The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 385 - 387. Wedding Surprise

Chapter 385: 387. Wedding Surprise

Annie walked into the lounge and saw Wen Xiyao and a few other bridesmaids chatting.

"What are you all talking about that’s making you so happy?" Annie asked with a smile. There were six bridesmaids in total, including her, but among the remaining bridesmaids, only one was a mutual close friend of both hers and Wen Xiyao’s, and currently, there were three bridesmaids in the room.

"We’re talking about our college days. I can’t believe I’m the second one from our class to get married," Wen Xiyao said with a smile.

Annie chuckled, but her mind was busy thinking of an excuse to get these people to leave, yet she couldn’t come up with a good one. As time ticked by, she couldn’t help feeling anxious, worried that Du Nan might barge in recklessly.

"Annie, what’s wrong? You seem distracted," Wen Xiyao, noticing Annie’s absentmindedness, asked with concern.

Annie’s eyes shimmered as she shook her head, "Nothing, it’s just that seeing you so beautiful today is a bit dazzling."

Wen Xiyao smiled sweetly, "When you get married, you’ll definitely be the most beautiful bride too."

Annie’s expression dimmed instantly. It seemed that Wen Xiyao had accidentally touched a sore spot, and she looked apologetically at Annie. Annie gave her a small smile to indicate she was okay.

Annie’s eyes darted around, then she lowered her voice and whispered into Wen Xiyao’s ear, "Xi Yao, there’s something I want to tell you. Can you come out with me for a moment?"

Wen Xiyao looked at her curiously, "What’s wrong? Can’t you say it here?"

Annie glanced at the other bridesmaids, appearing to be in a difficult position, "It’s not very convenient."

Wen Xiyao, unguarded, thought for a moment, then stood up, "I’ll go to the restroom with Annie. I’ll be right back."

Knowing that it wasn’t easy for her to go to the bathroom in a wedding dress and that she needed help, no one thought much of it.

Annie took Wen Xiyao to the room next door. She believed that even though there wasn’t a chance to communicate, Du Nan, who had been paying attention, would know where they were.

"Annie, what did you want to tell me?" Wen Xiyao asked.

"Xi Yao, before I say anything, just wait for me a moment. I need to go back for something, it’ll only take a minute," Annie said.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Wen Xiyao’s heart; today’s Annie was very odd, "Annie, are you hiding something from me?"

Wen Xiyao looked intently at Annie, giving her a start, "Xi Yao, I just wanted to show you something important alone, but I accidentally left it in the other room. Just wait for me a moment, I’ll go grab it."

Wen Xiyao looked at her skeptically. Annie smiled, "I’ll be back very quickly, just a moment." With that, she walked out, leaving Wen Xiyao still puzzled, who could only shake her head helplessly and wait there.

As soon as Annie stepped out the door, she saw Du Nan standing by the entrance. Startled, she quickly looked around, saw no one else, sighed in relief, and glared at Du Nan silently before stepping aside.

Du Nan gratefully glanced at her and walked in.

Wen Xiyao had her back to the door, listening to the footsteps when she turned and saw Du Nan, "It’s you."

Du Nan stared at Wen Xiyao, "Xi Yao, you really look beautiful today."

Wen Xiyao’s expression darkened. As soon as she saw Du Nan, she understood. Annie had called her out to show her something, to talk that was false, but allowing Du Nan to meet her was true, "You’ve gone to great lengths to see me, what exactly do you want to do?"

Du Nan watched Wen Xiyao, reluctant to move his gaze from her face, his eyes clearly conveying love and longing.

"Xi Yao, from the moment we first played house as children, I’ve been fantasizing about seeing you in a wedding dress when we grew up. I’ve been waiting for over twenty years, and today, seeing you just as beautiful as I imagined, no, even more beautiful."

Du Nan spoke with deep emotion, but to Wen Xiyao, it felt like an uncomfortable churn in her stomach. She frowned, "If you’re here to offer your blessings, then thank you. If you’re only here to say these things, then now that you’ve said them, I should be going." She glanced at the door Du Nan had closed, feeling uneasy. This scenario was eerily similar to what had happened during the engagement party.

"Blessings?" Du Nan’s expression changed, "To watch you marry someone else and you expect my blessings? Xi Yao, do you see me as such a weak and incompetent person in your eyes?"

"Du Nan, today is my wedding. It is the most important day of my life. Are you sure you want to ruin my wedding?" Wen Xiyao’s face went completely cold.

Du Nan’s presence immediately weakened, "Xi Yao, don’t be mad. I just came to tell you that I love you more than Shen Junyu. Please don’t be with him. Just agree to go with me, I promise I’ll treat you very well. You can have whatever you want."

Again, such words. Wen Xiyao frowned in disgust, "Du Nan, I won’t go with you. Move aside now, I need to leave." Wen Xiyao tried to leave, but Du Nan grabbed her hand.

"Xi Yao, I won’t let you go. I’ve thought it over, and I really can’t live without you. Today, no matter what, I won’t let you attend the wedding. You might as well give up that idea."

"How so, are you planning to force me?" Wen Xiyao looked at him, her eyes cold as a millennium-old glacier, her tone heavy with sarcasm.

Du Nan’s face changed. Remembering what happened during the engagement party, he looked into Wen Xiyao’s eyes and closed his eyes, "Xi Yao, don’t look at me like that. I won’t force you, I swear. That last time was the first and the last. I just don’t want you to marry Shen Junyu. Please give me another chance, will you?" He pleaded softly.

Wen Xiyao’s expression remained unchanged, not moved by Du Nan’s words, "Du Nan, even if you prevent me from attending the wedding today, by law, Shen Junyu and I are already husband and wife. We got our marriage license yesterday."

Du Nan’s face turned ashen, staring blankly at Wen Xiyao, "Xi Yao, how could you do this to me? Since we were young, I’ve treated you so well, waiting and protecting you tirelessly. How can you be so cruel to me?"

His eyes gradually reddening, even a hint of bloodshot appearing, "Do you know, losing you, I will really die. Can you really watch me die?"

"So, are you now threatening me with death?" Wen Xiyao countered.

"If my death can stop you from marrying Shen Junyu, then what does it matter if I die? If I can’t have it, neither can anyone else," Du Nan said.

Wen Xiyao’s face changed slightly, looking at Du Nan, "I think you’ve really gone mad." Could a normal person say such a thing?

Du Nan laughed bitterly, "Yes, I’ve gone mad, driven mad by you. Xi Yao, why won’t you love me? Compared to Shen Junyu, in what way am I inferior? I love you more deeply than he does. For you, I could give up everything. Can he do that?"

"Love is about mutual consent, willingly given, not about counting gains and losses. Du Nan, what you feel for me is not love, but possession." Wen Xiyao spoke coldly, shaking her hand, trying to free it from Du Nan’s grip, but unsuccessful.

Du Nan clenched Wen Xiyao’s hand even tighter. "Xi Yao, look at what you’ve become since you’ve been with Shen Junyu. You never used to be so unreasonable. It’s all Shen Junyu’s fault for leading you astray."

Wen Xiyao really wanted to curse someone out. Who exactly was the unreasonable one here? She thought Du Nan had truly gone mad, completely insane. Seeing that it was almost time, if she did not appear soon, people outside would start to worry. She began to struggle violently, but Du Nan restrained her. Wen Xiyao’s eyes hardened, and she lifted her foot to kick toward Du Nan’s lower body—a blow that would surely cripple him if it connected.

Du Nan’s face twisted as he dodged to the side, and his hands unconsciously loosened.

Wen Xiyao seized the opportunity to run toward the door. Just as she reached the outside and was about to call for help, Du Nan covered her mouth and dragged her toward the back door.

**

After Du Nan went inside, Annie waited outside the door for two minutes. Seeing no movement, and worried that standing there would draw attention, she walked toward the restroom.

The three bridesmaids in the lounge waited for a while but did not see Wen Xiyao or Annie return. One of them suggested they check the restroom, where they found only Annie.

"Annie, where is Xi Yao?" one of the bridesmaids asked.

Annie looked puzzled. "Didn’t Xi Yao go back? She left a bit ago, and I was delayed because my stomach was upset. Didn’t you see her?"

"No, we just came from the lounge," another bridesmaid said.

"That’s strange," Annie murmured, seemingly talking to herself, then smiled. "No worries, the wedding is about to start. She wouldn’t have gone far. Maybe she just stepped out for a breath of fresh air. Don’t forget, she’s really nervous today."

Hearing this, the others felt reassured. "Then let’s look around. It’s almost time; we don’t want any mishaps." As they spoke, they prepared to search for Wen Xiyao.

"Sure, let’s split up. I’ll check over there; you all look in other places," Annie said, pointing toward the lounge.

The others had no objections. As they split up, Annie let out a sigh of relief, inwardly blaming Du Nan for causing her trouble. She quickened her pace toward the lounge, needing to bring Wen Xiyao back in time for the wedding. After so much time, Du Nan must have said everything he wanted to say.

Just as Annie walked past, she saw Du Nan pulling Wen Xiyao around the corner of the corridor.

Annie’s expression changed, and she hurried after them.

Du Nan had just decided to take Wen Xiyao away, but she was uncooperative and kept struggling. In a harsh decision, Du Nan knocked Wen Xiyao unconscious. His blow wasn’t very heavy—just enough to keep Wen Xiyao out for a short while, which was sufficient since his aim was simply to get her out.

But just as they reached the door, Du Nan saw several bodyguard-like figures standing nearby. They would spot him the moment he turned the corner. Startled, he turned and headed toward the back door. He had already scouted the hotel layout the day before and was familiar with it. But within a few steps, he encountered Annie.

Annie saw Wen Xiyao in Du Nan’s arms, her face hardened. "What have you done to her?"

Du Nan hadn’t expected to run into Annie, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Annie, step aside. I’m taking Xi Yao away from here."

"No." Annie refused. "If Xi Yao were leaving voluntarily with you, I wouldn’t stop her; I’d even support it. But now, you’re forcibly taking her. Du Nan, to put it seriously, this is kidnapping. While no one has noticed yet, hand Xi Yao over to me and leave quickly. As for Xi Yao, I’ll explain to her, asking her not to take this further with you."

Annie had never imagined that Du Nan would do something so terrifying. She was already regretting it, wishing she had never helped him, knowing that Xi Yao would definitely blame her.

"I can’t just watch her marry someone else, don’t even think about it. I won’t allow such a situation to happen. Today, I must take Xi Yao with me. Annie, for the sake of our friendship, step aside."

Annie blocked him, "Du Nan, put Xi Yao down. This isn’t going to benefit you at all."

No matter what Annie said, Du Nan was unwilling to listen. Annie grew frantic, knowing the place was quiet but anyone could show up. If someone saw what was happening, the situation would escalate, "Du Nan, if you don’t put Xi Yao down, I’m going to call for help. Then you’ll be legally responsible."

Du Nan laughed mockingly, "Kidnapping, right? I’m not afraid. Go ahead and call for help. I’m the mastermind; you’re just the accomplice. Don’t forget, you lured Xi Yao out for me. If I’m not clean, neither are you."

Hearing this, Annie’s face turned ashen. This Du Nan, wanting to die but also dragging her into it, "Du Nan, you’re insane."

"Yes, I am insane. Without Xi Yao, I’m just a lunatic. I don’t even know what I would do next, so let me go now."

Annie looked at Du Nan’s bloodshot eyes and instinctively stepped back.

"Xi Yao."

From afar, Annie heard someone call out Wen Xi Yao’s name. It seemed that her absence had aroused suspicion, "Du Nan, they’ve noticed Xi Yao is missing. Hand her over to me quickly." Annie was truly panicked. This madman, Du Nan, had really caused her big trouble.

"Du Nan, listen to me. The Shen family has bodyguards all around the hotel; you can’t get out with Xi Yao. Rather than this, why don’t you let her go? Seeing her happy would make you happy too, wouldn’t it?"

"No, I won’t be happy. Her happiness isn’t provided by me. Why would I be happy?" Du Nan shook his head, "Annie, there are no bodyguards at the back door. Let me leave through the back."

Now, Annie dared not let Du Nan leave. If Du Nan took Wen Xi Yao away, the trouble wouldn’t just fall on him, but on their families as well, and offending the Shen Family was not something their family could afford. She was good friends with Wen Xi Yao, but she had no ties with the Shen Family.

The Du Family’s stronghold was in Nancheng, beyond the reach of the Shen Family, but their home was in Beijing. It wouldn’t be difficult for the Shen Family to target them. Thinking this, Annie regretted even more having agreed to help Du Nan.

This moment of weakness had brought so much trouble that Annie felt like kicking herself. But it was too late for regrets; the urgent matter was to bring Wen Xi Yao back.

"Du Nan, calm down, think about your parents," Annie pleaded.

While Annie was still trying to persuade Du Nan, Shen Qinglan had already found out about Wen Xi Yao’s disappearance. She whispered a few words into Fu Hengyi’s ear, and he squeezed her hand, speaking softly, "Be careful yourself."

Shen Qinglan nodded and stood up to leave.

"What is Lanlan doing?" Old Sir Shen asked.

Fu Hengyi smiled, "She said she wanted to go to the bathroom. I told her to watch her step."

Hearing this, Old Sir Shen didn’t take it to heart, simply saying, "Tell Lanlan not to rush, to take it slow."

"I was just telling her that," Fu Hengyi responded smoothly.

Shen Qinglan walked to the back and looked at Fang Tong, who had just called her to say that Wen Xiyao had disappeared.

"What happened?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"I’m not sure. It was about time, so I came in to remind Sister Xiyao, but there was no one in the lounge. Then I ran into them," Fang Tong pointed at Wen Xiyao’s bridesmaids and continued, "they said Sister Xiyao went to a bathroom and hasn’t come back."

Shen Qinglan’s expression changed slightly, her first thought was Du Nan. She immediately called Jin Enxi, "Enxi, where is Du Nan?"

Jin Enxi was taken aback, "Du Nan? I haven’t seen him. I’ve been watching the monitors."

"My sister-in-law is missing," Shen Qinglan said gravely.

Jin Enxi jumped up from her chair, "What?" She then realized, "You suspect it was Du Nan? But I’ve been watching the monitors the whole time, and I really haven’t seen any suspicious people."

"What if the person came in early?" Shen Qinglan posed a point they had all overlooked.

Jin Enxi fell silent, realizing they had indeed overlooked this possibility. They had only considered that Du Nan might cause trouble today but hadn’t considered the possibility that he might have entered the hotel before them, waiting for the right moment.

"An, I will check all the hotel’s surveillance footage right now," Jin Enxi said and then hung up the phone.

Shen Qinglan stood there, her eyes dark and cold.

After a while, Jin Enxi called back, "An, I found Du Nan with Wen Xiyao at the elevator on the south side of the first floor. You head there first, I’m coming over right now. Wait for me and don’t do anything rash."

Shen Qinglan was frosty, and Fang Tong had never seen such a side of her. Somewhat lost, Shen Qinglan glanced at her, "Go get my brother here and don’t alarm anyone else."

The others present heard it and understood immediately that something had happened, and it was related to Du Nan—they had just heard Du Nan’s name.

Shen Qinglan walked towards the south elevator and just as she entered, she heard a conversation between Annie and Du Nan.

"Du Nan, are you really forcing me to call for help?" Annie was irritable; she was not a patient person. She had been advising for a long time, and Du Nan still insisted on taking Wen Xiyao away; she was on the verge of exploding.

Du Nan looked gently at Wen Xiyao in his arms, "I absolutely won’t let her marry someone else today. Annie, even if it means my death, I won’t stand by and watch her marry another."

Du Nan looked up and saw Shen Qinglan and others approaching. His face changed, he turned, pressed the elevator button, and entered before anyone could react. Initially, he wanted to go to the underground parking lot, but coincidentally, this elevator in the hotel went up, so Du Nan pressed for the top floor.

Shen Qinglan watched the rising elevator, her expression sour. She pressed the button, but this building only had one elevator which had just gone up; it wouldn’t come down any time soon. If it were before her pregnancy, she might have taken the stairs, but now, she didn’t know how long it would take to reach the top floor.

**

When Fang Tong found Shen Junyu, he was with the master of ceremonies doing the final confirmation of the wedding procedures, "President Shen."

Shen Junyu saw her and smiled gently, asking, "What’s wrong?"

Fang Tong glanced at the officiant and whispered, "President Shen, could you come over for a moment?"

Shen Junyu gave her a firm look, then said to the officiant, "Sorry, please wait a moment," and followed Fang Tong aside.

Fang Tong briefly explained, "Qinglan wants you to come immediately, they’re by the southern elevator."

Shen Junyu’s eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to leave, he thought of something, walked over to the officiant, and said in a low voice, "Find a way to delay the wedding for fifteen minutes, I’ll be back soon after handling something."

"Ah, Mr. Shen." The officiant tried to call him back, but Shen Junyu had already left. On his way, Shen Junyu’s pace was steady and he wore a faint smile, showing no signs of trouble to anyone around until he reached a secluded area and then ran.

When Shen Junyu arrived, Shen Qinglan and the others were still waiting for the elevator. As Shen Junyu approached, the elevator doors just happened to open. Shen Qinglan entered first, followed by Shen Junyu. "Lanlan, what exactly happened? Where is Xiyao?"

Shen Qinglan had a stern face, her eyes brimming with anger—rarely did her emotions leak out like this. Du Nan’s actions this time truly infuriated her; she had known she should have dealt with this future problem at the last engagement party.

"Sister-in-law was taken to the rooftop by Du Nan," said Shen Qinglan coldly.

This hotel had three buildings shaped like staggered steps—from eight, eighteen, to twenty-eight stories—each taller than the last. Shen Junyu was hosting the event at the lowest eight-story building, whose banquet hall was the largest and most luxurious in Beijing, specifically used for high-class banquets or weddings.

After reaching the eighth floor, Shen Qinglan and her company stepped out of the elevator but were momentarily unsure of what to do next, as they did not know which direction Du Nan had taken Wen Xiyao.

Unsure where to now go, Shen Junyu said, "Lanlan, wait here for a moment, I’ll go to the neighboring building and look."

"Wait," Shen Qinglan stopped him, picking up a call from Jin Enxi, "An, I’m on my way to the hotel, listen, Du Nan has taken Wen Xiyao to the rooftop of the building you’re in now."

Although Jin Enxi was in charge of the hotel’s surveillance today, she wasn’t actually at the hotel. For her, hacking into the hotel’s surveillance system from home wasn’t difficult, and with so many bodyguards present, she hadn’t expected any issues, yet something had still gone wrong.

After hanging up the call, Shen Qinglan and Shen Junyu made their way to the rooftop, and sure enough, they saw Du Nan, with Wen Xiyao lying in his arms, eyes closed, as if she were asleep.

"Xiyao," Shen Junyu called.

Du Nan turned around, saw him, and smiled, "You’re here, that was quick."

Du Nan was standing at the edge of the rooftop, just two steps away from stepping into thin air, causing Shen Junyu’s breath to catch, "Du Nan, what are you doing?"

Du Nan smiled and looked tenderly at the Wen Xiyao in his arms, "I don’t want to do anything, just want to be with Xiyao, but since you wouldn’t let me leave, I had to come up here."

Shen Junyu said sternly, "What have you done to Xiyao?"

"I haven’t done anything, just let Xiyao sleep for a while. She is the person I love most; how could I bear to hurt her?"

"You can’t bear to hurt her, but what are you doing now? Today she’s getting married to the man she loves the most, the most memorable day of her life, yet you want to destroy her happiness. Is this how you love her?" Shen Qinglan said, her tone remarkably calm.

Du Nan, still gentle in demeanor, replied, "You’re mistaken, I’m here today to correct her mistake. The person she truly loves in her heart is me. It’s just that she was deceived by Shen Junyu’s actions. If she ever comes to her senses, she’ll surely regret it. Right now, I’m merely trying to prevent her future regret."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan’s eyes slightly flickered as she stared directly at Du Nan; his mental state seemed a bit off. After a moment, Shen Qinglan softened her voice and quietly asked, "How do you know that Xi Yao loves you, and not Shen Junyu?"

Hearing this, Du Nan’s smile became even gentler, "Because Xi Yao said when she was four years old that she would be my bride when she grew up. We’ve grown up together, and all these years, I’ve been the only one by her side. You don’t know; Xi Yao has always been outstanding, like the brightest star in the night sky, always the center of attention. She has many admirers, but she never gives them a second glance. I know she does it to keep me from getting jealous."

Seeing Du Nan completely immersed in his delusions, Annie couldn’t help but speak, "Du Nan, wake up. Xi Yao has never loved you. Stop deceiving yourself. The person you love is Shen Junyu. Don’t be obstinate."

Hearing her words, Shen Qinglan wanted to curse. Du Nan was clearly not in a right mental state, and Annie still provocatively stimulated him. In that moment, Shen Qinglan truly wanted to step forward and slap her across the face.

Annie, meeting Shen Qinglan’s cold gaze, hesitated with the words on her lips and awkwardly closed her mouth.

But it was already too late. Upon hearing Annie’s words, Du Nan immediately became agitated, "Nonsense, Xi Yao loves me, she belongs to me, and nobody can take her away from me. If anyone dares to try, I’ll fight them."

Shen Junyu, watching the events unfold, also realized that Du Nan wasn’t behaving normally—Shen Qinglan had been trying to soothe Du Nan, but Annie’s words had ruined it.

"You," Du Nan pointed at Shen Junyu, "it’s all because of you. If it weren’t for you, Xi Yao wouldn’t have turned out like this today. I should have been the one walking into the chapel with her. She and I would still be deeply in love." His expression became frenzied, like a furious lion, his eyes carrying a hint of blood-red.

Seeing this, Shen Qinglan’s expression shifted slightly, she spoke, "Yes, you’re right. It’s all Shen Junyu’s fault. His appearance has ruined the relationship between you and Xi Yao. Xi Yao belongs to you; no one can take her away from you. Calm down for now; you’re scaring Xi Yao. You don’t want her to get a bad impression of you, right?"

Hearing this, Du Nan seemed to come to his senses a bit, "No, I know you. You’re Shen Junyu’s sister; you must be on his side. You’re lying to me!"

"I am Shen Junyu’s sister, but I don’t take sides based on kinship. In this matter, I support you. I also believe that my brother was wrong," Shen Qinglan said earnestly.

Du Nan smiled, "You understand me. Right, your brother doesn’t deserve Xi Yao."

He looked down at Wen Xi Yao, "So many people have pursued her, yet she has always stayed single because she also has feelings for me. She’s just waiting for me to better myself. I need to grow, to catch up with her pace, do you know? Xi Yao and I had a good relationship; we often went to the movies together, went to amusement parks, Xi Yao loves eating ice cream, but she would always get a stomachache after eating it. Every time, I would buy her an ice cream. She would take a bite, and the rest she would give to me."

"Then your relationship with Xi Yao must truly be close," Shen Qinglan said, nodding while giving Shen Junyu a meaningful look. Shen Junyu immediately understood and stepped aside to send a message to Han Yi.

Hearing the affirmative response, Du Nan’s expression grew more gentle, nodding, "Yes, not only that, in high school I also skipped classes with her to go out and play. When we got caught and our parents were called, Uncle Wen wanted to punish her. Xi Yao’s eyes were red; I pleaded for mercy, asking Uncle Wen not to punish her. Then I went home and was beaten by my father. Xi Yao came to me in the middle of the night, bringing me medicine for my wounds."

As Du Nan spoke of these memories with Wen Xi Yao, to an outsider, it seemed that they had been deeply in love since their youth, but Shen Qinglan believed that most likely Wen Xi Yao had always regarded him as a good friend, without mixing feelings of romantic love.

In Du Nan’s arms, Wen Xi Yao slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Du Nan’s gentle face, which looked extremely hideous to her at that moment.

"Slap." A slap landed mercilessly on Du Nan’s face, turning it to one side, Wen Xi Yao’s palm burning hot from the force used.

She tried to push Du Nan away, but his hold was tight, "Du Nan, let go."

"Xi Yao, stay still, don’t move," Du Nan completely ignored the slap mark on his face, restraining Wen Xiyao from moving.

"Xi Yao," Shen Junyu spoke, Wen Xiyao turned around, and her eyes lit up at the sight of Shen Junyu, "Jun Yu."

Shen Junyu gave her a reassuring look, signaling her not to be afraid and not to provoke Du Nan.

Seeing Shen Junyu, Wen Xiyao suddenly felt safe, and she calmed down. Seeing her no longer struggling, Du Nan’s face broke into a smile, "Xi Yao."

Wen Xiyao calmed down, but also realized that she was standing on the edge of the rooftop. If she had struggled more fiercely just earlier, she might have fallen off with Du Nan. Thinking about this, a trace of fright flickered through her eyes.

Wen Xiyao quieted down, but Du Nan, worried she would run, didn’t lessen his tight grip on her.

"Du Nan, why did you bring me here? What are you trying to do?" Wen Xiyao asked coldly, "Do you want to push me off from here?"

Hearing this, Du Nan’s face showed bewilderment, "Xi Yao, I didn’t, how could I bear to do that? I just wanted to take you away, but they wouldn’t let me leave. I had no choice but to bring you here."

"It’s not them stopping you; I just don’t want to go with you, Du Nan. Let me go, a forced melon isn’t sweet," Wen Xiyao calmly negotiated as if discussing with Du Nan.

Du Nan paused, "Xi Yao, do you really hate me that much?"

Having received Shen Qinglan’s hint, Wen Xiyao dared not nod but said, "It’s not hate. You are my good friend, how could I hate you? But, Du Nan, you once said you would never force me to do anything I dislike. Do you remember that?"

"I naturally remember, Xi Yao, I do want to wish you happiness, but I can’t control myself. The mere thought of you being with another man drives me crazy with the desire to kill. Losing you would really kill me," Du Nan murmured, not for the first time, but this time his tone was different from ever before, combined with the current situation, Wen Xiyao truly worried he might jump off with her in a moment of despair.

Involuntarily, Wen Xiyao cast a pleading look towards Shen Qinglan.

**

Meanwhile, the wedding ceremony had already started, and the emcee had begun speaking onstage, narrating the love story between Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao. Chu Yunrong, sitting in the audience, sensed something was off because Shen Junyu was missing.

"Where has Jun Yu gone?" Chu Yunrong whispered to her husband.

Shen Qian patted her hand, smiling reassuringly, "He must be around, what are you worried about? Brush up that look on your face; you wouldn’t want others to think you dislike Xi Yao as your daughter-in-law."

Chu Yunrong shot him a glance, "I really like Xi Yao as my daughter-in-law, don’t talk nonsense," but her face did break into a smile.

Sitting beside them, Fu Hengyi felt a vague unease in his heart. Shen Qinglan had left a long while ago and still hadn’t returned, and Shen Junyu had also disappeared. Fu Hengyi wanted to check on them, he glanced at his own legs, feeling powerless again. He looked at Han Yi, who, understanding, was just about to stand up when he received a message from Shen Junyu. His expression shifted, exchanged a look with Fu Hengyi, and walked out.

Just as he reached the door, a commotion came from outside, vaguely hearing "Someone is going to jump off a building," Han Yi quickened his pace.

Mrs. Du was waiting for the wedding ceremony to start when she only saw the emcee speaking non-stop on stage, but neither the groom nor bride was present. She couldn’t help but mutter to her husband, "It’s time for the wedding to start, and it hasn’t begun yet. The groom hasn’t run away, has he?" She spoke with a hint of schadenfreude.