Chapter 90: You Cannot Marry Him

On the day of the wedding, at the Fu Estate.

The main venue was adorned like a scene from a fairy tale. Countless rare white roses, flown in from faraway lands, entwined with lush green vines, wrapped around the columns and archways. The guest seats were filled with influential figures from the worlds of business and politics, giants of academia, and cherished friends and family members from both sides.

The guests conversed quietly, faces bright with smiles of blessing, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Inside the bridal lounge.

Qiao Xi, clad in an ivory wedding gown custom-made by a master of national renown, sat before the vanity. The final veil remained untouched.

The reflection in the mirror was so beautiful that it took her breath away. Yet, shimmering tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.

Standing behind her, Zhao Huiyun placed her hands gently on her daughter’s shoulders. Gazing at her daughter’s bridal image reflected in the glass, her tears finally broke free.

She was not sorrowful, but filled with comfort and emotion.

"Xi Xi..." Zhao Huiyun’s voice trembled with choking emotion. "Mother has finally... finally seen this day."

"Seeing you in such a beautiful gown, seeing you find such a wonderful life ahead... I have no more regrets in this lifetime."

She leaned forward, embracing Qiao Xi tightly from behind, her tears falling onto her daughter’s bare shoulder, burning hot. "My daughter... you must be happy."

"Happier than your mother ever was, a thousandfold..."

Qiao Xi turned, embracing her mother in return, unable to contain the emotions she’d been holding back since dawn. "Mom... I will."

"I promise I will... Please don’t cry..."

Mother and daughter wept in each other’s arms, years of mutual dependence, hardship, and perseverance all dissolving into prayers for future happiness.

The lounge door swung open.

Madam Fu entered, accompanied by Fu Qinghuan and several female elders.

Upon seeing the scene, Madam Fu’s eyes instantly reddened. She hurried forward, gently taking Zhao Huiyun’s shoulders.

"Dear sister, this is a day of joy—don’t cry," Madam Fu said, her voice tender as she offered a tissue. "Xi Xi is joining our family, you can rest assured."

"Yancheng will cherish Xi Xi as the apple of his eye."

"Our whole family will treat Xi Xi as our own daughter, pampering and protecting her."

Fu Qinghuan came over as well, smiling as she handed Qiao Xi a tissue. "Sister-in-law, you’re the most beautiful bride today—don’t let your tears ruin your makeup!"

"Don’t worry, if my brother ever dares bully you, Mom and I will be the first to object!"

The other female elders from the Fu family gathered around, offering sincere and warm words of comfort, with none of the airs of a noble clan.

Instead, it felt as though they were sending off their own daughter.

Seeing the Fu family’s undisguised affection for her daughter and heartfelt respect for herself, Zhao Huiyun’s last thread of unease melted away completely.

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Deeply moved, she nodded repeatedly, tears flowing even more fiercely—but now, they were tears of joy.

Madam Fu thoughtfully led Zhao Huiyun to a sofa, soothing her with a gentle hand.

Fu Qinghuan busied herself repairing Qiao Xi’s makeup, chattering away to keep her spirits high.

The only absence was the groom, Fu Yancheng.

According to tradition, the groom could not see the bride before the ceremony.

He was surely outside the banquet hall, awaiting that moment meant for him.

Qiao Xi took a deep breath, gazing into the mirror at herself, surrounded by love and embraced by a new family who treated her as their own. At last, a joyful and resolute smile bloomed on her lips.

Yes, she was ready to greet the most important moment of her life.

Her closest friends, Gu Ranfan, Chu Xiangxiang, and Lin Moran, entered the room. As bridesmaids, they hovered nervously and excitedly, fussing over her skirt and veil.

When the strains of the Wedding March sounded from outside, Mr. Fu, waiting at the door, turned to face her.

He wore a dark formal suit, his demeanor elegant and composed, the stern face of his daily life softened by a gentle smile.

He looked at Qiao Xi with warmth and pride, as if he were gazing at his own daughter.

Qiao Xi drew a deep breath, placing her hand on Mr. Fu’s arm, already bent for her.

In that moment, her heart swelled with many emotions.

Her biological father, Qiao Hongshan, had fallen from grace through gambling and other misdeeds, and was now imprisoned, unable to witness the most important day of his daughter's life.

Yet, Mr. Fu, in his own way, filled the void in her heart.

"Child, don't be nervous," he said, sensing the shift in her mood and patting her hand. "Yancheng is waiting for you at the end of the aisle—so are we."

"Yes, Dad," Qiao Xi replied with a smile, tightening her grip on his arm.

The banquet hall doors opened wide.

Qiao Xi walked arm-in-arm with Mr. Fu, stepping onto a flower-strewn, sacred red carpet.

In an instant, all eyes were drawn to her.

A wave of admiration swept through the air.

She seemed a fairy walking in light, accompanied by Mr. Fu, step by step toward the end of the aisle.

Fu Yancheng was already waiting.

He wore a white suit, tall and handsome, his features striking.

As he watched his bride approach, escorted by his father, the usual coldness of his expression was replaced by an uncontrollable excitement.

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His gaze followed Qiao Xi unwaveringly, as if she were the only person left in the world.

Mr. Fu solemnly placed Qiao Xi’s hand into Fu Yancheng’s palm.

Looking at his son, he smiled. "Yancheng, I entrust Xi Xi to you. Take good care of her."

"Don’t worry, Dad," Fu Yancheng replied, gripping Qiao Xi’s hand and meeting his father’s eyes with unwavering resolve. Then he gazed deeply into Qiao Xi’s tear-filled eyes.

"I will spend my life protecting her, loving her as if she were my very soul."

Mr. Fu nodded with satisfaction and stepped back, leaving the stage entirely to the newlyweds.

As the priest solemnly announced, "Now, will the couple exchange rings," a sudden commotion and cries erupted at the side entrance of the banquet hall.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the disturbance—someone stumbled inside.

It was Lu Yanzhi, who had escaped from prison!

He was disheveled, his face ghastly pale.

Yet his gaze brimmed with desperate madness and reckless determination.

Ignoring the security guards rushing toward him, he fixed his eyes on Qiao Xi at the center of the aisle and cried out hoarsely, "Xi Xi!"

"You cannot marry him!"

The unexpected interruption sent the entire hall into uproar.

Fu Yancheng’s expression darkened instantly; he instinctively shielded Qiao Xi behind him, his eyes icy. "Lu Yanzhi, what are you trying to do?!"

"What am I trying to do?" Lu Yanzhi let out a tragic, bitter laugh.

He pulled from his pocket a small black device, trembling, and held it high above his head.

He laughed again and said, "Fu Yancheng, you may have won everything, but you’ll never win against me!"

Turning to Qiao Xi, he continued, "Xi Xi, do you remember your mother’s last surgery?"

"The chief surgeon... I bribed him long ago. He implanted a miniature bomb inside your mother’s body!"

His words struck like thunder. Everyone was stunned.

"What did you say?!"

All color drained from Qiao Xi’s face.

She whipped her head toward her mother, Zhao Huiyun, seated in the place of honor...