"Leave in the most painful way. 'If you truly love me, dare to snatch me away during my wedding!'" I said, tears welling up in my eyes, staring at the man who has been pursuing me for ten years.

His eyes twinkled with surprise, paired with bitterness.

"A wedding heist? Mu Qing, the one proposing to you is the young master of the Mu family. Compared to him, I am nothing."

Whenever Mu Tianchen's name cropped up, my heart ached again.

"All you need to answer is, will you dare to show up?"

I stood up to leave and he chased after me.

"Everyone knows that Mu Tianchen would marry no one but you, he loves you to the bone!"

"Why are you doing this?"

I stopped in my tracks, hesitated a moment, then coldly threw back a sentence.

"He... deserves it!"

Once, I thought Mu Tianchen was my soulmate.

We met in university and quickly established a relationship.

Even though many girls chased after him, the campus heartthrob, he never even gave them a second glance.

"Wherever I go, I always introduce to my friends that I am her girlfriend.

For this, I have given all of myself to him.

There was a time where I was indulged in the sweet happiness.

Until, his childhood sweetheart who was abroad for seven years, suddenly came back.

She even conceived his child!

On the night I got this news from a friend, even though my lips were bleeding from biting too hard, I was unable to hide the pain from my heart.

I can't comprehend, why would he do such a thing!

Later, he even recruited his childhood sweetheart into the company and doted on her under my watch.

Perhaps, he thought,

Being the young master of the Mu family, I can't bear to leave him nowadays.

In the early evening, just as I gather my belongings and prepared to head home, the car of Mu Tianchen halted in front of me.

“Didn’t even tell me when you got off work, get in, I'll drive you home."

He indulgently smiled at me, indicating for me to get in the car.

But when I was about to open the car door, through the tinted glass, I noticed his childhood sweetheart, Lin Qian, was seated inside.

She squinted her eyes while smiling at me and rolled down the car window."

"Mu Qing, you can sit at the back. XiXi's not feeling well today, I'm going to drop her off."

Looking at Lin XiXi with a triumphant expression, I pursed my lips and coldly said:

"No need, I'll take a cab home."

Having said that, I hailed a taxi.

Looking at my actions, Mu Tianchen immediately unbuckled his seatbelt, creasing his brow as he stepped out.

"What's all the fuss about? Can't you be understanding when XiXi's not feeling well?"

Lin XiXi, in her own hurried attempt to salvage the situation, unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Putting on an innocent face, she said:

"Did I upset you, Sister Mu Qing? I'll take a cab home then."

"Feng Chen, don't worry about it. Drive Sister Mu Qing home, it's not nice if we are upsetting her."

Saying this, she hastily tried to slide into the taxi I had hailed.

But she was held back by Mu Tianchen.

"Is it necessary to be angry over something so trivial?"

"Can you stop being melodramatic?"

Having said that, he opened the car door and forcefully placed me in the back seat.

Seeing him act this way, I didn't want to argue and decided to stay silent.

Lin Xi carrying his child, it was something he never mentioned to me, always keeping it a secret. I had no idea, how long he planned to keep it hidden. What I truly couldn't comprehend was, despite everything, why did he still insist on marrying me? Lin Xi was having his baby, wouldn't it be better if he married her instead?

Throughout the ride, I sat in the back row, watching as Mu Tianchen and Lin Xi laughed and chatted. Lin Xi was giggling the entire time, and I had no clue how Mu Tianchen's words were able to amuse her so much.

Upon reaching her house, Mu Tianchen personally helped her up the stairs. He stayed up there for half an hour before coming down, forgetting to wipe off the lingering lipstick mark on his mouth corner.

"Why are you constantly staring at me?" As he noticed my gaze fixed on his mouth, without thinking, he reached out to ruffle my hair, disguising his own embarrassment. As he turned around, in a pretended casual motion, he discreetly wiped off the lipstick mark. I didn't ask, and he didn't explain. As though nothing had ever happened. When we got home, I thought he would leave. But instead, he followed me, and we went upstairs together.

"I won't be going home today, I'll stay with you," he said softly.

It seemed as if his staying with me was a kind of gift or charity.

I shook my head exhaustedly and said, "No need, I am a bit tired today, I want to rest early."

"Then I'll sleep beside you."

After saying this, he paid no more attention to my objection, took off his jacket, put down his phone, and entered the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water came from inside.

Yet, it left me feeling restless and upset.

At this moment, his phone placed on the coffee table beeped once.

It was a message from Lin Xi.

In the past, I never looked at his phone, thinking that even as husband and wife, each other's privacy should be respected.

And besides, I always trusted him, he could never do anything to wrong me.

But now it seems, I was just too naive.

Hesitating for a moment, I still turned on his phone screen.

The message sent by Lin Xi quickly stung my eyes.

"Tianchen, I just had a little morning sickness today. Don't worry."

"The baby is healthy, and in seven months, you'll become a dad. Love you."

I had heard from a friend that Lin Xi was carrying Mu Tianchen's child, but I found it hard to believe.

I didn't think he would do such a thing.

But in this moment, looking at the message Lin Xi sent.

My heart, it finally died utterly and completely.

The child indeed belongs to him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't take care of Lin Xi on behalf of someone else.

Tears, despite my attempts to hold them back, slowly started to slide down from the corner of my eyes.

Mu Tianchen, our relationship, I will sever it thoroughly.

Not wanting to leave you any memories.

Also, not wanting to leave myself with any lingering thoughts!

So, everybody, let's just rip off the band-aid in the most painful way.

Let's leave each other!

Don't you find it ironic? After coming out of the bathroom, Mu Tianchen, wearing only a towel around his lower body, came over and hugged me, wanting to kiss me.

"Mu Qing, let's have a child tonight."

"My mom is getting anxious. She pressures me every day, wanting to hold her great-grandson," he spoke softly in my ear.

His tender tone, however, disgusted me.

A child!

He already had a child!

I turned my face away, avoiding his kiss, followed by prying off his hand around my waist.

"I've said this, I am really tired today. I just want to rest early."

His face instantly darkened, a sign of displeasure evident in his eyes.

"I've been busy with work lately, I haven't been able to spend time with you."

"I desire you."

He held back his anger, stepped forward to hold me once more, trying to kiss me, striving to possess my body, a hint of pleading in his tone.

What a joke!

I couldn't help but scoff.

Initially, I thought that lately, he was preoccupied due to the subsidiary company's impending public offering.

But just now, I saw his chat with Lin Qian.

It was just now that I learned, he had spent a lot of time, accompanying Lin Xi for prenatal care, and pregnancy maintenance.

Even for several nights, he spent them at Lin Xi's home.

Now, does he still retain an iota of truth in his words?

"What's the meaning of your scoff? Mu Qing, haven't you found your recent behavior quite odd?"

"What exactly are you upset about? If something's up, just say it."

"You behave as if I've done you wrong!"

Finally, his anger flared up, frowing as his gaze fell on me heavy and cold.

Yet, he didn't mention a thing about Lin Xi's pregnancy.

"There's nothing, I'm just tired."

Seeing his face so full of righteous indignation, I didn't have the mood to even argue with him anymore.

The child, is right there.

Arguing now, and failing to get married, the only one who will be hurt is me.

Since he still wants to keep up this pretence.

Then, I might as well wait until our wedding day.

I can't let myself suffer alone.

"I want him to feel the pain I'm feeling now, my entire heart, it's convulsing.

Without paying much attention to him, I lied down on the couch.

He stood there, a hint of helplessness reflected in his eyes. After a long silence, he sat down next to me.

Gently, he took me into his arms.

"I'll stay with you for a little while before I leave."

"Mu Qing, remember this, in this world, you are the woman I love the most."

"No one could ever replace you."

His words seemed to hint something.

Even though Lin Xin is carrying his child, but in his heart, I was still the only one.

But, isn't it ironic?

The day after he dumped me, Mu Tianchen came to my house early in the morning.

He brought a bag full of breakfast, plate by plate he placed them on the dining table.

"Lazybones, wake up. I specially asked the chef to make your favorite salty soy milk."

He came by my bed, gently kissing my forehead.

Seeing him like this, I realized, perhaps my abnormal behavior yesterday made him start to suspect that I already knew about his affair with Lin Xin."

But what he chose was not to explain.

Instead, he believed that as long as he pampered me enough, I wouldn't possibly be willing to leave him.

Influenced by a large family from a young age, this was always his way of dealing with things.

Even if someone offended him.

In front of people, he was always composed.

But his behind-the-scenes methods were more ruthless than anyone else's.

I saw with my own eyes how a supplier that had offended him was wrecked to the point of family ruin!

All because the other party ridiculed him a few times at a cocktail party.

And now, does he plan to use this sort of strategy on me?

I gave him a small smile and rose to my feet, arriving at the dining table to take a few sips of soy milk.

All the while, he was constantly on his phone, replying to messages, occasionally checking on me, and giving me a small smile.

"Today is a weekend, where would you like to go? I'll accompany you later."

"No need. Your subsidiary is about to go public, isn't it? You should focus on your work," I replied with a light smile.

He put down his phone, grabbed my hand, and his voice became even gentler.

"You are more important to me than the subsidiary company."

"I see you've been pretty tired lately. Why don't I accompany you to a lakeside camp for a good relaxation?"

I didn't refuse again and got into his car, heading to a stunning lakeside in the suburbs.

In the past, I addressed my bad mood by visiting this place. The lush water-firs would always make me feel refreshed and cheerful.

But this time, they've lost such effect.

Looking at Mu Tianchen sitting next to me but with all his attention on his mobile chat screen, I felt a wave of annoyance.

"If there's something you need to attend to, we can head back. You seem busy." Eventually, I broke the silence.

Only then did he put down his phone.

"It's alright. I promised I would accompany you today."

But it took only a few minutes for his phone to ring again.

"Okay, don't be scared, I'm coming right now!"

In an instance, the colour drained from his face, he stood up in a hurry.

"Mu Qing, something urgent has come up at the company, I need to handle it right away."

"I'll send a driver to pick you up later!"

Without giving me time to respond, he had already frantically climbed into the car and drove away swiftly.

He left me in this deserted suburban area.

I waited on the spot for two hours, but his driver did not come to pick me up.

I could only turn on my phone and ask my best friend to pick me up, but instead, I accidentally saw a WeChat post by Lin Xi.

"A false alarm, thankfully the baby is fine. Admittedly, it scared my husband a bit, but seeing how anxious he was for the child, I felt nothing but happiness."

The man I'm about to marry isn't you! Reading Lin Xi's post, tears blurred my vision.

For the sake of Lin Xi, Mu Tianchen could unhesitatingly abandon me in this wild frontier.

His driver never came to pick me up. By the time my best friend finally arrived, I had been soaked through by a sudden downpour.

When I got home, I developed a fever and lay in bed, shivering.

It was only then that Mu Tianchen showed up, terribly late.

"How did you get so drenched?"

"It was raining, couldn't you have sought out some place to shelter? Do you always have to be so foolish?"

His first reaction was to blame me.

I didn't say anything, just looked at him coldly.

Only then did he realize, pulling out his phone and launching into a barrage of harsh words against his driver.

But clearly, it was him who forgot to inform his driver.

However, he always behaved this way, never admitting his own mistakes.

With various methods, he would shift the blame onto others.

For he is the young master of the Mu family, the president of the company.

No one dared contradict him.

Even less dared to defy him.

"How are you feeling now? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

As he calmed down, he became gentle again.

Yet, I don't know why, but I'm getting more and more uncomfortable with his gentleness by the day.

It even started to hurt.

"No need, I'll be fine after some sleep."

I stayed at home for three days, and he never came again.

He didn't even go to the company, it was as if he disappeared.

Lin Xi also disappeared at the same time.

Not until the eve of my wedding, when I saw Lin Xi's circle of friends again, did I find out where he had gone.

Lin Xi, in her own social media feed, posted a photo of her in a wedding dress by the sea.

"My life is complete, having managed to organize a wedding by the seashore."

Although in the photo, she was merely holding a man's hand, the watch that I gifted to Mu Tianchen appeared exceptionally glaring.

The location displayed in this WeChat moment is Ireland.

This made me instantly realize, before our wedding in China, he married Lin Xi in Ireland first.

After all, marriage certificates of the two countries are not mutually accepted.

In this way, he will avoid committing the crime of bigamy.

Mu Tianchen, why must you go to such lengths to marry Lin Xi?

Could you not let me go?

Mu Tianchen returned from Ireland in the early morning of our wedding day. After merely three hours of sleep, he transitioned from being another woman's groom to my groom.

Amidst the deafening noise of ceremonial firecrackers, our wedding commenced.

Nevertheless, compared to the couture wedding dress that Lin Xi wore in her WeChat moments, the wedding dress that has now become mine felt very ordinary.

I always thought that he didn't have time to accompany me in choosing it, so I decided for an ordinary one.

But now, I know that he simply expended all his energy on Lin Xi.

He didn't have time to help me choose a dress anymore.

Holding my father's hand, I walked towards him, my face expressionless, unable to squeeze out even the smallest smile.

The ceremony quickly arrived at the exchange of rings.

I watched him as he smiled and pulled out the ring, listening to the vows recited by the officiant, getting ready to place it on my finger.

"Miss Yan Muqing, are you willing to take Mr. Mu Tianchen as your husband, to love him and to be loyal to him..."

The officiant finished the vows, and everyone at the scene was smiling at me.

The look in Mu Tianchen's eyes was filled with affection and happiness.

He was waiting for me to say: I do.

But, that response was not forthcoming.

His hand, already extended towards me, stiffened in mid-air, making it all look enormously awkward.

The room, initially filled with whispers, become gradually louder.

Just as the scene seemed to be spiralling out of control, the officiant coughed awkwardly and wanted to recite the vows once more to alleviate the tension.

However, this time he only got halfway through.

The tightly shut doors of the banquet hall were suddenly pushed very open.

Just as the doors were pushed open, I finally looked into Mu Tianchen's eyes.

Without any hesitation, I replied:

"I do not!"

"Mu Tianchen, the man I intend to marry today, is not you at all!"