Chapter 1: Groom Switch at the Wedding

Jiangzhou Grand Hotel…

Luxury cars filled the parking lot outside, and a red carpet was rolled out at the entrance. Inside, the hotel was decorated with utmost extravagance, with soft music gently resonating.

Today was the wedding day of Xu Shaochen.

“Smile a bit more. You look like you’re at a funeral. Anyone who didn’t know better would think someone in your family had died. Let me warn you, if you mess this up today, the Jiang family won’t give you a single cent, so your mom can wait in the hospital and die!”

Jiang Siyu gave Xu Shaochen a glance full of disdain. She sneered, her eyes flashing with a hint of scorn, and spoke arrogantly.

Hearing Jiang Siyu curse his mother, Xu Shaochen felt a surge of anger, wishing he could kill this vicious woman.

However, thinking about his mother’s illness that still needed money for treatment, he could only suppress his anger, forcing a smile on his face.

Xu Shaochen came from the countryside. His grandfather was missing, his father passed away early, and his mother single-handedly raised him. This year, his mother was diagnosed with a severe illness, and just the surgery alone would cost over 500,000 yuan.

As a poor student who had just entered his sophomore year in college, where could he find that kind of money?

Three days ago, just after leaving the hospital, he saw Jiang Siyu arguing with her parents at the hospital entrance. Because Jiang Siyu was pretty, Xu Shaochen couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Siyu’s father noticed Xu Shaochen and seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly approached Xu Shaochen with a proposal.

He wanted Xu Shaochen to marry Jiang Siyu. They would hold the wedding ceremony without registering the marriage certificate. If Xu Shaochen agreed, the Jiang family would give him one million yuan.

As for why the Jiang family wanted to do this, they didn’t tell Xu Shaochen.

Although the situation seemed strange, Xu Shaochen, who needed money for his mother’s treatment, had no other choice. He figured that at worst, he would just become a humiliated live-in son-in-law.

But during the few days the wedding was being prepared, he endured endless humiliation from Jiang Siyu. To ensure he could get the money for his mother’s treatment, he could only continue to endure.

“Hmph! Don’t think that just because you’re marrying me, you’re really my husband. A toad trying to eat swan meat, not knowing your place. A poor kid like you has no right to touch me. If not for my dad’s idea, you would never have the chance to step foot in such a hotel for the rest of your life.” Seeing that Xu Shaochen remained silent, Jiang Siyu became even more arrogant, continuing her mockery with a superior tone.

Xu Shaochen continued to grit his teeth, enduring Jiang Siyu’s insults. He had no choice since his mother’s treatment still depended on the one million yuan the Jiang family promised.

“I wonder how that poor guy got so lucky to win Jiang Siyu’s favor.”

“Haha, poor guy? The poor guy is on the rise now! It’s enough to make anyone jealous!”

The guests at the wedding had no idea of the humiliation Xu Shaochen was enduring. They all looked at him with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome the bride and groom to the stage with a round of applause!”

The wedding host elongated his words into the microphone, and the music in the hotel transitioned into a different tune.

“Clap clap clap clap…”

Amid the applause and the melodious music, Xu Shaochen led Jiang Siyu toward the stage.

Jiang Siyu’s parents, Jiang Cheng and Guo Xue, were also clapping, but their eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings, looking somewhat anxious.

Xu Shaochen and Jiang Siyu stood in the middle of the stage, and the applause gradually died down.

“Today is a day of great fortune for Mr. Xu Shaochen and Miss Jiang Siyu’s wedding, here in—”

“I object to this marriage!”

At this moment, an angry shout rang out.

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the hotel entrance.

They saw a young man in a black suit with a handsome face and a tall figure, stepping toward the stage.

“Li Yang!”

On stage, Jiang Siyu instantly pulled her hand away from Xu Shaochen and ran excitedly into Li Yang’s arms.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Li Yang hugged Jiang Siyu, then looked around and said, “This marriage is off. Jiang Siyu is my woman.”

“Whoa!”

The crowd burst into an uproar. Everyone looked at Xu Shaochen on the stage with eyes full of sympathy and amusement.

Xu Shaochen’s face turned pale and then flushed, his fists clenched tightly with veins bulging. Over the past few days, he had endured enough humiliation and trampling at the Jiang family’s hands just to secure the one million yuan for his mother’s treatment.

But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine the greatest humiliation would come today. All the anger he had been suppressing suddenly surged to the surface.

Transaction or not, this event would make him the laughingstock of everyone—a man whose bride ran into another’s arms on his wedding day.

Jiang Cheng and Guo Xue exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up. Li Yang had indeed shown up; their plan had succeeded.

The truth was, Jiang Siyu had been pregnant for two months, but the Li family disapproved of Li Yang marrying her. Ultimately, with full understanding of Li Yang’s impulsive nature, Jiang Cheng arranged this entire charade.

They held this wedding to provoke Li Yang. If Li Yang married Jiang Siyu, the Li family would have no choice but to accept the situation. Not only would Jiang Siyu’s marriage be settled, but the Jiang family would also successfully climb up to the Li family’s level.

But if Li Yang hadn’t shown up today, then they could have easily let Xu Shaochen take the fall, covering up the scandal of Jiang Siyu’s premarital pregnancy and saving the Jiang family’s reputation.

This plan was truly a win-win scenario, flawless in every aspect.

“Siyu, come with me. I’ll arrange a proper wedding for you later.” Li Yang spoke confidently as he looked at Jiang Siyu in his arms.

“Why go through all that trouble? We just need to switch the groom. Everything is already set up, so why not finish the wedding today?”

Jiang Cheng quickly stepped forward, not wanting to drag things out. The day’s plan had to be executed quickly, with Li Yang and his daughter completing the ceremony as planned.

As for Xu Shaochen? A poor kid who was merely a pawn. Now that he was no longer useful, they didn’t care about him at all. Whether his mother lived or died had nothing to do with the Jiang family.

“Whoa!” The crowd erupted once again. This was all too exciting for them—it was like watching a TV drama unfold in real life.

On stage, Xu Shaochen’s expression was one of deep anger. ‘Just a groom switch?’ This trampled on his dignity and honor, treating them as if they were worthless.

At this point, how could he not realize he had been played? The idea of a live-in son-in-law and everything else was all a ruse, carefully devised by the Jiang family.

“You’re going too far.”

Xu Shaochen’s eyes were bloodshot, and he spoke through clenched teeth. After enduring so much, he had finally reached his limit.

“Too far? Did you really think a toad could eat swan meat? You were just a stand-in, and now that the real one is here, you can scram. And leave the clothes you’re wearing; they were bought with the Jiang family’s money.” Jiang Siyu snorted derisively, looking at Xu Shaochen with mocking eyes.

Li Yang also sneered and spoke arrogantly, “Kid, did you hear that? Get lost already. Who do you think you are? How dare you dream of touching my woman?”

Xu Shaochen ignored Li Yang and instead looked at Jiang Cheng and Guo Xue. He didn’t care whether Jiang Siyu married him or anyone else. He could even endure today’s humiliation. All he wanted was the one million yuan the Jiang family had promised.

“What are you looking at? Get lost! Stop embarrassing yourself here,” Guo Xue snapped unceremoniously. If it weren’t out of necessity, she wouldn’t have bothered talking to this poor kid at all.

Xu Shaochen’s anger surged further as he gritted his teeth and said, “What about my money?”

“Money? You still want money? We don’t need you anymore, so you’re not getting a single cent. Security, throw him out!”

Jiang Cheng’s face twisted in disdain, and he didn’t even bother hiding his contempt as he called the security to throw Xu Shaochen out.

“Pfft—”

Furious to the point of near collapse, Xu Shaochen felt a rush of heat in his throat, coughing up a mouthful of blood before laughing bitterly, “Good, good! The Jiang family sure knows how to play me. Today’s humiliation… I’ll never forget it. You better pray I never rise from this, for when I do…”

With those words, Xu Shaochen took off his jacket and tossed it to the ground. His face was pale as he walked out of the hotel. He had endured all this humiliation for the sake of getting the money to treat his mother.

But now, not only had the Jiang family humiliated him, not only had he become the laughingstock of everyone, but they weren’t even going to give him the money they promised. His hatred for the Jiang family ran deep.

“Hmph! Rise from this? You’ll never get that chance—you’re just a poor loser who doesn’t know his place. Today is my daughter’s joyous day, so I won’t stoop to your level. Otherwise, I’d have broken your leg long ago.”

Jiang Cheng snorted coldly, completely ignoring Xu Shaochen’s departure.

Jiang Siyu also sneered. Holding onto Li Yang’s arm, she said, “Dad, no need to worry about a poor kid. Let’s resume the wedding quickly.”

“Yes, yes, that’s the important part. That loser completely wasted our time. He deserves to have his father dead and his mother about to die.”

Listening to the voices behind him and feeling the mocking gazes of everyone around, Xu Shaochen had never been more furious in his life.

If he didn’t avenge this humiliation, how could he still consider himself a man?