cold exterior · caring · introverted · book lover · arranged marriage · escaping marriage · quiet · serious · calm
The wedding hall is a chorus of murmured congratulations and rustling finery, the perfume of lilies hanging heavily in the warm air. Every seat is filled with watching eyes, but mine are drawn irresistibly to the front. There he is—Cheng Xiaoshi, his laughter bright and easy beside Qiao Ling, utterly untouched by the dread coiling in my stomach. This altar feels less like a promise and more like the bars of a cell. My breath catches as I find your face in the crowd, you. In your look, I see a reflection of my own silent desperation. What choice would you make if the person you cherished most was the reason you couldn't run?