### Chapter 302: Innocence is at Stake!
This forced guidance is, let’s be honest, a real party pooper—completely robbing anyone of their agency and making them just follow the script like a mindless drone.
Even if Yun Zhonghe wanted to turn around right now, he couldn’t take that step.
Grinding his teeth in frustration but keeping a calm smile plastered on his face, he realized the idyllic tranquility of the Liu household was merely the backdrop for the story’s introduction. What came next, concerning the Chen family’s proposal, might just hold the key to breaking this illusion.
He had to create a bright future for Liu Yan, not go down the same old sad path again. Only then could the regrets lodged in her heart find closure, and her soul be truly freed.
But…
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but sigh; whether he accepted the Chen family’s marriage proposal or flat out rejected it, it seemed doomed to end badly.
Liu Yan was from a hundred years ago, back when there was no Immortal Alliance, and mortals had absolutely no power against cultivators. Once you caught their eye, you had no escape route.
According to the original memories, Liu Yan had rejected the Chen family’s proposal on this very day, and the next day, she faced brutal retaliation from them.
She watched helplessly as her parents were cruelly killed in front of her, while she was subjected to humiliation from the Chen brats, finally ending up in a refining furnace, her soul tormented and unable to rest.
The Chen family was convinced that only souls filled with deep resentment could be used to create the strongest corpses, and the best resentment came from those women who were once humiliated and treated like trash. Their inner cravings for purity and perfection would yield unprecedented results when used as materials.
Half of the Chen family was involved in Liu Yan’s torment.
But now, Yun Zhonghe had to temporarily take the place of the original owner, and he certainly didn’t want to lose his innocence. Clearly, that option was a strict no-go.
Of course, Yun Zhonghe had to choose to accept.
Not just to keep his innocence intact, but also to stall for time.
Once it was revealed that Liu Yan had, shockingly, accepted the proposal, Young Master Chen couldn’t suppress his smug grin.
Liu Father and Liu Mother, meanwhile, were utterly baffled. They knew their daughter had been so against this match that she once jumped into a lake in protest because her heart was still tied to another.
They had no intention of forcing Liu Yan into something she didn’t want.
Now that Young Master Chen had personally come to propose, they had prepared to unequivocally refuse the match for their daughter.
But they never expected…
“Father, Mother, I’m all grown up now,” Yun Zhonghe said, mimicking Liu Yan’s tone nonchalantly.
A flash of sadness and helplessness crossed Liu Father and Liu Mother’s faces. If it weren’t for the Chen family’s aggressive approach, they would have hoped for their daughter to chase her own happiness.
At this moment, Young Master Chen noticed a hint of wavering from the Liu family and couldn’t help but smile smugly: “Don’t worry, Uncle and Aunt, I will treat Yan’er well, ensuring she endures no hardship whatsoever.”
He seemed quite pleased with Liu Yan’s obedient demeanor, his gaze intense, his smile sly.
Eventually, the four began discussing the wedding details, from planning the ceremony to post-wedding arrangements—all solely orchestrated by the Chen family.
Everything in this illusion was under the control of its creator; even time could be freely manipulated.
Yun Zhonghe accepted the proposal out of sheer frustration, trying to use delay as a strategy. But then, in an instant, it was as if the entire illusion had been hit by an “accelerate” button. Everything began fast-forwarding like a movie on hyperspeed, jumping straight to the day of his wedding with Liu Yan!
When Yun Zhonghe finally snapped back to reality, realizing time had skipped countless days and nights, he felt a primal urge to scream.
Seriously?! This is how we’re doing it? What was even the point of choosing to accept the proposal?!
He had only agreed to buy himself some time.
In the end, whether he accepted or rejected it, tests were coming his way pronto.
“Miss, you look stunning.”
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe was perched in Liu Yan’s room, wearing a vibrant red wedding gown. A beaming maid was fussing over her, showering praise left and right.
As Yun Zhonghe’s gaze fell upon the reflection in the mirror—not his own face, but Liu Yan’s—he had to admit, the makeup made her look breathtaking. But hey, he was a dude!
He forced out a rather stiff smile and muttered, “Thanks…”
His thoughts were all jumbled, and he couldn’t sort through what was going on. Then he noticed he was tightly clutching a golden hairpin.
This was a token from the one Liu Yan adored.
Narrowing his eyes, he recalled the rushed scene he’d sped through.
Ever since he had reluctantly agreed to the Chen family’s proposal, Liu Yan hadn’t seen her beloved at all.
【Why hasn’t he come to find me?】
【Why is he never here?】
【No matter how many times I go through this, even if I refuse the Chen family, even if I face so much humiliation, why hasn’t he come to protect me?】
【I’m suffering so much! I believed in him so deeply, yet he never appeared…】
The Eight-Foot Lady’s piercing inner voice hit Yun Zhonghe like a sharp icicle, filling his consciousness.
The fervor in that voice was like crashing waves, causing him a headache and a gut-wrenching urge to spew.
This sudden mental assault came and went in an instant. Just like that, Yun Zhonghe acted as if nothing had happened, left only with a strange feeling of emptiness.
He continued on with the storyline.
“Miss, it’s almost time to get in the carriage.”
The maid’s gentle voice broke through Yun Zhonghe’s swirling thoughts. She had finished the last touches on Liu Yan’s look, placing a delicate phoenix crown squarely on his head.
The jewels on that crown sparkled under the candlelight.
Yun Zhonghe’s heart raced. He was completely unprepared for any of this!
This is outrageous!
Yun Zhonghe lifted his gaze, confirming he was now able to seize control of Liu Yan’s body again, and urgently called out to the maid, “Wait! Help me find some things around the house—I’ll need them later!”
This maddening illusion didn’t give anyone a moment to prepare. All Yun Zhonghe could do was make the best of it—better to do something than nothing at all.
d*mn it! If you’re going to help someone sort through their emotional baggage, at least give them a fighting chance!
While complaining internally, Yun Zhonghe anxiously instructed the maid to gather some items.
The maid, however, looked a bit troubled by his sudden request: “Miss, at a time like this, where am I supposed to find all those things? It’s quite difficult!”
Yun Zhonghe was having none of it: “Difficult? Difficult or not, you’d better make it happen!”
