IJLHTW - 41

Everyone stared at the large screen, where the video displayed only Chen Xin’s face and his voice. Huo Ci stood in the corner, coldly watching as Chen Xin frantically looked around with a panicked expression.

“Hand me the green paint,” Huo Ci said, extending her hand.

Mo Xingchen, who had been completely stunned, immediately fished out a can of green paint from her bag upon hearing this. Fortunately, she had prepared everything today—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—all colors were accounted for.

After taking the paint, Huo Ci opened it and strode over to Chen Xin in just a few long steps. By the time she reached him, he finally noticed her presence. Panic flickered in his eyes as he asked, “Huo Ci, why are you here?”

Without hesitation, she flung the majority of the can’s contents onto Chen Xin. His black tuxedo and white shirt were splattered with green paint, making him look utterly ridiculous and laughable.

Gasps erupted throughout the banquet hall, which was now descending into chaos.

Huo Ci coldly eyed Chen Xin and mocked, “You like playing around, don’t you? Let me give you a taste of what it feels like to be covered in green.”

Most of the groomsmen present were friends Chen Xin had made during college, some of whom knew Huo Ci. They quickly stepped forward to mediate, with one person saying, “Huo Ci, today is Chen Xin’s big day. Is it really appropriate for you to cause such a scene?”

“You’re absolutely right—I’m here to make a scene. If he weren’t getting married today, I wouldn’t have even bothered coming.”

Huo Ci’s gaze remained icy as she spoke irrationally, yet there was an air of inevitability about her words.

“Everyone knows the groom, Chen Xin. In the video, he proposed to his ex-girlfriend—a breakup that happened just a month ago—and now he’s getting married.” Huo Ci sneered.

A MONTH AGO?!?

This five-star hotel was notoriously difficult to book; wedding banquet halls were already booked solid through next year, requiring reservations six months in advance.

All eyes turned toward the groom, the murmurs growing louder.

Chen Xin stood frozen, acutely aware of the swirling gossip around him.

The bride’s family rushed over, and a man in a blue suit pointed at Chen Xin, scolding, “What on earth is wrong with you, letting people come here and make a scene?”

Turning around, he shouted, “Security! Where are the guards? Why haven’t they thrown these people out yet? What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Huo Ci, don’t go too far!” Chen Xin’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with both hatred and anger.

Chen Xin had always been concerned about appearances—otherwise, he wouldn’t have spread such outrageous lies in their class group chat. He knew exactly what Shao Yi was like: not someone who would recklessly cause trouble. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the usually aloof Huo Ci would be the first to stand up for Shao Yi.

His once handsome face now pale and ashen, ten minutes ago he had been the proud groom, but now he was nothing more than a despicable cheater.

Huo Ci coolly regarded him, saying, “Didn’t you ask us to keep an eye on you after your proposal?”

“I’m just following your own words.” She was beautiful, her expression cold, and her actions methodical. With just a few sentences, she crushed Chen Xin beneath her feet.

The majority of the guests in the banquet hall were from the bride’s side, all eager to watch the spectacle unfold. Very few stepped forward to intervene.

Besides, all the girl had done was throw a can of green paint on him. What was the big deal?

The man shouting for security was probably the bride’s brother, yelling at the top of his lungs. Mo Xingchen, thoroughly annoyed, stepped forward and sprayed him with pepper spray. Mimicking Huo Ci’s cold smile, she said, “Your sister was the other woman, and you still have the nerve to show your face? Today, I’ll teach you how to behave.”

Seeing Mo Xingchen take action, Chen Xin immediately moved to stop her. But Huo Ci, wearing boots specifically chosen for today, took a powerful step forward and delivered a fierce kick to his chest. Afterward, she clutched her lower abdomen, feeling sharp pain, but inwardly, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Chen Xin hadn’t expected her to be so ruthless. Caught off guard, he stumbled backward several steps after Huo Ci’s kick.

Fortunately, one of the groomsmen standing nearby quickly steadied him.

“Chen Xin, if you want to climb the social ladder, no one will stop you. But you can’t treat people like this. You can’t trample on someone else’s sincere feelings for years. Do I really need to remind you how Shao Yi treated you? Ask yourself—do you deserve her?”

Huo Ci was genuinely angry. Both Shao Yi and Chen Xin had moved to Beijing for university. They started dating during college, stayed together through graduation, and decided to remain in the city afterward.

Shortly after graduation, they began living together. Shao Yi worked tirelessly while ensuring he was well taken care of.

And then, with a single word of breakup, he dismissed her.

“That’s between me and her. What does it have to do with you? Besides, we broke up a long time ago,” Chen Xin gritted his teeth, glaring at her.

Huo Ci suddenly let out a soft laugh. “That’s right, it has nothing to do with me. I just don’t like you, and I want to destroy you.”

Her words silenced everyone. This girl carried herself with an innate arrogance; when she coldly spoke those words, others couldn’t help but feel a sense of inevitability.

“Huo Ci, you…” Chen Xin’s eyes reddened, and he desperately wanted to lunge forward and tear her apart.

Before he could say anything, Huo Ci flung the remaining paint in her hand at him again, sneering, “Do you think you can casually call my name?”

Hotel security finally arrived, and the man who had been sprayed by Mo Xingchen pointed at them, shouting, “Call the police! Call the police immediately!”

“Go ahead and call the police! Who’s afraid of whom?” Mo Xingchen smirked. They had mentally prepared themselves for this showdown.

The bride, who had been waiting in the lounge, likely heard about the commotion and hurried over. Dressed in a sweeping white wedding gown with a lace veil trailing behind her, she looked distraught and anxious upon seeing Chen Xin’s sorry state.

“Chen Xin, are you okay?” The bride was genuinely worried. Seeing his pale face, tears streamed down her cheeks.

As the security guards moved to escort the two troublemakers out, before they could lay a hand on them, Mo Xingchen shouted, “I’m pregnant! If any of you dare touch me and harm the baby in my belly, prepare to rot in jail!”

Her shout froze everyone in their tracks. Nothing mattered more than the safety of a pregnant woman.

If anything happened to her or the baby, they’d never be able to compensate for it.

Even Huo Ci was shocked by her bold declaration.

With one hand resting on her stomach and the other clutching pepper spray, Mo Xingchen resembled a warrior holding explosives, ready to sacrifice herself at any moment.

The security guards hesitated, and the bride’s brother grew angrier, pointing at them and cursing loudly, “Are you useless? Can’t you even handle two women?”

“Mr. Lu, please calm down. We’ve already called the police,” the hotel manager hastily intervened.

Lu’s face twisted in fury. Calling the police wouldn’t solve anything. The Lu family’s reputation had been publicly shredded, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, no one dared to do anything to the two women.

Mo Xingchen smirked triumphantly, then turned to see the bride tenderly caressing Chen Xin’s face. She sneered, “Cheating scum and homewrecker—a perfect match.”

Then, turning to Huo Ci with a grin, she said, “Huo Ci, do you think we messed up? We should’ve let this despicable pair live happily ever after.”

“It doesn’t matter. They’re shameless enough to continue their happy life even after our intervention.”

Huo Ci rarely agreed with her, but today they were perfectly in sync, tearing apart the bride and groom’s dignity and grinding it into the ground. Killing someone might warrant a mere head nod, but today, these two were determined to destroy Chen Xin.

“You’re shameless!” the bride shouted, her face pale with rage. No matter what, this was her wedding, and being publicly humiliated like this left her trembling with anger.

“Oh, look who’s accusing others of being shameless. Weren’t you shameless when you became the other woman? Where was your conscience then?” Mo Xingchen fired back, her sharp tongue unmatched. Huo Ci, on the other hand, preferred action over words.

She didn’t engage in verbal sparring, leaving such cutting remarks to Mo Xingchen.

The bride wasn’t one to back down either, immediately retorting, “Who do you think you are to meddle in our affairs? Chen Xin and I are openly dating. Doesn’t everyone have an ex-girlfriend? If she wasn’t good enough, she deserved to be dumped. Whose fault is that?”

Damn, that statement was enough to ignite their fury.

Huo Ci sneered and stepped forward. Initially, she had only intended to teach Chen Xin a lesson—he was the one who had wronged Shao Yi. Now, seeing the two of them together, it was clear why they ended up together.

“She may not have the right to interfere, but I certainly do,” a voice rang out from behind them. Everyone turned to see a woman in a black coat quietly standing there.

Chen Xin hadn’t expected Shao Yi to actually show up. His face instantly crumbled.

Shao Yi walked up to him, ignoring the bride beside him, and fixed her gaze solely on him. “Chen Xin, we’ve been together since college. Even after breaking up, you owe me an explanation.”

“Shao Yi,” Chen Xin managed to put on a brave front in front of Huo Ci and the others, but upon seeing Shao Yi, he was suddenly speechless.

For the past month, he had been like a puppet on strings, mechanically going through the motions—taking wedding photos, registering their marriage, booking the hotel for the banquet, house hunting—it was all like a dream.

Now, the dream had been shattered.

Slap. Without another word, Shao Yi delivered a resounding slap across his face.

That slap erased her youth, extinguishing the last remnants of hope lingering in her heart.

But before the echo of the slap faded, the bride screamed, “How dare you hit him?”

Before she could finish her sentence, another slap landed on Chen Xin’s right cheek. His fair skin clearly bore the imprint of five fingers after two consecutive slaps.

“You…” The bride hadn’t expected today’s events to escalate so dramatically. Seeing Chen Xin’s lack of resistance, she moved to intervene.

But before she could reach him, Huo Ci blocked her path, shoving her aside with a cold laugh. “What business is it of yours? This is between former lovers.”

“Yeah, stay out of it,” Mo Xingchen chimed in, forming a barrier.

The sound of slaps continued to echo, and even the groomsmen didn’t dare intervene. Most were college classmates who understood what had transpired. Clearly, Chen Xin had acted dishonorably.

Moreover, with Mo Xingchen, a pregnant woman, present, even the security guards hesitated. All they could do now was wait for the police to arrive and remove these three troublesome individuals.

When Shao Yi finished delivering her slaps, she calmly looked at Chen Xin and said, “Chen Xin, consider our debts settled.”

From now on, let’s never see each other again.

Chen Xin stared at her blankly. With things having escalated to this point, there was no turning back for anyone.

The police arrived amidst the crowd’s murmurs. What was supposed to be a lavish wedding had devolved into a grand farce. Countless phones were raised, capturing the scene. In this age of social media, tomorrow’s headlines were practically guaranteed.

The officers came to take the troublemakers away—it was a public disturbance, after all. Surprisingly, the three women involved appeared remarkably composed, as if they had vented everything they needed to. Two of them, in particular, seemed unfazed, ready to follow the police without resistance.

But Huo Ci leaned against a floral column, unmoving.

Mo Xingchen glanced back at her and said, “Huo Ci, let’s go. Don’t make things harder for the police.”

One of the officers thought, Ah, this girl seems reasonable.

But something seemed off. Huo Ci’s face was pale, sweat pouring down her forehead. Even the officer noticed something was amiss. When Mo Xingchen went to support her, she immediately caught a strong whiff of blood emanating from Huo Ci.

It was overwhelming.

Mo Xingchen, frightened, asked urgently, “Huo Ci, what’s wrong with you? Please, don’t be hurt.”

Shao Yi, maintaining her composure, stepped forward and unbuttoned Huo Ci’s coat. When she opened it, everyone gasped. Beneath her white sweater was a massive bloodstain, and even the lining of her white coat was soaked crimson.

Mo Xingchen, who had earlier been defiant, burst into tears. “Huo Ci, what’s wrong? Please don’t be hurt.”

“I think my wound reopened. Take me to the hospital,” Huo Ci said, eerily calm.

Though Shao Yi didn’t cry, her lips trembled with both anger and sorrow. “Are you trying to kill yourself? With such severe injuries, how could you come here?”

She knew Huo Ci had come to stand up for her.

“We promised each other—if one of us gets wronged, the other must stand up for her.”

No one—not even the police or the onlookers—had anticipated this. Here was a girl, severely injured, risking her life to defend her friend. It was the ultimate act of loyalty.

Meanwhile, the bridesmaids and groomsmen surrounding the bride and groom hadn’t budged despite the chaos. Society was full of self-serving individuals, with far fewer willing to stand up for others.

This girl was fiercely loyal and righteous.

“Stop crying,” Huo Ci snapped at Mo Xingchen, leaning on her shoulder. “Take me back to the hospital.”

Seeing her condition, the police didn’t dare take her to the station.

They initially planned to carry her out on a stretcher, but Huo Ci glared at the bride and groom, sneering, “I walked in here on my own two feet, and I’ll walk out the same way.”

Mo Xingchen, tears streaming down her face, glared at her. “You’re still being stubborn at a time like this? Serves you right if you die from the pain.”

Despite her words, she allowed Huo Ci to lean on her.

Shao Yi and Mo Xingchen supported her on either side as they escorted her out.

As they exited the banquet hall, they helped her toward the elevator. The officers accompanying them waited silently, feeling a pang of sympathy for Huo Ci’s condition.

A soft ding signaled the elevator’s arrival. As the doors slowly opened, Huo Ci saw the people inside. Standing at the forefront was a man whose expression was cold and distant, his brows furrowed, exuding an aura of untouchability.

The elevator was packed with men in black suits, presumably bodyguards.

Mo Xingchen was the first to snap out of her daze. She hadn’t expected to see Yi Zhecheng here. But then she remembered—hadn’t Huo Ci called her from afar to gush about her boyfriend? Who was he again?

Yang Ming hadn’t anticipated Huo Ci to appear in such a state. Spotting the bloodstains on her white sweater, his heart nearly stopped. Glancing cautiously at his boss, who stood emotionless, he realized his master hadn’t immediately stepped forward to assist Miss Huo.

Perhaps he was furious beyond words.

Thinking back on his boss’s expressions throughout the journey, Yang Ming felt certain his life was forfeit.

No one moved until the elevator doors began to close again, at which point Huo Ci suddenly spoke.

She said, “Yi Zhecheng, it hurts.”