That night, no one in the Ye family slept.
To force Ye Wei into marriage, Ye Qingshan told a colossal lie; he promised that as long as she agreed to wed, her child would be returned to her the next day.
Desperate and cornered, Ye Wei could only agree to marry Xiao Tianzuo, the young master of the Xiao family.
As for Ye Hongwen’s death, it was treated as a trivial matter. Ye Qingshan showed no hint of grief, as though he had long buried his humanity.
At six in the morning, Ye Wei put on her exquisite wedding gown. Her makeup was flawless, every detail perfect; a beauty that words could scarcely describe.
Yet her eyes were void of life.
Today, she was not only marrying a man she despised, she had to do it smilingly, willingly, or her daughter, Xiao Yao, would lose her life.
She had no choice.
By eight o’clock, the Ye estate was fully decorated. Crimson carpets stretched across the manor, and tables glittered with fine wine and pastries.
By nine, a line of luxury cars began arriving. The noble families of Yunshan City poured in, one after another.
The vast garden lawn, thousands of square meters wide, was blanketed with roses.
Ye Wei stood there gracefully, slender and elegant, yet her eyes held no light, only the dull emptiness of ashes.
At last, a grand motorcade rolled to a stop.
A young man stepped out of the lead car, dressed in a tailored gray suit. His entire bearing exuded aristocratic arrogance.
He held his chin slightly high, smiling faintly, though pride always lingered in his gaze.
Standing before Ye Wei, Xiao Tianzuo’s lips curved into a mocking smile.
“I tried to win you with flowers and gold, but you refused me. So I had to use power to make you yield. That must feel terrible, doesn’t it?”
Ye Wei smiled and gently hooked her arm through his, though a flicker of hatred flashed in her eyes.
If she could, she would have slit this bastard’s throat right then and there.
The surrounding guests gathered closer, laughing and offering congratulations.
“Congratulations, Young Master Xiao! You and Miss Ye truly make a perfect match, a union made in heaven!”
“That’s right! I envy Miss Ye so much. If my daughter could marry Young Master Xiao, I’d gladly give up ten years of my life!”
A bald, pot-bellied middle-aged man waddled forward, smiling broadly as he pulled a small wooden box from his pocket and handed it to Ye Wei.
“Miss Ye, this antique jade hairpin was once worn by a Tang Dynasty imperial consort. I bought it at an auction last year. May you and Young Master Xiao live in eternal harmony.”
Others stepped forward as well, each presenting carefully chosen gifts.
Ye Wei thanked them one by one, passing everything to the butler, Li Zhong.
Ye Qingshan, the Ye family head, was grinning from ear to ear, though his gaze often drifted toward the entrance, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a certain “great figure.”
Even someone as powerful as Jiang Yuan, a Heaven-ranked expert, had spoken of that person with awe. That alone spoke volumes about their status.
The gift-giving went on for an hour.
Finally, Xiao Tianzuo smiled, pulling out a box of his own. Inside sat a diamond ring larger than a pigeon’s egg.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“If I’m not mistaken, that’s this year’s limited Cartier edition! It’s worth at least twenty million!”
Xiao Tianzuo chuckled lightly. “For the one I love, no price is too high.”
The crowd erupted into applause, pretending to be moved.
Ye Wei only smiled faintly, holding the ring in her hand, but she never slipped it onto her finger.
Suddenly, a man in a black baseball cap and face mask approached her. Only his eyes were visible.
The moment their gazes met, Ye Wei’s body trembled.
Those deep, commanding eyes; she could never mistake them.
It was him. The man she had cried for in her dreams countless times.
Ye Wei’s foot moved instinctively, almost stepping forward to embrace him, but then she froze, remembering her daughter was still in danger.
And looking at his cheap clothes and concealed face, she realized he dared not reveal himself, afraid of the Ye family’s power.
She swallowed her tears and nodded slightly, pretending not to recognize him.
Xiao Zhan’s chest tightened painfully. His gaze shifted to Xiao Tianzuo, who stood with Ye Wei’s hand hooked through his arm. That face… it looked familiar somehow, but he couldn’t quite place it.
Still, he forced a smile. “Congratulations to you both.”
He extended a small, hand-carved wooden box. “A wedding gift from me.”
Ye Wei’s eyes blurred with mist as she lowered her head, afraid her tears would betray her.
She opened the box and almost broke down.
Inside lay a platinum necklace, inlaid with dozens of multi-colored diamonds — like a string of seven-colored stars scattered across a silver sky.
One of the jewelers among the guests cried out in shock.
“My heavens, that’s… the Heart of the Galaxy! (legendary diamond necklace)”
“It really is! Each of those colored diamonds is priceless! Who is this man to give such a treasure away?”
“That piece was valued at over three billion twenty years ago; it must be worth twice that now!”
In that instant, even dressed plainly, Xiao Zhan became the center of awe, a man who exuded quiet power.
Ye Wei blinked away her tears, gently closing the box and pushing it back toward him.
“This gift is too valuable. I can’t accept it.”
But Xiao Tianzuo only smirked, snatching the box from her hands and pocketing it.
“Since it’s offered with such sincerity, we’ll graciously accept it.”
Then, feigning politeness, he asked, “And you are…?”
Xiao Zhan ignored him completely, his eyes fixed on Ye Wei. Though he didn’t realize she had already recognized him, her trembling and silence spoke volumes.
“Miss Ye,” he asked quietly, “this is your wedding day. Why do you look unhappy?”
His words made the entire crowd fall silent.
Ye Qingshan shot Ye Wei a warning glance.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she forced a smile.
“Sir, what makes you think I’m unhappy?”
“To marry Tianzuo is the greatest blessing of my life.”
Hearing that, Xiao Tianzuo burst into laughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and preparing to leave.
“Wait.”
Xiao Zhan’s voice rang out. He stepped forward, looking down at her gently.
“Look into my eyes.”
Ye Wei kept her head lowered.
He frowned slightly, his tone soft but steady. “You can’t fool my eyes. I can see you’re hiding something.”
“Tell me, are you truly marrying him of your own will? If not, or if there’s something you can’t say, tell me. I’ll help you, no matter what it is.”
“Who the hell are you!?”
The Ye family members immediately surrounded him, shouting furiously.
“Ye Wei’s marriage is a great honor! What ‘hidden pain’ could she have? Who do you think you are!?”
“Yeah! And what’s with that mask? If you’ve got any guts, take it off!”
Xiao Tianzuo sneered coldly.
“My fiancée’s troubles are none of your concern.”
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the guests subtly stepped back.
Though the sun blazed overhead, an icy chill swept across the garden, sharp and heavy, like invisible blades hanging above their heads.
A killing aura filled the air.
Before everyone’s eyes, Xiao Zhan slowly reached up and pulled off his mask.
Then, he did something that stunned the entire crowd.
He lifted Ye Wei’s chin gently, looking deep into her tearful eyes.
Even though she had known from the start who he was, the moment she saw that familiar face, the one carved into her heart, her composure shattered. Two streams of tears slid down her cheeks, though she bit her lip to keep from sobbing aloud.
“Weiwei, I’m back.”
Xiao Zhan’s voice trembled as he wiped her tears away, his own eyes reddening.
“Believe me, no matter what you’re going through, I can fix it.”
“Trust me. Please.”
Ye Wei clenched her teeth, swallowing her tears, unable to speak. But unconsciously, she let go of Xiao Tianzuo’s arm, stepping half a meter away from him.
Xiao Tianzuo’s expression darkened to the color of ink.
Someone had just confessed to his fiancée in front of hundreds of guests.
It was the same as slapping him across the face.
“You’ve got guts.”
“You might have some background; anyone who can gift the Heart of the Galaxy surely does, but compared to my Xiao family of the Imperial Capital, you’re nothing but an insect.”
He waved a hand, sneering.
At once, twenty burly men surged forward, forcing their way through the crowd and surrounding Xiao Zhan.
Ye Wei’s heart clenched tight, her nails digging so deep into her palms that blood welled out.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she met Xiao Zhan’s gaze.
“Sir,” she said, her voice trembling, “I don’t know who you are. Please… leave the Ye family at once!”