Chapter 2: A Bride For Xie Rong
"Mother! No—I won’t marry that blind Xie Rong!"
The sudden outburst startled everyone in the room.
The pale-faced woman rushed forward and grabbed the older woman’s arm.
"Shen Yurou!" the older woman snapped. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"It isn’t nonsense, Mother."
"It isn’t nonsense?" The older woman’s eyes widened. "The wedding procession is already on its way. This is hardly the time for your tantrums."
"It’s not a tantrum." Shen Yurou tightened her grip on the woman’s sleeve, "Mother, please listen to me just... this once."
The desperation in her voice seemed genuine. For a brief moment, the older woman actually hesitated.
Seeing that, Shen Yurou immediately pulled her toward a quieter corner of the room.
Unfortunately for them, the room wasn’t large enough to keep their conversation private.
At least not from Wang Gege, who was sitting less than ten steps away.
"Mother, I can’t marry Xie Rong." Shen Yurou started.
The older woman’s face darkened instantly, "Whether you can or cannot is no longer up to you."
"It is." Shen Yurou’s voice strained.
"No, it isn’t."
"Mother—"
"Enough," The older woman lowered her voice, but the anger remained. "Do you know how powerful the Xie family is? Do you know what will happen to the Shen family if we suddenly back out of this marriage now?"
Shen Yurou bit her lip, "I know."
"If you know, then why are you saying such ridiculous things?" The older woman sighed frustratingly.
"Because I know what kind of future awaits me if I marry him."
The older woman frowned. "What future?"
Shen Yurou hesitated. It looked as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Then she took a deep breath, "A few days ago, I visited a fortune teller."
The older woman stared at her, "A fortune teller?"
"Yes, Mother." Shen Yurou lied without hesitation.
After all, telling her mother the truth would do her no good. Her mother had never been particularly good at keeping secrets. If she accidentally let something slip, everything would become far more troublesome.
"And since when do you believe such things?" The older woman dimmed her eyes suspiciously.
"He wasn’t an ordinary fortune teller." Shen Yurou insisted.
The older woman looked unconvinced.
Shen Yurou continued anyway, "He told me many things. Things that haven’t happened yet."
"And you believed him?" The older woman looked slightly irritated by her daughter’s behavior.
"At first, no."
"But now?"
Shen Yurou slowly clenched her fists, "Now I do."
The older woman rubbed her forehead, "What exactly did he tell you?"
Shen Yurou glanced toward the bed, straight toward Wang Gege.
Then she lowered her voice, "He told me that the person I should marry isn’t Xie Rong."
The older woman nearly laughed, "Then who should you marry?"
"The scholar from the Lu family." This time, the older woman genuinely looked stunned. "Lu Wenyuan?"
"Yes."
"That poor scholar?"
"Today he’s a poor scholar." Shen Yurou’s voice was unusually firm, "But he won’t remain one forever."
The older woman’s brows knitted together, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Shen Yurou took a deep breath before lowering her voice even further.
"The fortune teller examined his birth chart. He said Lu Wenyuan was born with an exceptionally rare fate. Although he appears ordinary now and lives no differently from countless other scholars, his destiny is destined to soar above them all."
The older woman stared at her daughter without speaking.
Encouraged by the silence, Shen Yurou continued.
"He said Lu Wenyuan’s literary fortune is flourishing, his official path is smooth, and his fate carries the signs of great success. Once he enters the examination halls, his achievements will be unstoppable. He will pass the imperial examinations, enter the court, and continue rising through the ranks until even the most powerful officials cannot ignore his name."
The more she spoke, the brighter her eyes became.
"The fortune teller even said that within ten years, his status would surpass anything our family could currently imagine."
The older woman’s expression gradually turned strange, "And you believe all this?"
Shen Yurou met her gaze directly. "I do."
Because she had already witnessed that future with her own eyes.
In her previous life, Lu Wenyuan had started exactly where he stood now—a poor scholar with worn robes and little to his name. Yet step by step, he climbed higher than anyone expected.
By the time Shen Taotao died, Lu Wenyuan’s name was already known throughout the capital.
And throughout those years, he had never taken a concubine. Not even one.
The older woman fell silent.
For a long while, she simply stared at Shen Yurou before her gaze drifted toward Shen Taotao, who was currently being helped into fresh clothes by the maids.
A conflicted look appeared on her face.
"What if that fortune teller is wrong?" she finally asked. "The Shen family has already spent a great deal preparing for this marriage. If we suddenly offend the Xie family, do you know how much trouble your father will face?"
Shen Yurou remained silent.
The older woman continued.
"And what about our businesses? The Xie family has helped us more than once over the years. If they decide to cut ties with us because of this matter, have you considered the consequences?"
She paused before glancing toward Shen Taotao again, "And even if I agree, what then? Do you expect me to send that fool in your place?"
Shen Yurou followed her gaze.
For a brief moment, her eyes darkened. "Why not?"
The older woman was stunned, "Yurou!"
"Mother, think about it carefully. Isn’t this the perfect solution? The Xie family gets their bride, our family avoids offending them, and I can marry Lu Wenyuan."
"But—"
"Besides, hasn’t Taotao always listened to everything you’ve told her to do?"
The room fell silent.
The older woman opened her mouth, only to realize she had no answer because Shen Yurou was right.
Shen Taotao had always been obedient.
The older woman remained silent for a long time. Her gaze shifted between Shen Yurou and Shen Taotao several times.
One was her beloved daughter. The other was the orphan they had taken in years ago to secure a favorable reputation and earn praise for their generosity.
"Mother." Shen Yurou’s voice softened. "Please trust me with this once."
The older woman took a deep breath before turning toward the servants.
"What are all of you standing around for? Hurry and prepare the Second Miss."
The room immediately became busy.
Before Wang Gege could even process what was happening, several maids had already surrounded her. One carefully adjusted her hair, another wiped away the traces of medicine around her lips, while a third unfolded layers upon layers of bright red fabric and began dressing her in them.
"Wait—" Her voice came out hoarse and weak.
Unfortunately, nobody seemed interested in hearing what she had to say.
The maids continued moving around her as though they had done this a hundred times before.
"Bring the wedding veil."
"Be careful with the embroidery."
"The auspicious hour is approaching. Hurry."
Wang Gege could only sit there as they fussed over her. At this point, her mind was already a complete mess.
Just moments ago, she overheard a conversation about marriage rites, a blind man named Xie Rong, a fortune teller who could apparently predict the future, and a suspicious marriage swap involving herself.
Now they were dressing her in wedding clothes.
The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous the situation became.
This really was starting to resemble one of those historical short dramas she watched whenever she had nothing better to do during lunch breaks.
The only difference was that the unlucky female lead seemed to be her.
Not long afterward, Wang Gege found herself being escorted out of the room.
The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she was greeted by a sea of red that nearly hurt her eyes.
Red lanterns hung from every corner. Red silk ribbons fluttered beneath the eaves. Even the servants moving back and forth were dressed in festive colors.
And waiting at the center of it all was an exquisitely decorated bridal sedan chair.
The moment she appeared, the crowd immediately became excited.
"The bride is here!"
"The auspicious hour has arrived!"
"Hurry, don’t delay any longer!"
Wang Gege opened her mouth, intending to ask what exactly was going on. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
The maids on either side gently guided her forward, and before she could gather her thoughts, she had already been helped into the bridal sedan chair.
The curtain fell. The noise outside gradually became muffled.
And finally Wang Gege was alone.
She stared blankly at the embroidered red interior before lowering her gaze to the wedding dress covering her body.
"Okay..." she muttered. "Let’s not panic yet. Brain, do your job. How exactly are we supposed to get out of this mess?"