Chapter 1: The Proxy Marriage

Jing City.

The heavy rain had fallen continuously for days. At this moment, the dark, low-hanging clouds churned and billowed as muffled thunder rumbled. Inside the attic of the old Tan family estate, a youth lay huddled beneath a quilt, sleeping fitfully.

Suddenly, the attic door was pushed open gently.

“Second Young Master?”

Ma Zhang, a servant, stood outside the door. Her face carried a hint of worry as she called out in a low voice, “Second Young Master?”

This attic was almost never visited, and coupled with the torrential rain, it carried a strange, moldy dampness.

She waited for over a minute before the small lump under the quilt finally moved. The youth seemed to realize someone was calling him and sat up with the quilt draped over his head.

The lights weren’t on in the attic, but by the light of the pouring rain, one could still vaguely discern his face.

Ma Zhang had been with the Tan family for over twenty years, yet facing this face, she still couldn’t help but daze for a moment.

The youth before her had ink-black hair and snow-white skin. He was still ill, and his frame was far too thin. A sickly air lingered on his palm-sized face, and his gaze held a dazed timidity. His lashes were thick and long, casting shadows over his eyelids. His entire being was so pale he lacked color, yet his lips were exceptionally full and bright red, giving him a desolate, fragile beauty.

He looked like a newborn lamb, its coat still wet, weak and powerless, lacking even the strength to bleat.

“Second Young Master,” Ma Zhang suddenly snapped back to reality and said quickly, “The Master and Madam are calling for you. Let us head over quickly.”

Tan Xueci did not move. Since emerging from the quilt, he had been staring fixedly at the gray, misty window of the attic.

Ma Zhang forced a smile, walked over to tidy his quilt, and asked, “Second Young Master, what are you looking at?”

“Outside…”

Xueci’s lashes trembled slightly. He hugged his knees and pursed his lips before finally speaking.

“There is… something…”

He hadn’t spoken in a long time. When he did, his voice was light and soft. A cold wisp of rain blew in through the poorly sealed window gap; Ma Zhang felt a chill on the back of her neck, and a layer of cold sweat immediately broke out across her spine.

“There’s nothing,” Ma Zhang’s smile became even more forced. She went over to shut the window tight, rubbed her cold arms, and said to Xueci, “There’s nothing outside. Second Young Master, you mustn’t say such things recklessly. Madam will be angry later.”

Xueci fell silent, but he still bit his lower lip, staring intensely out the window. The dense, oppressive rain snaked down the glass, gradually twisting until, at first glance, it looked like a bizarre and terrifying ghost face.

Ma Zhang felt inexplicably creeped out. Seeing that Xueci wasn’t moving, she urged him repeatedly until he finally looked away.

He had been sick for several days and his fever hadn’t broken yet. His body felt heavy and he had no strength at all, but upon hearing that his parents were looking for him, a small spark of light involuntarily flickered in his eyes.

He looked like a child who had finally waited for his parents to return home on a stormy night.

He scrambled up clumsily, changed into a royal blue hoodie, and followed Ma Zhang out.

The sleeves of the hoodie were worn through, and the garment was far too large, looking empty and making him appear even thinner. Even his neck was slender, slightly bowed as if it could be easily snapped.

Ma Zhang sighed and led the way.

When Xueci was three years old, he contracted a strange illness and was subsequently locked away in this attic. Aside from occasional hospitalizations for treatment, he had barely stepped out for over a decade. His health had always been poor.

For some reason, over the past six months, Madam had suddenly allowed him to go out. But after being isolated for over ten years, no matter how beautiful he was, he was essentially a little fool.

When Xueci reached the first floor, he found his parents and his eldest brother, Tan Shangli, were all present.

His father and Shangli were both wearing black suits with a white corsage pinned to their left lapels. His mother wore a solemn, somber black dress. They looked as if they had just attended a funeral.

They were all sitting on the sofa, and no one noticed him arrive. The atmosphere in the old house was oppressive under the weight of the torrential rain.

His mother wiped away tears and said resentfully, “No matter what, I don’t agree to let A-Yan enter this marriage alliance!”

“Do you think I want to?”

His father’s brow was clouded with gloom. He held a cigar, his face looking ugly as he said, “The He family is indeed overbearing, but we cannot afford to offend them.”

They had been invited to the He family funeral, but before leaving, they were stopped by the head of the He family, who said there was a private matter to discuss.

The He family’s status in Jing City was delicate. They were neither in business nor politics, yet their standing was no less than that of the major wealthy clans.

The reason was simple: the He family was the head of the four great Feng Shui families.

In particular, the head of the He family was someone whom even the elite of Jing City might not be able to see just because they wanted to.

The Tan family only owned a real estate company; previously, the father never had the chance to meet this low-profile, mysterious patriarch.

And now, the head of the He family had personally invited him to the main branch’s funeral and even held a private conversation.

At the funeral, the looks many guests directed at the father held a bit more scrutiny, as they began to re-evaluate the Tan family’s position in the capital’s circles.

However, before the father could even feel proud, the other party made a move without hesitation, proposing a marriage alliance with his youngest son, Tan Yanning.

All because they liked Tan Yanning’s birth chart.

“President Tan,” the head of the He family said, stroking the jade thumb ring on his right hand. The ring was heavy and majestic, but in the cold, wet night, it gave off a dark green glow, much like a ghost fire. “My eldest son, He Xunye, has a birth chart that harmonizes with your son’s. It is a match ordained by fate.”

“The He family has set the wedding date for the day of Wu Yin in the month of Jia Shen. At the hour of the Rat that night, people will be sent to the Tan house to collect the bride.”

In plain terms, that was 11:00 PM three nights from now.

The father froze, nearly unable to believe his ears. He abruptly looked back toward the funeral hall, and then his entire face began to lose color, turning pale and rigid.

The head of the He family gave him no room for negotiation. Having unilaterally set the date, he had the butler escort him out.

The father propped up his head wearily. The Tan family had three children. Although Tan Yanning was adopted from an orphanage, the couple had always loved him like a precious treasure. How could they bear to watch him jump into a fiery pit?

The problem was, what could they do? The He family had already brought it up. Forget the Tan family—even if it were any other wealthy clan in the capital, they wouldn’t oppose the He family unless absolutely forced.

The mother had already removed her white mourning corsage. Seeing the father remain silent, she nearly crushed the flower in her palm. Finally, she made up her mind, her eyes dark and resolute. She lowered her voice and said, “Isn’t there still that thing in the attic?”

“…How can that work?”

The father snapped to, his face darkening. “Are you crazy? What if the He family finds out?!”

The mother wiped her tears again, her beautiful face looking extremely haggard, her eyes red. “So what if they find out? Is A-Yan not your child? Can you really bear to let him marry that…”

She stopped halfway and bit her lip, not daring to continue, as if afraid of disturbing some terrifying existence.

Furthermore, Tan Yanning had found out about the marriage alliance and had cried for a long time in the car on the way back. He had just laid down to sleep; her heart was broken from his crying, and she was terrified of waking her child again.

The storm never stopped. Thick, heavy black clouds loomed over, making it feel as if the sky were about to collapse. The father’s face twisted in a fierce internal struggle before he finally sighed.

Indeed.

This might be a way.

Others might not work, but using Tan Xueci as a replacement might actually work. After all, Xueci and Yanning were born in the same year, month, day, and hour—their birth charts were identical.

Once the wedding was over, even if the He family discovered the switch, it would be too late. Besides, a marriage is a marriage. The He family wanted the birth chart, not the person. They likely wouldn’t do anything to them.

Thinking of this, the father looked up and realized that Xueci had come down at some point and was standing at the corner of the first floor.

He looked like a faint, blurry white shadow.

The father’s eyelid twitched abruptly. He said sternly, “We told you to come here. Why did you dawdle for so long? What are you doing hiding there?”

Xueci walked over quickly. He originally wanted to sit next to his mother, but facing her frost-cold face, he didn’t dare get close, and the light in his eyes dimmed a bit more.

“You heard everything, right?”

The father rubbed his temples. “The Tan family has raised you for so many years; we can’t have raised you for nothing. It’s time you did something for this family. The He family will come to pick you up in three days. When the time comes, you will take your younger brother’s place in the marriage alliance with He Xunye.”

“But…”

Xueci was still sick, his mind was groggy, and his reactions were slow. His slender white fingers tightly gripped the hem of his shirt. He said somewhat confusedly, “I have a boyfriend…”

He and his boyfriend had been together for three months, and their relationship was very good. How could he marry someone else?

Furthermore, he had heard of this eldest son of the He family. He was said to be extremely dissolute, interested in both men and women, frequently visiting nightclubs and clubs, and had special fetishes—the kind that could land someone in the hospital.

He had only just been discharged; he didn’t want to be hospitalized again.

“What boyfriend?!”

The father’s face immediately darkened. He crushed his cigar and scolded impatiently, “Stop talking nonsense! It’s settled. Prepare yourself.”

Having said that, he got up and left, ignoring Xueci.

The mother gave Xueci a cold, piercing glance and followed her husband out, never saying a word to him from beginning to end.

Even Tan Shangli stood up.

“Big Brother…”

Seeing them all leaving, Xueci felt a surge of panic and instinctively grabbed Shangli’s hem.

“Tan Xueci,” Shangli frowned and interrupted him. “You’ve been sick for so many years, causing unrest for the entire Tan family. Even Mom was nearly killed by you. Back then, it was A-Yan who stayed by Mom’s side for you. He has never held a grudge against you, but what about you?”

Shangli’s voice was very flat, devoid of emotion, yet it was like a bone-chilling icicle, pinning Xueci ruthlessly in place.

“What have you ever done for him? What have you done for this family? With the way you are, who besides us could have tolerated you for all these years? It’s just a marriage. If you don’t go, should we let A-Yan go?”

“Tan Xueci, do you have any conscience at all?”

Xueci parted his lips blankly. His palms were clammy with sweat. Having been kept in isolation for so long, every time he came out, he only met the cold, disgusted gazes of his parents and brother. He had developed a timid personality and didn’t know how to argue with people.

His eyes rimmed with red, but he still couldn’t squeeze out any rebuttal. Finally, he could only shake his head and say in a small, cowardly voice, “It’s not like that… it’s not… I’ll go find He Sui…”

His boyfriend was named He Sui. He was also a member of the He family, but from a side branch. By seniority, He Xunye was He Sui’s young uncle.

He Sui would surely know what was going on.

Shangli’s eyes were filled with disappointment. He hadn’t expected Xueci to be so selfish. His face darkened completely, and unable to endure it any longer, he raised his hand and slapped Xueci.

Slap.

Xueci’s head was knocked to the side. The man’s cold, hard hand showed no mercy, completely venting his anger.

A red swelling immediately rose on his cheek.

“Whatever boyfriend you have, break it off immediately,” Shangli warned him. “Don’t make Mom and Dad worry anymore.”

As he spoke, the emotion in his eyes became complex. “Besides, the idea for the proxy marriage was originally told to Mom by that boyfriend of yours. If you don’t believe it, he’s right outside. You can go ask him yourself.”

Xueci froze, almost forgetting the dull pain on his face. He turned his head and realized that through the gradually thinning curtain of rain, a very familiar black Cayenne was parked outside the old Tan estate.

As a member of a side branch of the He family, He Sui naturally attended the funeral. After the funeral, he drove the Tan parents back, though his main intention was to escort Tan Yanning.

Yanning had cried for a long time, and he was very worried. However, due to his status as Xueci’s boyfriend on the surface, he didn’t escort Yanning upstairs and could only wait here for a while.

He originally wanted to wait for Yanning’s emotions to stabilize before leaving, but he hadn’t expected Xueci to run out to find him. What if A-Yan saw?

He Sui suppressed his irritation and got out of the car, his polished black leather shoes stepping into the rain. He frowned coldly and asked, “What is it?”

Xueci looked up. His cold white skin was covered in a layer of mist. His hair was wet and messy, there was a palm print on his face, and his nose and eyelids were red, with tears brimming in his eyes.

He looked truly pitiful. He Sui, for once, felt a bit guilty.

But Xueci didn’t lose his temper; it was as if he were born without one. He looked at He Sui for a moment with his excessively haggard face, then reached out to hug him.

He was dating He Sui; he should surely believe him. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, and Big Brother had misheard.

He Sui hadn’t said anything yet, and he didn’t want to wrong him.

He Sui remained unmoved, even dodging with a look of disgust. Xueci wasn’t discouraged; he lowered his hands and continued to look at He Sui cautiously, filled with love and dependence.

It was as if if He Sui told him to jump off a cliff, he would do so without hesitation. He Sui was almost unable to bear it—any man would feel great having a boyfriend like this.

It felt good.

But there was no other way.

Tan Yanning was his “white moonlight.” He couldn’t just watch Yanning be forced to marry his young uncle and be at someone else’s beck and call.

As for Tan Xueci…

Actually, even if Xueci got married, it wouldn’t affect much. He was destined to be just a husband in name only. But He Sui couldn’t afford to offend the family head, so he had to temporarily separate from Xueci.

Xueci loved him so much; surely he couldn’t bear to see He Sui lose the person he loved.

“I will compensate you,” He Sui said pityingly.

Xueci was stunned. His pale lips trembled, and his whole body felt as if it were about to collapse. He originally wanted to say something, but when he looked up at He Sui, his throat felt as if it had been suddenly squeezed. A massive chill climbed up his blood vessels, freezing him in place.

He stared deathly at the black Cayenne behind He Sui.

He Sui felt his skin crawl under the gaze and even instinctively looked back. The black car body had been washed by the heavy rain and sat quietly outside the old Tan estate; nothing seemed unusual.

He asked, confused, “What are you looking at?”

“…”

Xueci took a step back and asked in a small voice, “Did you bring someone else in your car?”

He Sui’s brow furrowed, even more confused. He had only driven Yanning and the others back tonight.

Using the last of his patience, he didn’t blow up, but his tone had turned completely cold. “What on earth are you making a fuss about?”

Xueci’s throat tightened repeatedly. The inside of the car was pitch black, reflecting only the faint light of the rain. There was a blurry little figure in the back seat. The figure was very small, looking to be two or three years old at most. It was unknown how long it had been watching them. After being discovered by Xueci, it slowly pressed its pale little face against the car window.

Its skin was a deathly gray-blue. Its pitch-black eyes were wide open with no whites, and its blood-red mouth split open into a malicious smile at Xueci.

Xueci’s head buzzed, and cold sweat immediately poured down. However, before he could speak, the thing suddenly vanished. When he looked up again, it had appeared on He Sui’s shoulder.

It was as if it were rapidly climbing along He Sui’s shoulder; in an instant, half its body peeked over his shoulder. Its small hands, covered in corpse spots, were ethereal and elongated as they looped around He Sui’s neck.

He Sui’s neck felt a sudden chill, as if someone had blown a cold breath on him. He suddenly realized something, and his voice was uncontrollably laced with disgust. “Are you having an episode again?”

He knew Xueci had suffered from a strange illness; otherwise, the Tan family wouldn’t have locked him away for over a decade.

However, He Sui had no desire to coax a lunatic. The last of his patience was gone, and he turned to get into the car.

The thing perched on his shoulder swayed with the movement, seemingly finding it very fun, and let out a series of giggles in the cold, silent night.

Until He Sui leaned in to enter the car, the thing slowly turned its head 180 degrees toward its back. Its ghost-like little face stared expressionlessly at Xueci before suddenly lunging toward him.

Many people cannot make a sound when they are excessively terrified. Xueci’s face was deathly pale, and he could only rely on instinct to turn and run.

His legs felt as heavy as lead. Ignoring the strange looks from the servants, he ran to the attic and hid on the bed, burying himself deeply under the quilt, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

The pillows, blankets, a few old stuffed toys, and clothes on the bed were all pushed to the floor.

The attic door was slammed with several forceful, violent thuds, but aside from Xueci, it seemed no one could hear the commotion.

Xueci’s lashes trembled. He grabbed the medicine bottle by the pillow, and without knowing how many pills he poured out, he stuffed them all into his mouth.

The medicine took effect quickly. Xueci’s heart suddenly constricted several times. The pulsating mass of flesh in his chest thudded wildly, making his vision turn black in waves and giving his throat a sweet, metallic taste.

After a pain like the brink of death, as the blood flowed back, the thudding outside the door also vanished.

He hid under the quilt, not daring to come out. His body was rigid, and his lashes seemed frozen by ice. A deathly pallor spread along his jaw and neck. He held his breath, listening to the movement outside.

There was nothing.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, several hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway. Then, the attic door was locked with a click.

“Who let him run out just now?”

His father’s dark voice came through the door, sounding like he was instructing the servants. “Keep a close eye on him. Don’t let him run away. I am still waiting for the He family to come and collect him!”