Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 164

I gripped the silk thread in my hand, looked up at Wei Ye, and said in a trembling voice, "Why did Xu Lie do this? Even if Yu Fei is angry, I might not be able to refuse to marry him. Was it necessary for him to treat Yu Fei like this?"

“Yes.” Wei Ye answered firmly in a deep voice, “Yu Fei holds a secret that Xu Lie is afraid you will find out.” After a pause, Wei Ye shook her head helplessly, “It’s probably not just fear, but dread.”

Chapter 30 The Wedding (Part 2)

My ears were ringing, and the voice in my heart grew louder and louder, like a wild beast in a cage, howling and raging, trying to break free. I heard footsteps coming from far away outside the door, an instinct I developed while I was blind.

Wei Ye heard it too, and her eyes showed anxiety and unease. She lowered her voice and asked, "Is the broken bracelet still on you?"

I was puzzled, but I nodded nonetheless, turned around and picked up the pearl necklace I hadn't had time to put on yet. At the center of the pearls were a dozen or so crystals. Yufei had repeatedly told me to keep it with me.

Wei Ye breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good." Then she handed me a silver needle encased in a plastic shell and said in a deep voice, "Take this thread and this silver needle with you. The silver needle contains a drug to counteract the paralysis. And throughout the entire process, only you can get close to Yu Fei."

My mind was a jumble of thoughts, a thousand threads intertwined, each one a knot. In a daze, I hid everything Wei Ye had given me. Looking at myself in the mirror, my face was deathly pale, my expression uneasy—where was the joy a new bride should have?

Wei Ye suddenly placed her hands on my shoulders and said softly, "Galan, you can choose to marry Xu Lie. No matter how he treated you before or how he treats others now, from now on, he will definitely love you wholeheartedly. You can also choose to uncover the secret in your heart. Although the road ahead will be difficult and painful, you will no longer hesitate. Just remember, love and marriage are not shackles. No one can lock you up in the name of love."

The moment the door opened, my mother's smiling voice rang out. Before that, I heard Wei Ye say her last words in a gentle voice: "Galan, I'm sorry for making you... suffer so much."

Her smile was like gentle ripples spreading across clear water, her figure like fallen leaves turning in the rustling autumn wind—ethereal and beautiful, yet seemingly about to depart, never to return.

"Lanlan..." With a mix of relief and blessings, my mother came forward and gently stroked my head. "You're finally getting married. Now that you and Jiaqi are married, I can finally relax a little... Come on, it's time."

I followed my mother out in a daze. The long corridor seemed to stretch on forever. At the other end, Mr. Xu must be patiently waiting for me, waiting for the moment he would hand me over to his son. But would that moment truly be my lifelong happiness?

The snow-white, soft wedding dress trailed on the ground, and melodious, festive music echoed in the church. I took Xu's father's hand and walked step by step towards the altar of the hall, towards Xu Lie, who was dressed in a white suit and looked exceptionally handsome from afar.

Anxious gazes fell on me. One was on Xu Lie in front of me, and the other was... I turned my head and my eyes unexpectedly met a pair of brown eyes, gentle as water, clear as a mirror, yet deep as the sea. So many contradictory descriptions were used on him without feeling abrupt at all.

In a daze, I felt that I should have seen these eyes a thousand years ago. Scenes of pity, reproach, anger, and heartache flashed through my mind, yet they only looked at me with such worry and concern. The auditorium seemed to become a mere decoration, all sounds faded from my ears, leaving only him and me gazing at each other, telling each other about the pain of a thousand years, and savoring the loneliness that felt like a lifetime ago.

I almost stumbled, but I snapped back to reality. Xu's father glanced at me with a hint of doubt, but he didn't show it at all. He just led me forward step by step with determination. I was a little confused, but when I saw Xu Lie trying to remain calm and smiling, yet his face was trembling slightly with nervousness, I suddenly understood that Xu's father was protecting his son.

At such a moment, with millions of people watching, including business and political figures, relatives and friends, and newspaper reporters, even if they don't care about other people's opinions, they cannot tolerate their son becoming a laughing stock in the future.

Xu Lie stared intently at me, his gaze unwavering, a look that was both yearning and pleading, making it impossible for me to stay. What path should I choose, what decision should I make, that I truly want? What, then, is my happiness?

Waiting at the end of the road was my husband, who would promise to love me for life before God. This was a path without thorns, a path many dream of as Cinderella but never attain. With a kind father-in-law, a loving mother-in-law, a doting husband, and the blessings of countless people, what more could I ask for?

Yes, this is the path I must take. Xu Lie's house arrest of Yu Fei, the trap he set for me, Yu Fei's deep and painful gaze, Wei Ye's advice—I can no longer dwell on any of that. Because at this moment, I simply need to choose a path: smooth or rugged? Warm and peaceful, or tumultuous and turbulent?

I think there's really no need to choose. Revealing the secrets in my heart will only hurt and pain me. But if I continue down this path, and finally kiss my husband before the altar, I can find peace and tranquility, even if it's obtained through escape.

I used deep breaths to drown out the beastly roar in my heart. I tried to adjust my expression until my smile became happy and radiant, and then I made my footsteps as firm and powerful as Xu's father's, gently and slowly passing by the row of seats where Yufei was sitting.

I think I can keep walking down this road, keep walking... The sound of drums is roaring and booming in my heart...

Xu Lie breathed a sigh of relief, his face breaking into a bright, childlike smile. This man, I choose to trust him one more time, to entrust my life's happiness to him, to be with him forever…

Forever will be more precious than your life, young master…

I stopped abruptly, almost frantically trembling as I listened to the increasingly clear yet seemingly fading voice in my heart.

Forever will last one day longer than the young master's life.

Who? Whose voice is it? It's like dripping bright red blood day and night through my heart, like an hourglass filled with wounds stealing away my time. Who... is speaking such a heavy vow in such a cold and sorrowful voice?

I stood there silently with my head down. The entire church seemed to freeze because of my silence and pause, freezing sound, freezing time, and shutting out the lingering, sorrowful gazes.

Only that voice continued to murmur tirelessly, word by word, one word after another.

Forever will last one day longer than the young master's life.

I abruptly raised my head. Pain or no pain, escape or confrontation—the choice was entirely up to me. I smiled at Xu Lie; his fearful expression made my heart ache, but this time I wouldn't soften, I wouldn't turn back.

I let go of Xu's father's hand and walked quickly towards Yufei. That path might be overgrown with thorns, or it might only leave me with a lifetime of sorrow, but I can't let go of the owner of that voice.

Even though I can no longer remember who he is, even though I am still hesitant about the unpredictable future, this heart-wrenching pain will never deceive me.

Chapter 31 Return (Part 1)

I didn't give anyone, especially Xu Lie, time to react or stop me. I quickly pulled off the plastic cap and plunged the needle into Yu Fei's exposed arm. Yu Fei let out a barely audible groan, his expression as he glared at me as if to say: Couldn't you have been a little gentler?

I couldn't help but laugh. Yufei opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound, only a few broken sounds came out.

I was panting heavily; the church was eerily quiet, as if only my breathing could be heard. After a moment, Yufei, who had been obediently resting his hand on his lap like a schoolchild listening to a lesson, moved his hand, and a look of both comfort and pain appeared on his face.

After a long pause, she managed to utter her first words: "Wearing a wedding dress... you look quite beautiful."

I was like a rubber band that had been stretched too tight, suddenly slackening the moment he opened his mouth. So I didn't feel angry or amused by his teasing words, but just relaxed and sad enough to want to cry.

Yufei's voice finally broke the silence in the church. I heard rapid footsteps approaching us, the leather shoes clattering on the hard ground, each stomp seeming to try and break the earth. Whispers began to fill the air, the atmosphere tense and on the verge of exploding, and my heart leaped into my throat.

Yufei suddenly stood up, the force of which caused him to stumble and almost fall on me. I called out softly to Yufei and was about to help him up when he used my body for support to remove my pearl necklace.

When Yufei looked up, Xu Lie was already standing between us. His face was pale with a bluish tinge, and his eyes held a mixture of ruthlessness and pleading, as if countless flames were burning and then dying out.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Nie Yufei, you can't do this!" Xu Lie said, word by word, "I am her husband. This... is her world."

Yufei's body was still weak and swaying. He struggled to unfasten the clasp of the pearl necklace. With a casual loosening of his fingers, the equally sized, round, and shiny precious pearls fell to the ground, swirling in his palm before scattering onto the floor.

I could almost see Xu Lie's hand stiffen and tremble with each pearl that fell.

Yufei said softly to me, "Give me the thread that Weiye brought."

I glanced at Xu Lie in bewilderment. He was staring at me with eyes filled with utter sorrow and terror, pleading and yearning. My heart softened, and I almost gave in to him without hesitation. But then, a voice within me rang out again. I knew I couldn't escape; I could never escape the web woven by tenderness. It contained his threads, my threads, his blood, my blood—threads intertwined and tangled.

I closed my eyes briefly and quickly handed the thread to Yufei. He opened his hand, revealing a neatly arranged semi-circular pale purple crystal in his palm. The almost vanishing purple light reflected off the transparent crystal on Yufei's wrist, creating a dazzling yet melancholic beauty.