Yan Yan - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Rainstorm

Xie Yu’s face was as white as paper, and his lips were twitching. ‘Is it too late to cancel the wedding?’

One side was his father, and the other was his beloved girl. He didn’t want his father to die, but he also couldn’t lose his girl.

He wanted that heart; he wanted to save his father, but at the same time, he didn’t want to disappoint her, and he didn’t want to cancel the wedding. That person cornered him and put him in a dilemma.

The master of ceremonies noticed Xie Yu’s strangeness, but he didn’t take it seriously, as he had seen many grooms who had become uncontrollable due to excitement or for other reasons. So he just said with a smile, “It’s time for you to go on stage.” After saying that, he put his hand on Xie Yu’s shoulder and gave Xie Yu a slight push.

Xie Yu subconsciously moved one step forward, like a puppet on a string.

The wedding stage, which was not far in front of him, had been decorated with a theme of a starry sky and a sea of flowers, which appeared like a dream.

He didn’t know what he should do now and even wanted to slam his head against the pillar next to him to die.

The master of ceremonies thought that Xie Yu was still nervous, so he hurriedly took the lead on the stage, raised the microphone with a bright smile, and said to the crowded guests, “The groom is too nervous, so everyone should give some applause to encourage him! Let’s go.” 

The guests cooperated very well, and there was thunderous applause immediately, among which there were many jeers and boos from Xie Yu’s good buddies: “Xie Yu, you are such a coward!”, “Come to the stage quickly.”, “Hurry up, or your wife will be gone!”

In an instant, the atmosphere in the banquet hall reached its peak, leaving Xie Yu with no choice but to look at the master of ceremonies in shock.

Standing beneath the bright lights, the master of ceremonies smiled at him, but there was a hint of sympathy on his face.

Xie Yu’s heart began to beat faster, and he was on the verge of collapsing again. ‘What the hell is that person trying to do? What’s his reason? Why is he coming after me? Why…’ His mind became muddled with such thoughts.

But he had no time to think, and the warm atmosphere of the scene turned into an invisible hand that pushed him to the stage indiscriminately.

The emcee slowly retreated to the edge of the stage, leaving Xie Yu alone in the spotlight in the center.

Suddenly, the chaotic banquet hall became quiet. The two mahogany doors at the end of the red carpet were opened, and the bride and the bride’s father appeared.

The lights in the banquet hall were dimmed, creating a bright and romantic starry sky.

As the music started to play, Su Yan took her father’s arm and walked step by step towards Xie Yu.

A beam of light followed the father and daughter at all times, and it illuminated Su Yan’s beautiful face, her white wedding dress, and the bouquet in her hand.

Su Yan thought that her dream had come true, so at this moment, she was extremely satisfied and happy, looking at Xie Yu with inseparable affection in her eyes.

However, Su Yan saw that Xie Yu didn’t seem to be so excited and happy; at least, she couldn’t read the emotion on his face at the moment.

Xie Yu looked nervous; his whole body was tense, his face was a little pale, and his eyes flickered uneasily. He didn’t appear to be a bridegroom who was eagerly awaiting his bride; instead, he appeared to be waiting for a life-and-death decision.

After seeing Xie Yu’s appearance, Su Yan couldn’t help but be a little surprised because she had never seen Xie Yu like this before. In her impression, Xie Yu had always been a calm, noble boy. However, Su Yan didn’t think much about it, and she just thought Xie Yu was too nervous.

When Su Yan’s father handed her hand to Xie Yu, she quietly comforted him, saying, “Don’t be nervous; I’m with you.”

Xie Yu was startled for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at his bride.

Her eyes were moist, black, and bright, like hidden stars, and she looked at him full of love and trust. And he was the man she decided to entrust her life to, so he didn’t want to break her heart.

At this moment, Xie Yu completely forgot about his father and inheritance rights and only wanted to marry Su Yan.

Su Yan raised the corners of her lips again and gave him a comforting smile.

After seeing Su Yan’s smile, Xie Yu pursed his lips, took a deep breath, finally made up his mind, and smiled, but he couldn’t hide a bit of bitterness and astringency in his smile. On the other hand, he also felt a sense of relief because, no matter what happened later, as long as she was with him, he could face the challenges. 

According to the request of the master of ceremonies, Su Yan’s father, Su Jian, said a few words to Xie Yu and then stepped off the stage. Next, it was time for the bride and groom to exchange wedding rings, but at this moment, the mahogany door that had just been closed was suddenly pushed open with a muffled sound.

All the guests turned their heads one after another, looking at the uninvited guest who interrupted the wedding process.

Su Yan and Xie Yu on the stage also raised their heads at the same time, looking towards the end of the red carpet.

A beautiful woman with a slender physique wearing a black dress and a pair of white high-heeled shoes that were incompatible with the wedding’s festive atmosphere stood there. She looked like she was participating in a funeral instead of a wedding.

Su Yan felt she was struck by lightning as she recognized the woman at a glance—she was Jiang Qi, Xie Yu’s ex-girlfriend. ‘What is she doing here?’

Xie Yu was also extremely shocked, staring in disbelief at Jiang Qi, who was walking towards him step by step.

The guests were as confused as the bride and groom, especially those who knew Jiang Qi’s identity: Xie Yu’s ex-girlfriend.

‘What is she doing here? Robbery? Crazy?’ 

Jiang Qi didn’t care about the strange eyes of the guests; she walked the red carpet calmly, stood in front of Xie Yu, stared at him intently, and said in a firm tone, “Today you must follow me.”

Xie Yu still couldn’t believe it. “Are you crazy?”

Su Yan also thought that Jiang Qi had gone crazy because she couldn’t marry Xie Yu. Suddenly Su Yan felt a little uneasy—’What if Xie Yu really goes with Jiang Qi?’

Su Yan subconsciously grabbed Xie Yu’s wrist, hoping to hold him firmly, and didn’t let him leave.

Jiang Qi took a deep breath. “I’m not crazy; I have a heart, and this heart belongs only to you.”

Su Yan and the others couldn’t understand the true meaning of these words, so they thought that Jiang Qi was here to snatch the groom. But Xie Yu immediately understood what Jiang Qi said.

‘It seemed Jiang Qi’s appearance was also arranged by that person.’ He suddenly realised what the other party meant when he said it in the phone call not long ago. “This is the last chance he gave you. Don’t be ignorant of what’s good.”

What he really meant by “you don’t have much time” was that he never gave him a choice and only wanted him to call off the wedding or ruin his life and family with his own hands.

Xie Yu suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness, which was also painful and something he had never experienced since he was a child. He couldn’t resist that mysterious person and could only let him handle him like a fish on a knife. But he, Xie Yu, didn’t want to be a coward and didn’t want to be slaughtered. What’s more, he didn’t understand what the other party’s purpose was for doing this. Gritting his teeth, Xie Yu looked at Jiang Qi expressionlessly. “If I don’t want that heart?”

Jiang Qi took a few steps forward towards Xie Yu and said in a voice that only the people on the stage could hear, “Then I will tell you the story of the phoenix trees and water pavilions.”

Xie Yu: “…”

Su Yan also heard this but couldn’t understand it and stared blankly at Xie Yu.

Jiang Qi glanced at her lightly and gently brushed the broken hair beside her ears. “This matter is between the two of us; of course, you, an outsider, can’t understand it.”

The word “outsider” made Su Yan very angry, but she had nowhere to vent it because she really didn’t understand what they were talking about, and she was indeed an outsider to the story of just the two of them. But she can’t let Jiang Qi trample on her dignity. “Please leave immediately!” She stared at Jiang Qi with anger on her face. Her voice sounded sharp and serious, but with a trill.

Jiang Qi ignored her and turned her gaze to Xie Yu again. “You don’t want everyone to know this story, do you?”

Xie Yu’s whole body was trembling. He had no choice but to agree with that person. ‘But I don’t want to compromise on this.’

Jiang Qi saw his hesitation, entanglement, and unwillingness, so she opened her lips again, saying, “If you don’t want my heart, someone else will. Are you willing to watch the person you love die? Think about it: What did your dad say at the airport before the two of us went abroad that year?”

Xie Yu recalled what happened four years ago.

He and Jiang Qi went abroad for higher studies when he was 20 years old. Before boarding the plane, his father gently patted him on the shoulder with a kind smile on his face and looked at him proudly. “Xiaoyu, my good son, I’m very proud of you.”

He still couldn’t help watching his father die, but how could he give up on his beloved girl? His soul seemed to be torn apart, and he clearly knew that he had to give up this wedding.

Seeing Xie Yu’s expressions, Su Yan’s heart filled with an unknown fear, and she looked at him with pleading eyes. ‘Please don’t go with her. Please don’t give up on me. Please don’t leave me alone here; I’ll be terrified.’

Xie Yu’s face was as pale as a white sheet, and his heart was twisted like a knife. He didn’t dare look into her eyes anymore. He closed his eyes and said in a trembling voice, “Yanyan, I’m sorry…”

He was going to disappoint her after all.

Su Yan looked at him blankly, as if she had been struck by lightning.

Xie Yu, who couldn’t bear seeing Su Yan’s face, didn’t dare stay for another second; otherwise, he would definitely change his mind.

Jiang Qi also urged, “Come with me; time waits for no one.”

Xie Yu took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and gave Su Yan a last look full of guilt and pain, then ruthlessly shook off her wrist and ran towards the entrance of the banquet hall at the end of the red carpet without looking back. Jiang Qi followed him closely behind.

All the guests were in an uproar, but Su Yan was the only one who was silent. Her eyes were empty and dead, and as she stood in the romantic sea of flowers under the starry sky, her whole body was like a walking corpse. No woman could bear such a blow on her wedding day.

However, a tall and slender young guy unexpectedly burst out from the end of the red carpet as Xie Yu prepared to leave the banquet hall and unintentionally blocked Xie Yu’s path. The young man shoved Xie Yu back into the hall with a powerful push.

Su Zhan’s eyes were red, and he pointed at the tip of Xie Yu’s nose furiously. “If you f*cking dare to leave, I’ll kill you!” The teenager’s hysterical roar filled the banquet hall, and the guests fell silent instantly.

Xie Yu didn’t want to leave either, but he had no choice.

“I’m sorry…” Xie Yu looked at the boy who stood up to protect his sister with guilt. He had a thousand words in his heart, but in the end, he could only say one sentence: “Xiao Zhan, I’m sorry…”

Su Zhan roared and asked, “If you want to leave my sister, why do you ask her to marry you? Are you still a man?”

Xie Yu’s face was pale, his thin lips pursed tightly, and he was noncommittal.

Jiang Qi was urging again. “Hurry up; we’re running out of time.”

Xie Yu was helpless, not to mention that he had no way back, and finally said, “Xiao Zhan, I’m sorry.” Then he broke through the boy’s block. In the eyes of the public, he and Jiang Qi left together.

As soon as the groom left, everyone’s eyes fell on the bride.

Everyone was silent, and only Su Zhan kept yelling in the background. “Dog man, and dog woman! Don’t let Lao Tzu see you again, or I will definitely kill you both!”

In the eyes of all the guests, Su Yan was a pitiful and unlucky person.

Everyone cast a sympathetic look at her—such a beautiful girl was abandoned on the wedding day; it was really distressing.

Some even began to look at her with disdain and suspicion, wondering if she may be using dishonourable tactics to force the young master of the Xie family to wed her.

However, in front of people’s judgmental eyes, Su Yan broke down completely. Their eyes kept reminding her that she was a tragically abandoned woman; the man she loved abandoned her on her wedding day, betrayed her, and ran away with his ex-girlfriend. And his ex-girlfriend was the woman she hated the most. It was just like what happened during her summer vacation when she was eighteen. At that time, she asked Xie Yu which university he planned to apply to. He replied, “Dongfu University,” but in the end, he applied for another university and later went abroad with Jiang Qi, leaving her alone in Dongfu.

This was the second time he cheated on her.

She was already incredibly depressed, and as her love and hope for him dwindled, she eventually stopped having even the tiniest notion of him. But it also hurt her heart. Since her heart was also flesh, she was unable to tolerate any form of strike or injury.

For the first time in her life, Su Yan understood what it meant to be heartbroken; it really hurt, and this pain could flow into the blood along with the pacing of the heart and then flow through the whole body with the blood circulation. Her whole body was numb with pain, and her mind was blank. Therefore, the gazes of those people in the audience were like rubbing salt in her wounds, making her hurt over and over again.

In the end, she became sad and hurriedly exited the banquet hall by the side door next to the stage while still wearing the beautiful skirt of her wedding dress.

She had no idea where to flee; all she knew was that she had to get out of there quickly or she would die.

She was unable to tolerate the judgmental and sympathetic looks, the claustrophobic atmosphere in the hallway, or the insults and scorn. Like this wedding, the weather outside was rapidly shifting.

The torrential rain was pouring, and Su Yan was drenched instantly, but she didn’t feel it at all; she just ran in the rain, trying to get as far away from the hotel that suffocated her and made her sick and desperate.

After running barefoot for a long time, she gradually stopped because she was exhausted.

The weather was bad, and there were few people on the street.

Until now, she had dared to cry.

She actually wanted to cry in the hall, but she restrained herself since if she sobbed in front of everyone, the hideous wedding would become more dramatic, making it more exciting for everyone.

She shouldn’t be treated like a poor monkey all the time. No matter how pitiful she was, she wanted to retain her only remaining dignity, so she didn’t want to be seen crying by others.

In the rainstorm, she found a small, hidden corner, squatted on the ground, curled herself into a ball, and cried aloud.

‘How could he betray me? How can you choose Jiang Qi in front of so many relatives and friends? How can you follow Jiang Qi? How could I be left alone to face everything? Today was their wedding day. If you don’t love me, why did you propose to me? Xie Yu, did I force you to marry me? I didn’t force you, why are you doing this to me?’

She was tormented in her heart; she cried so hard that her whole body trembled.

The rain was heavier and heavier, and the heavy, lead-coloured clouds began to flash and thunder.

Unexpectedly, a black Bentley slowed down and stopped by the side of the road. The driver quickly opened the car door before stepping out, opening a black umbrella, and moving to the other side. He held an umbrella out for the man inside the car, who was wearing a suit and leather shoes, as he stood politely to one side of the back door and extended his hand to open the door.

A skinny, straight right leg was the first object to hit the ground. High-end men’s formal leather shoes were a sleek black colour, and the black suit pants were composed and well-kept.

The man straightened his tall, lean figure and took the driver’s umbrella after the other long leg came to a stop on the ground. The man’s fingers were white and slender, with clearly defined joints, just like the umbrella’s thin, dark handle. An excessively attractive face was visible underneath the umbrella.

Holding the umbrella in one hand, the man walked towards a small corner of the street, step by step.

In his dark and deep eyes, only this touch of soft white remained, and even his usually cold eyes became gentle.

After walking in front of her, he bowed his head and leaned towards her with the umbrella in his hand to shield her from the heavy rain. His thin lips parted slightly, and his tone was justly surprised. “Miss Su?”

Su Yan was like a frightened bird. Her eyes were covered by tears, so she couldn’t see the face of the person coming towards her clearly.

It wasn’t until the two tears in the eye sockets rolled out that the blurred vision gradually became clear.

She finally recognised the man in front of her.

He was Bai Xingfan.

End of Chapter 6

Have a nice day!