Chapter 77
Even as April 1st arrived, Shen Qiancheng still couldn't believe it, though she was more annoyed that she hadn't hit Su Zeye hard enough to keep him from attending the wedding.
April 1st was a clear, sunny day. White clouds crawled across the azure sky like snails.
Having learned from the failed engagement, Shi Jianren had chosen Xianshu Pavilion in Tang City as the wedding venue, a place steeped in legend where immortals were said to have crossed the sea to ascend.
Unless Shen Qiancheng sprouted wings or achieved immortality, this wedding would proceed to its conclusion.
Booking an entire mountainside for a wedding was a grand gesture even in elite circles.
The guests were all notable figures of Tang City. Qiao Manbo and Lin Wenru were there too, mingling with an elegant, orchid-like grace.
Where there were people, there was gossip.
"Hey, didn't she run off during the engagement last time? Will she bolt again this time?" The speaker wore a malicious grin, harboring a grudge against Shen Qiancheng from a charity gala.
Others chimed in: "Ah, her family taught her a lesson. Seeing her suffer makes me so happy I'd gladly add to her wedding gifts."
More voices: "Two disasters together—Tang City is finally rid of both pests."
"What's she so proud of? She's still marrying that guy from the Su family."
"Exactly. Watching her get what she deserves... all that anger I swallowed before, I can't even be bothered to hold onto it now."
"It's utterly refreshing."
The outside world buzzed with chatter, while inside, the bride of this ceremony was forced before a vanity mirror, her wrist shackled in handcuffs, unable to move, staring at her reflection.
Her bright, gorgeous eye makeup clashed with her mocking eyes, and the peachy-pink blush on her cheeks gave her an eerie look of a seductress playing sweet.
The makeup artist was the same one from the engagement, and she'd been shocked to see Shen Qiancheng during the trial session.
After all, Shen Qiancheng's leap into the sea at her engagement was still a memorable event.
Holding the lip brush, the makeup artist swept the lip mud across Shen Qiancheng's lips.
The constant friction made Shen Qiancheng frown in irritation. She moved a bit too abruptly, yanking at the handcuff, which clinked with metallic precision.
The makeup artist's motions froze momentarily, then quickened.
"My daughter is truly beautiful."
Shen Qiancheng lifted her eyes, and in the mirror appeared an old man's face where the eye bags were bigger than the eyes themselves.
Shen Qiancheng said softly, "I'm not as pretty as your real daughter."
Shi Jianren's expression darkened. With a look, he dismissed the makeup artist, then placed his hand on Shen Qiancheng's shoulder, squeezing harder. "Chengcheng, this is your fate. What's wrong with marrying Su Zeye? You can still run wild in Tang City."
Ha. Sacrificing a daughter for a marriage alliance to prop up a company failing due to his own incompetence—what a truly wonderful father.
Shen Qiancheng grabbed Shi Jianren's hand and flung it off with force, offering a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Then I thank you."
Shi Jianren stumbled back, steadied himself with a few deep breaths. "The wedding is about to start, my good daughter. Today is your big day—smile."
Shen Qiancheng smiled and rolled her eyes.
You old bastard.
###
The wedding was about to begin. Before the champagne tower stood women in silk gowns as milky as fresh cream and men in suits, sharp and proper, their crystal glasses reflecting a shimmering decadence.
Shi Jianren weaved through the crowd, glass in hand, listening to flattery and congratulations while downing one glass of champagne after another.
Mid-crowd, he spotted Su Lingyu in a black qipao, flanked by the taciturn, reticent Su patriarch. Together, they always seemed to radiate a sense of estrangement masked by proximity.
Shi Jianren suppressed the flicker of unease, took a fresh glass from a passing tray, and approached them with a genial smile.
"President Su, so here you are."
Su Lingyu clinked glasses with him, smiling with polite propriety. "President Shi."
"You've gone to great lengths for this wedding, President Su," Shi Jianren said, glancing around. In his lifetime, he'd never seen such an extravagant affair. "Chengcheng has a wild streak; I hope you'll be patient with her once she's married."
Su Lingyu took a measured sip and said, "That goes without saying."
The hall lights suddenly died, and the MC's voice swelled.
"Distinguished guests, dear friends and family, welcome to the wedding of Miss Shen Qiancheng and Mr. Su Zeye. Please return gracefully to your seats and witness the blessed union of our newlyweds."
The moment the announcement ended, the hall lights blazed back to life, and a grand, romantic wedding march filled the air.
Spotlights swept past the guests before converging on the center of the stage—Su Zeye stood there in a black suit, clutching a bouquet at his side, his sharp features illuminated with a chiseled elegance. Setting aside morality and character, Su Zeye's façade could fool plenty of young women.
After the first rendition of the wedding march, the MC raised the microphone. "Our groom is young and handsome, and he's eager to see his bride. Now, let's warmly welcome the bride—welcome the bride!"
Another spotlight blazed onto the sealed entrance.
As the stirring music swelled, the doors swung open from outside, the spotlight fixed on two figures.
Shi Jianren wore a beatific smile, his arm encircling Shen Qiancheng's, as under the gaze of every guest, they walked step by step toward Su Zeye waiting at the far end.
Every girl dreams of her wedding day, and Shen Qiancheng was no exception—but the groom shouldn't have been Su Zeye, and the wedding shouldn't have been so dreamlike.
The path toward Su Zeye was far too short. She, Shen Qiancheng, had no room to escape.
The bridal gown wasn't Su Lingyu's choice; it was a one-of-a-kind creation by a renowned French designer and her team, worked on for a full month. The off-shoulder design bared Shen Qiancheng's expanse of alabaster skin, her delicate collarbones making her neck look elegantly long and flawless. The voluminous skirt, entirely handmade, was encrusted with pearls and diamonds sewn on one by one by the designer. Most stunning of all was the long, sheer white veil, perfectly complementing the six-petal snowflake crown atop her head.
A woman's wedding day is the most beautiful moment of her life, and Shen Qiancheng stepped out like an innocent maiden from a French oil painting, each step pulled closer to her abyss.
The music stopped. Through her veil, Shen Qiancheng stood opposite Su Zeye, her expression distant and detached, as if the wedding had nothing to do with her.
Su Zeye pressed his lips together, unwilling to cast even a single glance at Shen Qiancheng.
Of the three, Shi Jianren was by far the happiest. Donning his persona of a devoted father, he placed Shen Qiancheng's hand into Su Zeye's, speaking with double meaning: "Keep an eye on her."
Su Zeye yanked Shen Qiancheng toward him, forcing them to stand on the same line like a perfect matching pair before the entire crowd.
From an angle the others couldn't see, Su Zeye gloated, "Shen Qiancheng, married to me, your good days are completely over."
Tsk. Who kills whom is still undetermined!
Shen Qiancheng returned the favor with equal courtesy: "Your good days are over too."
The MC stepped to the center of the stage and continued the flow: "...It is my great honor to ask the groom—Mr. Su Zeye, do you take Miss Shen Qiancheng to be your wedded wife? From this day forward, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, to love her, cherish her, and be faithful to her, till death do you part?"
Su Zeye gritted his teeth. "I do."
The MC addressed Shen Qiancheng: "Miss Shen Qiancheng, do you take Mr. Su Zeye to be your wedded husband? From this day forward, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, to love him, cherish him, and be faithful to him, till death do you part?"
What a sincerely heartfelt vow. Shen Qiancheng offered a self-deprecating smile, laden with bitterness.
Shi Jianren was about to clap in approval, but his pocket phone buzzed. Catching the caller ID, his expression shifted, and he hurried out to take the call.
The scene fell into a terrifying silence. The spotlight and the piercing stares hit her face like boiling water. Shen Qiancheng closed her eyes—though so quiet, a ringing filled her ears.
Now—
Shen Qiancheng kicked both Su Zeye and the MC aside in one motion, then leaped off the stage.
Wind rushed past her ears as screams and shouts blended, but Shen Qiancheng heard nothing.
Below the stage was a small lift platform, and before everyone's eyes, Shen Qiancheng vanished without a trace.
The air under the open sky was crisp and sweet, carrying the scent of spring flowers, and the intoxicating sunlight was so bright.
Shen Qiancheng had no time to pause; she ran without stopping, the wind roaring as if applauding her.
At the end of the road, she spotted a figure standing there.
It was Su Tongqin.
Shen Qiancheng didn't stop; running was instinct.
Su Tongqin reached out to stop her, her icy face stiff with discomfort.
"Without an ID, where can you go? And I've bought you a plane ticket."
The ID and ticket were presented before her. Shen Qiancheng frowned, looked up, and saw Su Tongqin awkwardly turning her face away.
"Su..." Shen Qiancheng's voice was hoarse. Su Tongqin had no reason to help her.
"The project thing—I owed you one. This clears it." Su Tongqin shoved the ticket and ID into Shen Qiancheng's hands, afraid she might utter something sappy, and added dismissively, "Alright, enough. She's in Switzerland—go chase her. The car's parked outside."
Shen Qiancheng solemnly took the ID, had no time to say another word, tore off her veil, started the car, and sped down the mountain.
The tree silhouettes blurred past, as if she were leaving her past behind, burying it all.
###
Shi Jianren returned from his call, his face as dark as a pot bottom. The moment he entered the hall, he saw the wedding in complete chaos.
The groom and the MC were getting their wounds treated, the guests exchanged awkward, amused glances, and not a single bodyguard was in sight.
The clamor threatened to lift the roof.
"What happened? Where's Shen Qiancheng?" Shi Jianren grabbed someone and demanded.
That person said, "The bride kicked the groom and the MC, then vanished right in the middle of the stage."
Ran off again!
Shi Jianren clenched his phone and found the security chief. "She must have fled down the mountain. Get the cars and chase her!"
The car raced along the road, Shen Qiancheng's heart thumping like a rabbit's, each breath squeezed.
The airport announcement echoed through the terminals. Alone, dragging her enormous, ornate gown, Shen Qiancheng boarded the next flight out.
Beyond the window lay layer upon layer of clouds, her heart suspended as high as the plane itself.
The closer she got to her destination, the more anxious she felt.
What would she say when they met—demand to know why Liao Xue had betrayed her? Did she even have the right to question her betrayal?
Stretched taut for so long, once the tension eased, exhaustion swept over her barren land called Shen Qiancheng like a tornado.
There was still time. Wearied, Shen Qiancheng drifted to sleep.