Seaside Hotel, the only seven-star hotel in Jin Yun City, was about to hold a grand wedding, an event that could cause a sensation throughout the entire city or even the whole nation.
Xia Han was sitting in the bride's rest room, dressed in a pure white wedding gown.
There were no bridesmaids or family members by her side, only her alone in the large room.
Xia Han raised her eyes to the mirror, admittedly, she was enchanting today. Even though she was quite pretty without makeup, she couldn't deny that she looked even more stunning with it on.
However, there was not a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, but a sense of indifference that warned strangers to keep their distance.
Was she really getting married like this? To someone she had no idea about, who was reputedly six years older than her.
People usually married with joy, but to her, it felt as if she was going to the execution ground.
Xia Han couldn't help but give a cold laugh. It seemed her life was destined to be this bleak.
The door to the bridal room was suddenly pushed open. Her father, Xia Jie Sheng, walked in.
There was no joy on Xia Jie Sheng's face for his daughter's wedding day, instead, he seemed somewhat impatient as he said, "It's almost time, you can go out now!"
Xia Han, nonchalantly holding her wedding dress skirt, stood up and followed Xia Jie Sheng out.
On the way to the ceremony hall, Xia Jie Sheng kept saying in a warning tone, "You better smile on your wedding ceremony, you hear me? Don't always look so miserable, as if the world has wronged you. Marrying into the Shang Guan family is your good fortune, many women want to marry into that family but can’t."
Xia Han acted as if she didn't hear anything, totally unresponsive to Xia Jie Sheng's words.
In her heart, she gave a bitter smile. What era was this? To only see how her husband looked like on her wedding day. Also, the man was so much older than her. What was there to be pleased about?
Xia Jie Sheng felt helpless towards his own daughter. Her indifference was heartfelt. She wouldn't have too much emotional fluctuation about anything at all, and she could even not say a word for a week.
Xia Jiesheng sighed helplessly in the end, "Do as you please, just don't disgrace the Xia Family."
In the hotel's corridors, aside from the echoing footsteps of two individuals, one light and one heavy, the silence was deadening to the point where even breathing seemed unnaturally loud.
People typically get married surrounded by a crowd of family and friends, yet Xia Han stood alone.
The ceremonial hall was set up outdoors, with white rose petals strewn on either side of the red carpet. The vibrant color contrast was striking.
Xia Han was standing beneath an archway woven with white roses. All the attendees sat on white wicker chairs, focused on the small stage in front of them.
Currently displayed on the stage's big screen were the couple's wedding photos. Each photo seemed to depict such joy and sweetness, yet only they knew that all of it was contrived. Until now, she and Shangguan Haotian hadn't even seen each other's faces.
The emcee on the stage excitedly announced the official start of the wedding.
The sound system started playing the wedding march. Xia Jiesheng clasped Xia Nuan's hand onto his arm.
Immediately, a fatherly smile came over his face. Yet, he warned Xia Han with a look that certainly didn't match his smile, "Don't you dare pull any stunts later, or you'll pay for it!"
Xia Han didn't reply, simply following Xia Jiesheng slowly onto the long red carpet.
Surrounded by white everywhere, only the carpet was red. To Xia Han, this didn't symbolize the bliss of marriage, but rather represented an endless torture.
She constantly felt as if she wasn't walking into a wedding hall, but a mourning hall. She couldn't comprehend why the Shangguan Family would opt for white roses instead of rich, vibrant red ones for their wedding.
The breeze blew, lifting the petals from the ground, resembling a flurry of snow, which might seem romantic to some.
But to Xia Han, it was creepy. She even had a premonition about how melancholic her married life would be.
Taking one step at a time towards the stage, standing on it was a tall man in a white suit. Due to the distance, Xia Han couldn't see his face clearly. She couldn't make out his features, yet she could tell he had a good physique as if he was destined to showcase clothes.
As the distance closed, Xia Han finally got a good look at the man's face. The man possessed a stunningly handsome face, his features exuding a suffocatingly powerful oppressive aura.
It was undeniable, his looks, his body, they could definitely rival that of top-tier global male models.
Xia Han was even surprised that this man was her fiance. She thought she was going to marry a short, ugly man!
Walking up to the man, Xia Jiesheng handed over Xia Han's hand to Shangguan Haotian, smiled, and instructed, "From today onward, I hand over my dear daughter to you. I hope you will treat her well."
Shangguan Haotian glanced at the cold-faced Xia Han, took her hand, and with a hint of playful smile on his lips, muttered with deep implications, "Rest assured, father-in-law, I will definitely cherish Han'er."
For reasons unknown, upon hearing Shangguan Haotian's call of 'Han'er', Xia Han was suddenly taken aback, and a chilling sensation raised goosebumps all over her skin.
She did not sense any hint of indulgence towards her in his words, instead, she felt an underlying agenda.
Subconsciously, Xia Han raised her eyes to look at Shangguan Haotian in front of her – indeed, his features were immaculate to the point of being flawless. Unfortunately, the frivolous look in his eyes still alarmed her.
She couldn't help but feel like she was the prey being toyed with on his lips, and how he treated her in the future would be entirely up to his mood.
At the wedding, the MC praised them both to the high heavens, mentioning 'a perfect match gifted by heaven', and 'their immense love for each other'.
Inwardly, Xia Han gave a big thumbs up to the MC. Isn't he afraid of being struck by lightning for bluffing so much? How much you can love at first sight? Can they even be called 'a solid couple' without having spoken a single word? Xia Han was dumbfounded...
When it came time to exchange rings, a pair of page boys handed the wedding ring to both of them.
Shangguan Haotian gently lifted Xia Han's icy cold hand, intending to slide the exquisitely designed platinum ring onto Xia Han's ring finger.
However, just as his fingers touched hers, Xia Han's fingers jerked away. She really didn't want this kind of marriage and didn't want to sell herself to the Shangguan family like a commodity.
Xia Han's reaction caught Shangguan Haotian by surprise. He had thought her obedience was due to her quiet demeanor, but it turns out she was a little rebel.
The playful smile on Shangguan Haotian's face deepened. He loved this kind of interesting and challenging creature. The more she resisted, the more it piqued his interest.
