"Miss Jiang, your custom wedding dress has been delivered to the hotel. Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns."

Upon receiving the message from the bridal shop, Jiang Yanxin's heart leapt with joy. Next week, she was set to marry her boyfriend of eight years. The hotel was booked, the invitations were sent out, and everything was going smoothly. After work, she hurried to the hotel, eager to try on her dress and sample some new dishes.

As soon as she arrived at the entrance, the manager approached her with a flustered expression. "Miss Jiang, what brings you here so suddenly? Is there something you need?"

In high spirits, Jiang Yanxin replied cheerfully, "The wedding dress has arrived, hasn't it? I'm here to try it on."

"It arrived, just half an hour ago," the manager said, his expression slightly odd. "We've recently added a few new dishes to our menu. Would you like to try them first? If you're satisfied, we can upgrade your package for free."

"I'll try the dress first," Jiang Yanxin said, heading straight for the elevator without stopping.

"Miss Jiang!" the manager quickly followed her. "The band has just arrived as well. Would you like to listen to them and see if they're suitable?"

Jiang Yanxin's sharp intuition sensed something was amiss, and her smile gradually faded. "Is there a problem with the wedding dress?"

"Uh..." The manager's forehead was beaded with sweat.

His reaction only confirmed Jiang Yanxin's suspicions.

Ignoring the manager's attempts to stop her, she dashed up the stairs with the speed of the wind.

"Don't... please..."

As she reached the door, the sound of intimate whispers reached her ears. The woman's voice was soft and seductive, mingling with the man's heavy breathing. She glanced down at the text message on her phone, double-checking the room number. She was at the right place.

"Wen Zhan, this isn't right... what if someone finds out?"

"Shi Yi, do you know how beautiful you are right now? I can't wait any longer..."

The sultry murmurs were punctuated by fragmented dialogue. Jiang Yanxin's mind went blank, as if someone had gripped her throat, cutting off her air. She couldn't recall how she managed to open the door and step inside.

The scene before her was unbearable. Her body trembled, and a sharp, suffocating pain spread through her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. She dug her nails into her palms so hard it felt like she might tear the flesh, but she held back from screaming.

Inside the room, two bodies were entwined in an intimate embrace. Her fiancé, who was supposed to be away on a business trip, was now entangled with another woman. The woman's eyes were half-lidded with desire, her bare shoulder peeking out from beneath the layers of a luxurious wedding gown, now crumpled and tangled beneath them.

With just one glance, Jiang Yanxin recognized the woman—it was Xie Shiyi, her fiancé's assistant.

These two despicable creatures, committing such a disgraceful act, and they even had the audacity to do it in her wedding dress!

He had been her boyfriend for eight years—eight long years, not just eight days or eight months. And now, on the eve of their wedding, he had delivered this crushing blow.

Jiang Yanxin's breath quickened, a storm of emotions churning in her stomach, making her feel nauseous. Waves of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to lean heavily against the doorframe for support.

Hearing the noise, Qi Wenzhan finally realized what was happening. He pulled away from Xie Shiyi, hastily grabbing the blanket to cover her panicked form.

Jiang Yanxin clenched her teeth, staring at the two of them as if they were nothing more than piles of trash.

"Mr. Qi, what a delightful scene," she said, her voice trembling slightly, forcing herself to hold back the tears. "So thrilling. Shall I help you document it?"

A flicker of guilt passed through Qi Wanzhan's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the anger of being caught red-handed. His face turned cold, and he decided to throw all caution to the wind.

"Since you've seen it, it's just as well. You would have found out sooner or later anyway," he said bluntly. "Jiang Yanxin, let me be honest with you. I've been tired of you for a long time. You're so controlling, and you never let me touch you. I'm a man with needs, you know. If you know what's good for you, our wedding can still go on as planned. After we're married, I can give you the dignity of being Mrs. Qi, but Shiyi will continue to stay by my side."

"Ugh!" Jiang Yanxin nearly vomited.

A mix of rage and humiliation churned within her, shattering the last shred of her composure. She lunged forward, her hand striking Qi Wenzhan's face with a resounding slap, her actions bordering on hysteria.

"Qi Wenzhan, how dare you think I'd still want to marry you?" she spat out, her voice trembling with fury.

Qi Wenzhan, his tongue pressing against the inside of his cheek, was about to respond when Xie Shiyi, tears streaming down her face, rushed forward and grabbed Jiang Yanxin's hand. "Miss Jiang, it's all my fault. Please don't blame Wenzhan. If you must blame someone, blame me. I'll kneel and kowtow to you, okay? And the wedding dress, I didn't mean to wear it, it was just..."

Jiang Yanxin shuddered at Xie Shiyi's touch, her skin crawling. She yanked her hand away, her voice cold and sharp. "Stop pretending to be innocent in front of me!"

Xie Shiyi stumbled backward, her foot catching on the hem of her dress, and she crashed into the corner of a table. Qi Wenzhan, seeing this, rushed over, shoving Jiang Yanxin to the ground with force before carefully helping Xie Shiyi up.

His eyes blazing with anger, he glared at Jiang Yanxin, his voice icy. "Jiang Yanxin, look at yourself. You're acting like a shrew. It's disgusting."

Facing the raw disdain in his eyes, Jiang Yanxin's expression unexpectedly calmed, though her hands trembled slightly in the hidden corners. Eight years of emotions, and in the end, all he had to say was that she was disgusting.

Who was truly the more repulsive one?

At that moment, the manager hurried in, panic written all over his face. "Mr. Qi, it's bad. There are a lot of reporters outside, and they're about to come in."

The expressions of the three people in the room changed instantly.

Qi Wenzhan was the first to react. With a dark expression, he stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Yanxin's wrist, his grip so tight it seemed he wanted to crush it.

"Jiang Yanxin, you’ve really gone all out, haven’t you?" he sneered.

Jiang Yanxin’s mind was in turmoil. Why were the reporters here? Hearing Qi Wanzhan’s accusation, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of bitterness. Swallowing the sob that threatened to escape, she mustered the last of her strength to retort, "If you’re bold enough to do it, you should be bold enough to face the consequences. This is your own doing. It has nothing to do with me."

"You bitch!" Qi Wanzhan snarled, flinging her to the ground. His voice, cold and merciless, echoed above her. "If even a single word of what happened today gets out, I’ll have a nice chat with your brother. If my life goes south, you’re going down with me."

With that, he hurriedly left with Xie Shiyi in tow.

Jiang Yanxin’s face paled, a suffocating sensation rising in her chest. They had been together long enough for Qi Wanzhan to know exactly where to strike—her most vulnerable spots and deepest wounds.

Suddenly, she felt utterly exhausted. It was as if a tidal wave of despair was crashing over her, threatening to break her down and make her collapse into a sobbing heap on the floor. But reality was cruel—it wouldn’t even grant her the luxury of time to grieve.

Gritting her teeth, Jiang Yanxin struggled to her feet and stepped out of the room, only to be confronted by several individuals wielding long-lens cameras. Without a moment’s hesitation, she bolted. The reporters scrambled to keep up, their footsteps growing louder behind her. Faintly, she could hear them calling out, “Miss Jiang, wait!”

In her haste, she collided with someone. A wave of cool mint and faint nicotine enveloped her as she found herself pressed against a warm, solid chest. Yet, despite the warmth of his body, she could feel an icy gaze resting on the top of her head. The reporters behind her came to an abrupt halt, and Jiang Yanxin heard someone gasp in shock.

She didn’t dare move, her voice trembling with an unmistakable sob. “Sir, please help me.” This was the presidential suite, and anyone who could be here was undoubtedly wealthy or influential. Jiang Yanxin was gambling on that.

The man’s cigarette still burned between his fingers, the smoke curling around his strikingly handsome yet cold features, making him appear even more aloof. He looked down at her. She clutched the fabric of her shirt tightly, her eyes brimming with sorrow, like a drowning fawn.

The man paused, his sharp, narrow eyes narrowing slightly as he exchanged a glance with his assistant. The assistant stepped forward, his smile warm on the surface but carrying an unspoken air of authority.

"Gentlemen, are you trying to photograph our CEO?" The assistant's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

The reporters shook their heads vigorously, resembling children's toy drums in their eagerness to deny, yet their eyes remained glued to Jiang Yanxin's retreating figure, unwilling to let go of their quarry.

"Before you leave, hand over the memory cards from your cameras," the assistant's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a stern command.

The sound of the reporters' footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Jiang Yanxin let out a subtle sigh of relief, only to have it interrupted by a voice as cold and sharp as shattered jade, resonating in her ears.

"Aren't you coming out?"

Jiang Yanxin lowered her head and took a few steps back, too embarrassed to look up at the man's face.

The man extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray on the nearby table, his expression growing even more detached, not sparing Jiang Yanxin another glance.

"See her out."

The assistant stepped forward, gesturing politely towards Jiang Yanxin, "Miss Jiang, I will have someone escort you out."

Miss Jiang?

How did this stranger know her identity?

Though puzzled, Jiang Yanxin dared not ask. To inquire would seem as if she were trying to forge a connection intentionally.

After walking a few steps, she turned back to see the man still standing outside the corridor, tall and poised, his posture exuding an air of nobility and restraint.

Jiang Yanxin caught a fleeting glimpse of a profile as smooth as jade, and for a moment, it struck her as oddly familiar.

Stepping out of the hotel unscathed, she cast a cold, disdainful glance at the swarm of media crowding the entrance like a horde of zombies.

The memory of the humiliating scene in the hotel room surged back, churning a storm of emotions within her—pain, shame, and a frustration with no outlet.

Swallowing the bitterness that filled her mouth, she picked up her phone with a resolute expression and dialed.

"Secretary Ye," she said firmly, "You can cancel the wedding between me and Qi Wenzhan next week."