In the end, there was no hope. Xia Xiaowan knew that she couldn’t outwit Gu Nianbin no matter what. Now the latter was more terrifying than Jiang Kaiwei, who was widely known as a wicked man. In contrast, Gu Nianbin was lurking in the shadows. No one knew his true color. Worse still, people sang his praises and helped him deal with her. High and dry, she was no match for him.

Xia Nanze locked her up at home every day, and Madam Xia watched over her in person. A lot of bodyguards were hired to guard every corner of the house. There was simply no escape.

Gu Nianbin came to see her several times. Like a gentleman, he remained polite and modest. Impressed by his refined manner, Xia Deren and his wife liked him even more. Xia Nanze also got close to him as they were in their childhood.

When Gu Nianbin came to her room, she sincerely expressed her wish to talk.

Gu Nianbin agreed, sat down on the sofa, and looked at her gently.

Sitting on the bed, she repented of her mistakes, saying that she shouldn’t have broken up Du Xiaoxian and him. When she mentioned the woman’s name, she secretly plucked up her courage.

Sure enough, when Gu Nianbin heard that name, a glint flashed across his eyes, which was so fast that no one could detect it. However, she saw it clearly since she had been staring at him all along.

Gu Nianbin looked composed. A gentle smile was on his face when he looked at her and told her to let the past drop.

She insisted on revealing the plan that she had made for Du Xiaoxian. “Don’t blame her. I asked her to do that. I used the shares of the Jiang Group and threatened her to leave. It was also me who asked her to bear Du Huayue’s seed, thus cutting off your retreat! In fact, you know everything, right?” she said.

Gu Nianbin didn’t answer, but his face turned livid. She even saw veins popping on his forehead. He was mad!

This was what she wanted. Seizing the momentum, she asked bluntly, “Because of this, you want to retaliate against me through marriage. You want to keep me around you and torture me for the rest of my life, right?”

In her view, Gu Nianbin would admit it in his anger and accuse her loudly. But the man didn’t fall for it. His face gradually softened and his lips curved up in a smile. He called her a silly girl and said that her pre-wedding jitters got stronger.

She tried her best to sound him out but it was to no avail.

Xia Xiaowan had no idea what went wrong with her plan. Was it because her hands had been in her pockets, or did she look nervous?

In short, she missed the great opportunity. What the recorder in her pocket had picked up was totally useless.

Gu Nianbin disguised himself so well that she could find no flaws, nor could she work out another plan.

Sitting on the windowsill, she stared blankly at the magnolias outside every day. The flowers in full bloom were white and fragrant. Like a flock of white pigeons resting on the tree, they might fly away at any second. She sighed and wished that she could have a pair of wings.

The door opened, and in came Han Xiaoxue with a smile, “Bride-to-be, why do you look so listless? The wedding ceremony is going to be held tomorrow!”

As usual, Han Xiaoxue came and kept her company. Occasionally, Han Xiaoxue advised Xia Xiaowan to look on the bright side, saying that Gu Nianbin was not a bad person and that everyone was wishing the best for her. Xia Xiaowan knew that Han Xiaoxue had been brainwashed by Xia Nanze and listened to his every word. She could also tell that Han Xiaoxue had feelings for him. Only she knew what kind of person her brother was. Therefore, she didn’t want them to be together, lest her best friend might be hurt.

She laughed bitterly, turned her head away, and looked out of the window. Han Xiaoxue sat cross-legged across from her and stated exultantly, “Your wedding dress is here. It’s so beautiful! Why don’t you go take a look?”

Disheartened, she didn’t care about anything. Nothing could cheer her up. “Nah, beautiful or not, I have to wear it,” she answered lazily.

“Xiaowan, come on, cheer up. It’s your wedding. Don’t spoil the mood!” Han Xiaoxue advised her.

“I can’t.”

“Didn’t you want to marry Gu Nianbin?”

“I made a bad decision. Can’t I mend my ways? Is it so difficult to be a good person?”

“No one calls you a bad person!”

“I’m really not a good person. You see, I exhausted my means to drive Du Xiaoxian away and forced her to bear another man’s seed. People like me should go to hell. Gu Nianbin knows about this and wants to take revenge on me.”

“It’s not like that. Xiaowan, don’t blame yourself for everything. Cut it out and be a sweet girl!”

Xia Xiaowan stopped talking because she hated such a tone. In everyone’s mind, she was a willful lady, stubborn and raving all the time. What she said was true, but no one believed her, not even Han Xiaoxue.

She felt trapped in a swamp. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank…

They used the so-called love to bind her and drive her to despair.

Xia Xiaowan yielded to her fate and sighed, “They asked you to come up and invite me. I have to consider your reputation. Let’s go down and take a look.”

Han Xiaoxue grinned, grabbed her hand, and walked out of the door. “That’s right! You’ll look stunning in the wedding dress!”

…

Indeed, Xia Xiaowan looked gorgeous. She looked at herself in the mirror and lost herself in thoughts. Her hair was coiled up on top of her head, and a few curls drooped. A pure platinum crown decked her bun. The dark streaks were glowing in all directions. The pink diamond inlaid in the middle was an heirloom of the Xia family. It had been kept in a safe box in the bank and now rested on her head.

She liked this pink diamond very much. It was pure and crystal, like a drop of water. The tinge of pink color resembled the blush on the tip of the lotus in early summer. She once cheekily asked her mother for the diamond, but her mother refused, claiming that it was saved for her future daughter-in-law. Filled with indignation, she pouted and called her mother partial. Then Ms. Xia smiled and decided to give it to the one who got married first for the sake of fairness.

As time went on, she forgot the matter, but her mother had kept it in mind and gave her the diamond as promised.

The wedding dress was handmade, rushed, but done meticulously. It had a low-cut top, a narrow waist, and a complicated hem. The design was traditional and noble. The chest area was encrusted with diamonds that glittered like stars in the sky. The tailored dress set off her perfect figure. The layers of gauze covered her like snow-white waves that hit the shore. When she moved, a rustle came out. The dress brushed the floor as she walked gracefully. Her charm was beyond words.

Xia Nanze widened his eyes and praised her sincerely, “Xiaowan, you look stunning today!”

Han Xiaoxue smiled and echoed, “I wonder what the groom will look like when he sees this. He’ll be amazed for sure.”

Xia Xiaowan sneered inwardly. Even if Gu Nianbin showed an astonished expression, it was just fake. In his heart, other than Du Xiaoxian, he had no feelings for any pretty woman.

Xia Nanze talked for a while and went out to entertain the guests. Han Xiaoxue went to the bathroom. All alone, Xia Xiaowan stood by the window, watching a bird in the tree spread its wings and soar into the blue sky. The small creature streaked across the sky and soon disappeared. She sighed, walked to a chair, and sat down.

She crossed her hands and placed them on her knees. The white lace gloves accentuated her slender fingers. The talented girl had learned how to play the piano but quit for some reason. Her mother scolded her for a long time, but she didn’t care. After all, she was the most spoiled child in the family. Her parents doted on her while her brother loved her dearly. She always got everything she desired. Somehow, she met someone prouder and more conceited than her. That was when she suffered a crushing defeat.

In retrospect, she thought that Jiang Kaiwei and she were like two insecure hermit crabs. They kept probing each other and cautiously speculated on each other’s intentions. Later, she lost her pride and became a shameful woman in his mind. He hid in the shell and never looked at her again…

The flush of water came from the bathroom, bringing her back to reality. This was strange. Why did she think about Jiang Kaiwei at such a moment? And the hatred in her heart faded a lot. Probably because she was really disheartened. After the ceremony, she would be Mrs. Gu. The dust would settle irreversibly.

Han Xiaoxue came out of the bathroom and smiled at her, “What are you thinking about, bride?”

She asked back, “Where is Gu Nianbin? Outside?”

“Yeah, entertaining the guests with your brother.”

“Do me a favor and call him over.”

Han Xiaoxue looked at her strangely, saying, “You can’t really meet now. It’s inauspicious!”

“It’s okay. I don’t believe in superstitions. Go ahead and call him over. I want to ask him something.” Xia Xiaowan smiled, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to him. I’m just a little worried and have a question to ask him.”

“Alright then,” Han Xiaoxue nodded helplessly, “stay here, I’ll get him over.”

Not long after Han Xiaoxue left, the door was pushed open. Thinking it was Gu Nianbin, she turned around, only to see Gu Shanshan, who had been in another city to film a program and just came back. As soon as the girl came in, Gu Shanshan hugged her, almost crying with joy. “Xiaowan, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” she gently patted Gu Shanshan’s back. On such an occasion, everyone seemed nervous and excited. She was the only one who looked on like an outsider.

Gu Shanshan let go of Xia Xiaowan and grabbed her hand. The rims of Gu Shanshan’s eyes were reddish. “Xiaowan, finally you become my sister-in-law. I am so happy! You…” Gu Shanshan noticed that something was wrong, “you’re unhappy?”

“I am happy,” Xia Xiaowan pulled her to sit down and smiled, “I’m just a little nervous.”

“Yeah, right,” Gu Shanshan also smiled, “every bride should be very nervous, and so is my brother. He didn’t hear me when I called out to him just now. I patted him on the shoulder and startled him!”

“Really?” Xia Xiaowan said in a relaxed tone, “So, he is more nervous than me.”

Only then did Gu Shanshan size Xia Xiaowan up before clicking her tongue, “Xiaowan, you look gorgeous today.”

“Thanks!”

“Did my brother see you?”

“Not yet, we are not allowed to meet before the wedding ceremony.”

“Right, this is the rule. Well…” before Gu Shanshan could finish her speech, the sound of the door opening came in. She looked over, saw Gu Nianbin getting in, instantly jumped up, and rushed over to push him out. “What are you doing? Go, you can’t meet the bride yet.”

“It’s okay, Shanshan. I called him over,” Xia Xiaowan also got up, lifted the thick hem, and walked over slowly, “Shanshan, give us the room. I have a word with Brother Nianbin.”

“What is so important that you have to talk about it now?” Gu Shanshan looked at her suspiciously.

“It’s a secret,” Xia Xiaowan smiled mischievously and urged Gu Shanshan to leave, “come on, go!”

With feigned anger, Gu Shanshan went out while saying, “Sure enough, you’ve changed after you become my sister-in-law.”