"Hua Hua, are you ready? We should get going." Her father's voice came from outside the door.
Zhong Hua took a deep breath and slowly stood up. She knew she had no way out. She walked out of the room with heavy steps, each step seemingly using up all her strength.
On the way to the engagement party venue, Zhong Hua quietly gazed at the scenery rushing past the window. Pedestrians came and went on the street, their faces beaming with happy smiles. But she was about to step into a future she did not want.
"Ah Yu, I'm sorry..." Zhong Hua said silently in her heart. Tears blurred her vision again. She knew that from this moment on, her love with Ah Yu would forever remain a memory.
As the car slowly drove into the engagement banquet hall, Zhong Hua saw the lavish decorations and the numerous guests present. Gu Yanting stood in the center of the hall, dressed in a sharp suit, a smug smile on his face. Zhong Hua, however, felt as if she had stepped into a giant cage from which she could never escape.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhong Hua walked step by step towards Gu Yanting. Her heart was filled with helplessness and pain, but she knew she had to complete this engagement ceremony. The moment she reached out and grasped Gu Yanting's hand, her heart shattered completely.
"I hope all of this is just a nightmare..." Zhong Hua prayed in her heart. However, reality cruelly told her that it was all real, and she had embarked on a path of no return.
The engagement ceremony proceeded smoothly amidst everyone's blessings, but Zhong Hua felt as if she were in another world. She couldn't hear the voices around her, nor could she see the scene before her; her heart was filled only with endless longing for Ah Yu and fear of the future.
Finally, the engagement ceremony ended. Zhong Hua and Gu Yanting were surrounded by people, taking photos to commemorate the occasion. Zhong Hua forced a smile and cooperated with everyone's requests. When everything was finally over, she returned home late at night.
Exhausted, she went into her room, closed the door, and finally broke down in tears. She had lost so much that day—her love, her freedom—all vanished in this engagement ceremony.
Amidst her tears, Zhong Hua gradually fell asleep. In her dream, she returned to the summer she met Ah Yu, hand in hand, laughing joyfully in the sunshine… However, when she awoke, she was still faced with the cold reality. From then on, her life would be inextricably linked to Gu Yanting, while Ah Yu could only live forever in her memories, becoming an unhealable wound in her heart.
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