Chapter 454: I Am Here

In a room somewhere in the Capital.

Ling Wei sat in front of the mirror. She was dressed in a pure white wedding gown and adorned splendidly with jewelry and gold. Several cosmeticians were putting on makeup for her.

She was already very beautiful. The makeup enhanced her beauty.

Even the cosmeticians could not stop praising her. “You’re so beautiful, bride-to-be!”

Ling Wei sat there with a blank expression.

She looked at herself in the wedding gown in the mirror. She was not too sure whether that person she saw in the mirror was her.

‘Am I… about to get married soon? To that Song Linfei whom I hate?

‘How did things become this way?’

Her eyes were open though her gaze was hollow.

At that moment, the only image that flashed in her mind was of that person. She recalled the joy she felt when they spent time together.

She felt bitterness and regret in her heart.

She hoped so much that he would be the person to hold her hand when she wore the wedding dress, and he would be the one that she would spend the rest of her life together!

However, she knew very well that it was only an extravagant hope.

Even so, she did not want to be married to Song Linfei. She only hoped that the person would appear and take her away.

She did not want to be used as a p.a.w.n for her family to gain social status, and she did not want to waste her life into a relations.h.i.+p that she had no interest in.

Time pa.s.sed. It was soon the time for the ceremony, but that person had not appeared.

Did he forget the promise he made?

She lowered her head and looked at the pinky finger of her left hand.

“Liars! Men are all liars!” She bit her lip and tears welled up in her eyes.

Crystal-clear teardrops fell like a string of pearls onto her pure-white wedding dress.

Her shoulders trembled, and she started sobbing.

Tears gushed out of her eyes like a broken dam.

The cosmeticians were shocked. They froze on the spot.

A woman in her fifties heard Ling Wei crying and came in through the door. She sighed as she looked at Ling Wei. She turned to speak to the cosmeticians, “You can take a break for now. I’ll call you in soon.”

“Yes,” They replied and went out the door.

The woman closed the door and sat down next to Ling Wei. She lifted her hand, hesitated for a while, and placed it on Ling Wei’s shoulder.

Ling Wei’s shoulders trembled, and she pushed the hand away.

The woman was shocked. She sighed again, feeling guilty.

“Why must you torment yourself like this, my daughter? Why can’t you forget about him? You have to understand that it’s too late to call off this marriage. The family has made the decision, and the groom is from the Song family. Once the decision is made, it’s already out of our hands.

“You might not like to hear what I say, but it’s the truth! You need to learn to accept your fate, so that… you won’t suffer as much.

“What’s not good about Linfei, my daughter? Look at him. He has a good upbringing, he is handsome, and he has a pleasant demeanor. He’s a good match for you. You will be happy if he is your husband.”

Ling Wei stopped sobbing, though her face remained sorrowful.

“I’ll be happy?”

She mumbled and laughed coldly. “That’s not possible. I don’t love him at all. Will I be happy in a marriage without love?”

Her mother fell silent.

After that, she sighed.

“You’ll have to marry him no matter what. You might as well force yourself to be happy!”

She stood up and left.

The cosmeticians returned to the room soon. They dried her tears and fixed the makeup, and she resumed her previous glamour.

Ling Wei’s gaze was blank as she sat there.

She felt as though she was a puppet, not being able to control her actions.

She was not sure how she walked out of the room and went outside. Everything felt like a blur.

The wedding hall was decorated extravagantly, like a scene in a dream.

The hall was filled with relatives and good friends of both families. Of course, it was the Capital, and there were more relatives from the Song family.

They cheered happily as the bride appeared.

Those cheers were so harsh and piercing to her ear.

She was led forward and she finally saw her ‘husband-to-be’.

He was handsome and stylish in his black suit.

He walked forward and reached out for her hand with a smile.

She wanted to struggle away, but the man grasped her hand firmly.

The cheers grew louder.

He held her hand as they walked forward.

He maintained a smile as they walked. Suddenly, he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. “Are you still thinking of him? Hmph, you shameless wh.o.r.e!

“I want to throw up whenever I’m reminded that he touched you before, but I will still marry you. From now on, you are my wife!”

His tone of voice sounded nastier as he spoke, though he maintained a smile on his face.

Ling Wei’s gaze was blank.

One step, two steps… they neared the stage.

She abruptly turned around to look toward the entrance. She saw many people, but not the person she was hoping to see.

“Give up! He won’t come here! It would be a supernatural occurrence if he did!” Song Linfei scoffed.

He pulled her forcefully, and they walked onto the stage.

Her hope slowly turned into despair as she continued to look at the entrance of the wedding hall.

‘Perhaps this is my fate!’

She closed her eyes painfully.

“A bow to the heavens!”

“A bow to the elders!”

The master of ceremonies shouted.

“A bow to the newlyweds!”

She turned around robotically and prepared to do the third bow, which marked the conclusion of the wedding ceremony.

The mood in the hall was brought to a climax.

The people from the Song and Ling families smiled contentedly when they saw that.

“We’ll be one family from now on! Let’s keep close contact!” Ling Mingshan laughed heartily.

Aft4er the wedding, the Ling family would be considered as part of the Song family, and Ling Mingshan’s social standing would improve by leaps and bounds.

Ling Rui, sitting behind his father, also smiled.

He would be the one who would benefit the most from the marriage!

The people from the Song family also laughed. “That Ling Wei girl is not bad! She’s beautiful, well-educated, and has a gentle temperament! Their children will also be very smart.”

The two families laughed heartily.

Suddenly, they heard a frantic scream at the entrance.

The scream pierced through the joyful atmosphere in the hall.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone near the entrance stood up and looked outside.

They were shocked when they saw what happened.

A Hummer drove through the corridor, sending people jumping and dodging. It knocked down the bouquets and tables. Plates and wine gla.s.ses were sent flying. It was an unbelievably chaotic scene.

“Who dares disrupt a Song family wedding?”

“Security? Bodyguards? Where are they?”

Everyone was screaming frantically.

The Hummer drove into the hall and stopped near the stage. The car door opened, and a figure jumped out. That was none other than Tang Hao.

“I am here!”

Tang Hao grinned and ran up the stage.