Chapter 2 It was him, Zhuang Bieyan
The following afternoon, at the wedding dress shop.
The shop assistant greeted Qu He warmly, but her gaze involuntarily drifted behind her. "Are you... alone today?"
Qu He forced an ugly smile, but her nails dug deeply into her palms.
From the moment the wedding date was set until now, she has handled everything by herself, from choosing the venue to trying on wedding dresses and ordering rings.
Qian Zhaoye always only said, "It's up to you to decide."
But he was the one who made the promise to give her a home and warm her cold heart!
In front of the full-length mirror, a shop assistant is helping Qu He adjust her wedding dress.
Under the soft light, the off-the-shoulder satin mermaid wedding dress shimmered, and the cutout design on the side waist accentuated her slender waistline.
Qu He stared blankly at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was exquisite, but her eyes were lifeless, like a soulless doll.
"Miss Qu, this wedding dress is simply tailor-made for you!" the sales assistant exclaimed from behind. "Your husband will be amazed when he sees it."
Qu He nodded, her smile a little stiff.
"Miss Qu?" Seeing that she seemed to be lost in thought, the sales assistant assumed that Qu He did not like it and immediately put on a professional smile. "We just received a new wedding dress from France yesterday. I'll go get it for you to try on right away."
Before Qu He could answer, the shop assistant had already jogged away.
Qu He gently stroked the satin of the wedding dress with her palm, and the wedding ring on her ring finger reflected light under the soft light.
She recalled Qian Zhaoye's words when he put the wedding ring on her finger: "Ahe, I will definitely give you the most perfect wedding."
Oh.
The most perfect wedding?
What kind of perfect wedding is it if the groom won't even come to try on his wedding dress?
Qian Zhaoye, in those few seconds when you put the wedding ring on my finger, were you thinking about our future or Qiao Mian?
My phone suddenly vibrated, and an anonymous email popped up containing a video.
Almost the instant I opened the video, my blood rushed to my brain.
In the back seat of Qian Zhaoye's Cayenne, Qiao Mian straddled his lap, her red skirt lifted up to her thighs, her red lips biting his ear.
"Aren't you going to go with her to try on wedding dresses? What if she gets angry?" Qiao Mian's voice was sickeningly sweet.
Qian Zhaoye's hand slipped under Qiao Mian's skirt, a smirk playing on his lips, his tone unfamiliar: "She won't."
Qiao Mian put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you so sure?"
"Anyway, she's stupid, she'll believe anything I say."
Qian Zhaoye raised the corner of his mouth.
"Qu He has been with me for seven years. I've already given her the wedding and status she wanted. Marrying her was also to make her more dedicated to the company. She couldn't be happier to be in charge of the wedding arrangements!"
He lifted Qiao Mian's chin and kissed her.
The two exchanged saliva, making nauseating sounds.
The video abruptly ended, freezing on Qian Zhaoye's mocking smile.
A tear wet the back of her hand, then fell onto the wedding dress, spreading out in a circle of water stains.
Everything is fake!
What she thought was a happy marriage was actually a bargaining chip for Qian Zhaoye to support the company.
Those tender vows exchanged in intimate moments now seem like nothing more than acting.
Looking at herself in the mirror, dressed in a wedding gown, Qu He felt utterly ironic!
Qu He tore off her veil and staggered out of the fitting room. The mermaid-style hem of the wedding dress tripped her, but she didn't stop. Her hurried steps seemed to be escaping a terrible cage.
As the corridor turned, the whispers of the shop assistants drifted into my ears:
"Why does Miss Qu always come to try on wedding dresses alone? Her husband has never come with her, and he doesn't even call or video chat with her once."
"Could it be... a mistress? The kind who forces someone into marriage... I've seen quite a few lately..."
"Don't say that, she's quite pitiful too..."
Qu He stopped in her tracks, feeling as if an unnamed hand was gripping her chest, making each breath feel weak, as if she were about to suffocate.
It turns out that, in other people's eyes, she had become a pitiful third party.
Seven years of youth, and this is the result.
She numbly turned her head and walked back, her mind blank. The fishtail hem of her wedding dress got tangled around her ankles, and before she could react, she completely lost her balance.
Just as she was about to fall, a pair of arms appeared out of nowhere and firmly embraced her waist. After a dizzying spin, she fell into a solid chest.
The scent of cedar instantly enveloped her, surrounding her.
Qu He looked up and met a pair of deep, ink-black eyes.
It was him.
The person in charge of the prestigious Zhuang family in Beicheng.
Farewell banquet.
The Zhuang family of Beicheng is a prestigious family with a century-long history, wielding immense power in both the business and political spheres.
The current leader, Zhuang Bieyan, is hailed as a legendary figure, described as "a jade tree of the Zhuang family, which no one dares to tarnish."
Calm and composed, never showing his emotions, he is ruthless in the business world but never gives anyone cause for criticism.
Not to mention his outstanding appearance and noble demeanor, what is most awe-inspiring is his almost harsh self-discipline and the constraints of the Zhuang family's 321 rules.
Whenever Zhuang Bieyan is mentioned, everyone knows that he is self-disciplined, upright, and abstains from tobacco, alcohol, and women. He is so perfect that people dare not defile him.
No matter the occasion, his suit was always impeccably tailored, his tie always neat and proper, and even the patterns on his cuffs followed the family tradition.
But the more this is the case, the more socialites and heiresses in the northern city flock to him, and countless people confess their love to him.
Although Zhuang Bieyan was already twenty-nine, he was still all alone, as if he was born to be a flower on a high mountain, not to be tainted by the mortal world.
Qu He stared directly into his eyes, those calm, deep amber eyes—for whom would they stir a ripple of emotion...?
"careful."
The man's gentle voice brushed against her ear like a feather, and Qu He suddenly came to her senses, only then realizing how ambiguous their current posture was.
Her palm was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his muscle definition even through his suit jacket. They were so close that she could count his eyelashes.
Zhuang Bieyan's hands were tightly wrapped around her waist, his palms pressed against the skin of her waist through the openwork, the temperature gradually blending together, making her heart tremble.
Zhuang Bieyan was dressed as always in a well-tailored black three-piece suit, with a subtle gold lapel pin shimmering under the soft lighting.
His thin lips were pressed into a straight line as he looked down at her with a slight frown. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly when his gaze fell on the corners of her reddened eyes.
Qu He's cheeks flushed; had he overheard the shop assistants' conversation?
Do you also think she's a... mistress?
In the twenty-nine years of Zhuang Bieyan's dignified and refined life, did he feel offended by those words?
Qu He hurriedly stood up, "Thank... thank you, President Zhuang." But because she was too anxious, she hadn't even stood up properly when the hem of her wedding dress caught her, and she stumbled and fell to the side.
Fortunately, Zhuang Bieyan did not let go, and with a stretch of his long arm, he steadily supported her again.
His fingertips brushed lightly against Qu He's waist, making her tremble involuntarily.
"Stand firm, Miss Qu."
How did Zhuang Bieyan know her name?
Just as Qu He was about to speak, she heard a sharp shout in her ear: "What are you doing?"
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