Chapter 2: Leading up to the Wedding

As Yan Lin opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, she couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over her. The bright pink and sparkly room was a far cry from her mundane and functional apartment in San Francisco, and it only served to remind her that she was now Yan Lin and not herself. The room was just like the novel's description had been, all culminating into what looked like a dollhouse.

For a moment, Yan Lin allowed herself to wallow in sadness and longing for freedom, but she knew that she couldn't afford to indulge in these emotions for too long. She had a role to play. As Yan Lin rummaged through the closet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust at the frilly, sickeningly sweet, and overly bright clothing that filled the space. It was clear that these clothes were meant to fit the image of Bai Fei Fei, the spoiled and entitled female lead of the novel.

Yan Lin knew that she had to play the part of Fei Fei and put up fake pretenses until the elder sister returned. The wedding was in a week's time. With a heavy heart, she settled on a more tame outfit of jeans and a frilly blouse. She also had a side quest now though too, to figure out how to escape and live her life as she wanted to. If she was going to be in a novel, she may as well live as she pleased.

As Yan Lin sat at the breakfast table with her 'family, she couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment from the conversation happening around her. She only heart-heartedly listened as Yu Jun blabbered on to Han, her voice filled with disdain and contempt for Yan Lin and her ability to impersonate Fei Fei.

As the shrill woman kept going, Han handed Yan Lin Fei Fei's phone and ID card, which she accepted without a word. Han told her that from now on, she would have to be Fei Fei in all aspects of her life, including spending time with her friends and going to work in her stead. He mentioned that he had taken a leave of absence for her previously, but that she should go in for now until the wedding. He even suggested that she might be able to quit after the wedding since she would be a married woman.

Yan Lin nodded before she was led outside to a car similar to the one from the day before. She was then driven to a large skyscraper and she got out, staring at the looming building overhead. Fei Fei was a junior fashion designer, and it had always been the girl's dream to have her clothes on runways. She never fulfilled it though, instead, the heroine had been the one to do it and was the one who possessed a real fashion sense after she got through the office drama.

Yan Lin sighed as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come before someone grabbed her: Liu Su Yi. Liu Su Yi was Fei Fei's 'friend' in the office. In reality, she was more like a subordinate than a friend. Fei Fei was not very much and did not have many friends, but Su Yi idolized Fei Fei (for who knows why). Fei Fei used her as a lackey though, even going so far as to steal her designs and change them up before submitting them herself.

Yan Lin tried to shake off Su Yi's hold before she was dragged into the building. Su Yi was talking nonstop about how excited she was that Fei Fri was back and how she had been worried sick about her. Yan Lin didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded and tried to smile.

Su Yi practically dragged Yan Lin into the elevator as she chattered away aimlessly. The girl was surprisingly strong. She mentioned how if they were late again, that the Mistress would be upset. She also mentioned how the new photographer was super cute and that she should've been there to meet him. Yan Lin could have helped show him around the office. Su Yi then started talking about how the newest intern was just fired because she spilled the Mistress' coffee. Su Yi just went on and on. She was a big chatterbox and that was one of the reasons why Fei Fei found her to be annoying and always drowned the poor girl out. Su Yi also mentioned how lucky she was to be getting married to a dreamboat like Zhen Zhu. Yan Lin finally couldn't take it anymore and covered Su Yi's mouth on their long ascent upwards and took a sigh of relief.

Su Yi looked at Yan Lin with a confused expression, and Yan Lin asked if Su Yi could slow down just a bit. Yan Lin explained that she was not in the mood to talk about the office or the wedding right now at this pace and that it was a bit hard to follow. Su Yi looked at her in concern, asking if everything was alright, Yan Lin just gave her a small smile and told her that she was just tired from the hospital. Su Yi nodded, understanding, and said that she was just glad she was here. The elevator door finally opened, leading them into the office. Su Yi led her to Fei Fei's desk, which was in the corner of the room and had a surprisingly great view of the city. Su Yi sat down at her desk while Yan Lin looked over the mountain of work laid on her desk.

Yan Lin was no fashion expert or designer, but in her own opinion, the designs Fei Fei had created were absolutely horrendous. As she was looking through them, the Mistress had just entered and she was not in a good mood as she demanded everyone had in their design for the latest spring line by the end of the week. Yan Lin's eyes widened as she remembered she would have to turn something in or be fired. Yan cursed inwardly. She couldn't do this... Well, she couldn't do this alone.

She needed to find a way to get some help. But who could she turn to? She couldn't exactly just ask anyone in the office, they would suspect something was off with Fei Fei if she suddenly started asking for help with her designs. Yan Lin racked her brain, trying to come up with a solution. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She remembered hearing Su Yi talk about the new photographer that had joined the company. Maybe he could help her out. He was new and didn't know Fei Fei as she hadn't been there when he joined the team, so it was worth a shot.

Making a decision, Yan Lin stood up from her desk and headed toward the photography department. At one of the desks sat a handsome young man. The newest photographer and the third male protagonist of the book and knight in shining armor who helped Yan Lin at work. Yan Lin didn't really want to do this as it was definitely a part of the plot and caused trouble further down the line, but she was no fashion guru. She was just an entomologist. Yan Lin took a deep breath before smiling at Xia Mu Tian. She asked if he was the new photographer before introducing herself and handing him a cup of hot coffee. Mu Tian smiled back, taking the coffee and thanking her.

Yan Lin took a deep breath before asking if he would be willing to help her with her spring look. She was honest (at least somewhat) and said that after being out for a week for a much-needed break, she realized her outfits were lacking and she'd like some guidance. She promised to help him with whatever errands he wanted for the time being. Mu Tian listened attentively and thought it over for a moment before he agreed. Mu Tian had a soft spot for angelic beauties, and the heroine Yan Lin had always been just that.

During that week, Yan Lin had spent the entire week running errands for both the Mistress and Mu Tian. She had spent countless hours with Mu Tian, listening to his lectures and working on sketch after sketch that he would often reject. Whatever reading he gave her, she would obediently read and make sure to take many notes. But Yan Lin was determined, and when Mu Tian told her to draw something she knew, she immediately thought of a spring beetle, drawing it with care and attention to detail. When Mu Tian saw her design, he didn't outright reject it as he had with so many others. Instead, he simply said it wasn't bad and encouraged her to keep going. Yan Lin was thrilled, and with renewed energy, she continued to work on her design, pouring all of her creativity and passion into it. On Friday morning, Yan Lin nervously handed in her final draft as she waited anxiously for the Mistress to go through everyone's designs.

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To Yan Lin's absolute surprise, hers was deemed not terrible, and better than her usual work. The Mistress said it was unique and not like her usual style. Yan Lin finally breathed in relief. She had always excelled in her field of entomology. Her sketches had always been exact and she had never imagined she would be applying those skills in the world of fashion design. The concept seemed absolutely foreign to her.

She heavily thank Mu Tian for his help. She was sure if she hadn't gone to him for help, she would have been fired. While getting fired wasn't the absolute worst thing as this wasn't really her job in the first place, she would rather not have to deal with Bai Han or Bai Yu Jun for the time being.

Later, Su Yi asked if there was anything going on between Mu Tian and Yan Lin. She vehemently denied it. Even if she wasn't going to marry Zhen Zhu, she knew that there was no way she could pursue a relationship with anyone at the moment. She was already in a difficult situation. Adding a romantic entanglement on top of that would only complicate things further. Especially if that someone was someone that would cause trouble for her in the future. Mu Tian was a nice guy, but male leads would bring her trouble.

Finally, the past week was over and Yan Lin had never felt more mentally drained and exhausted. The entire week had been a blur of busy work and trying to impress the Mistress and listening to Mu Tian's lectures. She wished to go back to her lab and bugs.

She spent the entire next day in bed doing nothing but thinking, but on Sunday she was up early and being pricked and prodded by makeup artists and a hairstylist. She was forced to sit still as they bustled around her, transforming her into the traditional, elegant bride.

As the morning turned into afternoon, Yan Lin couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to marry Zhen Zhu, she didn't even really know him. Or rather, she did, but only because she had read about him in a book. But it was the day of her wedding, December 25, Christmas Day.

As the final touches were put on her makeup and hair, Yan Lin couldn't help but feel like she was suffocating. She was being forced into a life that wasn't hers, a life that she didn't want. Was this how the heroine felt when she went through this? Forced for the sake of her father's pride and Yu Jun's greed?

In the mirror, Yan Lin could remember the words from the novel. She was made up to look like freshly fallen snow and her dress was delicate lace with trim on its sleeves. Yan Lin looked like a delicate angel, a true treasure to behold. But she wasn't at all happy with her look. She asked the tailor to take off the sleeves despite the cold. Yan Lin had never been a fan of sleeves and she didn't mind the cold. He was hesitant at first, but after telling him to just do it, he listened. Yan Lin liked the look a lot better and felt a little more in control.

But not entirely. Yan Lin couldn't escape the fact that this was still her wedding day. She was about to marry a surly man she had only met once, and the thought made her physically ill. She couldn't believe she was even in this absurd situation, about to marry a complete strange. She would be marrying Xavier, not the fictional main character of a novel. But here she was, in this exact situation. Yan Lin wiped away a tear as she was escorted to the wedding reception in a luxurious car. When she arrived at the venue, she was filled with a sudden urge to flee. Could she really run away now? Was that possible?

She dropped her bouquet and tried to make a run for it, but ended up on a balcony instead. She leaned against the stone railing, desperately trying to catch her breath as she struggled to process the gravity of the situation. She felt like she was suffocating, her hands gripping the railing tightly as she tried to escape that feeling. One of the attendants gently urged her to go back inside, reminding her that she would catch a cold and that everyone was waiting for her.

She stood there though, breathing in the crisp winter air. She should have just left earlier. She shouldn't have tried to stay. How did she think she could escape this if she was still actively playing a part in it? How dumb could she be? Yan Lin took one final breath and steeled herself for what was to come. She would go through with the wedding, but that didn't mean anything. It was all just a novel anyway.

Yan Lin was led inside and given a fresh bouquet. As she made her way down the aisle, her stomach flip-flopped with a sense of dread. She listened to the familiar wedding march tune, feeling as if her stoic groom Zhen Zhu was staring straight into her soul. It felt like the longest few steps of her life. She tried to keep her footing as she walked, but alas, she tripped on the carpet. Zhen Zhu was quick to catch her, a small smile playing across his lips as he flashed it to the audience who chuckled and oohed and aahed at the young couple.

As the ceremony began to unfold, she found herself growing increasingly uneasy. But it proceeded as usual nonetheless. As the priest asked for the final vows, both the groom and bride hesitated, both of them reluctant to pronounce the words that would bind them together. They locked eyes, each trying to gauge the other's thoughts. Yan Lin couldn't bear the thought of kissing this man, but she knew it was a necessary part of the ceremony and everyone was expecting it.

She thought to hell with it and with a sudden burst of courage, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a rough, impassionate kiss. The surprise on Zhen Zhu's face was palpable as Yan Lin pulled away as quickly as she had leaned in, leaving him standing there with a stunned expression.

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