Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tian Ruan had isekai'd into a danmei novel titled *Where Embers Burn*, which told the story of the main couple meeting and falling in love during high school, separating for five years due to real-life circumstances, and eventually reconciling.

The role Tian Ruan transmigrated into was Tian Yuan, a twenty-year-old who schemed his way into the bed of the protagonist’s adoptive father, climbing from the gutter to luxury and becoming the trophy husband of a wealthy family.

This gold-digging stepdad, relying on his husband’s power, threw tantrums and achieved two stellar “achievements” in his life—

First, he constantly created obstacles for the protagonist, acting as the wedge between the lovers.

Second, he continuously tested the patience of his powerful husband—drinking, smoking, blowing cash at mahjong, and even stealing corporate secrets to sell to rivals.

In short, the trophy husband was nothing but a walking disaster. His two-year gravy train came to an abrupt end when he was killed in a wealthy family feud, right after the protagonist finished his college entrance exams.

With a good hand played disastrously, he perfectly embodied the definition of a disposable villain.

Since he was merely cannon fodder, Tian Ruan had only speed-read his scenes, remembering only the main events and forgetting the finer details.

Now, Tian Ruan had become this disposable villain, standing at his wedding ceremony with Yu Jingmo, the head of the Yu family.

His acting was clumsy. When he met Yu Jingmo’s sharp stare, he couldn’t hide his panic and lowered his head, leaving only the crown of his hair visible to the other man.

His hair, washed smooth and soft, framed his snow-white face like a sesame tangyuan.

The plump tangyuan was ready to roll away.

Yu Jingmo snagged his wrist, preventing him from fleeing, and calmly led him down the red carpet to a slightly elevated platform.

The banquet hall was often used for weddings, equipped with dressing rooms, restrooms, and makeup rooms. However, with so many guests, the restrooms quickly filled up, forcing people to use the ones outside.

"What are you two up to?" The emcee grinned, blocking the newlyweds.

"Changing clothes," Yu Jingmo replied flatly.

Noticing Tian Ruan’s soaked clothes, the emcee waggled his eyebrows. "Roleplaying a wet T-shirt contest?"

"...No."

"Go ahead," the emcee said warmly. "Need 30 minutes?"

"..."

Others might not have caught on, but Tian Ruan, a danmei trope connoisseur, understood immediately. "..."

Yu Jingmo’s explanation was concise and old-fashioned. "Keep talking nonsense, and your efforts today will be for nothing."

The emcee looked ready to implode, forcing a dry laugh. "Right, right."

Tian Ruan: *This is big boss energy...*

The dressing room wasn’t large, with two rows of wardrobes flanking a sofa and a full-length mirror in the middle. The wardrobes contained a rack of 100+ outfits. Yu Jingmo snagged a suit similar to what Tian Ruan was wearing and tossed it onto the sofa. "Change."

"Okay." Tian Ruan nodded, then hesitated when Yu Jingmo didn’t leave. "You staying to watch?"

Yu Jingmo paused for two seconds before turning and walking out.

As soon as the door closed, Tian Ruan made his move—the moment he’d been waiting for. Earlier, he had noticed the dressing room’s only window and had a lightbulb moment: he could MacGyver a rope from outfits and rappel down.

As long as he ditched the storyline, he’d be safe.

No sooner said than done, he immediately dug out a pile of soft clothes from the wardrobe, twisting them into a braid-like rope. Guessing it stretched about twenty meters, he tied one end to the window frame and gave it a firm tug to ensure it was secure.

He figured it was the fifth floor. The 'rope' dangled just shy of the ground.

Tian Ruan steeled himself, climbed onto the window ledge, and began descending, clutching the 'rope' for dear life—one meter, two meters—until his feet landed on the outer ledge of the floor below.

"Done yet?" A low voice rumbled faintly.

Tian Ruan’s blood ran cold—Yu Jingmo hadn’t left?

Five seconds later, Tian Ruan tilted his head up, staring straight into the eyes of the man looming from the window.

Yu Jingmo: *"...What are you doing? Playing the runaway princess?"*

Tian Ruan, defiantly: "I’m running away from the wedding."

Yu Jingmo’s thick, well-defined brows furrowed slightly, as if puzzled. He scanned Tian Ruan head to toe, his gaze icy.

Tian Ruan trembled, his guts twisted in terror. Had he angered this big shot? Was this the end?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, his eyes widened when Yu Jingmo grabbed the 'rope' and started pulling him back up.

Tian Ruan struggled: "Don’t pull me!"

Yu Jingmo: "Look down."

Tian Ruan turned his head—two meters below, the 'rope' had snapped, lying in a heap of expensive fabric on the grass.

Yu Jingmo barked a rare laugh: "If you don’t want to end up permanently disabled, climb back up yourself."

Tian Ruan: "…………"

Burning with shame, Tian Ruan scrambled back. As he grabbed the windowsill, Yu Jingmo yanked him up by the collar. Tian Ruan’s body went weightless for a moment, the sudden loss of balance sending him crashing into Yu Jingmo.

Yu Jingmo caught him effortlessly, though the young man wasn’t heavy—just the cloying perfume on his clothes was a bit overwhelming. Yu Jingmo turned his face away to avoid it.

An assistant peeked in through the door, locking eyes with Tian Ruan, who was slung over Yu Jingmo’s shoulder.

Tian Ruan: "…"

Assistant: "Sorry, don’t mind me."

With that, he considerately closed the door for his boss and his little wife.

Scrambling away, Tian Ruan pushed Yu Jingmo off and mumbled, "Thanks."

"Can you change now?" Yu Jingmo’s lips curled slightly at his embarrassment.

Not daring to cause any more trouble, Tian Ruan nodded obediently.

"Three minutes." Yu Jingmo walked out.

Tian Ruan stood frozen for a good ten seconds, his cheeks and neck slowly flushing crimson. This was what they called "trying to gain an advantage only to end up worse."

After changing, Tian Ruan stood in front of the full-length mirror. The mirror showed a face both his and not—his own features, his own body, but in this world, he was Tian Yuan.

A brisk *knock knock*, and then Yu Jingmo entered again. He scanned Tian Ruan head to toe, seemingly satisfied. "Let’s go."

Tian Ruan shuffled awkwardly at his side. This time, Yu Jingmo didn’t hold his hand, leaving an awkward gap between them—which was fitting, since they weren’t close to begin with.

Even the original host had never been close to Yu Jingmo.

Yu Jingmo's marriage to the original host was just a shield—someone of Yu Jingmo's status faced no shortage of would-be partners sent by relatives and business partners. But he never budged. When people saw his indifference to women, they began sending men instead.

Yu Jingmo wasn’t interested in men either. Even at banquets, he rejected them outright, pissing off a lot of people.

What businessman doesn't indulge in wine and pleasure? Yet Yu Jingmo remained aloof. At one point, rumors spread in the business circle: he was face-blind, or that he was impotent.

A month after these rumors, Yu Jingmo suddenly announced his marriage—to some nobody twenty-year-old.

This circle had plenty of cradle-robbers, and a ten-year age gap wasn’t a big deal. The real issue was that with a legitimate spouse, people could no longer casually send gifts or pry into Yu Jingmo’s affairs.

Thus, Tian Yuan, this sudden marriage partner, had his background dug through eight ways to Sunday in just a few days. No matter how they investigated, he was just an ordinary person—a high school dropout who hadn’t even attended university.

How could someone like that be worthy of Yu Jingmo?

And so, the bathroom incident went down.

After piecing together the cause and effect, Tian Ruan was even more confused about his situation. The only certainty was that breaking away from the original plot was his only path to survival.

Stepping out from backstage, the emcee chimed in, "The newlyweds, please exchange rings."

Yu Jingmo glanced at Tian Ruan. "Do you want to wear a ring?"

Tian Ruan asked in confusion, "Can we skip it?"

"Then we’ll skip it," Yu Jingmo said. "Skip it."

The emcee naturally complied. "Then the two of you can seal it with a kiss instead."

"..."

Tian Ruan wanted neither the ring exchange nor the kiss. At just eighteen, being married off so young already felt like getting screwed over—though, come to think of it, maybe not so much if the partner was Yu Jingmo.

As Tian Ruan pondered this, his gaze met that of a tall young man, who frowned with unmistakable displeasure.

—Anyone would be unhappy if they suddenly gained a stepfather just three years older than themselves.

Tian Ruan awkwardly turned away. Kissing Yu Jingmo was not happening, and he believed Yu Jingmo wouldn’t do it either—after all, he had no affection for the original host. This was all just an act.

Yet at that moment, Yu Jingmo took his wrist and led him onto the stage.

The guests broke into polite titters, mingled with half-hearted blessings. Tian Ruan scanned the crowd—a room full of designer-clad bobbleheads, each wearing a smile, like NPCs in a game.

The emcee crowed, "Kiss!"

Soft piano music played from the corner. Below the stage, among the champagne-sipping crowd, many raised their glasses and urged, "Mr. Yu, kiss him!"

Only the Yu family’s table remained stone-faced, devoid of joy.

"Disgraceful," a stern, elderly voice remarked.

"Grandpa, this is how weddings are," a girl with doll-like features said.

The girl was promptly pinched by her mother, whining, "Ow! What was that for? If you’re unhappy about Uncle’s wedding, fine, but who are you scowling at? He won’t even notice—just sit there and sulk."

"Ti Ti," her mother chided softly. "Be quiet."

Yu Ti made a disgusted noise and leaned toward Yu Shang. "Brother, you pissed too?"

Yu Shang kept his eyes fixed on the stage, silent.

Yu Ti continued on her own, "I actually think this little uncle is quite nice. He's young enough to actually hang out with us, unlike Uncle who's cold and distant."

Yu Shang: "...All you think about is playing."

On stage, Tian Ruan lowered his head to stare at the floor to ease his nerves, as if he'd spotted a stack of cash on the floor.

The host spun an elaborate tale, making up their love story, ultimately summarizing it in one sentence: "Mr. Yu and Mr. Tian's love can be described as love at first sight, head over heels the second time, and a lifelong commitment by the third encounter!"

Tian Ruan: "..." Could you be any more full of it?

Tian Ruan asked Yu Jingmo, "Is today pro bono for him?"

Yu Jingmo: "Mm."

The host looked like he'd been struck—his big mouth had done it again. But he still wanted to salvage the situation and held the microphone up to Tian Ruan. "Mr. Tian, any thoughts?"

Tian Ruan blinked. "I don’t have any thoughts."

The host smiled brightly. "Then what are your hopes for the future?"

Tian Ruan's gaze was resolute. "To stay alive."

The host: "..."

The crowd: "..."

Staying alive counts as a hope? How... underwhelming (literally: how perfunctory).

The host's smile was straining at the edges as he turned the microphone to Yu Jingmo. "Mr. Yu, what are your hopes for the future?"

Yu Jingmo: "For the annual revenue of the subsidiaries to reach one billion."

The crowd was speechless, especially the branch managers, who looked ready to crumble.

What fresh hell is this? Not only was he late to the wedding, but he was also treating it like an annual meeting, openly criticizing these all-show-no-substance 'big shots'?

The host: "Ha! Mr. Yu aiming high, I see. Let’s wait and see. Now, exchange your vows and kiss."

Yu Jingmo: "No need."

A wedding without rings, vows, or a kiss—is this even a wedding?

The crowd's expressions grew even more disdainful as they looked at Tian Ruan, now convinced Tian Yuan was just for show in Yu Jingmo's eyes.

Tian Ruan, clueless about business's shark tank, let out a quiet breath of relief at Yu Jingmo's words—only to feel a cold, heavy gaze beside him.

Tian Ruan felt he should say something: "Well then, everyone, dig in and make yourselves at home. Don’t hold back."

The crowd: "... Are we sure this is a wedding?"

Yu Jingmo's eyes dark as ink fixed on Tian Ruan as he said calmly, "Rings or no rings, I have a gift for you."

Tian Ruan: "?"

Yu Jingmo rolled up the left sleeve of his formal attire, revealing the starched white cuff fastened with a pair of silver rose-shaped buttons, lending a romantic note to the otherwise rigid outfit.

His fingers were long and finely articulated, pale as jade, deftly undoing the buttons with practiced flicks, then smoothly turned back the cuff.

Tian Ruan stared without blinking at Yu Jingmo's fingers, his heart hammering.

The veins on the back of Yu Jingmo's hand and wrist meandered like rivers across the earth, while his fingers resembled towering peaks, radiating raw power.

Tian Ruan vaguely remembered the moment beneath the window when Yu Jingmo had effortlessly pulled him up—just like this...

A soft sound caught Tian Ruan’s attention.

Three loops of sandalwood beads hung from Yu Jingmo's wrist, adorned with a small piece of mutton-fat jade pendant.*

One side of the pendant was carved with a zodiac sign, while the other bore a talisman inscription.

Yu Jingmo removed the bracelet, took Tian Ruan's right hand, and fastened it around his wrist.

The sandalwood still carried Yu Jingmo's lingering heat and scent. Though the mutton-fat jade appeared ordinary, such pure and flawless jade was surely worth a fortune.

"This is for you," Yu Jingmo said, looking into Tian Ruan's eyes. "My mother obtained this from Ling Mountain Temple. It has the power to ward off evil and suppress demons."

When he uttered the words "ward off evil and suppress demons," a hint of something unreadable flickered in Yu Jingmo's tone.

Tian Ruan was slow to react, flinching as his hand shook uncontrollably.

Yu Jingmo tightened his grip, as if trying to decipher the meaning behind every shift in Tian Ruan's expression. "What, scared?"

Tian Ruan put on a calm front. "Mr. Yu, superstitions are backward."

Yu Jingmo: "..."

*Once I run away, let’s see how you keep an eye on me,* Tian Ruan thought.

Suddenly, a raspy, elderly voice spoke gravely, "Jingmo, how could you give those beads to someone else? Your mother obtained them for you. You’ve worn them for over twenty years."

Everyone at the Yu family’s table knew the extraordinary significance of those beads. Yu Jingmo had rarely removed them except when bathing—worn for so many years, a gift from his mother, and now handed over so casually.

Hearing they had been worn for over two decades, Tian Ruan understood their importance. "Then you should take them back."

Yu Jingmo didn’t release his hand, his tone calm yet laced with quiet command. "You keep them. From now on, they’re your talisman. No one will mess with you."

Tian Ruan froze. Was Yu Jingmo doing this to protect him from being bullied?

Yu Jingmo: "Since it’s a shield, you should hold your ground."

Tian Ruan replied flatly, "Oh."

*So it’s just a "get-out-of-jail-free" card for this "shield"—ensuring I don’t embarrass my so-called *master* in public.*

With this bracelet, it was better than a ring. From now on, no one would dare look down on Tian Ruan—even if they did inwardly, they’d still put on a respectful face.

None of this mattered to Tian Ruan. He had no time to care about NPCs’ thoughts. The real question was how to break free from the storyline right under Yu Jingmo’s nose.

*Footnote: Mutton-fat jade is a highly prized type of white nephrite known for its purity and translucence.*

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