The banquet hall instantly erupted into a cacophony of noise.

Huang Shizhuo.

The name sent a shockwave through the guests. Could the groom actually be from the Huang Family of Shengjing? My goodness, the Huangs are a top-tier family in Shengjing! A truly powerful and prestigious household! No wonder the Su Family has been so arrogant. No wonder Xiao Shixiong himself came to broker the marriage. Now, no one will dare look down on the Su Family again.

As emotional music began to play, the doors to the banquet hall were swiftly flung open.

A man in tattered clothes strode in. He had a short stature, a wrinkled face, sparse hair, and a mouth full of yellow teeth—with five or six missing at that. But that wasn't the most striking feature. The man also had a lame leg, causing him to rock and sway with every pitiful step.

This man, however, had a certain kind of nerve. He showed not the slightest bit of fear in a hall filled with so many people. After entering, he simply grinned and started walking toward the ceremonial platform.

Everyone was startled upon seeing him, and the sound of constant whispering filled the air.

When Shao Mei'er saw the man, she subconsciously glanced at Lin Xiao, catching the mocking look in his eyes. She suddenly understood what Lin Xiao's trump card was.

PFFT!

Shao Mei'er burst out laughing, the abrupt sound echoing loudly throughout the vast banquet hall.

Su Qingning was completely dumbfounded. She had no idea what was happening. Why would a man who looked like a beggar appear here? Why was he heading straight for the ceremonial platform?

Could it be... Su Qingning didn't dare let the thought finish.

She instinctively looked at Lin Xiao, who was smiling at her with extraordinary tenderness. His hand was still clasped tightly with hers. Lin Xiao noticed her confusion but offered no explanation. It was better to let the Su Family unravel this mystery themselves.

When Su Daonong saw the beggar, he was stunned for a moment before snapping back to his senses.

"Where did this stinking beggar come from? Someone, get him out of here now!"

Xiao Shixiong, however, just smiled. "Get rid of him? If you get rid of him, Miss Su won't have a husband!"

BOOM!

Xiao Shixiong's words landed like an atomic bomb in the silent hall. Everyone was shocked, staring agape at him. Su Daonong's face turned deathly pale. Su Qingkun looked as if he had been turned to stone. Su Qingfeng was frozen to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.

"Master Xiao, what… what does this mean?" Su Daonong stammered.

Xiao Shixiong smiled. "What, was I not clear enough? Allow me to repeat myself. From this moment on, this gentleman, Mr. Huang Shizhuo, is Su Qingfeng's husband!"

As he spoke, Xiao Shixiong pointed at Su Qingfeng. "Huang Shizhuo, that is your wife!"

The man named Huang Shizhuo let out a snicker, a line of drool dribbling to the floor. He hastily hobbled over to Su Qingfeng. "Wifey! Wifey, hug!"

BOOM!

Deafening laughter instantly filled the vast banquet hall.

Su Daonong's face was a ghastly white, and he looked ready to collapse. Su Qingkun was so terrified he had already crumpled to the floor. Shao Mei'er was still laughing, shooting Lin Xiao a flirtatious wink.

Su Qingning's face was a mask of stupefaction as she stared blankly at the scene. Something she never would have dared to dream of was actually happening.

Suddenly, Su Qingning remembered Lin Xiao's words. She recalled how he had repeatedly told her that Su Qingfeng would marry a beggar. At the time, she hadn't believed him. It turned out that Lin Xiao had been telling the truth all along.

Su Qingning looked at Lin Xiao, who happened to be looking right back at her. The moment their eyes met, her beautiful eyes instantly turned red. It wasn't out of grief or sadness, but from pure, unadulterated excitement—the relief of a heavy weight finally being lifted from her heart.

The last few days had been torture for Su Qingning. She had been thrown into a panicked stupor by the news that Su Qingfeng was to marry into a prestigious family from Shengjing, leaving her at a complete loss. To keep Lin Xiao from harm, she had even tried to force herself to divorce him. She had even considered kneeling before Su Daonong to beg him to spare them. But unexpectedly, everything had taken a dramatic turn.

Su Qingning cried, large teardrops falling like beads from a snapped string, pouring out uncontrollably. Lin Xiao reached out and gently wiped them away.

"Darling, don't cry," he said softly. "I told you I wouldn't let anyone bully you. I always keep my word."

Through her tears, Su Qingning nodded vigorously.

She suddenly wanted to kiss him. It was the only way she could think of to thank him for his perseverance, his companionship, his refusal to give up—for his love. But she couldn't, not with her mother sitting right beside her.

Though she didn't kiss him, she couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around him in an excited hug.

A shrill scream cut through the roaring laughter, bringing the banquet hall to a sudden silence.

The scream had come from Su Qingfeng. She was already in Huang Shizhuo's clutches, and he was holding her tight. Not only that, his foul-smelling mouth was planting slobbering kisses all over her pale face.

Su Qingfeng's face was ghastly. "Dad, save me!" she cried in a panic. "Brother, save me! Get this filthy beggar away from me!"

Su Daonong was the first to react, lunging forward to pull Huang Shizhuo away.

But Xiao Shixiong, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned stern. "Miss Su, just moments ago, you were vowing to love your husband for a lifetime. Are you showing your disgust for him already? You weren't playing me for a fool, were you?" he asked coldly.

His indifferent tone and sharp gaze stopped Su Daonong in his tracks. His face was ashen, as if he had just recovered from a severe illness.

The next second, Su Daonong fell to his knees before Xiao Shixiong with a thud.

"Master Xiao, I'm begging you! Please, don't make my daughter marry this beggar! Please, I'm begging you!"

Su Daonong began to kowtow, frantically smashing his head against the floor. But Xiao Shixiong didn't even glance at him. Su Qingfeng's screams continued to echo as Huang Shizhuo wrestled her to the ground and began tearing at her wedding dress. A risqué spectacle seemed about to unfold.

Finally, Xiao Shixiong spoke up. "Huang Shizhuo, I know you like your wife, but this is hardly the place for your wedding night. How about this? I'll have my men escort you both back to the Su Family home. Once you're there, you can play however you want!"

Huang Shizhuo chuckled. "Okay, okay!"

Xiao Shixiong nodded with a smile and gestured to the men in black below the stage. Four of them quickly rushed up, grabbing Huang Shizhuo and Su Qingfeng and dragging them toward the exit.

"Dad, save me! Save me!" Su Qingfeng shrieked miserably.

Su Daonong continued to kowtow. His forehead was already split open and bleeding, but he didn't stop.

Without another look at him, Xiao Shixiong turned and left with his men. He didn't greet Lin Xiao on his way out, just as Lin Xiao had requested.

As Su Qingning watched this scene unfold, a memory from when she was seven years old surfaced in her mind.

That year, she had been playing with Su Qingfeng at the end of their alley when a blind man passed by. He stopped, studied her closely, and then smiled.

"Little girl," he had said, "the man you will marry is a true dragon among men, but you will suffer a little before you meet him. Your fate will change completely when you're twenty-three. All you need to do is learn to wait."

Su Qingning remembered. She was exactly twenty-three this year.

Her gaze suddenly turned to Lin Xiao.

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