Chapter 1 — The Groom Swap on Wedding Day

On my wedding day, I sat in the bridal chamber of my parents' house, waiting for Chi Yen to arrive with the wedding procession. As noon approached, the first person to reach out was not the groom, but a payment request sent by his clingy childhood sweetheart, Tran Dao. Eighty-eight thousand, with a note reading: "Fee for changing how you address me." Immediately after, Chi Yen called me.

"Chieu Chieu, little Dao Dao is just a crybaby, and we grew up together. Today is our wedding day! She needs to change how she addresses you and call you sister-in-law!"

"You must pay this eighty-eight thousand fee for changing her form of address!"

Instead of answering, I countered with a question of my own.

"When will the wedding convoy arrive?"

From the other end of the line came the tearful, sniffling voice of Tran Dao.

"Hmph! Whenever sister Tham Chieu pays the address-change fee to little Dao Dao, brother Chi Yen's convoy will arrive!"

Without yielding, I hung up the phone, and with a swift counter-move, I forwarded the audio recording to both my family group chat and my close friends' group chat. "Today on my wedding day, I've encountered an astronomical fee just to change a title, so I've decided to change the groom instead." "Anyone interested may apply; must have a verified background and a handsome appearance." ... The moment the message was sent, the chat group, usually bustling with activity, fell into a dead silence. My youngest aunt chimed in, probing cautiously.

"Chieu Chieu, you are so mischievous, you even know how to play pranks right before your wedding now!"

Before I could reply, my parents burst into my room abruptly. My mother's eyes were red and swollen, and she was gripping a bank card tightly in her hand. It was the dowry they had prepared for me. Chi Yen had offered one hundred and eighty thousand in bride price, and my parents had matched it with one hundred and eighty thousand of their own for my dowry. All three hundred and sixty thousand rested inside that very card before us. Not taking a single penny for themselves, they intended it as starting capital for our new household. Mother pulled me into her embrace.

"Chieu Chieu, marriage is not child's play. Now that you suddenly say you want to change the groom, have you truly thought this through?"

Father also urged me to reconsider carefully.

"Chieu Chieu, you and Chi Yen have been in love for three years, and reaching this stage of discussing marriage was no easy feat. Can't the two of you sit down and talk things out properly?"

I lowered my gaze and remained silent. I had long known that Tran Dao was Chi Yen's perpetual, tearful childhood companion. The two had grown up together and attended the same university. Tran Dao harbored an unrequited crush and dissolved into a weeping mess at the slightest provocation. Yet back then, Chi Yen's heart and eyes had held only me, and in public places, he maintained a proper distance from Tran Dao. That was why I had never thought much of it. As a result, right on the day of our wedding, Tran Dao dared to hold me hostage like this. To say that Chi Yen was not condoning this behavior behind my scenes was something I simply could not believe. With unwavering resolve, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Father, Mother, I have thought it over. The groom must be changed! Today's banquet will proceed as scheduled!"

A look of hesitation flickered across Mother's face.

"But the wedding ceremony starts in two hours. Where on earth are we supposed to find a ready-made groom right now?"

Father was even more anxious than Mother.

"Even if we actually managed to find one, would he even agree?"

I smiled bitterly, bowing my head. Perhaps Chi Yen had relied on this exact calculation when he dared to let Tran Dao bully me. Could it be... that I really had to let him get his way? My phone vibrated twice. Seeing that I had yet to respond, Tran Dao pressed on.

"Sister Chieu Chieu, didn't you already accept one hundred and eighty thousand in bride price from brother Chi Yen? Can't you even bear to part with eighty-eight thousand for the address-change fee to give to the little crybaby?"

"Hmph! So stingy! The little crybaby hates you! I refuse to acknowledge you as my sister-in-law!"

I took a screenshot and sent it to Chi Yen. Yet he feigned death, offering no response whatsoever. I gripped my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. At the same time, in the family chat group, my eldest aunt sent three consecutive voice messages. She pretentiously offered me what she called profound, heartfelt advice.

"Tham Chieu, where in this world is there an absolutely perfect marriage? Countless women get married just like this; let's not try to be special or make a big fuss over nothing."

"As for this eighty-eight thousand address-change fee, just pay it!"

I was so angry I laughed out loud, refusing to pander to her nonsense, and my fingers danced rapidly across the screen.

"Auntie, you are truly so generous, it's just a pity your niece doesn't have that much money lying around. Why don't you lend me that eighty-eight thousand first?"

Auntie immediately began crying about her poverty, whining, "Where would I ever get that much money?" I fired back instantly, "First of all, you aren't the one getting married! Second of all, you aren't the one footing the bill! Then what the hell are you babbling about here?" Blocked by my sharp retort, Auntie had no way to back down gracefully. Furious, she sneered at me with venom.

"You and Chi Yen have been together for three years; if you change the groom at this hour, who on earth would be willing to marry you?!"

The very next second, my aunt was unceremoniously kicked out of the chat group by my father. I took a deep breath, trying to forcefully suppress my surging impatience and anger. Just then, a new message flashed across my screen.

"May I self-nominate?"

The sender was none other than Chu Triet, my childhood friend from long ago. Seeing those words, my eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Chu Triet and I had lost touch for three full years. In my memory, he was academically brilliant and possessed impeccable character; when college started, he went abroad. By the time we met again, I was already deeply in love with Chi Yen, and though we shared a single meal together on one occasion, we had drifted apart after that. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected him to be the only one messaging me now. Chu Triet's tone seemed frantic, yet carried a hint of cautious hesitation.

"Tham Chieu, am I too late to register? Is there still any chance?"

My mood all day had been relentlessly foul. Yet reading that message, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Mother caught sight of my expression and asked anxiously, "Did Chi Yen finally reply to you?"

I shook my head.

"No, but I've found my new groom!"

Both my parents snapped upright in simultaneous shock. With my prior consent, Chu Triet's voice call came through. From the other end of the line came the sound of soft, ragged breathing as Chu Triet asked tentatively, "Tham Chieu, am I late again?"

Again? I didn't understand what he meant, but I still gave him a definitive answer.

"No, Chu Triet, you arrived right on time. But I must warn you beforehand, the wedding starts in two hours. Do you mind?"

In Chu Triet's voice was an overwhelming, unrestrained surge of excitement.

"Send me your location, I'm coming right now. Tham Chieu, you must wait for me!"

The call disconnected. His enthusiasm and refreshing directness proved contagious, lifting my own spirits. The very next instant, Chi Yen's name flashed across the screen as an incoming call. I pressed my lips into a thin line, determined to make things crystal clear to him. But the moment I answered, before I could even utter a single syllable, Chi Yen impatiently urged me on.

"Tham Chieu, little Dao Dao is getting impatient waiting for the address-change fee!"

"She's younger than you, and she's my childhood friend, can't you pamper her just a little bit more?"

"I'll give you half an hour at most!"

"If you miss an auspicious hour over this eighty-eight thousand, crying your eyes out won't do you any good!"

Giving me no chance whatsoever to get a word in edgewise, Chi Yen abruptly hung up. Faintly, I could still hear the sound of Tran Dao's pitiful whimpering in the background. My parents, standing right beside me, had heard every single word, and their faces flushed with righteous fury. Father, who had always held a fairly decent impression of Chi Yen, completely cast aside his usual composure and cursed out loud.

"Absolutely despicable! It's painfully obvious that Chi Yen lacks any boundaries in his relationships with women, yet he has the gall to turn around and blackmail you!"

Just as those words fell, a knock echoed loudly against the door. Standing outside was Chu Triet. Sweat beaded across his forehead, but he had already hastily thrown on a neatly tailored suit. Struggling to steady his ragged breathing, his bright eyes shone as he looked straight at me.

"Tham Chieu, your groom hasn't missed the deadline, has he?"

"Oh my goodness, this child, even a rabbit couldn't run as fast as you!"

Right behind him, Chu Triet's parents hurried up, looking thoroughly exhausted as well. Each of them carried two large fabric shopping bags in their hands. The six of us stood there staring at each other. Mother Chu recovered her wits first, enthusiastically calling out a warm greeting to my parents as in-laws! Instantly, the atmosphere thawed and buzzed with vibrant energy. Chu Triet and I were gently nudged aside. He towered over me, lowering his head to gaze down as beads of sweat trickled from his handsome face. The tips of Chu Triet's ears flushed a delicate red as he whispered softly.

"Tham Chieu, you look breathtaking in that wedding gown. Are you truly willing to choose me as your husband? Am I dreaming?"

I pulled out a tissue and gently dabbed the sweat from his brow. Hearing those words made my heart flutter wildly, and I nodded with absolute solemnity.

"Mmm!"

Both sets of parents sat down together to formally discuss the wedding arrangements. Uncle Chu and Aunt Chu casually unzipped the fabric bags they had brought. Four bags in total. Neither more nor less, it added up precisely to six hundred and sixty thousand! Mother instantly grew flustered and polite.

"This... isn't this a bit too much?"

Father remained silent for a moment before speaking with absolute honesty.

"In-laws, I know this comes from the kindness of your hearts, but we are just an ordinary family; we might not be able to return a bride price of six hundred thousand."

Uncle and Aunt Chu exchanged a warm smile. Uncle Chu chuckled softly.

"We were the ones who didn't think it through thoroughly. How about this: let's set the bride price at one hundred and eighty-eight thousand, and use the remaining funds for the two of them to buy a car or put a down payment on a house."

Only then did my parents let out collective sighs of relief. With merely an hour left until the ceremony, the makeup artist frantically dragged Chu Triet off to be groomed, while the master of ceremonies rushed to revise and cross-check the itinerary. Uncle and Aunt Chu busied themselves contacting relatives. I turned to instruct the wedding planning team.

"We aren't using the original banquet hall anymore. Switch it to a larger and better reception hall."

Just as I was issuing orders, my phone vibrated twice. I assumed it was Chi Yen. To my surprise, it was one of Chi Yen's close bros. After adding me as a contact ages ago, he had never uttered a single word, remaining a silent name on my friend list. Now, however, that person had sent me a video file. In the footage, Tran Dao leaned against Chi Yen's chest, smiling as brightly as a blooming flower.

"Brother Chi Yen, will Tham Chieu really pay that eighty-eight thousand address-change fee to the little crybaby? Won't it ruin your wedding?"

Chi Yen replied with utter indifference.

"If the wedding gets delayed, she's the one who'll be sweating bullets, not me."

"Don't worry, she'll definitely pay!"

"Tham Chieu doesn't dare lose face like that!"

Tran Dao pouted playfully, tugging and shaking Chi Yen's arm.

"What if Tham Chieu marries someone else instead?"

The corners of Chi Yen's mouth twitched in a scornful smirk.

"Everyone knows she's been blindly devoted to me for three years, who on earth would be foolish enough to rush in and play the fool for a used-up pair of worn shoes?"

Large tears fell, one heavy drop after another, splattering across the screen of my phone. There was heartbreak, yes, but there was also blazing fury. Heartbreak for the three wasted years I had left behind. Fury at my own past blindness, for almost entrusting the rest of my life to such a vile, cowardly piece of trash! Chi Yen's parents had perished in a car accident two years prior. Through my constant companionship and unwavering encouragement, Chi Yen had slowly crawled out of his psychological trauma. He used to tell everyone he met:

"Tham Chieu is not just my romantic partner, she is my lifelong savior."

And yet, right now, he dismissed me as "worn shoes." Chi Yen's close friend added a single parting remark: "A literal dumpster fire, think carefully before you leap." I simply replied, "Thank you." The moment I turned around, I found Chu Triet standing right behind me, his hair neatly styled with hairspray. He stared in helpless panic at the tear tracks glistening on my cheeks, his gaze darkening with suppressed emotion. After a long silence, he stepped forward, gently wiping away a stray tear with his thumb, and asked with a sorrowful, heavy voice.

"Tham Chieu, the truth is, your heart isn't entirely settled either, is it?"

"I know Chi Yen must have hurt you to the absolute core. Changing the groom on the spur of the moment... part of it was undoubtedly fueled by anger."

Embarrassed, I lowered my head. But Chu Triet softly brushed against the edge of my bridal veil.

"Yet I am more than willing to stand by your side while you vent your rage. If... if after the wedding ceremony concludes, you come to regret this, I will personally go and explain things to my parents. Please, don't carry any heavy psychological burdens."

Dumbfounded, I stared up at him. Chu Triet understood my tangled emotions and swirling confusion, yet he remained utterly willing to stand by me. His gentle, reassuring words anchored my chaotic mind. I reached out, grasped his hand tightly, and spoke with unwavering conviction: