mention anything about the wedding, which made him all the more curious.

────ρя


On the other side, in the bride’s lounge, Kang Yu pushed open the door and walked in.

“Miss Ruan, everything is ready.”

“Thank you, Kang Yu.”

Ruan Zhiyin leaned against the sofa while the makeup artist worked on her face. She looked at Kang Yu through the mirror and then smiled, her phoenix eyes gleaming with charm.

Kang Yu, flustered by the attention, quickly shook her head. “It’s no trouble, it’s my job. But the groom……”

The wedding was ready, but the groom was already gone— in every sense of the word.

Kang Yu thought of her earlier complaint.

‘Unless CEO Qin had gone blind, why would he abandon a fairy-like fiancée for someone like Lin Qingfei, who only marketed her looks?’

Well, blame her crow’s mouth.

Qin Jue truly was blind.

No, a dog man who ditched his fiancée for another woman, trended for running away, and humiliated her didn’t deserve any respectful title! He deserved cremation and to have his ashes scattered to the wind!

Fortunately, Ruan Zhiyin hadn’t married him yet.

Such a beauty should only marry a groom who upheld men’s virtue, could spot a fake, was more handsome than any top idol or movie king, and was worth more than her bank card balance!

Just as Kang Yu thought that, a click was heard, and the lounge door opened.

Both Kang Yu and the makeup artist looked up.

A stranger yet strikingly handsome young man stood at the door. Against the glow of the magnificent chandelier in the hallway, his tall, straight frame blocked most of the light.

His indifferent gaze searched briefly before he strode in with long, unhurried steps.

By then, Ruan Zhiyin, her makeup complete, had also turned her head. Her eyes fell upon Cheng Yuelin’s flawless, sculpted face.

Loose strands of hair hung over his strong brows. His nose was straight, his lips thin, and his deep peach blossom eyes carried a dark, ink-like brilliance. The slightly upturned corners seemed faintly tinged with red.

Two buttons on his shirt were undone, revealing the line of his neck and a glimpse of his collarbone. Though dressed in a tailored suit, his entire demeanor radiated a careless, roguish air.

His appearance overlapped with the figure in her memory, making Ruan Zhiyin dazed for a moment.

With one hand in his pocket, Cheng Yuelin walked to her, bent slightly, and held her gaze for several seconds.

Then, suddenly, he reached out and tapped her forehead lightly with his long, bony fingers.

His lips curved into a teasing smile. “Ruan Zhiyin, what’s wrong? So moved by my act of lowering myself that you’re stunned?”

Ruan Zhiyin lowered her eyes, ignoring his flamboyant attitude.

Her gaze dropped, and she stayed silent for a moment, then lifted her head again with the same expression.

“Cheng Yuelin, you stepped on my shoe.”

Cheng Yuelin raised his brow, slowly looked down, and indeed saw the tip of a woman’s flat shoe pinned under his polished leather shoe.

Under the combined weight of pressure and gravity, a few carefully embedded white beads had already popped loose.

Cheng Yuelin: “……”

Ruan Zhiyin: “See? It cracked.”

Cheng Yuelin: “……”

“No worries. Five thousand yuan. Transfer is fine.”

Just like that, she scammed a sum of money out of him. Cheng Yuelin almost laughed from sheer exasperation

As he moved his glossy leather shoe away from the poor flat, he let out a chuckle. “Ha, you really are heartless.”

“Right back at you.”

Cheng Yuelin raised his brow slightly, realizing she was holding a grudge over his earlier ‘metaphor’ on the phone.

With a half-smile, he studied her carefully. “Not pretending to be good anymore?”

At his words, Ruan Zhiyin paused briefly, suddenly remembering what he used to say back in high school, in that same lazy, mocking tone.

“Ruan Zhiyin, aren’t you tired of pretending to be a good girl all the time?”

Back then, she was known at school as obedient, quiet, and unremarkable.

Having lived in an orphanage for a long time, she knew that docile children who caused no trouble were less disliked and had it easier.

At school, that rule applied even more to girls. If a girl stood out too much, trouble and gossip would follow right after.

Confidence required backing.

Ruan Zhiyin had known the Lin family’s attitude toward her and could only rely on her grandfather. Yet she had not wanted to burden him, nor waste energy dealing with unnecessary problems. So, like a snail, she had withdrawn into her shell.

Her meek, submissive behavior had been precisely the kind of thing Cheng Yuelin could not stand.

By some twist of fate, his favorite pastime had become tearing off that so-called mask of good temper.

That was why Ruan Zhiyin and Cheng Yuelin had ended up as sworn enemies.

Snapping back from her daze, Ruan Zhiyin met the man’s scrutinizing gaze but did not answer his question.

Instead, she pointed at him, then turned to the stunned Kang Yu.

“The groom is here. The wedding can start now.”

Yes. Cheng Yuelin had always known that she was never truly meek, nor truly obedient.

The woman she was now had long since shed that pretense. She had nothing left to act for, especially not in front of him.