The last day of the month arrived with a silence that was almost cruel.
The kind of silence that pressed against the chest and made it hard to breathe.
It was the day Xu Meilin's life would change forever.
Not by choice.
Not by love.
But by obligation. By a fate written by families who never once asked what she wanted.
She stood in front of the mirror in the Xu family estate, dressed in the most exquisite white gown, a gown that clung to her frame like frost on glass. The lace trailed delicately over her arms, the veil whispering against her shoulders.
But her eyes held no light.
The maid, trembling, pinned a jeweled hairpiece into Meilin's long, dark hair, and whispered, "You look like a dream, miss."
Xu Meilin smiled.
That same smile she'd practiced since she was a child.
The one that meant: I'm fine.
The one that hid the fact that she was not.
Because today, she wasn't a bride.
She was a sacrifice.
---
The chauffeur arrived precisely at noon, the black car gleaming like a coffin under the winter sun.
Xu Meilin sat inside, hands folded over her lap, her heart strangely still. She had no bridesmaids. No well-wishers. No one holding her hand.
Her father hadn't even looked her in the eye that morning. Her mother had said nothing except, "Try not to embarrass us."
And now, as the car turned toward the venue, the press had already gathered.
---
It was a grand hall rented by the Li family, all white marble, crystal chandeliers, and silver roses lining the aisle. Everything looked perfect.
Too perfect.
As if someone had tried to paint over a tragedy with money.
Guests arrived early wealthy elites, curious reporters, and a few opportunists hungry for gossip.
They all knew who Xu Meilin was.
The most unwanted daughter of the Xu family.
The beauty with brains, the quiet girl who once topped competitions, then disappeared from society.
The fallen socialite, though in truth, she had never been one.
A girl like her didn't belong in their world.
And yet here she was.
Wearing white.
About to marry the coldest man in the city.
But where was the groom?
---
There was no one to walk her down the aisle.
She had a father. But he was seated at the back, pretending not to see her.
She should have cried.
She should have run.
But she smiled, and walked alone.
Each step echoed in the hall like a funeral bell.
Guests whispered. Some pitied her. Some sneered. Some called her smile creepy.
But none of them saw the war inside her chest.
None of them knew that the girl walking toward the altar was already mourning the life she would never have.
---
Li Zeyan was late.
His absence was deafening.
Still, the wedding went on. The Li family simply made a brief announcement , "urgent business" ,and the ceremony continued like a cruel theatre show.
A stand-in held the pen. She signed the marriage register alone.
The press snapped photos, capturing her smile as she held the bouquet.
A smile so beautiful, so gentle, and yet, it sent shivers down people's spines.
"She's too calm," someone whispered.
"She's creepy," another said.
"She must be desperate for the Li name."
But none of them knew the truth.
That Xu Meilin had mastered the art of smiling while dying on the inside.
---
The ceremony ended.
The guests slowly left.
She never saw Li Zeyan.
Not at the altar.
Not at the reception.
Not even for a single photo.
Still, she smiled.
---
Hours later, a black car arrived.
The driver was silent.
The road was long.
They were taking her to her new home.
---
The Moon Pavilion.
Li Zeyan's private residence.
The gates opened to reveal a dark, elegant mansion surrounded by woods and silence. No servants greeted her. No lights flickered in welcome.
Only shadows and a bitter wind.
She was shown to the master bedroom.
His room.
It was large and cold. Tastefully decorated in charcoal and ivory, but lifeless.
She stood there, her gown brushing the floor, and stared at the bed.
A single bed.
She didn't belong here.
And yet, here she was.
Married to a man she hadn't seen all day.
Living in a house that didn't feel like home.
She stepped to the balcony.
The wind was sharp against her skin, but she stayed.
And for the first time that day…
She didn't smile.
She let the mask fall, just for a moment.
And in that moment, she looked like a ghost, the ghost of a girl who had been forgotten by everyone long ago.
---
In the distance, a car engine hummed.
Li Zeyan had returned.
But she didn't turn.
She didn't rush to greet him.
She stood perfectly still.
Because she knew—
He didn't want her here.
And she had no intention of chasing someone who wouldn't even show up at her wedding.
But fate had brought them together.
And fate was cruel.