*not sure why vows are being done in engagement ceremony, but it’s occurring
What was happening now?
Yu Lizhu stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Everything had happened too quickly; she was still lost in confusion.
She looked down at the man who had suddenly appeared at her engagement banquet—the ground littered with robot wreckage and cratered floors, the scene a complete mess.
She thought he would continue walking forward, yet inexplicably, he stopped.
Yu Lizhu frowned in puzzlement, then glanced at Zuo Shihuan beside her—outwardly cold, yet with pain tightly restrained in his eyes.
And then she realized something.
She had seen that man before.
Not only had she seen him—she had disliked him deeply. He was Ji Shenwen’s arrogant, ill-tempered, mysterious friend—the one who had bullied Ji Shenwen more than once, the petty man who deliberately interrupted her dates with Ji Shenwen. She wasn’t as oblivious as they thought.
So, Zuo Shihuan hadn’t been lying when he said he knew her earlier than him.
The man he had mentioned during his earlier loss of composure—must have been Gu Heng.
Their first meeting had been in the bar in the lower city district. Back then, she had dragged Zuo Shihuan there in a moment of impulsive courage to confess to Ji Shenwen—but she never imagined that afterward, Zuo Shihuan would end up involved with Gu Heng.
Zuo Shihuan had never mentioned a word about it to her. The thought made an inexplicable jealousy flare in Yu Lizhu’s chest.
She had been the first one there—so how could Zuo Shihuan be drawn to such an arrogant, disagreeable Beta? Even as his fiancée and supposed ally, she hadn’t known a thing.
Who would have thought that the same Beta—once so conceited, looking down on everyone in that shabby lower city district bar—would one day come crashing so desperately and recklessly into the Zuo family’s engagement banquet?
It must be for Zuo Shihuan…
Even the Zuo family’s guards and combat robots couldn’t stop him—just who was this man?
Her first instinct had been right: Gu Heng was dangerous. Yet no matter what, the people around her—Zuo Shihuan, Ji Shenwen—all seemed entangled with him, inescapably.
Yu Lizhu’s head began to ache.
How was this supposed to end now?
There was no doubt—the scandal from tonight’s engagement banquet would spread like wildfire through the upper-class circles, and be remembered for years to come.
Of course, deep down, Yu Lizhu selfishly hoped the ceremony would continue—so she could move forward with her own plans, be with Ji Shenwen, and avoid being forced by her family to marry another strange Alpha.
But seeing Zuo Shihuan’s face twisted in pain once more—she couldn’t deny it anymore. He truly loved Ji Shenwen’s friend. Otherwise, he would never have thought of breaking away from the Zuo family.
The moment she thought of how not long ago, in the dressing room, Zuo Shihuan had shown such rare helplessness and vulnerability as he opened up to her, Yu Lizhu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
If only things could have stopped at that moment.
But if the wedding ceremony continued— Gu Heng would be an unstable factor.
No one at the banquet could stop Gu Heng. He might very well do something reckless and irreversible for Zuo Shihuan’s sake.
Just recalling that hostile, gloomy look in Gu Heng’s eyes—when he hadn’t yet realized she was Ji Shenwen’s girlfriend and had mistaken her for someone trying to steal Zuo Shihuan away—made Yu Lizhu’s skin prickle with a bone-deep sense of danger.
So she chose to remain silent.
She would let Zuo Shihuan make his own choice. At worst, the engagement would be broken, and everything would return to how it was before.
Yu Lizhu’s dark eyes lowered slightly, and she pressed her lips together faintly.
At worst, she could sever ties with the Yu family. After all, she was about to graduate from Olina Noble Women’s Academy. If the Zuo family called off the engagement, she wouldn’t be the one at a loss.
She could even use the situation to her advantage—claim she was too heartbroken by the broken engagement to attend arranged meetings for a while. In that time, she could liquidate her assets and jewelry into portable wealth, then elope with Ji Shenwen to some remote planet in the Federation.
The Federation was vast. The Yu family might not even be able to find her—and even though she was a valuable Omega, she wasn’t indispensable to the family.
There was never any real affection between them anyway.
Except for one person.
Yu Lizhu’s gaze dimmed. The only thing tying her to the Yu family was her comatose sister.
But right now, this wasn’t something she could decide on her own.
Her expression grew complicated as she glanced toward Zuo Shihuan—his face unreadable—as well as Gu Heng, who stood frozen on the steps, and the furious head of the Zuo family, Zuo Zhoujian, who was not someone to be easily crossed.
Things had just gotten much more difficult.
As Yu Lizhu sank into thought, Zuo Shihuan suddenly spoke beside her, his tone calm and steady.
“I said, continue the ceremony.”
The priest wiped the sweat from his brow, then immediately straightened up. “A-all right, Mr. Zuo Shihuan. We’ll… continue.”
Since Zuo Shihuan had made his choice, there was nothing more to say. It was, after all, the most fitting outcome.
And yet—
Yu Lizhu cast a complicated glance at the dark-haired man below. When Zuo Shihuan spoke those words, she could have sworn she saw his entire body tremble, taut with suppressed emotion.
Could this engagement banquet really continue smoothly?
“Mr. Zuo Shihuan, do you take Miss Yu Lizhu as your wife? Do you promise that whether in good times or bad, wealth or poverty, health or sickness, joy or sorrow, you will love her unreservedly and remain faithful to her forever?”
The priest, clutching the Bible and wiping cold sweat from his forehead, looked cautiously toward Zuo Shihuan.
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes lowered, his lashes trembling. After a silence that stretched over ten long seconds, he finally forced out the words that had caught in his throat again and again.
“I do.”
At that exact moment, thunder roared overhead.
The sound of torrential rain poured down like a curtain, falling onto the unnaturally silent banquet.
Even the orchestra stopped playing.
Only that single “I do” rang out clearly—echoing through the hall and into everyone’s ears.
Including the person standing closest to the dais.
No one dared take a step forward.
Though that person now stood still—silent and despairing like a trapped lion—the faint rise and fall of his chest was the only sign he was still alive.
Moments earlier, he had lashed out with terrifying force, destroying everything that dared to stand in his way; even the steps beneath his feet had been reduced to rubble in the chaos, like a volcano erupting in utter devastation.
The violent, feral scene had seared itself into everyone’s minds—a deadly, magnetic kind of danger that made even breathing feel like a risk.
No one dared to move.
Except one.
The old fox, Zuo Zoujian, began clapping, eyes gleaming with delight. “Good! Very good!”
He had known all along that his son wouldn’t disappoint him. The Zuo family’s honor had been restored. Now everyone could see that his outstanding Alpha son and the Yu family’s Omega daughter were a perfect match—that the union between the two great houses was unbreakable.
As for that brute of a Beta man—
Thinking of the destroyed military robots, each worth a small fortune, Zuo Zoujian still felt a twinge of pain. But now, none of that mattered.
Everyone could see that the Beta was nothing more than a clown. What did a bit of brute strength matter? In the end, he had been abandoned by the Zuo family’s exceptional Alpha heir—reduced to a defeated dog crashing an engagement banquet where he didn’t belong.
With that thought, Zuo Zoujian’s spirits lifted, and he even felt the urge to go over and taunt the Beta.
But recalling the destroyed machines and the man’s ferocity, he lost the courage—afraid he’d end up being punched like one of those robots.
Still, that Beta standing in the middle of the hall was an eyesore.
This was the engagement of the Zuo and Yu families. What business did an outsider have here?
Since the ceremony had already gone this far, surely the man had no face to stay any longer.
Zuo Zoujian decided to show his son some respect—let the Beta lover leave quietly without further disgrace.
And so—
He ordered his secretary to tell the Beta to leave.
The secretary: “…” He was seriously considering quitting his job and finding a new boss.
Zuo Zoujian frowned. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you moving?”
The secretary rolled his eyes inwardly but said politely, “I don’t dare to go. I’m afraid I’ll be killed.”
Zuo Zoujian clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Useless. Can’t even handle a single Beta? Fine, take a few more people with you.”
The secretary: …My fists are getting tight.
After a moment’s thought, the secretary said carefully, “I recall there’s still one simulation robot at the banquet that hasn’t been damaged. May I request permission to use it to accompany me, sir?”
Zuo Zoujian waved his hand impatiently. “Whatever. Just get it done quickly.”
A short while later—
The secretary positioned the simulation robot in front of him like a shield and carefully stepped up the ruined staircase, picking his way through debris, terrified of slipping or causing another collapse.
Finally, he reached his destination.
Still keeping the robot between them, he cleared his throat and delivered the line he’d rehearsed in his mind countless times:
“Excuse me, sir. In a moment, we’ll have people come and clear away the rubble. It might disturb you, so… would you please step aside for now?”
Gu Heng didn’t look up.
After a long silence, his dry, cracked lips moved slightly, and his voice came out hoarse and raw: “Why?”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on the secretary’s forehead. He stammered, “P-please don’t misunderstand. We’re not trying to drive you away. We just wanted to invite you down to the banquet area to rest. You can have anything you’d like to eat or drink—”
“No need.”
Gu Heng’s low voice cut through him. “Am I not also an invited guest to this engagement banquet?”
The secretary froze. “O-of course you are, but—”
Gu Heng raised a hand to stop him. His lifeless, bloodshot eyes lifted toward the dazzlingly lit platform above. His cracked lips curled into a bitter, self-mocking smile.
“Then let me stand here—as a special guest—and witness this with my own eyes.”
On the platform—
The priest turned toward the bride and spoke.
“Miss Yu Lizhu, do you take Mr. Zuo Shihuan to be your husband? Do you promise that, whether in good times or bad, wealth or poverty, health or sickness, joy or sorrow, you will love him unreservedly and remain faithful to him forever?”
Yu Lizhu did not answer right away.
Her heart felt unbearably heavy as she looked at Zuo Shihuan beside her, whose face was growing paler and paler. Outwardly calm and unmoved, he was actually clenching his jaw so hard that his lips had been bitten bloody.
Especially when he heard the last words Gu Heng spoke from the stairs—
The momentary flash of anguish and guilt in Zuo Shihuan’s eyes looked as though it might crush him completely. His hands clenched tighter and tighter, as if he could no longer feel pain, barely holding together the fragile facade of composure in front of everyone.
Yu Lizhu sighed softly and asked in a quiet voice, “The person you mentioned to me before—was it him?”
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes reddened as he slowly nodded. “Mm.”
Yu Lizhu’s tone was gentle, tinged with resignation. “It seems Ji Shenwen’s friend isn’t as terrible as I thought. I was quite angry and put off by him because of what happened with you. But if he still dared to show up here—knowing he’d offend the Zuo family—just to see you one more time, then… I suppose he’s worthy of your affection after all.”
“Why don’t we stop the engagement?”
Zuo Shihuan’s head snapped up in shock, staring at her as if unsure he’d heard correctly.
Yu Lizhu smiled helplessly. “Since things have already come to this, there’s no hiding your relationship anymore. This banquet’s already doomed to end awkwardly, and by tomorrow, gossip about the three of us will be all over our circles anyway. So we might as well explain everything clearly now. If you want to call off the engagement, I won’t mind.”
Zuo Shihuan fell silent for a long time before slowly, painfully shaking his head. His voice was strained but firm.
“I can’t. I can’t afford to be that selfish…”
“I know you mean well, Yu Lizhu. But I can’t drag you down with me. We agreed from the start—it wasn’t just about me. I can’t back out on my own whim. And even if I called off the engagement now, what future would that bring? Nothing but worse consequences. The Zuo family… is no longer something I can just walk away from.”
His eyes half closed in pain, but his voice grew steadier. “Let it be. Thank you for your kindness—but I’ll see this through.”
Yu Lizhu gave him a sorrowful look, but she understood. He was strong and clear-headed—far more than anyone realized. And because of that, she had to respect his decision.
Then—
Yu Lizhu took a deep breath and answered the priest softly, “I do.”
The priest, relieved, proceeded to the next step of the ceremony.
He brought out two rings.
“These rings,” he said with practiced fervor, “symbolize eternal love. Please, the bride and groom, exchange rings to mark the beginning of your beautiful marriage.”
Unfortunately, no one responded.
Neither the bride nor the groom had their minds on the ceremony; they stood there motionless, like two delicate puppets forced to go through the motions.
It was the most exhausting, awkward wedding the priest had ever officiated. Usually, by this stage, the couple would be in tears of joy.
If every wedding were like this one, he thought grimly, he’d better change professions soon.
He cleared his throat again. “Ahem. Please, the bride and groom, exchange rings.”
“I’ll do it,” Zuo Shihuan said quietly.
He took the ring and reached for Yu Lizhu’s hand.
But even that simple action—
His hand trembled uncontrollably, unable to slip the ring onto her finger beneath the scorching, suffocating weight of a certain pair of eyes fixed upon him.
He failed again and again.
Yu Lizhu even tried to tell him to stop, that she could put it on herself.
But Zuo Shihuan refused—as if stubbornly clinging to one last fragment of dignity—and pressed his other hand down to steady his trembling right hand.
He forced himself to suppress the inexplicable urge to struggle and resist.
As the ring slowly slid onto Yu Lizhu’s fingertip,
Zuo Shihuan felt as if he were being torn in two. The arm that defied his will trembled uncontrollably, and it was as though his heart, too, was crying out in silent agony and despair.
In the end, he slipped. The ring fell from his grasp.
The moment it finally reached Yu Lizhu’s fingertip, time seemed to slow.
In Zuo Shihuan’s eyes, the ring dropped bit by bit — and because it was a circle, it bounced on the ground and rolled off in another direction.
Down one step. Then another.
Zuo Shihuan’s pupils dilated as he instinctively chased after it, every limb freezing cold as though plunged into an ice cellar, watching helplessly as the ring rolled to a stop beside a black leather boot.
Picked up by the one person he least wanted to see.
——Gu Heng.
Zuo Shihuan stared blankly as Gu Heng picked up the ring, unable to avoid it, as if fate herself were toying with him—no matter how hard he tried to escape, everything still returned to Gu Heng’s hands.
He watched as the silver ring was gathered into Gu Heng’s long fingers, enclosed in his palm.
Now, facing Gu Heng head-on, the ring already in his hand, Zuo Shihuan knew he should ask for it back—but his lips moved soundlessly, like a mute who couldn’t form words.
He hesitated, struggled, tried again and again to speak—
But every time his gaze met Gu Heng’s deep, black eyes, and found no trace of resentment there—none of the anger he thought he would see—it only made Zuo Shihuan drown deeper in guilt and shame, unable to face him.
He almost wished Gu Heng would hate him; at least then, the torment in his heart might ease a little.
Unable to stop himself, Zuo Shihuan became the first to speak, brows furrowed, his voice tangled with worry. “You… are you hurt?”
Gu Heng looked at him deeply, tightened his grip around the ring, and the corner of his lips curved—into a smile that seemed caught between laughter and tears.
Should he be glad that even now, Zuo Shihuan still cared for him? Or should he resent him—for being so heartless just moments ago, not even sparing him a glance?
To throw him into the pit of despair, only to show pity now—was this supposed to be mercy?
Was he doing this on purpose?
In the end, Gu Heng still smiled.
“Today’s your engagement banquet,” he said softly. “Is that all you have to say to me? If you don’t say a few pleasant words, how am I supposed to return your ring to you?”
“And how,” his voice cracked slightly as his eyes reddened again, “am I supposed to offer my blessing to you and your lovely bride-to-be…?”
“How?” Zuo Shihuan suddenly blurted out, eyes red and sore, staring straight at Gu Heng. “What do you want me to say?”
Gu Heng’s dark eyes were like a bottomless swamp, his gloomy, entangled gaze clinging to Zuo Shihuan’s face, a faintly mocking curve tugging at his lips.
“I want you to sincerely, from your heart, with real joy—invite me to your engagement banquet.”
Zuo Shihuan froze, lowering his head as his pale lips trembled.
——How could he possibly do that?
Gu Heng spread his hands in self-mockery, glancing around at the silent guests. “See? I haven’t even received an invitation to your engagement banquet. I came uninvited. Everyone wants me gone—no one wants me here. But I won’t leave.”
“Not unless you say it yourself.”
Gu Heng laughed—cruelly, bitterly. His bloodshot eyes burned red as he stared at the silent Zuo Shihuan, forcing him into a choice that was as cruel to himself as it was to the other.
“As long as you sincerely and happily invite me to watch you get engaged to another Omega woman, I’ll listen to you. I won’t do anything. I’ll give the ring back. I’ll sit quietly and watch the ceremony.”
“Or…”
“You can do what everyone else wants—drive me away.”
Gu Heng gave a twisted, bitter smile, and continued to the tortured, hesitating Zuo Shihuan: “As long as you open your mouth, even if it’s to tell me to leave, I’ll listen. I’ll go. I’ll even give you the ring back—and bless your wedding.”
“How about that? Am I not considerate?”
“As long as you speak, I won’t make it hard for you, Zuo Shihuan. Just make your choice. Whatever you choose, I’ll accept it.”
Gu Heng took a step closer—then another—until the stunned, helpless Zuo Shihuan was pulled into his arms. His hot breath brushed Zuo Shihuan’s ear as he whispered hoarsely: “There’s no rush. Take your time deciding. I’ll wait for you.”
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes widened in shock, red and trembling, staring at Gu Heng’s shadowed eyes, terrified to even blink.
How could he choose? How could anyone bear to choose?!
Was Gu Heng insane?!
To ask him to stay—to make him watch his engagement with another Omega—or to chase him away, like everyone else wanted, to drive him out of this place himself?
He couldn’t.
There was no way Zuo Shihuan could do it.
Just the thought of it made his heart feel as though it were being ripped apart.
He stood frozen, limp in Gu Heng’s embrace, his hands hanging lifelessly at his sides.
Lost, dazed, uncomprehending.
His reddened eyes stared blankly ahead, his mind spinning with the impossible choice Gu Heng had left him.
Thinking about it drove him nearly mad.
In the end, Zuo Shihuan simply gave up, leaning weakly against Gu Heng’s shoulder, tears spilling silently from the corners of his eyes, biting his lower lip hard to keep himself from crying aloud.
——Because there was never a choice to begin with.
Gu Heng never meant to give him one.
He had done it on purpose.
Gu Heng had deliberately forced this so-called “choice” on him—deliberately come to torment him, to punish him, to take revenge for that ruthless moment when Zuo Shihuan had walked away without looking back.
No matter what he chose, he would suffer.
And as long as he still cared about Gu Heng—even a little—there was no way he could choose at all.
This—this was what Gu Heng had truly wanted him to do.
To force him to choose.
To force him to choose—between hurting Gu Heng, or choosing Gu Heng.
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes, red and swollen, slowly lifted to look at Gu Heng in fear, only to have the tears at the corners of his eyes gently kissed away, one by one.
“Have you thought it through?”
In Gu Heng’s dark eyes lay a bottomless madness and possessiveness, yet his voice was gentle, almost tender, as he spoke to Zuo Shihuan.
Zuo Shihuan didn’t reply. A chill ran through his entire body.
——He had thought it through.
——The only thing he was certain of was that Gu Heng was truly a terrifying man.
When Gu Heng saw that Zuo Shihuan refused to speak, only staring at him with reddened eyes, he didn’t grow angry. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, “You don’t want to choose anything? How cunning of you.”
His hands cupped Zuo Shihuan’s cheeks, and before he could resist, Gu Heng kissed him.
He kissed him until Zuo Shihuan’s lips were flushed a deep rose-red.
Zuo Shihuan’s hands unconsciously gripped Gu Heng’s collar, but his breath was stolen away, his chest rising and falling rapidly, until he was forced to rely on Gu Heng for air.
When his moist, light brown eyes could only see Gu Heng—
Gu Heng was finally satisfied. He loosened his hold, a smug, teasing smile on his lips. “You won’t speak, huh? Then I’ll make the choice for you.”
And then—
Before Zuo Shihuan could react,
Gu Heng laced their fingers tightly together, refusing to let go, and suddenly dropped to one knee. He slid the silver ring onto Zuo Shihuan’s ring finger and said, “This is how it should’ve been all along. Since I’ve made the choice for you—since you’ve chosen me—from now on, I’ll be the only one in this world allowed to put a ring on your finger.”
Gu Heng smiled wantonly, looking up at the wide-eyed, stunned Zuo Shihuan, their fingers still interlocked. “I must’ve been insane just now—stabbing myself in the heart again and again—watching you marry another woman right before my eyes. If I’d been smarter, I would’ve stolen you away sooner.”
“Since this engagement banquet no longer needs to exist, I’ll just consider this ring I picked up to be mine for now. Borrowing it temporarily.”
Looking down at the ring now on his finger,
Zuo Shihuan stared in confusion, over and over, as though he were dreaming.
But reality was worse than a dream.
He had long known what kind of person Gu Heng was—but how could he be this bold, to dare slip a ring on his finger at his engagement banquet?!
Zuo Shihuan couldn’t even imagine it.
He didn’t dare think what everyone’s eyes looked like now, nor how he could possibly explain that this was supposed to be the engagement between the Zuo and Yu families!
Gu Heng seemed to notice how long Zuo Shihuan had been staring at the ring.
He lifted the hand wearing it and said seriously, “You can use this one for now. It’s rather plain, but later I’ll give you a much better, more beautiful one.”
Hearing that, Zuo Shihuan grew even angrier.
That wasn’t the explanation he wanted—why was there a ring suddenly on his finger?! And besides, what did an Alpha like him need with a ‘beautiful’ ring?!
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