1 Substitute Marriage

"Who sent you here? How dare you sleep on my bed?" 

Guan Tong felt like someone was strangling her, and she couldn't breathe. It was almost like she was drowning. As Guan Tong was struggling, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her body that made her jolt. 

She wiped the sweat off her forehead as she woke up. Fortunately, it was only a dream but what she felt was so real, and it was as if the dream had happened. Guan Tong felt almost like she was not dreaming. She saw the dim lights in that bar last week and the mysterious man in her dream.

"Guan Tong! Guan Tong! Open the door!" Suddenly, she heard a man's voice coming from the other side of the door. The earth-shattering sound banging on the wooden door showed a sense of urgency and impatience. 

Guan Tong clutched her head, sat up, and walked to the door. She wasn't sure if the bad dream made her feel this uncomfortable. As Guan Tong opened the door, a short man stood before her. As the man saw Guan Tong's face, he gave her a weird look. 

The girl in front of him was tall with long and dark hair, her face was beautiful, and her skin was fair and flawless. Guan Tong's eyes were bright and naive, resembling an innocent kitten. Under her delicate nose were small cherry-like lips, but the girl's face was indeed terrifying upon a closer look. 

Scars covered Guan Tong's face, and no one would be able to imagine how she got them. Her scars were so hideous and sickening that they made people who walked past her felt uncomfortable.

"Guan Tong, your aunt is here. Hurry up and come out, don't just dawdle there." The man said in disgust. 

Guan Tong was familiar with the tone in the man's voice. She lived in a slum area where everyone only cared for material things. Guan Tong was neither rich nor beautiful, so she became a target for people to laugh at or make fun of, and it happened more than often. Guan Tong looked over and saw a black Mercedes parked there, contrasting the surrounding neighborhood. 

Guan Tong saw Zhang Lin, her aunt, sitting in the Mercedes through the rolled-down window. She saw that Zhang Lin held up her chin, and a pair of sunglasses covered her eyes. Guan Tong could almost see the contempt that hid under her sunglasses. As they faced each other, Zhang Lin let out a small chuckle. Guan Tong had only grown so little ever since they last saw each other. Her face was still so abhorrent.

"Guan Tong, I'm only here to let you know that your cousin Fei'er has agreed upon an arranged marriage." Zhang Lin spoke to Guan Tong with arrogance as if talking to Guan Tong would taint her somehow, making Guan Tong frown. She did not interact much with her aunt's family, and she was sure that Zhang Lin wouldn't just come all this way to inform this big news out of her goodwill.

"Why are you telling me this?" Guan Tong asked.

"Why am I telling you this? It's because I want you to get married instead of Fei'er." Zhang Lin answered. 

Guan Tong's eyes widened. She almost couldn't believe what her aunt was saying. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. "Are you not satisfied with her betrothed, and you want me to marry him instead? And on what ground would it obligate me to fulfill your bidding?"

"On what ground? Guan Tong, how long did we school you and pay for your expenses? If we weren't around, you would have starved to death. Besides, with that helpless grandmother of yours, don't tell me you paid for her care all by yourself?" Zhang Lin sneered. This girl was trying to push her beyond her limits.

Guan Tong ground her teeth in anger. What Zhang Lin said was utterly shameless. Guan Tong had been working and studying hard for many years, and she had never taken a single penny out of the Lin family's pocket.

"Guan Tong, you should know your place and your limitations. With that wretched appearance of yours, this marriage would be your best opportunity." Zhang Lin added.

"If this marriage was that desirable, why don't you let your daughter marry him instead?" Guan Tong sneered. She knew very well that if Lin Fei's match were a good one, Zhang Lin wouldn't have come all this way to give up a perfect marriage for her daughter.

Zhang Lin immediately widened her eyes as Guan Tong retaliated, "If you don't marry him, I'll ask the Board of Directors to kick that old woman you call grandmother out of the hospital. You will just wait for her corpse to arrive then." She threatened Guan Tong.

Guan Tong's body was trembling with anger. Her grandmother had always cared for her since she was a child. She struggled through a lot just to take care of Guan Tong. 

Over a decade ago, when Guan Tong's father had passed away, her father's company was overtaken by her uncle's family. He did not care about her grandmother. Guan Tong worked hard, but after so many years, she used up her savings after her tuition fees, and she couldn't afford to provide her grandmother with good medical treatment. 

As Guan Tong thought of this, she clenched her fist and made up her mind. She had to do what was best to provide for her grandmother.

"Okay, I promise you, but on one condition, The Lin family must pay for my grandmother's medical expenses and make sure she'll receive the best treatment." Guan Tong proposed.

"Done, but only if you immediately come with me." Zhang Lin's eyes flashed. She knew what Guan Tong's weakness was.

Guan Tong looked at Zhang Lin expressionlessly and slowly got into the car. Zhang Lin covered Guan Tong's eyes immediately as she stepped into the car. Although she tried to resist, Zhang Lin made her obliged by threatening her grandmother. Guan Tong estimated that the vehicle had traveled for more than an hour. 

A whirring sound ensued. Guan Tong could not help but uncover her eyes with her hand. "Why are we at the airport?"

 "Just be obedient and go wherever I take you. Stop asking questions." Zhang Lin raised her head and said proudly.

"How can I trust that you'll keep your promise if I'm not in the Capital?" Guan Tong felt uneasy. It seemed to her that she was no longer in the Capital. Guan Tong had learned her lesson to not be too trusting after knowing Zhang Lin for many years.

"Don't worry about that. I'll shoot a video for you every once in a while and let your grandmother tell you herself that she's fine." Zhang Lin reaffirmed.

Guan Tong was worried, but she had no choice but to agree to Zhang Lin's proposal to her delight. Guan Tong finally understood why Zhang Lin wanted to marry her instead of Lin Fei. The reason was that Lin Fei was supposed to marry into the Lu family, and her husband was the Young Master who was in a comatose state.

Rumors had it that the Young Master of the Lu family was paralyzed. The family couldn't cure him, so they devised a plan. They found a sorcerer who told them to find a woman that could match the eight characteristics and was born in the month of Yin. 

However, the woman must voluntarily agree to the marriage, but there was a rumor that the Young Master Lu was a bad omen and the cause of the death of his past four wives. They died on their wedding night, and Guan Tong was now the fifth wife. The original betrothed that was to be engaged to him was Lin Fei. She was born the same day and year as Guan Tong, but the Lin family couldn't possibly marry their beloved daughter to someone in a comatose state. Hence the Lin family had turned their eyes to Guan Tong instead. 

Guan Tong couldn't help but shiver when she realized this. She did not want to die. But Zhang Lin was a woman of her word and kept her promise that she would take care of Guan Tong's grandmother. Guan Tong sneered when she knew that her phone would be kept from her. She will only hear the news of her grandmother from the servants of the Lu family.

Guan Tong raised her eyes and looked around the room she was in. Everything around her was in red, and it certainly looked like a bridal chamber. She even saw the word "Joy'' pasted on the window. It was supposed to be a joyous environment, yet Guan Tong felt gloomy and cold. The dim candlelight shone on her face, making her look even more terrifying. Guan Tong was in the bridal chamber for a while, and the servants served her meals— she was not allowed to leave the room.