So, if they could marry a girl whose birth characters matched their son’s, perhaps their Jingchuan’s health would recover quickly.  

That’s why they agreed to the Lin family’s proposal to switch brides.  

But they never expected that the girl had absolutely no intention of marrying their son. She had been forced here by the Lin family yesterday.  

Last night, she had even banged her head against the wall in protest.  

Their son had already objected to this marriage, and they had to sedate him with sleeping pills. Now, the girl was making a scene too—it was complete chaos.  

They were already terrified by the commotion, afraid it might lead to a tragedy.  

Gu Decheng had made up his mind last night: if Lin Min continued to resist today, he would send her back to the Lin family.  

This was a new era, after all. Arranged marriages like this were downright immoral.  

Yet, to their surprise, when Lin Min woke up this morning, she was eerily calm and even obediently ate breakfast.  

Could it really be, as their eldest daughter-in-law had said, the calm before the storm?  

…  

By the time the sun was high in the sky, the man on the kang (heated brick bed) slowly woke up. He opened his eyes, and the sunlight streaming through the glass window onto the kang dazzled him momentarily.  

Instinctively, he narrowed his long, phoenix-like eyes and raised a hand to block the light.  

As he turned his head slightly, the face of a young woman with a bandage on her forehead abruptly came into view.  

That face—it belonged to the very person he had once longed for day and night, the one he had kept hidden in his heart.  

Gu Jingchuan froze, his gaze dazed as he stared at her.  

Lin Min sensed the man on the kang stirring and turned to look at him.  

Their eyes met.  

For a moment, neither spoke.  

The air in the room was so still you could hear a pin drop.  

After a long silence, Lin Min suppressed the turmoil in her heart and broke the quiet. “You’re awake?”  

Gu Jingchuan’s eyes met hers—bright as stars—and for a split second, he was lost in them.  

Why was she here?  

Hadn’t he been engaged to Lin Jiao?  

“Why are you—”  

Lin Min lowered her head shyly. “Naturally, I was properly wed into your Gu family.”  

Properly wed?

Gu Jingchuan’s expression grew even more stunned.  

In an instant, he seemed to understand, but just as quickly, the light in his eyes dimmed. His face darkened. “Lin Min, I never agreed to marry you. My family took matters into their own hands. I’m sorry, but this marriage is invalid. You should leave.”  

Lin Min: “…”  

In her past life, these had been the first cruel words he’d spoken to her upon waking.  

Back then, she had thought his disappointment stemmed from seeing her—the substitute bride—instead of her sister.  

Already forced into this marriage, she had felt deeply humiliated.  

Compared to Gu Jingchuan’s physical condition, what stung more was knowing his heart belonged to her sister and being so blatantly dismissed.  

Now, reborn, she understood just how much those words must have cost him—how much pain they carried.  

The person he loved was right in front of him, now his bride. Yet, because he didn’t want to burden her, he was pushing her away with all his might.  

In her naive youth, she hadn’t grasped the depth of his silent love.  

At the time, she had only felt insulted—how dare a cripple reject her?  

And when her sister-in-law Wang Ying egged her on, she had really run away.

She looked at him and said, “I know you’re afraid your condition will burden me. But since I’ve already married you, I’m your wife. If you send me away now, I’ll be labeled a divorced woman—who would ever marry me then?”  

“We’ve only been married a day, and nothing has happened between us. It won’t affect your future.”  

“How wouldn’t it? At the very least, we spent our wedding night sleeping on the same kang. Besides, look at you—” Lin Min deliberately cast a shy glance at the covers over Gu Jingchuan’s lower body.  

Meeting her bashful gaze, Gu Jingchuan lifted the blanket and saw himself nearly bare below the waist. A flush of red spread from his ears down to his neck.  

This had to be the work of those two bastard brothers of his!  

“I told you, this marriage doesn’t count. Leave!” Having been exposed like this, his tone carried a note of furious embarrassment.  

Watching him say such hurtful things—lying through his teeth just to push her away—Lin Min felt tears well up in her eyes. “I won’t go. Where would I even go? If I return to my parents, they’ll break my legs.”  

Seeing the woman sitting at the edge of the kang, weeping, Gu Jingchuan’s heart clenched as if gripped by iron claws. The pain was unbearable.  

The girl he had once longed for day and night was now right beside him—his bride.  

But he no longer had any right to be with her.  

He was already broken. He couldn’t drag her down.  

Besides, he knew she hadn’t married him willingly.  

Her words just now made it clear—she was only afraid to go back to her family.  

“Get out!” His voice trembled as he spat the words.  

“Gu Jingchuan, what do you mean by this?”  

He lowered his gaze, his tone resolute. “It’s simple. Marrying you wasn’t my choice. There’s nothing between us—no vows, no consummation. You’re free and untouched. Just leave.”  

Lin Min stared at him, her expression firm. “Let me make this clear—I’m not going anywhere. I was properly wed into your Gu family. This isn’t just a place for me to stay. It’s my home now.”  

“Go! I don’t love you, and I don’t need your pity!” Gu Jingchuan’s voice was raw with emotion.  

“But I love you,” she whispered.  

In their past life, through their time together, she had already fallen in love with him.  

And she knew he loved her too.  

Their argument finally drew the attention of the Gu family outside.  

Mother Gu hurriedly opened the door, and the entire family rushed in.  

They found Gu Jingchuan’s face dark, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions in turmoil.  

Lin Min sat on the kang, sniffling in distress.  

“What’s going on, Jingchuan?”  

As the family entered, Lin Min tearfully accused, “He wants to annul our marriage unilaterally! He says I was forced on him by your family, that he doesn’t want me!”  

“What?”  

The Gu family exchanged bewildered glances.  

Wasn’t she the one who had resisted the most?  

Their daughter-in-law’s attitude was… unusual.  

Had hitting her head last night affected her mind?  

“Old woman, take our daughter-in-law to our room and comfort her. I need to talk to Jingchuan.”  

Mother Gu and Gu Jingxiu led Lin Min away to the elder couple’s room.  

Gu Decheng stayed behind to reason with his son. “Jingchuan, stop this. Treat the girl well—she’s here to save your life.”  

“Save my life?” Gu Jingchuan scoffed. “Can she perform miracles? Or cast spells? How exactly is she supposed to save me?”  

“The fortune-teller said marrying her would bring you auspicious energy. Your health will improve.” Gu Decheng’s voice was pleading. “At least let’s try, alright?”  

“Dad, this isn’t fair to her.”  

“I know. But her family agreed to the marriage and took our betrothal gifts. Lin Min has accepted you too. Our family will treat her well from now on.”  

Gu Jingchuan stared out the window, his eyes bleak, his voice unyielding. “I don’t acknowledge this marriage. Send her away.”