The crowd erupted in exclamations of awe. This man was truly handsome! His chiseled features exuded a cold and distant charm, his eyes sharp yet perfectly restrained, and his natural aristocratic aura made him a sight to behold—timelessly captivating.

An Xin sat demurely in the bridal chamber. Dong Mei, beaming with excitement, rushed in and said,

“An Xin, An Xin, your man is here! You wouldn’t believe it—he drove the exploration team’s Jeep to pick you up. It’s covered in bright red flowers, and all the young women and married ladies in the village are dumbstruck!”

As if receiving the largest dowry in the village weren’t enough, her wedding was turning out to be so extravagant.

The women were completely stunned by his handsomeness. But Dong Mei didn’t quite express it clearly. Nevertheless, An Xin understood.

An Xin: “…”

Indeed, a man’s looks can be a curse. She sighed inwardly and got up, heading toward the door.

“I’ll go take a look,” she said.

Dong Mei quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her, confused.

“Hey, where are you going? Don’t you know that a bride has to stay in the bridal chamber and wait for the groom to fetch her? Do you really want even more rumors spreading about you?”

Here, the tradition was that the bride had to wait quietly in her bridal chamber. Only after the groom passed several tests—like drinking a certain number of toasts or giving out enough red envelopes—could he see his bride. If An Xin went out now, she’d surely be branded as desperate.

“Oh, right! I forgot it’s my wedding today,” An Xin said, suddenly realizing, and returned to her seat.

Dong Mei: “…”

Who forgets they’re the bride on their wedding day? Dong Mei was speechless.

In truth, An Xin just wanted to watch the commotion. Hearing that Bai Yichen had made such an impressive entrance, she was curious to see it for herself. She had almost forgotten the village’s wedding customs.

Dong Mei pressed her hands firmly on An Xin’s shoulders, her tone growing more urgent.

“You absolutely can’t go out now. Do you know who’s here? Zhang Fan!”

An Xin turned her head, puzzled.

“What’s Zhang Fan doing here?”

She thought she had humiliated him enough that night, yet here he was, showing up on her wedding day. What was he planning?

A sense of unease crept over her. Could he be here to cause trouble?

“I don’t know why he’s here,” Dong Mei replied. “But he came with your cousin, An Ling’er. They seemed pretty cozy.”

At the mention of An Ling’er, Dong Mei’s face filled with anger. Zhang Fan had only broken up with An Xin a few days ago, and now he was already getting close to her cousin.

“With An Ling’er?” An Xin’s mind quickly recalled details about An Ling’er, the daughter of her eldest uncle, who was six months younger than her.

Their sudden appearance at her wedding felt suspicious, but now wasn’t the time to delve into it.

Dong Mei shared more details. “Yeah, they came into your courtyard holding hands, looking like a couple.”

She described how An Ling’er had whispered something into Zhang Fan’s ear as they walked in, their intimacy drawing curious glances from the village’s older women. If Bai Yichen hadn’t stolen the spotlight with his Jeep arrival, Zhang Fan and An Ling’er would’ve been the talk of the day.

An Xin’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“If they look like a couple, let them be.”

Clearly, Zhang Fan wasn’t a decent man. Barely days after their breakup, he had already moved on to someone else.

While her situation with Bai Yichen was a unique arrangement born of necessity, Zhang Fan’s behavior was utterly despicable. The original An Xin had clung to memories of him even in death, yet this was the man she had pined for?

But An Xin quickly dismissed the thought. She was about to embark on a new chapter of her life, and revisiting old grievances wasn’t worth it.

Just then, the lively sounds of laughter and cheering came from outside, accompanied by Bai Yichen’s clear, steady voice.

“So, if I finish this drink, I can pass the first door, right?”

As soon as Bai Yichen spoke, the young men of the village began to egg him on.

“Yeah, finish it, and you’re through the first door. But to get through the second, you’ll need to down two more drinks and hand over a red envelope.”

In this small, isolated village with limited entertainment, weddings were a communal event. Villagers loved to join in the fun by teasing the groom, getting him drunk, and pocketing a few red envelopes.

Chen Hongyan had warned An Xin not to interfere. Any groom marrying a village girl had to endure these rituals—it was all part of the celebration.

Cheers erupted outside.

“Wow! He really finished it! That was a glass of strong liquor!”

“Alright,” Bai Yichen’s calm voice came again. “Here’s the red envelope. I’ll finish these two drinks, and then I can pass the second door, right?”

One of Bai Yichen’s groomsmen chimed in, “Yeah, once the drinks are done and the red envelope’s given, you’d better let us through the second door. A man’s word is his bond.”

“Of course, of course! Every groom in our village has to face these challenges.”

Inside the bridal chamber, An Xin listened quietly to the banter outside. Suddenly, the curtain of the bridal room was lifted, and a young girl with striking features entered. With a sweet smile, she called out,

“Sister, congratulations! Today is your big day! I’m here to wish you and brother-in-law a lifetime of happiness and many children!”

Behind her followed a tall, lanky man—none other than Zhang Fan.

An Xin immediately recognized her younger cousin, An Ling’er. It wasn’t unusual for a cousin to come and offer congratulations, but why did she bring Zhang Fan along?

An Xin shot An Ling’er and Zhang Fan a meaningful look and said coolly,

“Thank you for the blessings, dear sister. Since it’s my happy day, let me wish you and brother-in-law an early wedding of your own.”

Her words were pointed, and she caught a flicker of embarrassment on their faces. Turning to Dong Mei, she called out,

“Dong Mei, grab some wedding candies for my cousin and her fiancé!”