Chapter 10#
Contract Marriage (10)#
Ten minutes later, Lu Yi politely saw the other person out of his room, finally gaining some peace.
From learning of Fang Chuan’s disappearance to finding a suitable replacement groom and arranging everything, it took him only fourteen hours.
Every step went exactly as he had anticipated, except for one small hiccup concerning Yu Ke.
Fingertips resting on the spot where the two had touched, Lu Yi thought to himself that perhaps he had been too indulgent with the other party. Over the coming year of living together, he should probably be more mindful of maintaining proper boundaries.
He slept dreamlessly. The next morning, his internal alarm clock woke him. After changing into the custom-made suit for the wedding, he walked to the door of the room where Yu Ke was resting and knocked.
Yu Ke, still in his pajamas, opened the door and rubbed his sleepy face. People usually look their worst right after waking up or coming out of a bath, but Yu Ke appeared unexpectedly adorable—his good looks had clearly passed the test.
Lu Yi offered his new spouse the customary morning greeting, warm and polite: “Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?”
Yu Ke’s voice carried a hint of laziness: “Good morning. Slept well. Do we need to get up this early?”
Because he had replaced Fang Chuan and was staying at the Lu residence, the traditional wedding procession had been eliminated, saving a lot of time.
“I’ll check your progress from yesterday shortly. The wedding venue is about a two-hour drive from here. It’s going to be a long day. If you feel tired, you can rest in the car.”
His voice dropped, his expression turning very serious: “From the moment we step out of the Lu family gates, you can’t be as casual as you were yesterday. Do you understand?”
“I understand. Go ahead and test me.”
Yu Ke stepped aside, letting Lu Yi into his room.
Many media outlets would attend this wedding. Although they had all been briefed, once they were under the spotlight, every move would be magnified. Lu Yi had to ensure that Yu Ke, the temporary actor, made no mistakes. Unlike yesterday’s random spot checks, today he went over every detail from beginning to end.
Two hours later, Yu Ke looked utterly exhausted, as if he had been drained dry after three days and nights of hard labor.
He stared at Lu Yi, who sat upright, still full of energy and high spirits, and said weakly, “Chairman Lu, you are really strict.”
Lu Yi didn’t respond to his comment. He just closed the folder in his hand. “There are still a few minor flaws, but they’ll be enough to handle the guests. Your memory is better than I expected. If you don’t mind, I could arrange a job for you at Lu Corporation—about twice your current salary.”
“If it’s to be your secretary, then I’ll have to decline your offer.” Working as Lu Yi’s secretary, he definitely wouldn’t develop any fondness for this boss.
He was just too tired. Two hours ago, he saw Lu Yi as an angel radiating holy light; two hours later, looking at that handsome face, all he saw was a hideous demon.
“No, it’s the position of PR Director at Lu Corporation.” Yu Ke was indeed smart and likable. His responses to the several crisis scenarios Lu Yi had set up were flawless.
Yu Ke’s eyes brightened a little, but he still refused. “Sounds great, but since I’m currently your wife, it might be better to avoid any conflict of interest.”
Lu Yi had only mentioned it casually; since the other party declined, he didn’t press.
While the Lu family was busy preparing for the wedding, on the other side, Fang Chuan’s mother, who had paid a hefty price, finally managed to contact her runaway son at two in the morning on Valentine’s Day.
When she reached him, she exploded in fury, cursing her son without any trace of the elegance expected of a wealthy lady. He hung up on her.
When she called again from a different number, she had learned her lesson and didn’t waste time venting. Instead, she cut straight to the point: “Did you know Lu Yi is getting married today?”
Fang Chuan’s voice came through the phone, sounding a bit muffled. “I know today was supposed to be our wedding, but I really don’t love him. Maybe some people don’t care about love, but if I rashly went through with this marriage, I think I’d regret it for the rest of my life. Mom, I’m sorry. Please tell Lu Yi I’m sorry.”
He was about to hang up again, but Ms. Qin’s icy words stopped him. “What I mean is, the wedding is going ahead as scheduled. The person you owe an apology to is me—your mother!”
Fang Chuan’s voice was full of disbelief. “Mom, what do you mean by that?”
How could the wedding go on without one of the grooms? He had known Lu Yi for ten years and knew he wasn’t the type to humiliate himself.
In fact, it was precisely because he trusted Lu Yi’s ability to handle the situation that he had found the courage to leave.
Sensing that her son was willing to listen, Qin Lan calmed down. The most important thing now wasn’t to scold her son but to stop that absurd wedding.
“What do I mean? Do you think everyone sees you as a treasure like I do, that you’re indispensable? He found out you were gone and immediately found someone else to marry. I think he’s probably been cheating on you all along. My foolish son, you ran away for nothing, letting someone else step in and take the advantage.”
Fang Chuan was uncertain at first, but hearing this, he was sure it was just Ms. Qin’s trick to get him to come back and go through with the wedding. “Mom, stop lying to me. I know Lu Yi didn’t find anyone else. He wouldn’t do that to me.”
Ms. Qin was almost choked with frustration. Afraid her son would hang up and change his SIM card again, she stopped trying to smear Lu Yi and played her trump card. “He didn’t cheat, but he really did find a replacement. And do you know who that replacement is? It’s your first love, Yu Ke!”
A heavy object clattered to the floor on the other end of the line. Half a minute later, Fang Chuan’s breathing was obviously ragged. “Mom, don’t lie to me. How could he be connected to Yu Ke?”
Though he said he didn’t believe it, his tone had completely shifted from his earlier denial of Lu Yi’s infidelity. There was clear wavering in his voice.
He knew his mother well. When he was young and foolish, he had been willing to die for true love. After Yu Ke left him with harsh words, he had even tried to slit his wrists. He couldn’t go through with it in the end because he was too afraid of pain, but that incident made his whole family hate Yu Ke—especially his doting mother.
She would never use that person as an example unless it was true.
“You!” Qin Lan’s voice carried a note of disappointment. “The wedding is at noon today. Whether you come for yourself or for someone else, you must show up and stop this marriage.”
Fang Chuan’s breathing grew heavier. “But Mom, what if you’re tricking me? Like back in high school when you said you’d agree, but then went to see Yu Ke behind my back.”
“What would I gain by tricking you? Besides, are you really going to cut ties with the family over this?”
Her son had been raised too pampered. Even with a large sum of money, he couldn’t guarantee a comfortable life forever.
With things having come this far, Fang Chuan was already eighty percent convinced that what Ms. Qin said was true. “But I’m in Country A now.”
“How long does it take to fly back from Country A? If you can’t make it in time, borrow your aunt’s private plane. She lives in Country A.”
She hadn’t wanted the whole family to know about this scandal, since it was embarrassing, but if there was no other way, so be it.
Fang Chuan was silent for a while before forcing out through gritted teeth, “I’ll check the nearest flight.”
Whether his mother was telling the truth or not, he had to come and see for himself. If it was a lie, he’d accept his fate. But if it was true and he didn’t stop it, he would regret it forever.
Once she was sure her son could return before the wedding ended, Qin Lan breathed a sigh of relief. She could have told Lu Yi this news, but his actions were like a slap in the face to her. After some hesitation, she chose to keep it quiet for now.
No matter what, she would sabotage this wedding tomorrow, and at the same time, vent the anger she had been holding in for the past two days.
As for that Yu Ke—the two families had known each other for so long. She, as an elder, had seen how much Lu Yi cared for Fang Chuan. As long as Fang Chuan showed up and sincerely begged for forgiveness, wouldn’t childhood sweethearts who grew up together outshine a man who had only been around for a day?
Qin Lan finally felt at ease and managed to get a good night’s sleep.
Everything went smoothly after leaving the Lu residence. But as they neared the church, Yu Ke, sitting in the wedding car, felt inexplicably uneasy.
Lu Yi noticed his spouse’s discomfort and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Carsick?”
“Nothing, just a little nervous.”
Lu Yi’s hand covered his new spouse’s warm hand. His voice was gentle and steady. “Relax. I’m here. Everything will go smoothly.”
Yu Ke clasped his warm hand in return. “I know. I won’t let you down.”
The rearview mirror reflected two affectionate faces, both handsome figures, making them look like a truly divine couple.
The guests invited by both families were all distinguished people. Though they could guess that the change of groom wasn’t due to a secretary’s mistake on the guest list, they were there for the alliance between the two families. As long as the wedding took place, that was enough.
They were all seasoned people who had seen many strange things. They knew how to handle other people’s family affairs and understood without needing to say anything. No one felt the need to expose the truth.
The wedding proceeded as scheduled. In the sacred church, the congregation was seated. On the altar, the priest in his robes recited the wedding vows, just like in a TV drama, and asked one of the grooms.
“Mr. Lu, do you take this person beside you as your lawfully wedded partner, to cherish him all the days of your life, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer?”
“Yes, I—”
A louder voice cut off the young man’s deep, melodious words: “No, he doesn’t!”