The Substitute Bride - Yizhan

Chapter Fourteen 💐

"If... if you can explain things about us to your parents, why do we have to rush the wedding? Why don't we wait until you hear from Zhou Fei?"

Yibo's expression turned serious for a second as he looked at Zhan briefly Then, he straightened up and went back to putting on his clothes.

"Why would I do that?"

"So, you two can talk and clear things up."

"And you think that if Zhou Fei and I talked, I would change my mind about marrying you, is that it?"

"You don't really want to many me, Yibo. You are only acting on impulse. "You and Zhou Fei are the couple, and you can't just –"

"I wasn't acting on impulse when I made love to you moments ago. I took my time deliciously." Yibo interrupted what Zhan was trying to say.

"Oh, Yibo." Zhan groaned in frustration. "Be reasonable."

"I am. And what is happening to you?" Yibo said irritably. "I am offering you my name. And you're trying so hard to brush off everything I say. Honestly, I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult or not..."

"You don't love me. It's Zhou Fei that-"

"I don't believe in love, Zhan," Yibo cuts off what he's saying. "I believe in marrying for practical and sensible reasons. As long as we understand each other, and respect each other, The love you're talking about will up eventually."

"You know Zhou Fei better than you know me. You've known each other since you were kids. If that's the excuse you're going to use, then you should go ahead and marry her. Give her this one last chance, Yibo. Don't use me to hurt her."

Yibo's gaze was sharp as he threw it at him. "I'm not using you!" Yibo grimaced. Guilt flooded his face. "Shit, I hate that word. Somehow, indirectly, it rang true," Yibo admitted reluctantly. "But don't put malice on it, please."

Zhan bit his lip. Somehow, Yibo's honesty relieved his heart.

"When I first thought of this, I wanted you to help me, to avoid bringing shame to my parents. If it were my choice, I wouldn't care if Zhou Fei and I got married or not.

After what happened between us yesterday, I'm not offering you marriage just to help me. I want to feel responsible."

"I am not holding you-"

Yibo muttered something unintelligible. "Let's stop this argument, Zhan. It is so tiring and wearing. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind. We will get married next week.

And that's it."

In a way, Yibo was correct. He was feeling pretty exhausted from all the arguing with Yibo, trying to make him see reason. The truth was, he wasn't giving himself the chance to embrace the happiness of marrying Yibo.

He loved Yibo. Being married to him was a dream come true. But he couldn't accept Yibo's reasons for marrying him.

Zhan also didn't want to be a fallback. Or a bride proxy, or substitute bride, or whatever he was meant to be called.

He dreamed that when he got married, they would love each other, just like his parents did. Yibo didn't love him and would only marry him for all the wrong reasons. What's life going to look like for them in the coming days? Is he digging his own grave to lie in?

Life is a gamble, Zhan, his father once said. Facing life is similar to being a gambler, you need to have a strategy. If you skip that step, you might find yourself losing out."