"A'wei, I have enough courage to do anything with Mu Ye, but when facing you, I dare not even say 'I like you'. Do you find me ridiculous?"
The man sighed in disappointment, a hint of melancholy inexplicably rising in his heart.
"Sleep well, goodnight."
Qing Mu Ye brushed her hair with his large hand, leaned in again, and left a kiss on her lips. His large palm lingered on her cheek for a long time before he reluctantly got up and left.
He walked out of the bedroom and turned off the light.
However, he didn't notice that in the dim light, Meng Jingwei, who had closed her eyes, had already opened them.
She was astonished, her eyes filled with unconcealed shock.
He said he liked her?
Meng Jingwei had a good tolerance for alcohol; a few small bottles wouldn't get her drunk. She had merely been sleepy from the strenuous wedding preparations in the preceding days and had fallen asleep.
But she had never expected to hear Qing Mu Ye's words right after waking up.
Immersed in her shock, Meng Jingwei dared not make a sound.
She didn't even dare to reach out and push him away when Qing Mu Ye kissed her lips.
She was completely flustered, unsure of how to react.
How could this be?
Meng Jingwei recalled that day back in her hometown, after they had drunk wine and sent their master home, on the way back, Qing Mu Ye had mentioned a friend who was about to marry his pregnant fiancée but discovered he liked someone else...
Therefore, Qing Mu Ye wasn't talking about his friend, but himself.
Meng Jingwei couldn't understand when Qing Mu Ye had fallen in love with her, nor did she dare to think about it.
What did it matter to her whether a scumbag loved her or not?
Although she comforted herself this way, Meng Jingwei still remembered Qing Mu Ye's repeated forceful advances and lack of mercy when they first met.
Now, however, he said he liked her but hadn't touched her again.
Was this... genuine affection?
...
Early morning, five o'clock.
Meng Jingwei arranged for a bridal secretary to go directly to Longxi Villa to liaise with Li Yun'er, inquiring about her needs for the wedding.
However, the appointed bridal secretary, Shi Ran, was blocked from entering Longxi Villa upon arrival.
"Hello, I'm the bridal secretary arranged by the wedding company to discuss the wedding flow with the bride," Shi Ran said.
"Our young lady said you can wait outside," a bodyguard stated.
Shi Ran had no choice but to agree, feeling helpless.
Meanwhile, upstairs, the lights were bright. The wedding company, along with makeup artists and stylists, arrived to meticulously apply makeup and dress Li Yun'er.
By the time everything was done, it was already six in the morning.
At this moment, Zhao Ruolan and Li Fu'an, the couple, walked in.
Zhao Ruolan, dressed elegantly, wore exquisite makeup and a waist-cinching qipao with blue and white porcelain elements, which made her look youthful and graceful.
She stood before Li Yun'er, examining her, who was of unparalleled beauty. "Oh my, my daughter is truly the most beautiful bride, so gorgeous."
"Alas, after raising her with so much effort, seeing her about to marry off is bittersweet," Li Fu'an sighed regretfully.
"Sister, congratulations! You've finally achieved your wish and married Qing Mu Ye."
Li Zi Rui, handsome and radiant in a perfectly tailored suit, walked up to Li Yun'er and smiled happily. "Sister, since it's your wedding today, shouldn't you give your little brother a red envelope?"
Li Yun'er, sitting at the dressing table, looked at the three of them, forcing an awkward smile onto her anxious face. "Thank you."
As she spoke, she took a thick red envelope from the table and handed it to Li Zi Rui. "Here, you won't be left out."
"Hahaha, thank you, Sister."
Li Zi Rui waved the red envelope, beaming with joy, and then said, "You chat with Mom and Dad, and I'll go downstairs to see what needs preparing."
"Go ahead."
Li Yun'er nodded.
"Daughter, why do you seem a bit unhappy today?"
As Li Yun'er's birth mother, Zhao Ruolan immediately noticed her daughter's preoccupation.
"You silly girl, today is a joyous occasion. Why the long face? From today onwards, you are Mrs. Qing Mu Ye, something countless women envy."
Li Fu'an patted her shoulder. "Just be a good bride. No matter what, Mom and Dad will support you."
Support?
Li Yun'er clasped her hands together, her clear, bright eyes welling up with a bitter smile. "Yes, thank you, Mom and Dad. Maybe I'm just a bit sleepy from staying up too late."
Since things had already happened, who could shoulder them for her other than herself?
If everything had gone smoothly, she would have been able to marry into the Qing family without a hitch and become Qing Mu Ye's wife.
But it was on such a grand occasion that Li Yun'er's anxiety grew, fearing that her unspeakable deeds would be exposed.
If not for that, why had she been so quiet these past few days?
"Weddings are tiring. You'll feel better after it's over. But it's still early, Mu Ye won't arrive to pick you up until nine, so you can sleep a bit more."
"Yes, listen to your mother and lie down for a while."
Li Fu'an, dressed in a suit and looking radiant, seemed to have gained a bit more spirit. His slightly protruding belly further emphasized his identity as a businessman.
"Okay, I'll lie down." Li Yun'er wanted some quiet, so she agreed.
"Be careful when you sleep, don't mess up your hairstyle," Zhao Ruolan added as a reminder before pulling Li Fu'an out of the bedroom.
Li Yun'er, adjusting her voluminous wedding gown, stood up and walked to the bedside, then lay down.
Her mind was filled with the day she was kidnapped. She had been taken to a dilapidated warehouse, where burly men wanted to terminate the child in her womb.
The child was her only trump card to solidify her marriage into a wealthy family.
To protect her child, Li Yun'er had begged them pitifully on the ground, sacrificing her dignity, to spare the child in her womb.
But who would have known that those men not only extorted three million in hush money from her but also presented a condition...
They said, "It's not impossible to keep the child in your womb, as long as you can satisfy us brothers. Then we brothers will let your child go."
Li Yun'er broke down on the spot, tears of despair streaming down her face. Never before had she felt such utter hopelessness.
She was afraid that the events of that day would be exposed, making her the laughingstock of Lan Cheng, and condemning her to live like a street rat for the rest of her life.
Tears, against her will, rolled down Li Yun'er's cheeks.
With a heart full of apprehension and unease, she dialed Qing Mu Ye's number.
Ring, ring, ring—
The phone rang a few times. Qing Mu Ye, sitting in his study and smoking, glanced at his phone on the table. The screen clearly displayed Li Yun'er's name.
His handsome, innocent face turned grim. He slid his thumb across the screen and answered the call.
"What is it?" he asked.
See, what a stiff and cold demeanor.
Li Yun'er's heart immediately plummeted to the bottom, turning half cold.
"Mu Ye Ge, are you ready on your end?" Li Yun'er asked softly, her eyes moist.
The man took a puff of his cigarette and flicked the ash into the ashtray with his long, slender fingers. "Almost."
"That was fast. We're getting married soon. I... I'm a little nervous."
It wasn't nervousness, but dread and anxiety.