Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When the lipstick snapped in two against my palm, the phone screen was still glowing.

A video had automatically popped up from my cloud album, timestamped three days ago. In the frame, Lu Jingchuan was leaning back on a sofa in a hotel suite. Lin Qingyue sat by his legs, her fingers twirling his cufflinks as she laughed softly. “Once Nianhe signs the prenuptial agreement, her father’s old house can be used to settle the debt. When the baby is born, it’ll be considered legitimate.”

Lu Jingchuan leaned down to give her a quick kiss, his tone sounding as if he were discussing a project schedule. “Don’t worry, she’ll sign today. Her mother is more afraid of losing face than we are.”

Outside, the host was testing the microphone. The sound drifted through the dressing room door: “Bride, please get ready. The ceremony begins in ten minutes.”

I stared at the screen as if watching a knife slowly being twisted into me. The makeup artist was still touching up my highlighter; her brush paused in mid-air as she asked quietly, “Miss Xu, you don’t look well. Would you like to take a short break?”

I flipped my phone face down and forced a smile. “I’m fine. The lights are just too bright.”

The next second, my mother’s voice messages pushed through, three in a row.

“Nianhe, don’t be difficult.”

“You must get the marriage certificate today. Otherwise, who’s going to pay for your father’s surgery?”

“Jingchuan advanced us three million. What more do you want from him?”

As I finished listening to the messages, a chill crept up my spine inch by inch. Three million. I had never seen that money, let alone signed for a loan. But those words-“your father’s surgery fees”-strangled my throat like a debt collection notice from years ago.

There was a knock at the door. It was Lu Jingchuan’s assistant. “President Xu, President Lu would like you to confirm the supplementary pages of the prenuptial agreement. The lawyer is next door.”

I stood up. The train of my wedding dress brushed against the carpet, the faint rustling sound serving as a reminder that every step I took today had been laid out on a track by someone else.

I didn’t go to the main lounge. Instead, I bypassed it and headed for the service corridor at the end of the hallway. The door next door was slightly ajar, and the voices inside were clear.

“Make Article Seven even more ironclad,” Lu Jingchuan said. “After the marriage, the shares under her name will be managed collectively by a family trust, with business decisions executed by me on her behalf.”

The lawyer lowered his voice. “Will Miss Xu become suspicious?”

“She won’t. Her father’s well-being is her greatest fear.” Lu Jingchuan gave a short laugh. “Put the ‘Debt Confirmation’ in the appendix and have it signed today. It’ll make the legal process much easier later on.”

I leaned against the wall, my nails digging into my palms. The pain felt incredibly real. It turned out that the proposal, the promises, and the shared future I had imagined were nothing more than the cover page for an asset transfer scheme.

“Nianhe?” My mother appeared behind me out of nowhere, grabbing my wrist. “What are you doing running off to here? Everyone is looking for you.”

I pulled my hand away. “Mom, when exactly was that three million borrowed? Where is the loan contract? Where are the bank statements?”

Her eyes flickered, but she quickly hardened her gaze again. “Is there any point in asking this now? Your father is lying in the hospital, and you choose today of all days to dig up old accounts?”

“Old accounts?” I let out a shaky laugh. “You’re using my marriage to pay off a debt, and you call that an ‘old account’?”

She lowered her voice, her jaw clenched tight. “When a woman lives her life, there aren’t that many rights and wrongs. Just get married first, get through this crisis with some dignity, and we can talk about the rest later.”

I looked at her, suddenly feeling like she was a stranger. It wasn’t that she didn’t see my fear; it was just that she would always prioritize the “dignity” seen through other people’s eyes.

My phone vibrated again. It was a message from Cheng Xubai, containing only one sentence: Evidence backup complete. If you decide to go public, I’ll make my move.

I stared at that line of text, and the rising and falling of my chest slowly steadied. It was as if someone had handed me a rope in the middle of a storm-not to walk the path for me, but to tell me: you can choose your own direction.

I replied: In ten minutes, on my signal.

After sending the reply, I turned back into the dressing room and locked the door. In the mirror, my makeup was exquisite and my veil was snow-white; I looked like a gift that had been perfectly packaged. I took the wedding ring off my ring finger, put it back into the velvet box, and snapped it shut.

Then, I logged into the hotel’s wedding control backend. This system was a version our company’s events department used frequently. Lu Jingchuan had given me the account details earlier to test the flow of the ceremony. He probably never expected that I would remember the permissions so clearly.

I plugged the USB drive into the computer and dragged three files into the playlist. Videos, recordings, and surveillance screenshots-the progress bars filled up one by one. My hands were shaking, so I pressed them against the edge of the table until they stopped.

The door was pounded loudly.

“Xu Nianhe, why did you lock the door?” My mother’s voice was frantic. “It’s about to start!”

“Nianhe.” Lu Jingchuan had arrived as well, his tone as gentle as ever. “Don’t be nervous, I’m here. Open the door first so we can sign the agreement and get the process moving.”

I stared at the door as if staring at a wall that could collapse at any moment.

“Jingchuan,” I said, “do you love me?”

Silence fell outside for two seconds.

He chuckled, sounding as if he were coaxing a child. “What’s wrong with you today? Of course I do. Now open the door, everyone is waiting for you.”

“Then let them wait a little longer.” I clicked “Standby Switch” on the backend and tucked the remote into the bottom of my bouquet. “Let everyone wait together.”

The host’s voice rang out again. The countdown began.

“Five-”

I pulled the door open. My mother immediately reached for my arm, but I lightly dodged her.

“Four-”

Lu Jingchuan reached out to support my waist. I took half a step back and flashed him a smile. He likely thought I had finally compromised, as his expression relaxed. He even whispered, “Good girl. It’ll all be over soon.”

“Three-”

I stepped onto the long walkway leading to the main stage. The lights hit my face instantly. Below the stage, relatives and friends all looked over in unison, like an ocean waiting to applaud.

“Two-”

My finger found the remote in the bouquet, my thumb pressing against the raised confirmation button.

“One-”

The heavy doors were slowly pushed open. I could hear my own heartbeat, heavy and aching. In the next second, whether I would continue being the bride they had arranged or drag everyone into the truth depended entirely on this one press of a button.