Chapter 5

Meanwhile, word that Duan Yingze had run away from his wedding with He Meng spread online.

The story became the talk of the internet overnight.

Photographs of the two fleeing hand in hand went viral. In the pictures, they laughed as they ran out of the wedding venue and through the streets, looking rather like a runaway prince and princess from a Disney movie.

“This is disgusting. She stole another woman’s groom in front of everyone!”

“Stole him? He Meng and Duan Yingze grew up together. She’s always been the love of his life. Everyone knows she’s the only woman he loves.”

“Exactly. The Song family wanted a connection to the Duans, so they had Song Shiwei seduce him. He only proposed because he saw her as He Meng’s substitute. Now that He Meng is divorced, of course he’s gone back to her.”

“Do you have any morals at all? Whatever their families wanted, Song Shiwei was Duan Yingze’s fiancée. He Meng chose to marry someone else. Then she got divorced, regretted it, and came back to steal him on his wedding day. And she still markets herself as some pure, innocent goddess? How revolting.”

“Besides, Song Shiwei never once wronged Duan Yingze all these years. Running off with He Meng during the ceremony and humiliating her in public makes him a complete bastard!”

The incident ignited a fierce debate online. Some mocked me, some jeered, and others regarded the whole affair with contempt.

But the wholesome, untouchable image He Meng had cultivated for years was beginning to crumble.

I had no time to pay attention.

The problem before me was far more irritating.

“Seven years, and you still couldn’t make Duan Yingze fall in love with you. You’re useless!”

My father glared at me, his face cold with displeasure. “You have one week to coax Duan Yingze back and marry him—”

I cut him off. “I won’t.”

My father stared at me, stunned. Then fury overtook him. “Song Shiwei, I raised you, and now you think you’re bold enough to defy me? You—”

As he spoke, his hand rose in a familiar motion.

But someone stopped him before he could strike.

It was my brother.

“Dad, enough.”

There was no expression on Song Shize’s handsome face, but he planted himself firmly in front of me. “The Song family belongs to you and to me, not to Weiwei. You raised her because you brought her into this world. She’s already done more than enough for this family. Stop forcing her.”

My father tried to speak, but Song Shize ignored him. He turned to me instead. “Weiwei, I’ll walk you out.”

I looked at him, then at my father, who was still seething behind us, and rose to leave.

I followed my brother down the road.

One step after another, just as I had when I was a child trailing constantly at his heels.

It was a kind of peace I had not known in a very, very long time.