Qin Ren gazed into a pair of tear-filled eyes.
Beneath the dazzling, jewel-encrusted phoenix crown, the bride's face was veiled by a red silk scarf, with only her eyes visible.
In the long lashes, those bright eyes held endless sorrow and melancholy. Her tear-filled eyes seemed to tell a tale of sadness, as if reflecting the turbulent waves of time, shining with the rainbow colors of sunlight, yet shattering at the slightest touch, leaving one heartbroken.
As the curtain dropped, the sedan continued on its way, and Qin Ren felt as though his soul had been torn from his body. He slumped in his seat, lost in thought.
"Beauty behind the pearl curtain, sitting deep with furrowed brows. Only tear stains are visible, but who knows who her heart resents?" Qin Ren muttered softly, his voice low. The carriage rocked gently as it took the official road, moving away from the wedding procession.
"Young master, you..." Xiao Xiangyue saw Qin Ren in this disoriented state, and a pang of sadness stirred in her heart. "Did you fall for the bride in the sedan?"
Qin Ren, lost in thought, repeated the lines of the poem, as though he hadn't heard her question. His heart seemed to sink deeper as the distance between him and the procession grew.
The carriage suddenly jolted violently as a wheel hit a stone. This shook Qin Ren from his trance. He snapped upright and shouted, "Driver, stop immediately!"
The driver obeyed without questioning, unsure of his employer's intentions.
Qin Ren threw open the carriage door, leapt down, and with a fan in his right hand, he hurried toward the back of the procession. His tall figure was bathed in sunlight, his blue robe fluttering as his youthful silhouette stood tall and strong in the sunlight.
"Young master, where are you going?" Xiao Xiangyue jumped down from the carriage and called after him, watching as he sped away.
"I'm going to steal the bride!" Qin Ren exclaimed with determination, as his graceful movements carried him effortlessly toward the wedding procession. His lightness and agility were almost otherworldly, as if he were floating in the air.
With a swift leap, he sailed through the air like a dragon soaring through the heavens, his movements so fluid they seemed to defy the laws of gravity. Even the act of 'stealing the bride' sounded noble coming from Qin Ren.
Xiao Xiangyue, watching his graceful form disappear in the distance, felt her heart ache. Her eyes welled with tears as she thought, "This lecherous young master... Why did I have to follow him?"
While Xiao Xiangyue's heart was heavy, Qin Ren's mind was ablaze with righteous anger. The arranged marriage was a cruel stifling of love and happiness. He had to intervene. The image of the bride's tear-filled eyes haunted him, and he knew that if he didn't do something today, he could never live as the carefree, free-spirited person he wanted to be.
Qin Ren, like a shadow, swiftly closed the gap to the procession. He jumped, his movements like lightning, landing silently atop the sedan.
None of the people in the procession noticed him. The crowd was busy celebrating, oblivious to the sadness of the bride. The musicians played, the celebrants cheered, and no one had any idea that an unexpected guest had arrived.
Qin Ren silently approached the sedan, raising his fan to break through the top, slipping inside with remarkable speed and ease, barely taking longer than a blink of an eye. Not a soul noticed.
Inside the sedan, the bride had been silently shedding tears. Suddenly, a figure appeared from above, startling her. She gasped in shock, but before she could cry out, a warm hand covered her mouth.
Qin Ren gently held the bride's mouth shut, his dark eyes gazing into hers. His presence was calming and warm, like a soft spring breeze.
The bride looked at the handsome young man, captivated by his smile, which was as warm and gentle as spring sunlight. Her fear melted away, replaced by an inexplicable curiosity and attraction.
Qin Ren slowly released his hand from her lips, and the bride, now free to speak, asked softly, "Who are you? How did you get in?"
Qin Ren smiled. "I'm the golden boy from the heavens, sent to rescue you, a fallen celestial beauty."
"Do you know my story?"
"I don't know your story, but I know you have tears in your eyes," Qin Ren said gently, lifting the veil from her face.
What followed was nothing short of breathtaking. As the veil lifted, the bride's beauty became undeniable. Her face shone with an otherworldly radiance, outshining the jewels on her phoenix crown and the red wedding gown she wore. She was a celestial beauty, and the world around her seemed to fade into the background.
Her beauty rivaled Xiao Xiangyue's, but her presence was more mature, more graceful. If Xiao Xiangyue was a young, unripe fruit, then this bride was a perfectly ripened apple. Her charm was beyond compare, and even the most beautiful celestial beings would pale in comparison.
"How rude," the bride said shyly, lowering her gaze. "Do you think you can look at me so freely?"
Qin Ren smiled lightly. "What's wrong with looking? A scholar would die for his friend; a woman would look beautiful for the man she loves. I enjoy looking at you, and it brings me happiness. Why hide such beauty?"
"You little rogue, you're no golden boy," the bride teased, "Hurry up and leave, or I'll call for help!"
"Would you really do that?" Qin Ren grinned, grabbing her soft hand and pressing it against his chest. "Listen, my heart is beating for you."
The bride was startled. The moment his hand gripped hers, she felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through her body, leaving her weak and disoriented. "Let go, you rogue... How rude! My body isn't something you can touch freely!"
"Then who can touch you?" Qin Ren asked with a mischievous smile.
"Well… my husband, of course…" she replied, flustered.
"Your husband? Have you even met him? Do you love him? Are you really happy marrying him?" Qin Ren's voice softened, a touch of concern in his words.
"That's none of your business," the bride replied stiffly, yet she didn't pull her hand away from his grasp. "My husband is powerful and influential in both the government and the martial world. How could I not be happy marrying him?"
Qin Ren shook his head. "You've never even met him. How do you know he'll treat you well? And just because he's powerful, does that make him a good person? Powerful men often treat women like possessions or tools. They rarely love anyone truly."
"You don't understand," the bride said, her face reddening. "Do you think I'd be happier marrying you, a stranger I just met?"
Qin Ren knelt on one knee before her, his gaze sincere. "You're right. If you marry me, you'll be happy."
The bride blushed deeply. "How shameless, saying such things the first time we meet. You have no sincerity!"
Qin Ren laughed. "At least I've seen you once. The man you're supposed to marry hasn't even seen you yet! Compared to him, I'm much closer to you, and besides, we've already touched… Come with me!"
He grasped her delicate hand with more force, making his intentions clear.
The bride felt a stir in her heart. "If I go with you, I'd be the most shameless woman ever. I can't do something so scandalous."
"Do you believe in love at first sight? The fate of our past lives was sealed in the moment our eyes met. The moment I saw your eyes, I knew I was already in love with you. Trust me!" Qin Ren's voice was gentle, but full of conviction.
"Love at first sight…" The bride repeated the phrase, a strange light appearing in her eyes. Yes, love at first sight—it was in that moment, when he descended from the sky and covered her mouth, that she knew he had already unlocked the door to her heart.
But she was about to marry another man, one whose family had already paid a hefty bride price. How could she simply leave with a stranger?
Moreover, the procession outside was guarded by fourteen of the groom's elite bodyguards. Escaping wouldn't be so easy.
Yet, her father and brothers had treated her like a commodity, selling her off without a care for her feelings. What did it matter to them if she was unhappy?
Qin Ren, however, had infiltrated the procession with ease. Did he truly have the ability to take her away?
As the bride's emotions shifted rapidly, she looked at him with a mixture of uncertainty and longing. Qin Ren, sensing her inner conflict, didn't press her. Instead, he asked softly, "I've spoken for so long, but I don't even know your name. My name is Qin Ren. You can call me Qin Ge, or just Qin Ren."
"Qin Ge, my… Qin Ren, my lover… Hehe, you bad man…" The bride giggled softly, momentarily shedding her turmoil. "My name is Liu Piaopiao."