The banquet hall glittered like a diamond cut from the night. Gold-leaf ceilings, velvet carpeting, and a room full of socialites who smelled like old money and fresh schemes. Chandeliers overhead flickered like stars watching a stage below.
Han Jiayan stood near the entrance, stiff in a charcoal suit handpicked by Li Xinyue's stylist. He looked polished, confident—even regal—but inside, he was a storm of nerves.
💭 I don't belong here. But I can't show it. Not tonight.
This wasn't a party. This was war, disguised in gowns and tuxedos.
Xinyue arrived moments later, descending the spiral staircase like an empress from a myth. Her wine-red dress shimmered, hugging her figure like it was tailored by fate itself. Her presence silenced the room.
Then she extended her hand.
"Shall we?"
Jiayan hesitated for just a beat—then took it.
---
The whispers began instantly.
"Who is he?"
"That's not the Qin heir she was engaged to, is it?"
"No. I heard he's nobody. A student, even."
"A commoner?"
Jiayan kept his head high as they walked in. He wasn't used to being stared at like this—like he didn't belong.
But her hand in his gave him weight. And her eyes never wavered.
He remembered her words from the car ride:
📲💬 "These people? They bark. Let them. It's when they get quiet you should worry." 💬
They reached the center of the hall. The four Great Families' heads were there—Li Wenhao already present, the imposing Tang matriarch, the steel-eyed Zhao chairman, and the sly Shen family heir.
Xinyue gave a graceful nod.
"I brought my husband," she said plainly.
Gasps.
Silence.
Then—
The Tang matriarch stepped forward, cool and curious. "So this is the boy who replaced the Qin heir."
Jiayan bowed slightly. "Han Jiayan, ma'am."
"You're young."
"I'm learning."
She chuckled. "Careful, Xinyue. He might be charming."
"Why do you think I married him?" Xinyue replied.
More murmurs. A few surprised laughs.
But not everyone was amused.
The Qin heir—Qin Liang, tall, elegant, and fuming—stepped out from the crowd. He looked like a man robbed.
"You made a mistake," he told Xinyue.
"I made a choice," she replied.
"With him?" Qin sneered. "Do you know what that looks like to the rest of us?"
She stepped closer. "Like I don't take orders. Especially not from old promises."
He turned to Jiayan. "What did she offer you? Money? Prestige?"
Jiayan's voice was calm. "None of your business."
The air thickened.
Suddenly, Tang Weilan—Xinyue's lawyer friend—intervened with a raised glass.
"To the newlyweds! May their marriage be less dramatic than their courtship."
Laughter broke the tension. Glasses clinked.
---
Later that night, Jiayan stood alone on the balcony, staring at the city. The glow of celebration echoed behind him, but he felt drained.
💭 This world moves too fast… and it bites.
Xinyue joined him, wine glass in hand. "You held up well."
"I felt like prey."
"You were."
He turned. "Why do this? Parade me in front of them?"
"Because if they see you crumble, they'll keep biting. If they see you survive, they'll begin to respect you."
He studied her. "And if I don't survive?"
"Then you weren't worth the contract."
Silence.
Then she touched his collar, adjusting it gently.
"You did well," she said. "Better than expected."
He chuckled dryly. "So I passed?"
"For tonight."
---
Back inside the banquet hall, Jiayan's phone buzzed.
📲💬
[Han Meilin 🐾]: "Jiayan, I just saw photos. Did you seriously get married? Without telling your own sister?!"
[Han Yue 🔥]: "Who is she? Tell me right now, or I'm showing up at your college with a slipper and questions."
[Mom ❤️]: "Sweetheart, you looked so handsome… but is everything okay?"
💬
Jiayan sighed.
💭 Here we go.
"What is it?" Xinyue asked.
"My mother and sisters just found out I got married."
She smirked. "Good. Let the real war begin."
---