The pain in Yu Ru's chest began to throb faintly again. Aware that her heart pains had returned, she clutched at her chest and collapsed in front of her dressing table. At this moment, a mysterious man with a set of wings gently collected her soul and vanished from the room.
When Yu Ru opened her eyes, she found herself in a wide and grand room. The imperial-sized bed was covered with red quilts and pillows, and on the nearby clothing rack hung a magnificent and elegant red gown with a phoenix coronet. She stood up pondering as she observed that she was in someone else's room. Even the clothes she had been wearing before she passed out had been completely replaced. Alarmed, she quickly peered into the nearby mirror. The girl in the bronze mirror, about seventeen or eighteen, was refreshingly elegant and extraordinarily beautiful. Astonishingly, the girl looked strikingly similar to her but significantly younger.
Before she could contemplate her circumstances, an unfamiliar voice emanated from behind her.
"You are awake." Turning towards the voice, Yu Ru saw a tall and handsome man, his long hair dancing loosely in the wind, a veil gracing his face. The veil faintly revealed delicate features similar to a woman, a stunning face blooming like a flower. The man stood upright at the door, leisurely toying with a jade fan in his hand. His extraordinary charm was as regal as the sun and the moon, casting the room into relative obscurity.
With a pair of crystal eyes and regal purple pupils, the man looked at Yu Ru who was also gazing back at him. A faint coughing sound could be heard from a spellbound Yu Ru.
"Who are you, and where is this place?"
Yu Ru asked the mysterious man with widened eyes, filled with curiosity. The man took a few steps forward into the room, startling Yu Ru who took a few steps back, almost tripping on the dressing table.
"Sister, watch out." The man promptly held Yu Ru in his arms. Her mind went blank, seemingly occupied by something. Drawing away a few strands of hair from her forehead, the man soothed her: "Well, you don't have a fever."
"Who has a fever? Who are you?" Yu Ru finally snapped out of her trance. With a glare and a push, she distanced herself from the man. Baffled by her actions, the man thought it was strange. Usually, his naive sister followed his every word. Although she was mischievous, she never acted unusually like today.
"Sister, I am your cousin Xia Shilian. I heard that you were caught while trying to run away from your wedding. You chose death over returning home, and collapsed after hitting your head against a stone pillar. Do you not remember any of this?" After hearing what the man, her so-called cousin, had to say, Yu Ru couldn't help but snap out of her daydream.
"If you're my brother, then who am I? I'm about to get married? Am I really that pitiful?" Yu Ru's clear voice echoed in the room, albeit accompanied by a bit of an angry vibe. She projected the image of a little tiger, walking in circles in her room.
"Sister, you better get ready soon. This time, you won't be able to escape. The clan leader has laid a trap for you by positioning guards all over the Xia Clan Fort. You'll have to resign to your fate." Xia Shilian, nodding repeatedly, turned and walked out of the room, disappearing from Yu Ru's sight.
Yu Ru looked on dumbfounded. She had no idea how she had ended up here in the midst of marrying someone. With her thoughts all jumbled up again, Yu Ru remained still and lost deep in thought. After a few minutes, she snapped out of it. The most important thing now was to escape from this forced marriage. Her pride as a pristine young woman won't just allow her to marry without love, especially to someone she had never once seen. What if the man could not match up to her expectations? She would be at a great disadvantage.
"Escaping by conventional means seems impossible." Yu Ru thought to herself, considering there were hundreds of guards and an intricate setting aimed to trap her. Yu Ru needed a foolproof plan to ensure her safety. With a sudden stroke of genius, Yu Ru had a clever plan in mind. First, she needed to get into the wedding dress. Well, as people say, one step at a time!
All dressed up, Yu Ru lightly puts on a simple make-up. In the mirror, she looked even prettier, it was breathtaking.
She let down the red veil on her phoenix crown, immediately obscuring her face. She sat elegantly on the chair and said to the maid outside, "Quickly, take me to the castle master."
You opened the door and walked in, seeing YueRuo who was already dressed, you exclaimed happily, "Miss looks so beautiful today, did she stupefy young master Liu?"
"Young Master Liu?" YueRuo bowed her head, and the maid, thinking that she was shy, stopped teasing her. YueRuo believed that Young Master Liu would be her future husband, and if he were ugly, she would dismiss him outright.
"Miss, let me help you go see the castle master," said the maid. YueRuo nodded then rested her hand on the maid's arm. No more than ten steps from the door, five maids came over. They were holding broiled symbols of happiness, preparing to decorate the wedding room.
"Greetings, Miss. You look like a celestial being descended to earth today," the maids sweet-talked, making YueRuo's heart flutter with joy. Opening her mouth, she rewarded them, "Give token." The maids quickly kneeled down to thank her.
"Little sister, allow me to escort you." Suddenly, a woman dressed to the nines approached and assisted YueRuo. "Greetings, Miss Yuexi," the maids once more bowed to the woman known as Yuexi.
Knowing that the woman was important, YueRuo decided not to underestimate her. It was better to curry favor with this woman, who could possibly be a close friend. YueRuo relaxed, "Thank you, sister Yuexi." From the way Yuexi addressed YueRuo as her little sister, YueRuo concluded that Yuexi must be older. This conversation revealed YueRuo's elegance and composure.
When Yuexi took over the maid's position, the rest fell in line. The ceremonial hall was located in the first grand hall of the summer residence, which was adorned with lanterns and decorations in celebration. As they passed the grand hall, they saw a man with a full beard, who looked informal and was greeting the wedding guests. Suddenly, Yuexi went over and took the man's hand, "Father, you've been busy. Look how beautiful YueRuo looks." This man turned out to be the castle master, a man named XiaFeng.
Realizing that the person who had arranged her marriage was her own father, YueRuo promised herself to make him taste her bitterness in the future. Nevertheless, she respectfully greeted him, "Greetings, Father." The way she addressed him as father felt a bit awkward. "Stand, stand, don't be too formal. Today is your big day," XiaFeng picked her off the ground. As he looked at her, his joy was clear.
Finally, the ceremonial time had arrived, and the firecracker sounds filled the air. Accompanied by the sound of music, Yuexi and the castle master walked YueRuo into the grand hall. YueRuo's eyes were on a man in red who was standing there; he was Liu Hongyan, her future husband, Young Master Liu.
As she reached Young Master Liu, she reached for the end of the red cloth he handed her. The castle master laughed heartily, "Hongyan, from now on, YueRuo will be under your care. Treat her well, don't bully her, otherwise the Xia Castle will flatten you."
Aware that his father-in-law was testing him, Liu Hongyan hurried to pour XiaFeng a cup of wine. "Father, rest assured, I will treat YueRuo well." YueRuo then thought to herself, "It's done; I'm to pay homage to heaven and earth. Am I really getting married? Even though this man is quite handsome, he isn't my type…”
However, just as Liu Hongyan, Yuexi, and YueRuo were about to start the ceremony, someone shouted, "Wait!" YueRuo felt a rush of joy – there was going to be a disturbance!
A splendidly dressed woman appeared, and YueRuo, relieved to see that it was the expected troublemaker, was not disappointed by her timely intervention.
"Chi Yan, is your tantrum over?" Liu Hongyan called out, dashing out from the hall. Some reckless guards were about to move forward.
Liu Hongyan frowned, looking at the sword-drawing Chi Yan, and shouted, "Stop, don’t cause a stir. Today is the marriage of Summer Castle's daughter and me. Please don't cause a ruckus. Your attendance to give blessings is our esteemed guest. Respect Chi Yan for my sake, let this pass for now."
The guards backed off with a humph, thinking that the order should come from the castle master, not Liu Hongyan. Nonetheless, because it was Liu Hongyan's big day, they stepped back. Liu Hongyan looked at Chi Yan, his face cold, "Chi Yan, I thought we were done. What's your intention causing a scene at my wedding?"
Chi Yan looked forward. Liu Hongyan was exceptionally handsome today, and beside him was an elegantly gracious bride. Chi Yan was bitter inside – why wasn't she the one marrying Liu Hongyan? YueRuo looked nonchalantly at the drama about to unfold. She felt no anger, rather she felt detached from the situation. Behind her, the guests, including Yuexi and castle master XiaFeng, angrily watched the encounter unfold between Liu Hongyan and Chi Yan.