Chapter 42: A Gentle Trap
All the guests present were prominent figures in Chuan City. Seeing the expression on the eldest young master of the Mu family, they could tell he was thoroughly frightened, evoking a wave of sympathy from the crowd. It made sense - after all, this was supposed to be his younger brother’s engagement ceremony, yet the bride-to-be was in love with him instead. Even if they ended up together in the future, it would become a laughingstock for others.
“Mu Lichuan, tell me, weren’t we once engaged? Wasn’t it only because of special circumstances that I was forced to marry Mu Xiaolin?” Mo Shanshan’s face was streaked with tears. “If not for you, I would have died long ago. I don’t love the man who tried to kill me.”
She was determined to drag Mu Lichuan down with her. As for how their lives would turn out after the engagement, she didn’t care - at the very least, Mu Lichuan was far better than Mu Xiaolin.
Mu Lichuan desperately wanted to bury his face in his hands, or better yet, find a hole to crawl into. He never imagined Mo Shanshan could be so shameless. “Miss Mo, please restrain your grief. Some things cannot be forced.” The young man’s voice was soft, even carrying a faint smile.
“Forced? I’m just asking you, was I once your fiancee or not?” Mo Shanshan knew full well that the boy wanted to sever all ties with her, simply because he didn’t love her. Matters of the heart couldn't be forced.
“Yes.” A shadow flickered deep in Mu Lichuan’s eyes. Could it be that, after all this back and forth, he was still destined to be engaged to Mo Shanshan? Did this mean the trajectory of fate was truly unchangeable? His own mother had suffered the same fate.
“If that’s the case, then why did I become Mu Xiaolin’s fiancée?” Mo Shanshan’s face was filled with despair. “Patriarch Mu, isn’t that right? As for the exact reason, I’m sure the Mu family knows very well.”
Mu Changnian’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. His second son was being humiliated, while his eldest son acted as if he wanted nothing to do with the situation. As the patriarch of the Mu family, his dignity was utterly trampled. “Patriarch Mo.” He had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the younger generation, nor could he. If he did, he would be accused of bullying the weak.
Mo Xiangxiong wore an apologetic expression before scolding, “Shanshan, what are you doing? Today is your engagement, a joyous occasion. How can you throw a tantrum like a child?” However, he dismissed her behavior as mere spoiled willfulness. What the crowd truly thought was their own business.
“Father, I’ve thought this through. I can’t bear to lose Lichuan. Even if… even if I have to be his second wife, I’d be happy.” Mo Shanshan’s voice was soft, but she made her “love” sound pitifully humble.
Mu Lichuan’s lips twitched as he looked at her. “Miss Mo, marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker’s words. Since fate has deemed us incompatible, why insist on forcing it?”
“Since Lichuan puts it that way, Patriarch Mu, please betroth me to him instead. Let this engagement ceremony be for Lichuan and me.” Mo Shanshan acted as though she were deaf, completely ignoring Mu Lichuan’s words.
Mu Xiaolin felt so humiliated he wished he could disappear. “You want to marry my elder brother? Have you even considered whether you’re worthy? What is my brother’s status, and what is yours? A used-up shoe, who would want you?”
“Father, since Miss Mo loves elder brother so much, shouldn’t I, as the younger brother, step aside for them?” The boy’s eyes bore into the youth below as if he wanted to devour him alive.
Mu Changnian felt he had no face left to save, but to avoid offending the Mo family, he declared, “In that case, let this engagement be between Lichuan and Mo Shanshan.”
The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in murmurs. Was the Mu family’s engagement ceremony such a joke? Could the groom really be swapped out so casually?
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