Lu Beichuan's expression immediately sank. He tossed the bouquet he was holding onto the ground and tugged his tie as he walked out. He didn't give anyone the slightest amount of face.

This caused a commotion in the audience.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. What's going on? Are they not getting married?"

Old Master Lu couldn't keep his face expressionless. He gestured for the old butler to stop Lu Beichuan.

"Young Master, there's so many people here. Where are you going?"

There was a winter's chill in Lu Beichuan's eyes that was terrifying. "Can you really not tell who's up there?"

The old butler paused before whispering, "But there's so many people here. Even if you don't care about Old Master's reputation, you have to care about the Lu family's reputation. The matter with your father only recently happened. There can't be any more negative news about the Lu family's conglomerate."

Lu Beichuan scoffed, "You don't have to worry. No matter how much negative news there is, I'll still be able to raise the Lu family's conglomerate back up."

After saying this, he went around the old butler and strode out.

Old Master Lu saw how Lu Beichuan was willfully clinging to his reckless course. As the patriarch of an influential family, he sharply ordered, "Stop him!"

The bodyguards behind him didn't move.

Old Master Lu turned his head to look at them. "I said, stop him!"

The bodyguards' expressions didn't change. One of them said, "Old Master Lu, I'm sorry. Mr. Lu ordered all of us to stay here to protect you."

How could Old Master Lu not understand the meaning of these words? He was so angry that his face paled. His figure trembled. For a long time, he remained speechless.

Smiling, Mrs. Lu held Mother Ye's hand and said, "Mrs. Ye, you don't have to worry. One of your daughters will definitely marry into to the Lu family."

***

Ye Zhen was sitting in the airport's waiting area. Time had passed by so quickly. It had been half a month since she had been here last time. This time, under the eyes of so many people that had gathered for the grand scene, even if Lu Beichuan discovered that the bride was Ye Qing, he could only make the best of this mistake and marry Ye Qing?

After all, Old Master Lu was a person that cared so much about the family's reputation. No matter what, he wouldn't allow Lu Beichuan to do something that would cause the Lu family to lose face.

Lin Zhan handed her luggage and other items to her. He deeply looked at her. His eyes were full of worry. "You'll be all alone... Take care of yourself."

Ye Zhen smiled and said, "Thank you, Lin Zhan."

She knew that Lu Beichuan would definitely send someone to watch her before the wedding, and there would be other people keeping an eye on the other members of the Ye family. Otherwise, Lu Beichuan wouldn't have found out so quickly that Father Ye had purchased a plane ticket for her last time.

Thus, she cleverly asked Lin Zhan to buy a plane ticket for Ye Qing.

The boarding time was approaching. Ye Zhen gave Lin Zhan a token hug. "Goodbye."

This time, she would really escape the fate of being the villain's wife as well as gaining the male lead's favorable impression and guilt. She gently touched her belly. She would properly raised this child. It wouldn't walk down the path of becoming a villain.

On the flight to the US, the beautiful, tall, and thin stewardesses with mild manners were checking that the passengers had their seatbelts fastened.

The temperature inside the cabin of the plane was at a suitable temperature. The person sitting next to Ye Zhen was an older foreigner gentleman. She gave him a slight friendly smile before taking off her thick cotton coat and covering her body with it in preparation for a nap.

The captain started his announcements. In a few minutes, she would be leaving this land and going to another country.

The noon sunlight was just right. It came in through the cabin's narrow windows. Ye Zhen slightly narrowed her eyes. Through the window, she could see that the outside ground staff was currently making a gesture that it was okay for the plane to take off.

Lowering the window shade, Ye Zhen stroked her flat belly. The older gentleman asked her in shoddy Mandarin why she was going to the US.

Ye Zhen replied in English, "To start a new life."

As the captain finished his announcements, and Ye Zhen waited for the plane to take off, she couldn't resist thinking about Lu Beichuan.

The wedding should be ending right about now?

Very soon, she would break free from the villain's wife's role and ending. She wouldn't have to keep worrying about having a tragic ending or have to cautiously pass her days. The sea is vast, and the sky is high. From now on, she was free to do whatever she wanted. She would happily live out her leisurely and relaxing life.

As she thought about her wonderful life in the future, Ye Zhen let her imagination roam. Yawning, she felt as if she had taken a nap during her daydream. When she came back to the present, she heard the sound of agitated passengers in the cabin.

Many people ask the stewardess why the plane hadn't taken off. She patiently explain there was a delay. Soon after, there was another announcement. Due to weather conditions beyond their control, the flight would have to be delayed.

Flight delays did occasionally happen. Fortunately, the worst hadn't happened, which was the flight being canceled.

After the crew members had repeatedly apologized, one after another, the passengers exited the plane and returned to the boarding area.

Ye Zhen followed the crowd out. After leaving the plane, Ye Zhen's nerves were stretched taut as an ominous premonition grew in her heart.

Her woman's sixth sense told her that this probably wasn't a coincidence.

Once all the passengers entered the boarding area, Ye Zhen cleverly left the crowd and walked in the opposite direction. However, she had only taken a few steps when three airport staff stopped her.

One of the sweet-looking stewardess asked her, "Excuse me, are you Miss Ye Zhen?"

As soon as she heard these words, Ye Zhen figured out what had happened. She slightly smiled, "No, I'm not Ye Zhen. You're mistaken."

The stewardess blankly looked at her for a moment. Soon after, she smiled and said, "Miss Ye, please don't misunderstand. We're airport staff. We don't have any malicious intentions."

"I'm sorry, but you've got me confused with someone else. I'm really not Ye Zhen." She had Ye Qing's ID card.

She walked around them to leave, but she saw two expressionless men in suits approaching her.

"Miss Ye, please come with us."

Ye Zhen coldly looked at these two people. They obviously weren't good people. She inwardly sighed.

She truly didn't understand. Wasn't it a cliche plot that the pregnant heroine would be able to successfully run away on her first attempt? What was going on? Why was this popular escape path not working? She had failed both times.

She stood there confronting the two bodyguards.

One of the bodyguards sternly said, "Miss Ye, please don't be difficult." After saying this, he turned sideways for her to walkthrough. "Please come with with us. Mr. Lu has already been waiting for you for a long time."

For a long time...

These damn rich people!

Thinking that there was no way she would be able to escape under the situation, Ye Zhen followed the two bodyguards to a spacious sitting room. Sure enough, Lu Beichuan was sitting in that room and chatting with another person.

As soon as that other person saw Ye Zhen entering the room, he stretched his hand out to shake Lu Beichuan's hand and said with a smile, "Let's end our talk here today. I'll offer congratulations in advance for a happy collaboration."

Nodding slightly, Lu Beichuan stretched his right hand out and shook the other party's hand.

The other man glanced at Ye Zhen before leaving the room in smiles.

Ye Zhen looked at the man before her. He was supposed to be at his wedding right now. He was wearing a tux, but his bowtie was missing. His shirt was unbuttoned up to the second button. One of the buttons was also split apart. There were a lot of wrinkles on his jacket and pants.

Seeing Lu Beichuan looking like this, Ye Zhen furrowed her brow a bit.

How did he calmly talk about a collaboration with someone while cutting such a sorry looking figure?

At the same time that Ye Zhen was looking him over, Lu Beichuan was also looking at her.

She wearing a pair of over-the-knee high-heel boots and a thick, white cotton coat that came to her knees. With most of her body enveloped by the cotton coat, although she looked even more fragile than usual, she looked warm too.

Neither of them spoke. The sitting room fell into silence.

Ye Zhen couldn’t stand this awkward atmosphere. She took two steps forward. "Brother-in-law, should you be at your wedding today? Why are you here talking about a collaboration with someone?"

Lu Beichuan's eyebrows were slightly sunk. An unhappy expression was quickly forming on his face.

He was here catching the same person as the same airport again. How could he not get angry?

However, seeing Ye Zhen's guilty expression, he found the situation laughable too. So she knew to be scared too?!

Feeling as if she was on thin ice, Ye Zhen coughed and said, "Umm... I know what I did was dishonest... But, isn't Ye Qing the one that the Lu family wants as their daughter-in-law. I just... Eh.... What are you doing?"

Before Ye Zhen could finish speaking, Lu Beichuan had pressed her down to sit on the sofa. Soon after, he walked over to the bodyguards that had come into the room with Ye Zhen and issued an order. After the bodyguards had left, Lu Beichuan raised the thermostat's temperature in the sitting room before walking back to Ye Zhen. He remained standing as he stared at her.

Being stared at like this felt very discomfiting and uncomfortable. It felt as if she was being stabbed with thorns all over.

"What did I say?"

Ye Zhen thought for a moment before honestly and earnestly saying, "You said that I'm pregnant with your child, that I'm your wife. That I could leave all of the wedding matters to you to take care of. You would take care of the issue with my identity too. "

She raised her head to look at him, "But, up to the day before the wedding, you still haven't resolved the issue of our identities. If you want me to go through a wedding using Ye Qing's name, no way!"

"It was because of this?"

Ye Zhen fiercely answered his question with another question, "What else could it be? To marry you and become Mrs. Lu, I can't even have my own name?"

Worried that the astute and crafty Lu Beichuan would see right through her, Ye Zhen felt extremely diffident.

Lu Beichuan remained silent.

He had already arranged everything. He had planned on introducing his wife with her real name to everyone at the wedding. It was his fault for not communicating his plans with Ye Zhen in advance. He had just wanted to surprise her.

He hadn't expected that this woman would be hastier than himself. She would leave over a single disagreement and run away when he wasn't paying attention, damn it!

"Why did you come here?"

"My wife ran away with my child. I had to come here to chase after you."

Ye Zhen asked, "Did you delay the plane from taking off?"

Lu Beichuan chuckled. "You're overestimating me. It's been cold lately. There's been plenty of delays due to the weather."

It was because he knew that the flight would be delayed, that he had been able to resist his impulse and do nothing when he rushed to the airport and saw Ye Zhen and Lin Zhan hugging.

He knew that Ye Zhen had the desire to leave him. Last time, she hadn't been able to leave because he had been in complete control of the situation. This time, if he hadn't prepared in advance, his grandfather would have successfully stopped him from leaving the wedding.

Thus, he felt that he should give his wife a lasting lesson.

By thoroughly destroying her hope at the last minute, he hoped that the next time she wanted to leave, she would remember the futility that she felt today.

The bodyguards that had been ordered out of the room by Lu Beichuan returned. One of them brought over a box and handed it to Lu Beichuan.

Lu Beichuan opened the box and silently knelt down in front of Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat. She quickly got up, but Lu Beichuan grabbed her calf and stopped her.

Ye Zhen: !!!

"I'm sorry. I didn't think carefully enough. I should have talked about my plans with you in advance. Don't worry. In the future, if anything comes up, I'll discuss with you in advance." He took off one of Ye Zhen's high heeled boots and replaced it with a flat boot. "But, you're pregnant right now. You should pay attention to your food and drink when you're traveling and not wear high heel boots on such a cold day."

After Lu Beichuan finished putting on one of the new boots, he let go of her calf. Ye Zhen immediately moved her feet away. When Lu Beichuan's palm had touched her calf, it felt as his hand's temperature had risen by several degrees. Even now, she felt a lingering burning sensation.

Ye Zhen hastily leaned over and replaced her other high heel boot with the remaining flat boot.

Lu Beichuan stood up. With his arm around her shoulder, he led her out of the room.

"Where are you taking me?"

"The wedding hasn't ended yet. You can't think today is going to end like this, right?

She still had to marry Lu Beichuan and become Mrs. Lu?

As soon as she thought about having to see her hypocritical older sister and her selfish and biased parents at the wedding, Ye Zhen felt upset.

As if he could see through to Ye Zhen's worries, he said, "Don't worry. You can leave everything to me."

Sometimes, resigning yourself to fate was comfortable, but it meant giving up a light-hearted, unconstrained life.

Since that type of life was out of her reach, Ye Zhen could only try to convince herself to enjoy her comfortable life.

When they left the sitting room, another bodyguard came from a corner on the other side and meaningfully looked at Lu Beichuan. Lu Beichuan immediately understood.

"Go wait in the car for me first. I'll be there soon."

Before Ye Zhen could reply, she saw Lu Beichuan walking towards a remote hallway.

***

In a remote room, Lu Beichuan was looking down at Lin Zhan. Lin Zhan was lying on the floor, but his eyes still resembled a savage beast's eyes.

He really didn't like Lin Zhan. It wasn't just because he had seen him and Ye Zhen hugging at the airport. It was because he that Lin Zhan was very dangerous. He knew very well that he and Lin Zhan were people cut from the same cloth. As long as there was an opportunity that could be seized, even if it was as insubstantial as a straw, they would both do their best to climb up.

People like them were very terrifying. A moment of carelessness would give them opportunity to climb up and become a formidable opponent.

There was blood dripping past the corners of Lin Zhan's eyes, but he still kept his open to fiercely glare at Lu Beichuan. He didn't say anything.

There wasn't anything worth saying. Anyone could say sharp words, but would any powerful person be scared by words?

Instead, it was Lu Beichuan that calmly broke the silence. "Lin Zhan, do you know why you're in such a state?"

"You followed the wrong person. You should have known even as a kid what kind of person Lu Shaoren was. You shouldn't have come back to the Lu family with him."

There was no brotherly affection in Lu Beichuan's eyes. "I should thank Lu Shaoren for delivering you to my doorstep before you matured. I won't give you the chance to climb up."

"If you're willing to accept your fate and become a 9 to 5 office worker and not appear in front me and Ye Zhen again, I won't do anything to you."

Lin Zhan scoffed. "What if I appear?"

Lu Beichuan thought of Ye Zhen "moral teachings" and answered, "I'll use all the legal means at my disposal to ensure that you'll never rise up."

He adjust his jacket and coldly looked at Lin Zhan. "Now, you can wish me a happy marriage."

Lin Zhan clenched his fists and jaw. "Lu Beichuan!"

Lu Beichuan looked past Lin Zhan's figure as if he was only an insignificant person and walked out.

Ye Zhen got into the car. She was bored stiff as she waited for Lu Beichuan to finish his business.

The temperature inside the car was comfortable, and the blanket was soft and warm. As she gently touched her flat belly, her thoughts wandered. Other than this baby, she couldn't think of any other reason why Lu Beichuan would chase her to the airport.

Original translation is from fuyuneko dot org. If you’re reading this elsewhere, this chapter has been stolen. Please stop supporting theft.

The Lu family held a great importance to upholding certain standards and valued the family as a whole over the individuals with successors given more weight. Moreover, Old Master Lu was inflexible on his feudal way of thinking.

At a young age, Lu Shaoren had already started sowing his wild oats. By now, he had countless illegitimate children. In contrast, Lu Beichuan had reached 28 without getting married. This was sure to be a source of worry for Old Master Lu and Mother Lu.

Was there any older generation that didn't want a house full of descendents?

As for the so-called love at first sight, she always believed that this was merely an excuse conceived by men after falling for a woman's physical appearance.

She had only been talking with Lu Beichuan for less than half a month. Love takes time to develop.

The idea of love at first sight, or the idea that love takes time to develop. Both ideas were about love.

Lu Beichuan was such an astute and crafty man. How could he have developed feelings for her, a comparatively immature and inexperienced woman, after a short period of interactions?

Ye Zhen truly didn't think she was that charming.

And so, after thinking it over, she thought that it was the baby that Lu Beichuan valued.

The opening of the car door interrupted Ye Zhen's train of thought. Lu Beichuan sat down in the back seat next to Ye Zhen and ordered to chauffeur to drive.

The driver raised the privacy screen to separate the front of the car from the back.

After the screen was up, the inside of the car immediately fell to silence.

As the Bentley was smoothly driven forward, the scenery outside the windows quickly retreated. Ye Zhen couldn't figure out what the man sitting next to her was thinking. She quietly coughed to break the awkward silence.

She asked, "Does Old Master know that you came here?"

Today was Lu Beichuan's wedding. Even if she was only counting the Lu's extended relatives and business partners, it wouldn't be okay to slight these guests. Shouldn't Old Master Lu haven't gotten angry and prevented Lu Beichuan from leaving the wedding?

"The Lu family is under my control right now. Old Master's words aren't as effective anymore. He can't stop me from doing what I want."

Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat. Why was the plot going smoother than it had in the novel?