The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

If there were a man in the world who could marry Shen Yao, then that man would undoubtedly be a thorn in everyone's side.

When that bright gold invitation arrived in Yanjing from Italy and was delivered to Fang Yunci, Xie Yunzhou, Xue Huaiqing, Xiang Yuchuan, Zhou Jingyan, Xiao Weilin, Yu Hang, and even Lu Xiuting, no one could believe their eyes.

Xue Huaiqing, with a serious expression, unfolded the invitation in his hand.

The invitation was embossed with roses and thorns in a subtle pattern. The moment the envelope was opened, a scent of perfume and gunpowder wafted out.

The paper is crisp, the writing is fluent, and the handwriting is neat, yet every word exudes blatant arrogance.

No one could remain calm when they saw the invitation.

[Seeing this letter is like seeing the person in person.]

There's no need to bother looking for Shen Yao anymore. She's here with me, sleeping well, eating well, and looking radiant. I've taken good care of her for you, so there's no need to thank me.

Now, with immense joy, I would like to sincerely invite you to my sister's and my wedding. The specific time and location of the wedding have been enclosed in this letter. Whether you attend or not, the wedding will proceed as planned.

But to be honest, I really wish you could come. After all, how lonely would it be for us on the most important day of our lives without you?

On my wedding day, I will tell my sister and my love story to guests from all over the world, word by word, in Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, Spanish, Italian… and other less commonly spoken languages ​​I’ve learned.

You may not understand, but that's alright. Multilingual simultaneous interpretation equipment will be provided to ensure that every guest, including you, can fully understand my happiness.

Furthermore, to ensure everyone can share in my joy of marriage, I will be live-streaming my wedding to the world. Whether you're in Beijing or drowning your sorrows on some street corner, you can all see it if you wish.

[At the moment my sister and I exchange vows in front of the church, I will raise a toast to you specifically in front of the camera.]

By the way, if any of you are unable to attend due to "physical discomfort," "feeling down," or "unable to accept reality," please don't worry.

The entire wedding will provide free access for people with disabilities, including hearing aids, sign language interpretation, a Braille version of the wedding ceremony, and professional psychological counseling services. I believe some of you will really need the last one.

And finally, I want to say that my sister is wonderful. She looked even more beautiful in her wedding dress than I ever dreamed.

[From Liang Xiheng]

_

The church is as beautiful as an intricately woven dream.

If it weren't for wearing this ridiculously expensive wedding dress, having a red thread tied around her wrist, and being inexplicably dragged into this absurd wedding, Shen Yao might have thought this place was beautiful.

Unfortunately, she was in no mood to appreciate it at the moment.

Light streamed down from the top of the church and fell on Liang Xiheng. He stood before the altar.

A silver-white satin suit wrapped around narrow shoulders and back, the double-breasted design outlining a tall and slender silhouette, with a light gray vest layered between the suit and shirt.

A black satin bow tie contrasts with a snow-white stand-up collar, a pearl chain winds down the front of the garment, and a bunch of bright red roses, so vivid and fresh, seem to have just been pulled from blood, are pinned to the left breast.

Such a grand and gorgeous wedding attire, with every detail exuding extravagance, clearly indicates that this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Liang Xiheng had already made preparations.

"You're insane!"

Shen Yao had a thousand words stuck in her throat, but the first thing that came out was this old, tired curse.

She felt she was running out of words; facing this person, she had gone over and over again, and it seemed that only these few words remained.

Liang Xiheng looked at Shen Yao calmly, his expression completely unchanged, as if he had expected her to say those words.

"Sister, you're awake? Now that you're awake, come and be the bride at our wedding."

He told her in a calm tone.

"I've already sent out the invitations, but unfortunately it's a bit late. They might not be able to arrive until the entire ceremony is over."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yao suddenly stood up. Her vision went black for a moment because she stood up so quickly. She swayed for a while before she regained her balance.

Her white veil slipped off her shoulders, and she raised her hand to pull it back slightly: "Go back. Go back now, Liang Xiheng, and I can still talk to you properly."

Liang Xiheng stared at her coldly, his eyes showing no room for compromise.

"Go back? Go back to see you continue exchanging coordinates with Miss Mengluo? Go back to see you secretly contacting those men behind my back, and then running away without looking back?"

Shen Yao's pupils suddenly contracted.

She could feel that she was wearing makeup, her hair was carefully styled, and even her earlobes were adorned with cool beads.

But she couldn't care less about any of that now; she felt like she'd been doused with a bucket of cold water, chilled to the bone.

"When did you find out?" she asked. Her voice was unusually calm, like the silence before a storm.

The worst outcome would be a complete breakdown in relations, a lose-lose situation. Shen Yao had the means to do so; she wasn't afraid.

Liang Xiheng seemed to read her mind and suddenly smiled. That smile was chillingly gentle.

"Sister, don't you think you've gone too far?"

The boy slowly approached, each step tackling Shen Yao's nerves. "What are you thinking? Do you think you can walk out unscathed today? Do you think I'll do what I always do, take another step back, and watch you disappear from my sight?"

He stopped in front of her and bent down slightly.

That pale, handsome face drew close to Shen Yao's, his eyes brimming with an intense, unyielding resentment, which poured forth: "Haven't I been good enough to you? Haven't I compromised enough?"

"I've let Xue Huaiqing go, I've let Zheng Wenrui go, I've let his sister go. I've retreated to the edge of a cliff, am I going to retreat any further? What more do you want from me?"

Liang Xiheng's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the thin layer of tenderness in his voice finally cracked open:

Why are you still lying to me?

Why did you still leave me?

"Why did you secretly contact other people behind my back?"

Before Shen Yao could speak, Liang Xiheng had already reached out and gently stroked her face:

"I'll give you the best solution—marry me."

"I ordered the wedding dress from Milan Workshop, I sewed the veil myself stitch by stitch, I picked out the high heels by hand, and I even learned how to style your hair. I took care of everything while you were asleep."

He asked softly, with a self-deceiving expectation:

Are you happy?

Shen Yao followed his gaze and glanced down at the hem of the wedding dress. It was covered with tiny crystals and pearls, densely packed, with not an inch of blank space.

She stared at the luxurious surroundings, her smile laced with cold mockery: "So, I should be grateful to you?"

The atmosphere completely spiraled out of control.

Liang Xiheng's fingertips tightened suddenly, his cold fingertips pressing against her slender carotid artery, following her vibrant pulse, again and again.

He genuinely believed she should be grateful to him.

She was grateful for all the effort he had put in, and grateful that he was willing to shower her with the best things in the world.

But her emotional outburst wasn't due to gratitude, but rather anger, and... disgust.

Her eyes clearly showed that she loathed his approach, his touch, and his words.

She loathed everything about him.

On what grounds?

He did so much, laying himself bare before her, bleeding profusely, yet why did she still look at him like that? Couldn't she see his anxiety, unease, fear, and humiliation?

"Shen Yao".

"I've become who I am today because of you."

"What right do you have to leave me?"