Wedding preparations began quickly, all as Gu Qingqiu had anticipated. She didn't even need to do anything; it seemed she only needed to make an appearance on the wedding day. In reality, no one cared about her feelings as the bride.

To make her performance more convincing, Gu Qingqiu even deliberately locked herself in her room and refused to eat the meals that the maid brought to her door. She also hung up on several phone calls from Zhang Lili and Yan Yanan, expressing her resistance through her actions.

The purpose of doing this was actually to ensure the smooth running of the wedding; if she had agreed immediately, it would have aroused suspicion.

The Gu and Yan families reached an agreement not to invite any media or host a large banquet. They only invited some business partners from high society to announce the marriage. They were well aware that the purpose of the wedding was not honorable, so they would not publicize it.

Yan Anjian and the Gu family noticed that Gu Qingqiu's resistance was quite obvious. Fearing that she might change her mind at the wedding and cause a scene, they each gave Gu Qingqiu some of their shares as a "greeting gift" for the wedding.

Gu Qingqiu accepted the gifts without hesitation and continued to play the role of being melancholy. She had been willing to participate in the marriage, and she never expected to receive shares as well, which was a pleasant surprise.

Soon, news of Gu Qingqiu and Yan Shengxiao's impending marriage spread. The public, naturally unaware of Yan Shengxiao's car accident, was only surprised that the marriage between the Gu and Yan families was a powerful alliance, suggesting that Yan Shengxiao would have some big plans in the future.

Gu Qingqiu's college roommates also saw the news that Gu Qingqiu was getting married. Others might not know, but they knew very well that Gu Qingqiu's boyfriend was Yan Yanan!

Although both women married into the Yan family, marrying Yan Yanan and marrying Yan Shengxiao are completely different things!

Before her roommates could even ponder why Gu Qingqiu would suddenly marry her boyfriend's brother, they hurriedly asked Gu Qingqiu to verify the authenticity of the news.

Gu Qingqiu didn't hide anything from her roommate and readily admitted that she was getting married soon.

My roommate stared in disbelief and said, "No way? You and Yan Yanan...?"

Gu Qingqiu said calmly, "Of course we've broken up. After all, I'm about to become his older brother's wife. I'm sorry, I probably won't be able to invite you to my wedding."

Sensing the "sorrow" in Gu Qingqiu's tone, her roommate, who had probably imagined some kind of tragic love story in a wealthy family, quickly laughed it off, "It's okay, it's okay, hahaha, congratulations on your marriage!"

Gu Qingqiu was overjoyed. The thought of being able to be intimate with Gu Shengxiao soon kept her awake at night, and she wished she could travel back to her wedding night immediately.

Unfortunately, the formalities still need to be followed.

At the wedding, Gu Qingqiu was alone, listening somewhat numbly as the emcee announced that she and Yan Shengxiao were officially married.

Sparse applause came from below, and many people even had amusement on their faces.

Those in the know understand that Gu Qingqiu was forced to marry a man who was now in a vegetative state, and would be living a life of widowhood. Those who didn't know, however, believed that Yan Shengxiao was also very dissatisfied with this arranged marriage, and even didn't want to attend the wedding ceremony to express his resistance.

The farcical wedding banquet came to an end. Gu Qingqiu didn't even have time to change out of her wedding dress before hurriedly getting into the car. To those with a keen eye, this appearance was interpreted as a hasty escape.

Zhang Lili pulled Gu Qingqiu back, "Why don't you come home with me? There will be someone to take care of Yan Shengxiao."

Gu Qingqiu's expression was indifferent. "I'm already married. Where else can I go on my wedding night if I'm not by my husband's side? Driver, drive." Gu Qingqiu slammed the car door shut.

"Yes, madam," driver Lao Sun replied.

The driver took Gu Qingqiu back to the Yan family's old house. Yan Shengxiao had already been discharged from the hospital and was recuperating in his room.

Guided by the maid, Gu Qingqiu arrived at Yan Shengxiao's bedroom door, only to see an unexpected person.

"What are you doing here?" Gu Qingqiu frowned and looked at Yan Yanan, who had a complicated expression.

Yan Yanan seemed somewhat bewildered as well. She opened her mouth, then said with difficulty, "You didn't need to go to this extent. My older brother is also completely unconscious. I'll have the servants prepare a guest room for you..."

"A guest room?" Gu Qingqiu raised her voice. "I am now the mistress of this house, your sister-in-law, and you actually want me to stay in a guest room?"

Yan Yanan said anxiously, "Qingqiu, you know that's not what I meant."

"Please leave," Gu Qingqiu said with amusement. "Or do you want to witness my wedding night?"

Even though he knew that his older brother was in a vegetative state and couldn't do anything, and that Gu Qingqiu wasn't the person he truly loved, Yan Yanan still felt a tightness in his chest when he heard this. He seemed to realize that he had made a wrong decision.

Although he had been openly and secretly competing with his elder brother, and had also been secretly expressing his feelings for Bai Yuxia, he always felt that brothers did not need to fight each other to such an extent. Although Gu Qingqiu was a hot-tempered young lady, she had not made any mistakes in principle. Even if he did not like her, there was no need to push her into a fire pit.

Gu Qingqiu must be very disappointed and sad right now, which is why she deliberately said these things to upset him.

Thinking this through, Yan Yanan stepped aside to give up her seat, deciding not to provoke Gu Qingqiu for the time being. "You must be tired today, so get some rest. We can talk about other things another day."

Gu Qingqiu looked at him with confusion, seemingly not understanding what there was to say between them. But thankfully, Yan Yanan finally stopped bothering her and Yan Shengxiao, so her expression softened considerably. She raised her hand and gently pushed open the door to Yan Shengxiao's bedroom.

Yan Shengxiao lay quietly on the bed in the bedroom, with a heart rate monitor next to him. There was a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with herbs in the room.

Apart from Gu Qingqiu's deliberately slowed footsteps, the only other sound in the room was the rhythmic hum of the instruments.

Gu Qingqiu finally got a close look at Yan Shengxiao's face. As expected of the male lead of the world, Yan Shengxiao's face was truly stunning. His black hair made his skin look even whiter. His lips looked a little dry and bloodless, making him look somewhat fragile. However, his high eyebrows and nose still outlined his exquisite features.

So handsome! Gu Qingqiu couldn't help but starry-eyed; her husband was so handsome!!!

Gu Qingqiu: [System! System! Did you see that?]

Male protagonist system: [I'll say it again, please don't call me "System Master".]

Gu Qingqiu: [You're so hard to please, System! Did you see that?! The male lead! It's the male lead!]

Male protagonist system: [I'm not blind, and my experience bar has been slowly increasing ever since you entered this room.]

Gu Qingqiu: [Weren't we supposed to stick together? This will actually increase my experience?]

Male protagonist system: [It's possible, but not much, better than nothing. After all, you're sharing the same space and breathing the same air now.]

Gu Qingqiu suddenly seemed a little shy: "Um, can I sleep with him?"