Bai Yin ran towards Chen Huaixiao, her white dress trailing behind her and crushing white rose petals underfoot.
For every moment in the past, she had hidden herself behind a thick layer of emotional armor, but now she was acting from the depths of her heart.
Yet, it was only a fleeting moment.
As she approached Chen Huaixiao, Bai Yin regained her composure, her clear eyes masking her joy and revealing only an elegant smile.
Chen Huaixiao gazed deeply at her.
As expected, everything was going according to her plan.
Despite his internal resistance, Chen Huaixiao had willingly come to her side, ready to become her pawn.
He just couldn't bear to give her to Qin Jue. The mere thought of her being mistreated tonight made Chen Huaixiao feel as if he were being strangled by a silk thread.
He was willing to lose this game if it meant she wouldn't be hurt.
...
The wedding venue was silent, with only the romantic wedding march playing in the background.
Wherever he went, Chen Huaixiao was always the center of attention. His presence was so powerful that the emcee had prepared a long speech, but was unable to deliver it, simply staring in awe.
Chen Huaixiao disregarded the tedious procedures and pulled out a ring box from his pocket, taking out a diamond ring and forcefully slipping it onto Bai Yin's slender finger.
The diamond on the ring was large and sparkling, as beautiful as the stars in the sky.
The guests recognized it as the "Star of Prosperity," a rare and valuable gemstone discovered in South Africa. Chen Huaixiao had purchased it for a shocking price during his recent trip to Sweden, and everyone assumed he had merely bought it for his collection. No one expected him to turn it into an engagement ring.
Su Anning clenched her fists, a venomous snake of jealousy coiling in her heart, threatening to consume her.
The "Star of Prosperity" and Chen Huaixiao were things that no woman dared to even dream of. Now, Bai Yin possessed them both, and it was driving Su Anning crazy with jealousy.
Bai Yin glanced briefly at the ring, but did not pay much attention to its brilliance. Instead, her focus was on the man holding her hand.
His hand was warm and strong, with slightly rough fingers.
She had held hands with Chen Huaixiao before, but back then, she was still young, and it was like an older brother holding his younger sister's hand – light and carefree.
Now, his grip was tight, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.
Chen Huaixiao put the ring on her finger and said softly, "Bai Yin, let's go."
If I were ever trapped, you would pull me out.
Now, he was fulfilling that promise.
Bai Yin composed herself and smiled, saying, "Okay."
"Okay?" Chen Huaixiao raised his voice. "Is that all?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"I thought you would at least answer solemnly: I'm willing to marry you."
"You come to fulfill your promise, and I will accept it." Bai Yin said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I only received what I deserved. Do I still need to thank you?"
Her response made Chen Huaixiao tilt his head, looking at her with a curious gaze.
This girl really has no heart.
When she asked him for this promise years ago, she had been planning meticulously all these years for this moment.
"Okay, if you don't want to marry Qin Jue and want to marry me instead," Chen Huaixiao said with a slight smile. He then slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. "As you wish."
Amidst the surprised, doubtful, envious, and jealous eyes of the crowd, they completed all the formalities. Finally, the emcee said, "The groom may now kiss the bride."
Bai Yin turned her head and intended to playfully kiss him with their faces slightly misaligned.
However, she did not expect Chen Huaixiao to grab her slender waist and press his hot palm firmly against her back. He forcefully kissed her with a dominating posture, even trying to pry open her teeth, but Bai Yin stubbornly refused.
The seemingly passionate kiss ended, and the scene fell silent.
Bai Yin's heart was pounding wildly, and the sensation of being crushed by him lingered on her lips for a long time, unable to dissipate.
She looked at Chen Huaixiao, whose lips were now stained with the rouge from hers, giving his smile a touch of charm.
"You closed your lips so tightly," he said.
"This is a wedding," Bai Yin said, trying to control her blush.
"Right, the bride should be dignified."
Chen Huaixiao let go of her and did not force her anymore.
Bai Yin lowered her voice and asked him, "Did you make Qin Jue not show up?"
"Well, I didn't want to get involved, but Grandpa called me to save the day."
Bai Yin looked up and saw that Grandpa Chen was smiling happily while holding a camera, taking unprofessional pictures of them.
It turned out that it was Grandpa Chen who asked him to come.
She thought she had won the bet and that there was still a place for her in this man's heart.
She thought too much.
But it didn't matter. Since Chen Huaixiao came and the ring was on her finger, everything went smoothly. At least tonight, she wouldn't have to face that crazy Qin Jue who hated her to the bone.
Bai Yin and Chen Huaixiao stood together, facing Grandpa's camera with a happy smile on their faces.
Chen Huaixiao still held her waist with his palm burning hot, making her feel warm and restless.
...
After the wedding ceremony, Bai Yin accompanied Chen Huaixiao to continue acting like a loving couple, receiving blessings from the guests.
Although the guests were confused, the situation was already clear: the two had exchanged rings, indicating that the Su family had given up on marrying into the Qin family and had chosen the Chen family instead.
Su Yecheng and Qin Yao both came to Mr. Chen's side and asked, "Mr. Chen, what's going on? Why is Chen Huaixiao here?"
Mr. Chen was sitting at the table, looking at the photos in his camera with interest and didn't even lift his head. "Mr. Su, how about becoming in-laws with me?"
"Oh...this..."
"Not satisfied?"
"No, no, of course not!" Su Yecheng quickly replied, "It's actually an honor for my family to marry into yours. However, my second daughter may not be the best match. She grew up away from us and wasn't well-taught. But my eldest daughter is elegant, can sing and dance, and has good taste. She's the one who would be a better match for your son."
Su Anning quickly stepped forward and politely said, "Hello, Grandpa Chen, I am Su Anning."
Mr. Chen didn't even look at her and coldly said, "Marriage is not a game. Whoever my third son chooses will be the one."
"Okay..." Su Yecheng broke out in a cold sweat and signaled to Zou Meizhi to take Su Anning away.
Su Anning felt angry and unwilling, but didn't dare to say much and could only follow her mother out.
Qin Yao initially didn't like Su's family but now the situation had taken an unexpected turn. They had previously not taken the wedding seriously, but now Su's family had become in-laws with Chen's family. If these two families joined forces, would there still be room for Qin's family in this circle?
"Su Yecheng, you changed your mind too quickly. We already agreed on this. What's the matter now? Is there no integrity?" Qin Yao said.
Previously, Su Yecheng had tried to please Qin Yao to secure this marriage, but now that he had climbed the ladder to Chen's family, he could finally hold his head up high.
"Mr. Qin, who is not sincere? Look at the time now. It was your son who left my daughter at the wedding scene."
Qin Yao was momentarily speechless.
If Su's family really became in-laws with Chen's family, then perhaps no one could stop Chen Huaixiao's momentum in this circle.
Qin's family was just a small Qin Group. They would have no place to go.
Qin Yao immediately changed his tone and said to Su Yecheng, "Mr. Su, let's reconsider this. We've been old friends for many years, and our children seem to like each other. Changing your mind like this may not be good for the children."
Su Yecheng looked at Chen Huaixiao and Bai Yin. Bai Yin stood by Chen Huaixiao's side like a gentle bird, and they were a good match.
"Mr. Qin, your son missed the wedding time. It's not anyone else's fault," Su Yecheng smiled and said, "Our Su family's daughters have never had trouble finding a husband."
Qin Yao knew that Su Yecheng had finally climbed up to Chen's family, and he would no longer value Qin's family.
It seemed that they were really going to make a mistake at this wedding.
...
At the banquet, Bai Yin didn't want to socialize, nor did she need to. Finally, at night, Chen Huaixiao sent a car to take her to his villa in Shuixie Tai.
It was an extremely luxurious two-story villa located in the wealthy area of the forest park in the city center, surrounded by mountains and water.
The car drove through a quiet forest road for about fifteen minutes and stopped in front of a garden villa.
At the entrance of the villa garden stood a young, well-dressed butler with deep-set eyes and sharp features that appeared to be of European descent, but spoke standard Mandarin.
"Good day, madam. I am the butler of this villa. You can call me Tangka. From now on, I will be responsible for your daily life here at home."
"Hello, Tangka."
Tangka protected the car door with his hand and helped Bai Yin out of the car, leading her into the villa.
The villa was decorated in a minimalist style of black, white, and gray, with no signs of life and an impersonal coldness that reminded her of the man who owned it.
The furniture and small items in the room were all neat and tidy. If there were a few more art paintings on the walls, Bai Yin might have felt like she was in an art museum.
"Is this Chen Huaixiao's home?"
"Yes, madam. This is the young master's home," Tangka replied with a courteous and gentle voice. "But he rarely comes back. He either stays in the company's lounge or with the convoy in the mountains."
Bai Yin walked up the marble spiral staircase.
She had imagined what Chen Huaixiao's home would look like. It must have a study with a front-facing floor-to-ceiling window and a large bookshelf against the wall, because he was someone who loved reading.
Sure enough, when Bai Yin entered the study, she saw a whole wall of bookshelves.
The shelves were filled with books on news and media, finance, as well as many professional works on astronomy and geography. There were also original works by Goethe and Nietzsche... His range of interests was quite extensive.
Bai Yin's slender, fair fingertips lingered over the old and heavy books, casually flipping through them, as if each one had his reading marks.
Tangka stood silently by the door, observing this young lady.
He had speculated that the young master's sudden marriage must have been to someone who was not ordinary looking.
Although he had mentally prepared for it, when Tangka saw Bai Yin, he was still deeply impressed by her stunning beauty, from her smile to her every gesture.
Such a peerless beauty, no wonder even someone like the young master could not resist her charm.
Tangka collected himself, keeping his eyes on the ground, and his mind on his work.
Bai Yin then walked over to Chen Huaixiao's computer desk, her slender and lustrous fingers gliding over the mahogany desk. Tangka immediately warned her, "Madam, the young master does not like others to touch his work documents, including the computer. It cannot be moved, as it contains business secrets."
"Mm-hmm."
Bai Yin lazily responded, seemingly unconcerned, and picked up a photo frame on the desk.
The frame contained a photo of her and Chen Huaixiao taken when they were in high school in an ancient town. It was the only photo they had together.
In the photo, the man still had a youthful look, with a clean white shirt, delicate features, a slight hook at the corner of his eyes, and a rebellious smile on his lips. His arm was casually draped over her shoulder, playing with her long braids.
Bai Yin was wearing a loose blue and white high school uniform, with her hair still tied up in a big braid, looking shy and timid.
At that time, Bai Yin was so innocent, with her heart and eyes only on him, crazy in love, madly in love.
She turned to Tangka and asked, "When was this photo put on the table?"
Tangka thought of Chen Huaixiao's special instructions on the phone just now. He couldn't tell the truth about this photo that had been on his desktop for four years.
"The young master had me print it out this afternoon and put it on the table."
Bai Yin's mouth curled up in a slight sneer.
Of course, it was for this marriage alliance. What else could it be for?
She had long since given up any unrealistic fantasies about him.
Bai Yin turned the photo frame upside down on the table and asked, "Is my room ready?"
Tangka politely replied, "The young master has instructed that the lady can choose her room freely. There are six rooms upstairs and three rooms downstairs, with no restricted areas. Of course, the young master doesn't like to be disturbed when he is alone in the study. That's the only rule."
"Which room is Chen Huaixiao's bedroom?"
"Across from the study."
Without hesitation, Bai Yin pushed open the door and walked in. The room was large and spacious, with a black and gray minimalist color scheme and no extra decorations, giving off a cold and distant vibe.
"Has he ever brought any other women here?"
"Never, madam," Tangka said seriously. "You are the first lady to enter his room. Would you like to choose the young master's room?"
"Can I?"
"The young master said you can choose any room, including his, and I will immediately bring your luggage in for you."
"No need." Bai Yin walked out of the room with light steps and chose the adjacent second bedroom with a floor-to-ceiling window facing the lake, saying, "I like this one."
Tangka was a little surprised. "Madam... aren't you going to share a room with the young master?"
Bai Yin turned around and said lightly, "I don't like to sleep with other people. Any problem?"
"No." Tangka immediately answered respectfully. "I will immediately bring your luggage in."
Bai Yin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the lake outside.
She wanted to climb to the top of the stars and reap a lot of happiness.
This was just the beginning.
As night fell, the luggage was packed, and Tangka put hot water in the bathroom for Bai Yin to take a bath.
"Madam, the bath water temperature has been tested, you can bathe now."
"Thank you, Tangka."
Bai Yin looked at Tangka's handsome appearance, his deep blue eyes like the starry sky.
Chen Huaixiao was really at ease, leaving such a handsome butler alone with her. Was he not afraid of her cheating on him?
But then again, Chen Huaixiao may not care at all. Besides fulfilling his promise, all he wanted from her was the Su family's resources.
Bai Yin walked into the misty bathroom.
Tangka was very careful and considerate. He had already lit scented incense in the bathroom.
The bathtub was about the size of a hot spring pool, with clear water floating a few rose petals.
Bai Yin took off her makeup and let down her waist-length hair. With slow steps, she entered the pool, feeling the warm water rising up to her chin, washing away the fatigue of the day.
As she soaked in the water, she began to feel drowsy. After all, she had woken up before 5 a.m. to prepare for her wedding.
Before she knew it, she nearly fell asleep and almost sank into the water. She jolted awake to find a man standing at the bathroom door.
Chen Huaixiao was leaning against the wall, wearing only black pants and a white shirt. In the misty haze, he looked at her with a smile that was hard to decipher.
She didn't know how long he had been watching her.
