As the dawn broke, the Su family was already bustling with people.
Dresser, stylist, photographer... All kinds of people crowded the room to the brim. Su Wanwan is like the most precious work of art, meticulously crafted by everyone. The bride in the mirror, with a phoenix crown and a red wedding robe, and heavy makeup and red lips, is breathtakingly beautiful, yet with a hint of barely perceptible paleness and a sense of trance.
The distress message that came to an abrupt end last night was like a thorn deeply stuck in her heart. How on earth is my elder sister doing? What exactly does Shen Zhe want to do? Can today's wedding really go smoothly?
Wang Meijuan was standing by, beaming with joy, making preparations and saying auspicious words, as if she had completely forgotten the previous conflicts and her biological daughter who was still missing. Her enthusiasm only made Su Wanwan feel even more ironic and cold.
"Bride, cheer up!" Today is your big day!" The dresser smiled and reminded her.
Su Wanwan forced the corners of her mouth to curl, trying hard to suppress those unease. She recalled Lu Tingchen's calm words, "Trust me," and struggled to draw on that illusory bit of courage.
The auspicious time has arrived, and firecrackers are going off in unison.
Su Wanwan was escorted out of the Su family's gate. The spotlight instantly lit up as bright as day, almost obscuring her vision. Cheers, blessings and the sound of camera shutters interwove into a sea of noise.
With her head down, she was supported by the wedding bride and got into the wedding car decorated with flowers. The convoy marched in a grand procession towards the wedding venue - the most prestigious seven-star hotel under the Lu family.
All the way, Su Wanwan's heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was about to break free from her chest. She held the apple tightly in her hand, her nails almost sinking into the flesh.
The hotel's banquet hall was decorated like a sea of flowers, exuding extreme luxury and romance. Almost all the powerful and famous people in Jiangcheng were present, dressed in fine clothes and with glasses clinking and toasting.
When the wedding march solemnly began to play and all the lights focused on the huge carved door at the end of the banquet hall, Su Wanwan's heart almost stopped beating.
The door opened slowly.
At the other end of the red carpet, Lu Tingchen was standing there. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black evening gown, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, so handsome that it took one's breath away. His gaze pierced through the throng of people and precisely fell upon her, profound, calm, and carrying a power that could determine the fate of the world.
The moment their eyes met, all the hustle and bustle around Su Wanwan seemed to vanish in an instant. In her world, there was only him left at the other end of the red carpet.
He nodded slightly, and the corner of his mouth seemed to curl into a very faint, encouraging arc.
Su Wanwan took a deep breath, linked her arm with that of her "father" (a highly respected elder in the clan arranged by Lu Tingchen) beside her, and walked step by step towards him on the red carpet covered with petals.
Every step feels like stepping on one's own heartbeat. Every step brings us closer to him.
Finally, she walked up to him.
"Father" solemnly placed her hand in Lu Tingchen's palm. His palm was warm and dry, firmly wrapping around her slightly cold and trembling fingers, with a steady force, as if making a silent promise: Don't be afraid, I'm here.
The solemn voice of the master of ceremonies rang out, expressing blessings and vows.
"Mr. Lu Tingchen, would you like to marry this lady by your side, no matter..."
"I'm willing." Lu Tingchen's answer was clear and resolute without any hesitation, resounding throughout the entire quiet banquet hall.
"Miss Su Mingwei, would you like to..."
Su Wanwan's heart gave a sudden jolt. The name "Su Mingwei" was like a bolt from the blue, once again reminding her of the absurdity and deception at the beginning of this marriage.
She opened her mouth, but the "I do" got stuck in her throat and she just couldn't bring herself to say it. All eyes in the audience were fixed on her, filled with blessings, curiosity, and perhaps scrutiny.
Lu Tingchen held her hand, exerting a slight force, and looked at her with a deep gaze that encouraged her.
Just as she mustered up her courage and was about to speak -
"She doesn't want to!"
A sharp, mournful yet incredibly familiar female voice suddenly exploded from the side door of the banquet hall!
Everyone was stunned and turned their heads in unison to look!
At the side door, Su Mingwei was wearing a slightly disheveled white dress that was out of place at the scene. Her face was pale and haggard, but her eyes were burning with wild jealousy and anger as she pointed straight at Su Wanwan on the stage!
She's not Su Mingwei! She's a fake! She is my younger sister, Su Wanwan! She is a liar! "She deceived all of you!"
Boom!
The entire banquet hall was instantly in an uproar!
Exclamations, gasps and murmurs swept in like a tsunami! The journalists were like sharks smelling blood, frantically pressing the shutter!
Wang Meijuan let out a scream and almost fainted. Lu Meilin stood among the relatives and friends, but a hint of smug pride and a sinister smile flashed across her face that couldn't be concealed.
Su Wanwan felt her blood freeze instantly, her mind go blank, her face turn as pale as paper, and she could hardly stand steadily. The most terrifying scene eventually occurred! In the most tragic and irreparable way!
Lu Tingchen's expression instantly darkened to the extreme, and a terrifying aura of hostility emanated from his entire being. But he held Su Wanwan's hand as firmly as a mountain. He even pulled her a step behind him, half-protecting her in an absolutely protective manner.
"Security guard!" " He shouted sternly, his voice as cold as a knife, instantly drowning out the noise on the spot.
Several black-clad security guards immediately rushed towards Su Mingwei.
"Don't touch me!" Su Mingwei struggled frantically, her voice shrill, "Lu Tingchen!" You've been deceived by her! I'm Su Mingwei! I'm the one you should marry! It's this bitch! It was she and her mother who joined forces to force me to run away from the wedding and then married you in my place! They do it all for your Lu family's money!"
Every word she said was like the shardest knife, tearing the mask that Su Wanwan had carefully maintained to pieces and exposing her most unbearable heart in broad daylight.
Su Wanwan was on the verge of collapse, and the entire world seemed to be spinning and collapsing before her eyes. She didn't even dare to look into the gazes of the people below the stands, nor did she dare to look at Lu Tingchen's expression at this moment.
It's over... Everything is over...
Just then, Lu Tingchen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. His voice spread throughout the venue through the microphone, calm without the slightest ripple, even carrying a hint of mockery:
"Are you done?" "
These three words made the crazy Su Mingwei and the noisy scene both stunned for a moment.
Lu Tingchen's gaze coldly swept over Su Mingwei, as if he were looking at a buffoons. Then he slowly turned to all the guests present. Finally, his gaze fell on Su Wanwan beside him, whose face was deathly pale and her body was trembling. Instantly, it transformed into a complex emotion that was hard to put into words, with helplessness, heartache, and even more so, a resolute determination.
He raised the hands they had been holding tightly, interlocking their fingers, and displayed them in front of the entire audience.
"Everyone," his voice was steady and powerful, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "It seems that I need to introduce it to you all again."
He turned his head and gazed deeply at Su Wanwan, each word resounding with determination:
The one standing beside me has never been Su Mingwei.
Her name is Su Wanwan. It is my wife, Mrs. Lu, whom I, Lu Tingchen, have married through formal marriage, recognized by law, and the only one recognized by it."
He paused for a moment, his gaze once again sweeping towards the stunned crowd and Su Mingwei, who was looking incredulous. A cold arc curved the corner of his mouth.
As for the so-called "substitute marriage" and "deception"...
It's just a bit of harmless romance between my wife and me.
"Do we still need to report to each of you one by one?" "
Interest? !
The entire audience was in an uproar! Everyone was stunned by Lu Tingchen's operation of distorting right and wrong and being extremely domineering!
Su Mingwei was so angry that she trembled all over and screamed, "You're talking nonsense!" It's not like that at all! It was she who deceived you! You signed the agreement! "She's just a fake!" "
Lu Tingchen's eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife, shining directly at Su Mingwei: "Miss Su, it seems that the huge gambling debt you owed in Macau and the hallucinations caused by being pursued to the point of insanity have not yet been cured." "
He raised his hand gently, and Qin Hao immediately stepped forward and handed him a document.
Lu Tingchen showed the document to the recent camera: "This is a copy of the diagnosis certificate of Miss Su Mingwei at a mental health care center in Macau, which shows that she suffers from severe delacination and cognitive impairment due to long-term gambling and debt pressure." Her words and deeds today are all symptoms of the illness.
Diagnosis certificate? ! Or was it prepared long ago? !
Su Wanwan was completely stunned and stared blankly at the man beside her. He... Did he expect it long ago? Even the "evidence" is ready?
Su Mingwei, looking at the "diagnosis certificate" that popped up out of nowhere, went completely crazy and hysterically wanted to rush onto the stage: "Fake!" That's fake! "Lu Tingchen, you conspired with this bitch to harm me!" "
The security guard immediately stepped forward and subdued her.
Lu Tingchen no longer looked at her and turned to the entire audience. His tone returned to composure, but still carried an unshabable authority: "A farce has disturbed everyone's pleasure. I'm sorry." The wedding continues."
Having said that, he didn't give anyone any time to react or question, and directly looked at the priest who was also in shock.
The priest was startled and quickly came to his senses. Pretending to be calm, he cleared his throat and skipped the previous part, saying directly, "..." Well, please exchange rings, bride and groom!
Lu Tingchen took the ring, held Su Wanwan's still cold and trembling hand, and looked at her with a calm and profound gaze. Slowly and solemnly, he placed the brilliant diamond ring on her ring finger.
A cold touch came over, and Su Wanwan shuddered sharply. She looked up and gazed into his bottomless eyes. There was comfort, determination, and even more so, a kind of reassurance that made her both frightened and at ease - no matter what.
It's her turn. Trembling, she picked up another men's ring and slipped it onto his slender finger.
Now, the groom can kiss your bride. The priest quickly announced.
Lu Tingchen gave her a deep look, bent down, and kissed her slightly trembling lips in front of the whole world, amid all the astonished, inquisitive and blessing gazes.
This kiss is different from any of the previous ones. It carried an unassailable possession, a powerful force to calm the storm, and even more so, a kind of almost tragic determination that completely pulled her into its own world.
It's over with a kiss.
He held her hand tightly, facing the entire venue, and declared, "Courtesy accomplished!" "
Applause broke out sparsely, with hesitation and shock, but more so, a sense of awe for the Lu family's power.
A catastrophic crisis capable of destroying everything was thus suppressed by Lu Tingchen in such a domineering and even "shameless" manner!
Su Wanwan leaned against him, feeling the firm strength coming from his palm. Looking at the different expressions of the people below the stage, her heart was surging like a tempter.
She knew that the crisis was only temporarily suppressed by force.
The real storm might have just begun.
And she and Lu Tingchen had been completely bound to the same boat, sailing towards the unknown and turbulent deep sea.