Chapter 27: Backfired
"how did you know what was going on?" I turned to Mo Ying.
"I didn’t know, Fuhan just came to meet me at the market and said Lu Fei was here.. when I arrived, I heard some noise and I entered... Who would have thought she would have tired to drug you."
He said, disgust visible in his words as I just sighed, "Luckily I escaped.. now we just have to wait for the real drama to start." I said with a grin.
"Let’s get you a new dress first." Mo Ying said as he took hold of my hands and dragged me away.
Around the eleventh hour, people had already stated arriving.. some of he extended Lu family and the villagers as well.
Soon the main guests of the day arrived, Aunt Lu, Uncle Lu and Lu Fong.. their faces in all smiles unknown to them that all their plans has backfired into their faces.
The village chief, Yan, soon arrived with his wife. The two of them were dressed neatly in festive red and gold, smiling politely as they stepped into the courtyard.
People quickly greeted them, and the mood of the place lifted even higher.
As time moved closer to Noon, the air was thick with excitement. Red banners fluttered, tables of food filled the yard, and laughter echoed from the children running around.
Mo Ying finally returned, walking into the yard with Fuhan beside him. He carried himself calmly, his expression unreadable, but I could see how his gaze kept shifting ever so slightly toward the house.
He stood in the front yard as though he too were waiting for the bride, his hands clasped behind his back, his presence steady.
It didn’t take long before people began to whisper.
"Why hasn’t the bride come out yet?"
"Shouldn’t she be ready by now?"
"Don’t tell me something went wrong..."
The murmurs spread quickly. Some of the villagers craned their necks toward the house, curious. Others began to gossip, hands covering their mouths as they exchanged guesses.
Near the side, Yan Mei was seated with the children. Little Mo Bao tugged at her sleeve.
"Aunt Yan Mei, where’s Mama? Why hasn’t she come out yet?" his round eyes blinked, full of worry.
Yan Mei forced a small smile and patted his head gently. "I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe she’s still getting dressed."
But her eyes flickered toward Fuhan. He had told her and Zu Shi earlier not to go into the room no matter what happened.
Meanwhile, at the Lu family’s table, Aunt Lu leaned closer to her husband and son, her voice low but filled with anticipation.
"Where’s your sister? Has she done it yet?"
Lu Fong quickly answered, "Ma, she said once she finishes, she’ll go home to change before coming back. That way, Lin Xu won’t expose her in front of everyone."
Aunt Lu’s lips curled into a pleased smile. "Good, very good."
The Lu family exchanged glances of excitement, their faces glowing with false joy, utterly convinced that everything was falling into place for them.
Just then—
A sharp scream pierced the air.
Like a knife, silencing laughter and chatter in the courtyard. Everyone froze, their heads turning at once toward the source of the sound.
"What was that?"
"Did someone just scream from inside?"
"Could something have happened to the bride?"
Uneasy murmurs spread as Aunt Lu leapt to her feet, her face painted with fake concern.
She clasped her hands together dramatically and exclaimed, "That must be Lin Xu! Something isn’t right, we must check immediately."
Her husband and son quickly rose as well, pretending to look worried but unable to hide the smirk tugging at the corners of their lips. To them, the scream was a signal that their plan had succeeded.
"Quickly, everyone, let’s go!" Aunt Lu urged, leading the way.
Curiosity was too strong for the villagers to resist. Chairs scraped against the ground as people hurried after her, whispering eagerly among themselves.
"Something must have gone wrong."
"Do you think the bride fainted?"
"Or maybe she got nervous?"
Yan Mei tightened her arms around the children as th
ey looked up at her with wide, worried eyes. She kept her calm smile but her gaze flickered once more toward Fuhan, who stood motionless by Mo Ying’s side, his jaw tight as if he already knew what was about to happen.
The crowd pressed forward until they reached Lin Xu’s room. Aunt Lu made a show of placing her hand against the doorframe, sighing loudly as if she were deeply distressed.
"Oh heavens, please let nothing bad have happened to her..." she cried, but her voice carried a faint tremor of excitement. Then, with a dramatic push, she swung the door wide open.
The door creaked, and the villagers surged closer, necks craning to see.
And then, gasps erupted all at once.
The sight inside the room was nothing anyone could have expected.
On the bridal bed, beneath the red canopy, was not Lin Xu. It was Lu Fei.
She was dressed in the bridal robe, the veil slipped halfway off her head. Her body was weak, her hair messy, her lips pale. But the true shock came from the figure looming over her.
Big Man Lou.
The entire room went still for a heartbeat. Then chaos exploded.
"Isn’t that Lu Fei?!"
"What in the world is she doing here?!"
"Heavens above, is that... Big Man Lou?!"
"Dressed as the bride, no less, what shame!"
"Oh my! I can’t believe it, she was with a man in her sister-in-law’s wedding chamber!"
The villagers’ voices rose higher and higher, a storm of disbelief and scandal. Some women gasped and covered their mouths, others whispered furiously into each other’s ears. Men shook their heads in disgust, some even spitting on the floor.
"So shameless!"
"She dared to sneak in wearing the bridal dress?"
"And with him of all people? Big Man Lou, that brute?!"
"What kind of upbringing does she have, disgracing her entire family like this?"
Aunt Lu’s face drained of color, her mouth falling open. For a moment, she couldn’t even speak. Her husband and Lu Fong were frozen too, their earlier smiles wiped away, leaving only horror and humiliation behind.
Big Man Lou, realizing it wasn’t Lin Xu, stood up immediately in shock.
"Bi*ch! You tricked me!"