Saying “I do” should have been easy, but now she opened and closed her lips several times, unable to speak, not daring to look at Di Xihuang.
The venue remained silent, awaiting her vow, while Di Xihuang’s brow slightly furrowed, his deep black eyes losing softness, a hint of coldness emerging.
“Xuanxuan,” Tong Baichuan and Liu Qiusi called softly behind her.
Ou Xueman turned back. Liu Qiusi’s eyes held a clear warning, while Tong Baichuan’s aged eyes were full of worry.
Feeling guilty, she ultimately forced herself to say, “I… I… do.” Her voice was so low that the priest had to lean in to hear.
The media recorded her hesitation, and she knew that once she spoke those words, there was no turning back.
The priest announced, “Bride and groom exchange rings.”
As the diamond ring slid onto her finger, she momentarily wanted to withdraw her hand but was firmly pulled by Di Xihuang, who whispered, “You can’t turn back now.”
When she placed the wedding ring on his finger, his words echoed in her mind. What did he mean? Was everything from the moment he appeared a lie? A carefully planned deception? Why? What did he want? Just to obtain the Tong family? For his vast economic empire, the Tong family was insignificant and not worth such elaborate scheming. What was he truly after?
Suddenly, she felt like she was falling into a sea bathed in moonlight. Beneath the calm surface of rippling waves, there was a savage darkness and surging undercurrents, tearing at her body.
All her defenses were futile, leaving her struggling in the deep darkness.
“The groom may kiss the bride,” the priest announced.
As applause erupted, media photographers crowded the church entrance. Flashbulbs burst like white light, rekindling childhood fears and helplessness.
Her vacant eyes scanned the crowd, seeing the joyful Tong Baichuan, anxious Tong Yixuan, cold Liu Qiusi, angry Han Bing, and many familiar yet strange faces. Though they appeared to smile, their expressions slowly twisted.
Returning her gaze to the man before her, she saw his thin lips bear a merciless smile. In that moment, she did not want him to touch her, pushing him away. The world began to spin, and she surrendered to the dizzying vortex of darkness.
