"Mom, what if she'd rather die than marry?"

"Don't worry, the Ling family doesn't care whether the bride is alive or dead. Even if it's a ghost marriage, she has to marry into it!"

...

That night, in the vast villa area of Xindu, the Gu family was immersed in celebration, full of joy for the simultaneous weddings of the two daughters.

Gu Yin, wearing a light blue traditional Chinese wedding dress, sat in front of the mirror fiddling with the traditional Chinese jewels in her hair.

Thinking about marrying her boyfriend whom she had been in love with for two years, she couldn't help but smile shyly, her reflection in the mirror appearing exceptionally stunning.

"I envy my sister for her good fortune to marry into the first-class Wen family of Xindu."

Gu Xiao, dressed in a wedding dress, walked in from outside, her tone harsh and devoid of any congratulatory sentiment.

Especially after seeing Gu Yin's exquisitely made-up face, she was consumed by jealousy.

Despite being sisters, they varied greatly in terms of appearance.

Gu Xiao felt that Gu Yin inherited their mother's seductive and cheap looks.

Hearing Gu Xiao's veiled insult, Gu Yin turned her eyes slightly, her tone neither light nor heavy, yet hitting the nail on the head, "Thank you for your good words, little sister. But I have to congratulate you too, although the young Master Ling has been disfigured and disabled due to a car accident, having married so many women, he must know how to cherish a wife. Even if you live as a widow after marrying into his family, it will still be worth it, don't you think?"

"You..." Gu Xiao was choked, unable to utter a word.

Why did the same daughter of the Gu family have to marry a cripple, while Gu Yin was able to happily become the lady of the Wen family?

With this in mind, her countenance turned a few degrees colder.

"You're both here! That's great. The groom will be coming to retrieve the bride soon, you'd better quickly eat the rice balls in sweet rice wine and get a smooth and favorable start."

Just when the atmosphere between the two sisters fell into a stalemate, Han Zhiyu, bearing two bowls of rice balls in sweet rice wine, came in with a bright smile.

Logically speaking, the sweet rice wine balls should have been prepared by the bride's mother. However, because Gu Yinsheng's mother passed away at an early age, Han Zhiyu, her stepmother, had to arrange this.

Gu Yin wasn't very confident in this stepmother, but today was a day of great joy, and she had to drink this bowl of sweet rice balls.

She picked up one of the bowls, picked out a ball, took a small bite and put it down.

"Marriages are so exhausting, eating such small bites won't be enough, eat more." Han Zhiyu saw that she ate too little and squeezed out a few crocodile tears.

"Although you are not my own, you have been my daughter for more than ten years. Everyone says that a stepmother is as good as a real mother. Now that you and Xiaoxiao are getting married, I really can't bear to see you go."

Seeing Han Zhiyu wiping her tears, Gu Yin's eyes were full of ridicule.

Truly an experienced actress in the entertainment circle, both her lines and acting skills were incredible.

Her mother had only been dead for three months, and her father couldn't wait to bring Han Zhiyu and her daughter into the family.

He told her that Gu Xiao was her own sister, and that she should take good care of her...

Back then she was nine years old, and Gu Xiao was eight.

That is to say, Han Zhiyu hooked up with her father one year after their marriage.

How could such a scheming stepmother truly care for her?

"Madam, Miss, the Wen family is here." The maid called from outside.

"I understand." Han Zhiyu smiled as she handed over a silk fan, "Xiao Yin, it is the auspicious time, let's go."

As the fan covered her face, Gu Yin didn't see the conspiracy on her stepmother's face; she lowered her head and followed the servant into the wedding carriage.

Watching the carriage go further and further, Han Zhiyu finally let out a sigh of relief.

Gu Xiao is still young, and she was a bit uneasy.

"Mother, will anything go wrong? If she found out halfway and ran away, what would we do?"

"Don't worry, I have arranged everything well, she can't escape."

The carriage that Gu Yin took was to meet the Ling's bridegroom, not the Wen's.

Gu Xiao was still worried, "But, I am not Gu Yin...what if..."

"What are you afraid of? In any case, you just need to get married and veil yourself. In the evening, just put this medicine into the wine, after that, everything will be set! Even if the Wen family finds out the next day, they can do nothing about it!"

While saying this Han Zhiyu stuffed a small packet of medicine powder into her hand.

Gu Xiao felt more confident after hearing this. After hiding the medicine, she revealed a vicious look on her face, "Once I become Madam Wen, I'll make sure Gu Yin wishes she were dead!"

Han Zhiyu took her daughter's hand and gave a cold snort, "All of the short-lived brides who married into the Ling family were tortured to death. Gu Yin won't survive tonight, there's no need to dirty your hands."

...

Inside the bridal carriage, Gu Yin suddenly felt unwell, it seemed as if something was burning inside her and she felt unusually hot.

Thinking about the glutinous rice balls she had eaten earlier, she had a bad premonition.

Unexpectedly, she fell into Qin Zhiyu's trap despite being on her guard.

She had been drugged!

Looking out the car window, Gu Yin saw they were not heading towards the Wen household and promptly banged on the window, shouting at the driver in front, "Stop the car, stop quickly, you've picked up the wrong person!"

The oblivious driver didn't even turn his head, "Don't joke with me. The blue Chinese-style wedding dress, the Gu embroidered crystal fan, these are gifts sent by the old man. It simply isn't possible for a mistake to occur."

What nonsense about a Chinese-style wedding! So, Qin Zhiyu had dug a pit for her to fall into from the beginning!

With rage burning intensely within her, the effects of the drug in her system increased.

Gu Yin's body softened, her breathing became heavier, and her consciousness became blurred.

Exerting the last of her strength, she flung open the car door and jumped out.

Qin Zhiyu wanted to ruin her by such despicable means.

Even if she had to die, she would not let her succeed!

The driver never would have imagined his bride would jump out of the car and flee.

Gu Yin rolled on the ground a few times, the intense pain surprising her into clarity.

"Miss Gu, don't run away..."

Seeing the car had stopped, the driver chased after her. Gu Yin gritted her teeth amidst the pain, limped and continued running.

Pain was the best way to keep her awake.

Gu Yin was panicking, she knew the consequences of being caught and brought back.

"Miss Gu, don't run away, come back with me, the auspicious time is nearing."

Gu Yin ran even faster, she was so desperate that she was close to breaking down in tears.

The surroundings were pitch dark. The pursuer was closing in from behind and the effects of the medication she had taken earlier were so overwhelming that she could no longer suppress the pain.

Gu Yin, in her despair didn't know where to run when she suddenly saw a glimmer of light a few hundred meters away.

Relieved, Gu Yin ran towards it desperately.

On the side of the road, a black sedan was parked. A man dressed in casual attire was standing at the car door taking a call.

Just as the man was about to get into the car and leave, Gu Yin sprinted to him. With tears in her voice and gasping for breath she pleaded, "Help me, Please, for God's sake, help me!"

The man paused in bewilderment, his deep gaze sweeping over Gu Yin.

Meanwhile, over the phone, someone was anxiously saying, "The bride is about to arrive. What's taking you—the groom—so long? Like a harem eunuch more anxious than the Emperor."

"Stay quiet!" The man, expressionless, hung up the call.

By then, the chauffeur assigned to pick up the bride had caught up. At the sight of him, Gu Yin, not caring whether the man would agree or not, quickly opened the car door and jumped in. She clasped her hands together, tearfully pleading, "Please, help me!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the chauffeur was already at her heels. "Miss Gu, please come back with us, we are running out of time, Ling...”

He was interrupted when he saw the man standing nearby, freezing in place.

Before he could finish his sentence, the man shot him an icy look, "Scram!"