TPH Chapter 35.2

The Protagonist’s Halo [Arc 2] Chapter 35.2: True Love In Period Literature (19)

The news of Chen Xi and Zhao Li’s marriage soon reached Qin Qiu’s ears, and it hurt her deeply once again.

Unlike when the Chen family exiled Chen Xi to the Northwest, keeping it a closely guarded secret until much later, this time they announced it widely, declaring the wedding of the Chen family heir to the outside world. Clearly, they wanted to make it a grand and spectacular affair to overshadow any unfavorable comments.

As events unfolded as they had hoped, this major news story became a trending topic in later generations, quickly making people forget about Chen Xi’s past romantic scandals. Many influential figures from both the military and political circles accepted the invitation to the wedding, whether because of the Chen or Zhao families’ connections. The presence of these powerful guests was a signal that they appreciated and approved of Chen Xi’s heir. With such assurances, Chen Xi’s future in the military would be bright and promising.

So even if someone tries to use old stories to slander and attack Chen Xi in the future, they won’t be able to make much of a splash.

Qin Qiu refused to believe it. She had gone to great lengths to contact Chen Xi, and she couldn’t believe that Chen Xi had truly forgotten their crazy love that they had once been willing to defy the world.

Chen Xi knew that Qin Qiu was the one most hurt by the wedding, and out of guilt, he still met with her. Before Qin Qiu could speak, he sighed, “I’m sorry, Qin Qiu, I’m getting married.”

Chen Xi knew he had wronged Qin Qiu, and he regretted his youthful arrogance and self-centeredness. If he could do it all over again, he would never have provoked Qin Qiu, and thus wouldn’t have hurt so many people.

Chen Xi sincerely said, “I also hope you can be happy.”

After returning to the capital, he inquired about Qin Qiu and learned that she was now working as an editor at a newspaper, doing well, still beautiful and elegant, and still had many suitors. This relieved him of any guilt.

Qin Qiu was eventually taken home by her mother. It just so happened that her father was busy with official business at the military region and wouldn’t be back for the next couple of days. Mother Qin was genuinely worried about her daughter. She had heard about Chen Xi’s return to the capital and his wedding; it would be a lie to say she wasn’t surprised and angry. But she was even more afraid that her daughter would be too heartbroken and do something foolish due to the shock.

Qin Qiu’s aunt also wanted to comfort her, but was turned away by Mother Qin. She had orchestrated so many things back then, even encouraging Qin Qiu to wait for Chen Xi to return. Four years had passed, and all she got was news that Chen Xi was marrying someone else. Four years—Qin Qiu’s youth. How many four-year periods like that are there in a lifetime?

Qin Qiu’s usually serene and beautiful eyes now gleamed faintly under the light. “Mom, do you think I was wrong?”

Seeing her daughter like this, Mother Qin felt heartbroken and regretted listening to Qin Qiu’s aunt’s advice back then and not stopping her daughter from getting a divorce, otherwise she would have ended up in this situation.

Recalling that a while ago, Father Qin had mentioned Lin Hua, saying that Lin Hua had a good chance of becoming a major general before the age of forty. He had no background and was upright, but he had accumulated merits, and his rigorous and honest style had caught the eye of many high-ranking officers in the military. Mother Qin sighed. Lin Hua, whom they had chosen for their daughter, was indeed a good man, but unfortunately, things had gone so badly that reconciliation was impossible. She had also heard that many people had tried to set Lin Hua up with other men.

Her daughter is still young. Once this matter passes and Xiaoqiu is in a better mood, she will ask her aunts to introduce her to a few promising young men.

Mother Qin comforted her, saying, “Xiao Qiu, let bygones be bygones.”

If it were just that neither of them were married, it would be fine, but Chen Xi is about to marry someone else, so there’s no possibility for Qin Qiu anymore. Her mother wouldn’t let Qin Qiu interfere in Chen Xi’s marriage, and she believed that with her daughter’s pride, she wouldn’t lower herself to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, she also stumbled because of this pride, otherwise she wouldn’t have suffered such a severe blow.

It was Mother Qin who raised her daughter to be too proud. Even though she appeared gentle and generous, her inherent arrogance and pride made her easily break off a marriage she didn’t like, firmly believing that her choice was correct and ignoring the advice of others.

Given the situation, what could Mother Qin say? Qin Qiu was completely distraught, which worried her greatly.

…

Chen Xi and Zhao Li chose an auspicious day for their wedding, as it was held in the capital city, and Lin Hua, who was on leave at home, heard about it. Many high-ranking military officials attended; the Chen family had deep roots in the military, and the Zhao family was also highly respected in political circles, so they invited a wide range of guests.

The wedding was a grand and impressive affair, causing a sensation throughout the capital.

Anyone who sees Chen Xi and Zhao Li, the newlyweds, says they are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple.

However, it has nothing to do with Lin Hua. With his current status, he has no need to curry favor with the Chen or Zhao families. The Chen family wouldn’t be stupid enough to send him an invitation. If it gets out and involves the previous military region incident, it will just be another piece of gossip.

Lin Hua’s biggest dislike right now is for a guy named Chen Zhan who’s trying to woo his sister.

It was assumed that Xiao Han had lost contact with Chen Zhan after entering military academy and living in a closed dormitory for a long time. After resolving the matter of her elder brother Lin Hua, Xiao Han had completely forgotten about him. Chen Zhan, on the other hand, persisted in writing a letter every month and was now even unafraid of Lin Hua.

He assumed Lin Yun would attend a prestigious university in Beijing, but she chose a military academy. He remained a top student at Peking University and frequently traveled abroad for academic exchanges. Occasionally, he would exchange letters with Lin Yun about his experiences abroad and discuss current events.

Lin Yun didn’t bother to reply to anything else.

Chen Zhan didn’t care about those old things, and if he and Lin Yun got together, the elders in his family would only be happy that it would ease the tension between him and Lin Hua.

Most importantly, it was Lin Yun’s intention.

But Chen Zhan sensed that Lin Yun genuinely disliked him.

To Lin Yun, he was just an ordinary friend. If it weren’t for the books Chen Zhan had given him, they might not even have had this kind of relationship.

Xiao Han heard about what happened after the wedding from him.

Chen Xi and Zhao Li’s wedding was a grand and elaborate affair, a blend of Chinese and Western styles. However, Qin Qiu unexpectedly showed up. Although no one had invited her and she didn’t have an invitation, Chen Xi felt guilty towards her and didn’t ask anyone to stop her from entering.

No one could have predicted what would happen next.

Qin Qiu stole her father’s spare pistol from the study at home, ran to Chen Xi’s wedding, and fired a shot at him. Qin Qiu had no marksmanship training, and the shot missed Chen Xi’s vital organs but struck his spine, causing severe disability. Multiple doctors and experts determined that he would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

What should have been a grand wedding was tinged with bloodshed, ending in a way that shocked everyone.

Qin Qiu was immediately detained by the police afterward, but due to a mental health assessment, she was admitted to a sanatorium. Her father was also severely affected by the loss of the gun and the incident, and was forced to retire early, aging considerably overnight. Qin Qiu’s mother, unable to bear the gossip around her, also resigned from her job at the hospital to take care of her daughter.

The Chen family suffered the most. Not to mention that Chen Xi was the most valued heir, because this gunshot completely ruined him. The old master Chen, who loved his grandson, also suffered a cerebral hemorrhage after being greatly shocked and passed away suddenly.

Everyone witnessed what happened at the wedding. Political enemies from factions opposed to the Chen family seized the opportunity to attack, and public opinion hyped it up, with rumors and gossip flooding the scene. Having lost their greatest support, Old Master Chen, the Chen family suddenly found themselves in turmoil, facing a difficult situation and suffering a severe blow. It took a long time for things to recover slightly, but they never regained their former glory.

It is truly heartbreaking to see Chen Xi fall from a promising young man to a disabled person confined to a wheelchair and needing care.

After taking care of Chen Xi for six months, his wife Zhao Li divorced him at the request of her parents.

Chen Xi was destined to be a useless person from now on. Even though the Chen family was still wealthy, the Zhao family couldn’t bear to let their precious daughter live like this for the rest of her life. Zhao Li was not very willing at first, but after repeated insistence, she agreed.

Chen Xi’s parents had objected, but the Zhao family was powerful and their family background was no less impressive, so the Chen family had no choice but to accept the outcome. As for Chen Xi’s opinion, no one cared.

Fearing that Zhao Li still harbored feelings for Chen Xi, or worried about the impact of her brief marriage to Chen Xi on her reputation, Zhao’s parents immediately sent her abroad to study after the divorce. They believed she was still young and could start her life anew and find a better partner.

Many of Chen Xi’s old friends were also attending the wedding. They had all witnessed everything that happened back then, including Chen Xi’s pursuit of Qin Qiu. Like many of them, they were young and impetuous and hadn’t thought about the consequences. Some of them advised Chen Xi, while others offered him advice and assistance. They all played a role in the process, which means that they all bear some responsibility for the tragic outcome.

They were all somewhat uneasy and remained silent.

This wedding mishap also changed the fate of many people, such as Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan could have freely chosen what he liked to do and lived the life he longed for, such as academic research and technological development. But now he also has to take on responsibilities and follow the path that is beneficial to the family. His career and his life may no longer be able to be decided according to his own wishes.

He gave Lin Yun a deep look, expressing his heartfelt blessings and joy that she would be entering the country’s most advanced military weapons research center after graduation, where she would be working under renowned experts and professors.

Xiao Han knew some things beforehand, but not as many inside details as Chen Zhan had mentioned.

As for Lin Hua, he seemed to be busier during that period, and even ended his leave early to return to the army, probably to deal with some potential unrest.

Xiao Han felt a pang of sympathy for Chen Xi’s plight, but who could have imagined it would turn out this way? She couldn’t have imagined that a mere butterfly effect would change the entire story, and even the fates of the male and female leads. Thinking about it, Chen Xi had paid the price for his mistakes.