Yin Zhian still sat with his head hanging low, unmoved by his wife’s cries and pleading. His eyes were dry and sore, and his heart felt hollow, as if nothing mattered anymore. The crisis at Yin Group, the life or death of the family—none of it stirred anything in him now. Only one thought remained: he wanted to see He Changning. He wanted to see that child who had the same eyes as his late wife. Maybe by looking at him, he could catch a glimpse of her face. What did he want? To reminisce? To regret? To atone? Was it too late for any of that?
Countless tangled thoughts churned in his mind. His head felt like a mess of sticky paste. What did he want to do? He couldn’t remember. Even if he didn’t want to do anything—he couldn’t remember that either.
The rest of the family was still fighting about the matter of Lin Jingxian, and no one noticed the change in Yin Zhian. No one cared about him anymore.
In the end, it was decided—Yin Hao would marry Lin Jingxian, and Yin Zhian would go talk to He Changning.
Everyone had left the living room. Yin Zhian remained, still sitting there with his head drooped. A servant, unable to watch any longer, gently spoke up, “Sir, are you alright?”
Yin Zhian snapped out of his trance like waking from a dream. “I’m fine,” he murmured weakly, then went upstairs.
Yin Hao spent some time mentally preparing himself before finally calling Lin Jingxian. The phone rang for a while before someone answered. “Hello?”
It was a middle-aged woman’s voice. Yin Hao cleared his throat. “Hello, I’m a friend of Miss Lin. May I speak with her?”
“May I ask who’s calling?” the woman asked cautiously.
“My name is Yin Hao.”
The woman hesitated noticeably when she heard the name. “Please hold. I’ll inform the young lady.” Then she put the phone down.
Yin Hao waited patiently. A few minutes later, a slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver. “Hello, this is Lin Jingxian.”
Yin Hao tensed up the moment he heard her voice. He tried to keep his tone calm so she wouldn’t hear anything unusual. “Miss Lin, how have you been?”
Lin Jingxian gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. She forced down the rage bubbling up and replied stiffly, “If that’s all you called to say, then forget it.” She was about to hang up.
Yin Hao quickly stopped her. “No, wait. Miss Lin, please hear me out. There’s something I need to say.”
“What is it?” Her voice was filled with impatience.
Yin Hao closed his eyes, trying to suppress the shame rising in his chest. “The damage is done. I won’t pretend to be a noble man, but I do have principles. What happened that day—I’ll take responsibility.”
Lin Jingxian was stunned. No one else knew how horrific that day was better than she did. Being assaulted by two men, surrounded by onlookers… and now, with the videos and media reports flooding the internet, she was drowning in shame and public scorn. Why would he say this now? She’d grown up in a powerful family—she wasn’t naïve. If she had been, she’d already be dead a dozen times over. “Why are you doing this? Don’t tell me it’s just out of responsibility. Even you don’t believe that, so don’t insult my intelligence.”
Yin Hao rubbed his aching temples. This woman was hard to deal with. “You may not believe me, but that’s honestly how I feel. You were the most innocent person in this whole mess. I’m a man, and there are responsibilities I need to carry. I don’t want to be remembered as a coward.”
Lin Jingxian was taken aback. “You… you really mean that?”
“Yes, Jingxian. I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’m sincere. Please explain this to your family for me. I’ll come to propose in the next few days.”
A wave of disbelief crashed over Lin Jingxian. She had been in total despair, yet suddenly there was a flicker of hope. Part of her wanted to believe it was true. But years of navigating scheming elites had taught her better—it couldn’t be that simple. The day it happened, she hadn’t even known how she got home. When she woke up, her entire body ached so badly she could barely move—especially below the waist, where the pain was like being ripped apart. She’d wanted to die.
And that wasn’t even the worst part. The online coverage, the tabloid headlines, the crude, vicious gossip—it all pierced her like knives. Her father had looked at her like she was something disgusting. That cold, disgusted gaze had frozen her to the core. Her mother’s eyes were red from crying. Her siblings were either mocking, indifferent, or utterly repulsed. Once the proud daughter of a prestigious family, she had become a disgrace, a soiled woman everyone avoided like the plague. She knew, without a doubt, that her family had already given up on her.
But she refused to be discarded like this. She fought back, begged, pleaded—but it was all useless. Only one fate awaited her: to be sent away to some unfamiliar place where no one knew her, living like an insect among the lower classes. She couldn’t accept that. She had a bright future, stunning beauty, and a proud figure. She should have been living a life of luxury like a princess. Now that everything had been ruined, who was going to pay the price? Shang Yushang? No—definitely not him. He would look at her the same way his father did, with cold disgust. She would never let herself appear so wretched before the man she loved.
That left only He Changning. If he had never appeared, none of this would have happened. She would’ve stayed by Shang Yushang’s side, been a good and obedient wife, had his children, and lived a life others could only dream of. So all the hatred—He Changning had to bear it.
“Yin Hao, are you sure about this?”
“Yes, Jingxian.”
Lin Jingxian’s pale face twisted into something terrifying, like a ghost out of the dark, “You want to marry me? Fine. You want the Lin family to back you? That’s fine too. But you have to agree to one condition.”
Yin Hao’s heart thudded. Her voice was so cold it made his skin crawl. “Say it. If I can do it, I’ll try my best.”
Lin Jingxian laughed coldly, “Good. Listen up. I want you to destroy He Changning. No matter what it takes. If you can ruin him, I’ll agree to marry you and convince my father to support Yin Group. Think carefully before you answer.”
Yin Hao hated He Changning too—wished he were dead. Their desires lined up perfectly. “Fine. I promise you. I feel the same. I’d love nothing more than to see him die right now.”
Thus began a conspiracy against He Changning. But whether it would end as perfectly as planned—that was another matter.
That day’s newspapers were dominated by a major headline, and the internet lit up with posts: Yin Group’s eldest son, Yin Hao, was marrying the Lin family’s eldest daughter, Lin Jingxian. The news stunned many. Speculations flew—why was the Yin family doing this? Why did the Lin family agree? Could the recent rumors be true—that the Lin family was indeed marrying off their daughter? But the Yin and Liang families weren’t even on the same level. Why didn’t the Lins go with the more suitable Liang family instead?
After all, both people involved were the stars of a sex scandal video. Did this confirm another rumor—that Miss Lin was pregnant? But how could the Yin family be sure the child was Yin Hao’s? What if it belonged to the Liang family’s heir? Then Yin Hao would be raising another man’s child—and wearing a very public green hat.
Throughout the uproar, the Liang family remained silent. They gave no reaction to the public’s questions. This, at least, was a relief to the Yins. As long as the Liangs didn’t interfere, everything would go more smoothly.
The wedding was hastily arranged under pressure from both families. Cong Min was absolutely against Lin Jingxian marrying into the Yin family, but she knew there was no way out. She had to swallow her pride and go along, even helping organize the wedding.
The Lin family kept their response low-key. They made minimal preparations, clearly just trying to get rid of the disgraced daughter quickly before she could further damage the family’s image or affect the other children.
On the wedding day, Yin Hao arrived at the Lin residence in a white tuxedo, leading a motorcade. Father Lin wore no expression, gave a few brief words, and handed his daughter off without ceremony.
Yin Hao felt unsettled. Lin Jingxian had promised to convince her father to support Yin Group, but today Lin’s expression said nothing of the sort. He suspected now that she had never actually spoken to her father. The Lin family just wanted to get rid of the disgrace as fast as possible and didn’t care about anything else. He had been played—by the Lin family.
In the wedding car, Yin Hao’s face was dark. “Jingxian, you promised to talk to your father about supporting Yin Group. But today, his attitude was cold. He didn’t look like someone who agreed. What’s going on?”
Despite her heavy makeup, Lin Jingxian still looked pale and worn. Her eyes were cold and empty, showing none of the joy or shyness expected from a bride. Her voice was hoarse and biting. “Did you do what you promised me?”
Yin Hao’s gaze darkened. “Don’t worry. Today is the day it happens.”
Lin Jingxian turned to him. “Today? Are you sure he’ll come?”
Yin Hao was confident. “Of course. He’ll definitely come.”
“Good. Then I’ll keep my promise too. Don’t worry.”
The rest of the ride was silent. The motorcade soon arrived at the Yin residence. To avoid unwanted trouble, the ceremony was held in the small garden there. Not many guests showed up—plenty were happy to kick someone when they were down, but few offered a pillow when someone was falling asleep.
The bride was brought in and placed in a small lounge, accompanied by two young women. Neither of them had wanted to come—worried their reputations might be tainted by associating with this shameless woman—but they had been forced by their families. So they sat there, faces full of scorn.
Backtrack to the day before Yin Hao’s wedding. Yin Zhian had called He Changning and asked to meet. His tone was unusually sincere, even invoking the years he had raised him. He Changning couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
Yin Zhian arrived early and waited at the agreed café.
He Changning came on time, accompanied by Shang Yushang.
Facing the couple sitting across from him, Yin Zhian didn’t know what to say. He kept his head down, sipping on a cup of coffee that had no taste.
Not wanting to waste time, He Changning took the initiative. “What do you want?”
He didn’t call him Dad. That alone made Yin Zhian feel a tight, sour ache in his chest. “Changning, are… are you doing well?”
He Changning smiled slightly. “Yes. Very well.”
And then—nothing. The silence that followed was suffocating. Yin Zhian cleared his throat awkwardly. “Changning, I…”
“Just say what you need to say.”
“I…,” Yin Zhian didn’t know how to begin. But he couldn’t avoid it. After a long hesitation, he finally summoned the courage. “Changning, could you help me?”
“Help you?” He Changning’s brows furrowed slightly. “What happened?”
Yin Zhian was so ashamed he couldn’t lift his head. After a long pause, he spoke again. “Yin Hao’s scandal has severely impacted Yin Group. We’re barely holding on.” He shot a glance at the stone-faced Shang Yushang beside Changning. “Could I ask President Shang for help?” His eyes were filled with desperation and hope.
He Changning’s smile disappeared. “You really don’t know the truth behind Yin Hao’s actions?”
Yin Zhian’s shame deepened. “I…” He couldn’t lie—he had known what Yin Hao was planning against He Changning back then. He’d been there. He hadn’t stopped it—or maybe he simply couldn’t. Now he looked like a defeated old man, all life drained out of him. “I couldn’t stop any of it.” His eyes were murky, lifeless.
He Changning frowned even deeper. He’d never seen Yin Zhian like this before, but something was clearly off. “Sorry. I have no obligation to cover for someone who’s always tried to hurt me. And I certainly have no obligation to save him.”
Yin Zhian suddenly let out a breath, like someone who had been released—relieved, even. His eyes were dull and empty, but he stared seriously at He Changning as if looking at someone else through him. “Live well, son. For your mother’s sake.”
He Changning glanced at Shang Yushang, silently asking: Is something wrong with him? Shang Yushang gave a subtle nod in response.
At the end, Yin Zhian handed over a wedding invitation—it was for Yin Hao’s wedding. He said if Changning wanted to attend, he could. Then he left without another word.
On the drive home, He Changning sat frowning. “Jianzhi, something’s off with him.”
Shang Yushang, knowing exactly who “he” referred to, answered calmly, “You’re right. I’ll have someone keep an eye on him these next few days.”
“I’m not worried about him,” He Changning said, though his tone betrayed him. After all, that was the man who’d raised him for twenty years, the man he’d called “Dad” for just as long. Even if that love had always been cold and stingy, the heart is still made of flesh.
Shang Yushang reached out, held his lover’s hand, and gently patted it. “I know. Don’t worry.” Then he pulled him into an embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “You’ve got me.”
He Changning closed his eyes, exhausted, resting in that comforting embrace. “Mhm.”
Shang Yushang asked, “What do you think about Yin Hao’s situation?”
“It’s probably another trap.”
Shang Yushang smirked. “Smart.” He held Changning even tighter. “Leave it to me. You just enjoy the show.”
The heavy weight that Yin Zhian had left on He Changning’s mind suddenly felt lighter. He chuckled. “With you around, I’m starting to turn into a useless slob. I don’t even bother thinking anymore.”
“You just live the life you want to live. I’ll take care of the dirty work.”
“At this rate, you’re going to spoil me rotten.”
“Nope. Your brains and talent are meant for better things—like making your stories even more addictive and earning more royalties. I’m counting on you to support me, remember?”
He Changning rolled his eyes. “I could support you. As long as you behave.”
Shang Yushang’s eyes were full of warmth. “Anything my wife says goes.”
He Changning poked him. “You’re ridiculous. Where’s that cold CEO persona now?”
“That’s just for show. In front of you, I’m just myself. Get used to it, alright?”
He Changning huffed, “You’re not a wolf in sheep’s clothing—you’re a wolf in tiger’s stripes. Cunning enough to get people killed without blinking. I was your prey, wasn’t I? You plotted against me from the start. I actually thought you were a gentleman—turns out you’re just a dark-hearted, slick-tongued, two-faced fox.”
Shang Yushang, caught red-handed, awkwardly rubbed his nose. “That’s because you’re just too irresistible, Changning—I couldn’t help myself.” There was a deeper scheme behind it, though. If it ever got exposed, would he have to kneel on a washboard to atone? Hmm… that might actually be a real problem.
He Changning, completely unimpressed, rolled his eyes dramatically. “Twisting logic must be one of your specialties. Tch.”
Shang Yushang rushed to cover things up. “Not at all. It’s just that you got to me so deeply, I accidentally fell for you. Now I can’t even pull myself out, so I might as well embrace it. Baby, your husband loves you the most—you can’t keep clinging to something so small. Come on, Changning the Magnanimous, spare me this once… please, my wife.”
He dragged out the last word in a trembling, pitiful voice full of exaggerated grievance. He Changning couldn’t help but roll his eyes again, even bigger this time. “Shameless. Don’t call me your wife.”
“Alright, if Changning doesn’t like it, your husband won’t say it anymore.” But in his mind, Shang Yushang was smirking: If I’m the husband, there’s bound to be a wife sooner or later.
The driver in the front seat was struggling not to laugh, his shoulders twitching from the effort. Damn it, who said driving for Young Master was a cushy gig? When he got back, he was going to strangle that guy. No wait—it was the last guy who’d driven for the Young Master who said it. No wonder he’d been so eager to get rid of the shift, pitching it like a favor. Now he knew the truth—that guy had been tortured too! Laughing silently to the point of nearly dying, he’d rather foam at the mouth than sit through another ride like this. Just wait, you little bastard. If I make it out alive, I’m skinning you when I get back. Honestly, driving for the Young Master—especially when Young Master Ning was in the car—was practically an art form. If you couldn’t control your laughter, you were dead meat. Being a driver? So damn hard. Ugh. Sniff sniff… pfft. Wanting to laugh but not daring to—absolute torture.
—
On the day of the wedding.
In the garden, scattered guests milled about in groups of twos and threes, chatting idly while they waited for the ceremony to begin.
Suddenly, there was a stir at the entrance. Everyone’s attention turned to the front gate.
He Changning, accompanied by Shang Yushang, strolled through the gates of the Yin family estate. He remembered how he’d left this place just months ago—and now here he was again. The emotions were… complicated.
Shang Yushang wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned close, lips brushing his ear. “Don’t think about anything else. I’m here.”
The warm breath tickled his sensitive ear. He Changning’s cheeks turned pink, his eyes slightly misty. He whispered back, “Mm. Got it.”
Everyone saw the affectionate interaction between the two, but with Shang Yushang’s overpowering presence, no one dared to comment. They all quietly moved aside.
As the host, Yin Hao greeted them with a wide, forced smile. “President Shang, Changning—you’re here. Please, come in.” He gestured invitingly.
He Changning smiled politely. “Congratulations on your wedding. Just a small gift to show our regards.” He handed over a red envelope.
Yin Hao barely resisted the urge to rip it up. His forced smile was twitching with suppressed rage, and his eyes were dark with fury. “Thank you.” The words squeezed through his clenched teeth, practically dripping with blood.
He Changning didn’t care. He’d come to crash the party. He wanted to see what these monsters were still capable of.
The wedding ceremony finally began, and the bride was brought out. Honestly, the whole event was pitifully shabby—no family to walk her down the aisle, no proper venue, not even respectable guests. What kind of wedding was this? At best, it was a farce. A tragedy disguised as a celebration.
With some barely-present officiant presiding, the couple exchanged rings. There was no applause, no cheers—not even a single person whooping. The ceremony was so awkwardly quiet, it felt like a mime performance. If it weren’t for the officiant speaking now and then, it really would have been a silent play—and a terrible one at that.
The couple was awkward. The guests were awkward. Even the Yin family members looked like they wanted to die from secondhand embarrassment.
This wedding was a joke.
Once the painfully simplistic ceremony ended, the guests were finally released from their suffering and began eating, drinking, and chatting again.
