It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

The fragile bride in the turmoil of a wealthy family

Under the spotlight, Wu Xinyan, clad in a pristine white wedding gown, her delicate makeup masking her usual haggard appearance, only accentuating her alluring beauty. Holding Butler Li's hand, she walked step by step to the end of the red carpet. The crowd erupted in exclamations and endless praise.

"This bride is so beautiful, like a fairy walking out of a painting!"

"That's right. I wonder which rich girl she is to marry a young talent like Mr. Luo."

However, there was a hint of discord mixed in with the praise.

"Do you know? I heard that this bride is not a lady from a noble family, but an orphan who grew up in an orphanage."

"Is this true? No way, how could the Luo family..."

The whispers spread among the crowd like the tongue of a poisonous snake.

"Click, click—" The flash lights kept flashing, and reporters swarmed in and surrounded Wu Xinyan.

"Ms. Wu, how did you and Mr. Luo meet? What do you think about marrying into a wealthy family?"

"Ms. Wu, there are rumors that you are a victim of a family marriage. What is your response to this?"

"Ms. Wu, do you have anything to say about your life experience?"

The sharp questions were like sharp knives, piercing Wu Xinyan's fragile nerves. She suppressed her inner panic and tried to keep smiling, but she couldn't hide the panic in her eyes.

"Dear journalists, please be quiet. Today's protagonists are Mr. Luo and Ms. Wu. Please give them time and space." Butler Li tried his best to maintain order, but could not stop the enthusiasm of the reporters.

At this moment, a sharp voice came from the crowd: "Hey, sister, you are really good at it. You actually married into the Luo family!"

Wu Xue, dressed in a red dress and with delicate makeup, walked over with a mocking smile on her lips. Her appearance instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Wu Xinyan's face turned pale and her heart sank. She knew that Wu Xue would not easily let go of this opportunity to humiliate her.

"Sister, why aren't you talking? Are you so happy that you've forgotten who you are?" Wu Xue walked up to Wu Xinyan and took her arm in a feigned affectionate manner, her tone filled with undisguised malice. "No wonder. From childhood to adulthood, what you've wanted most was to replace me, right? Now, you've finally got what you wanted..."

"That's enough!" Butler Li, who had been silent the entire time, finally lost his patience and shouted, "Miss Wu, please respect yourself!"

Wu Xue acted as if she hadn't heard anything and continued, "Sister, I heard that you put a lot of thought into marrying Mr. Luo! However, some things can't be achieved by tricks alone..."

"You..." Wu Xinyan was so angry that she was shaking all over, but she was unable to refute.

At this moment, a cold voice came from outside the crowd: "Today is my Luo Yichen's wedding, who allowed you to make noise here?!"

The crowd automatically parted a path, and Luo Yichen, dressed in a black suit and with a stern face, walked in with steady steps. He walked straight to Wu Xinyan, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, finally landing on Wu Xue. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and his tone was icy cold: "What do you want to say?"

Wu Xue's heart trembled at Luo Yichen's sharp eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She put on a false smile and said softly, "Brother Yichen, don't get me wrong. I just haven't seen my sister for a long time and I'm happy for her. After all, marrying you is a lifelong blessing for her."

"Really?" Luo Yichen opened his thin lips slightly, his tone unable to tell whether he was happy or angry. "I know what kind of person my wife is, and I don't need you to judge me."

He reached out and took Wu Xinyan's cold hand, gently bringing her to his side. He glanced at the surprised reporters and said word by word, "My wife, Wu Xinyan, is kind, brave, and independent. She is the only wife I, Luo Yichen, would recognize."

It was a brief statement, yet it spoke with such force that it left no room for doubt. Everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected the usually low-key Luo Yichen to publicly defend his wife so openly. Wu Xinyan froze in her spot, a wave of warmth welling up in her heart. This was the first time someone had stood so firmly by her side, protecting her from the elements.

"Okay, Yichen, today is your big day, don't ruin your mood because of some irrelevant people." A kind voice came from the back of the crowd. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an energetic old lady wearing a luxurious cheongsam walking slowly towards them with the support of a servant.

"Grandma." Luo Yichen nodded slightly, his tone respectful.

Old Mrs. Luo patted Luo Yichen's hand lovingly, then turned her gaze to Wu Xinyan, her eyes full of admiration: "Good child, don't be afraid, grandma believes in you."

"Grandma..." Wu Xinyan's nose felt sore and her eyes reddened. In the Luo family, besides Luo Yichen, the only one who made her feel warm was this kind old lady.

Mrs. Luo turned to face the crowd, her voice loud and powerful: "Dear guests, today is the wedding of my grandson Luo Yichen and his granddaughter-in-law Wu Xinyan. Thank you all for coming to the ceremony. My granddaughter-in-law has a clean background and a kind heart. She is a good child recognized by our Luo family. I hope everyone will not believe in rumors and make malicious speculations."

Mrs. Luo held a significant position in the business world, and her words undoubtedly brought this farce to an end. The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they still had many questions in their hearts, they did not dare to say anything more.

"Okay, let's continue the wedding." As soon as Mrs. Luo gave an order, the originally noisy scene suddenly became quiet.

Under the gaze of everyone, Wu Xinyan and Luo Yichen slowly walked towards the stage.

However, just when everyone was immersed in the festive atmosphere of the wedding, Wu Xinyan accidentally caught a glimpse of Wu Xue whispering something to a strange man in a corner not far away, with a sinister smile on her face.

What on earth were they plotting? Wu Xinyan's heart tightened, a sense of foreboding welling up in her mind... She calmly withdrew her gaze, a bitter smile curling up at the corner of her mouth. This wedding was merely the calm before the storm...

Wu Xinyan struggled to suppress her inner uneasiness as she followed Luo Yichen onto the stage. The priest's solemn voice echoed through the hall as he recited the sacred vows. She mechanically repeated the words of love and commitment, her gaze unable to help but drift to the secluded corner.

"Xue'er, are you sure you want to do this? What if we get discovered..." The man who spoke looked worried. He was the one who had talked to Wu Xue before.

"What are you afraid of? As long as we take the photos, we will have the final say on what the media will write. Then we'll see how Wu Xinyan can survive in the Luo family!" Wu Xue's eyes flashed with viciousness, as if she wanted to eat Wu Xinyan alive.

"But..." The man wanted to say something, but was interrupted impatiently by Wu Xue, "Don't say buts, just do as I say! After the matter is done, you will definitely get some benefits!"

Wu Xinyan clutched the bouquet tightly, her knuckles turning white. It turned out this was all just a carefully planned conspiracy! They wanted to destroy her, make her a target of public criticism, and never be able to turn things around!

"Madam, are you okay?" Butler Li appeared behind Wu Xinyan at some point. He looked at her worriedly, with a hint of imperceptible sympathy in his eyes.

Wu Xinyan took a deep breath, trying to calm her inner turmoil. She turned around and forced a smile: "I'm fine, Butler Li, why are you here?"

"This old servant is here to remind Young Madam that the Young Master will be waiting for you in the study after the wedding." Butler Li paused and lowered his voice, "The Young Master...is not as cold and heartless as he appears. He's just not good at expressing himself..."

Wu Xinyan was stunned for a moment, looking at Butler Li in confusion. Why did Butler Li tell her this? Could it be that Luo Yichen had some hidden secret?

"Madam, you are the one chosen by the master himself. The master believes that you can..." Butler Li hesitated to speak, looked at Wu Xinyan deeply, and turned to leave.

Master? Was he Luo Yichen's father? Why had he chosen her to be the Luo family's daughter-in-law? All of this, like a huge mystery, shrouded Wu Xinyan's heart, making her feel extremely confused and uneasy.

"Xinyan, what's wrong with you?" Luo Yichen noticed that Wu Xinyan was acting strangely and asked with concern.

Wu Xinyan came back to her senses and looked at the handsome man in front of her with mixed feelings. Was he really just not good at expressing himself as Li Guanjia said? Or was he also

"I'm fine." Wu Xinyan forced a smile and gently placed her hand on Luo Yichen's palm, "Let's continue."

However, her trembling fingertips and evasive eyes betrayed her inner panic. Luo Yichen frowned slightly and held her hand. A chill came from his palm, "You..."

However, before he could ask, he was interrupted by a loud noise...

"Mr. Luo, do you have any response to the online rumors that your marriage with Miss Wu was just a transaction?" A sharp voice pierced the originally festive atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, countless flashbulbs lit up, surrounding Wu Xinyan and Luo Yichen. In the crowd, Wu Xue's lips curled into a triumphant sneer, while the man pointed his camera at Wu Xinyan's pale face.

"Mr. Luo, what do you think about the rumor that Ms. Wu had an affair with someone else?" another reporter asked aggressively.

Luo Yichen's aura suddenly dropped, and his cold eyes swept over everyone present. His powerful aura made the reporters subconsciously take a step back. At this moment, an old but majestic voice sounded:

"That's enough! Today is my Luo family's happy occasion. Who allowed you to be so presumptuous here?"

Mrs. Luo walked slowly over, surrounded by a group of servants. Her sharp eyes swept over everyone present, finally landing on Wu Xinyan. A trace of heartache flashed in her eyes, "Child, don't be afraid, grandma is here."

Wu Xinyan held back her tears and nodded slightly to Mrs. Luo. However, the media's siege and Wu Xue's vicious curses had already left deep scars in her heart.

The wedding ended hastily and the guests left. Wu Xinyan returned to her room alone, unable to suppress the grievance and helplessness in her heart, and tears burst out like a dam breaking.

She didn't understand why fate had been so cruel to her. Orphaned at a young age, she was adopted by the Wu family, only to be treated like a servant. Finally having the chance to marry into a wealthy family, she was caught up in this elaborate conspiracy.

"Luo Yichen, will he really believe me?" Wu Xinyan murmured to herself. Luo Yichen's cold face appeared in her mind, and she felt even more desperate.

She didn't know what role she played in this marriage, nor what the future held for her. She only knew that at this moment, she was like a wounded little animal, licking its wounds alone, helpless and lost.

"Dong dong dong..."

There was a knock on the door. Wu Xinyan hurriedly wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and tried to look calmer. "Who?"

"Madam, the master and the mistress ask you to go to the front hall." The servant's respectful voice came from outside the door.

Wu Xinyan's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came over her...