C1 This Is Your Husband! 

As soon as Yu Se was shoved out of the car and onto the hard flooring, she was forced to her knees. "Kneel," the person had commanded, as her skin scraped against the surface. Clenching her fists, she could only agree with the command. 'There's no point anymore,' she told herself. The only thing she could do now was to wait.

"Kowtow!" With another low shout, she felt a hand press against her head, slamming her face heavily onto the marble floor. She yelped and bit her bottom lip, forcing herself to be calm and emotionless. If there was something she knew well enough, it was that there would be a harsher punishment awaiting her if she refused to follow along. Suddenly, the voice echoed across the room once more, "Kowtow!"

The pain soared through her veins. It was as if she was being smacked over with a hot iron. Shame and anger coursed through her system, but it wasn't as if she had any other choice. Yu Se could only grit her teeth as her forehead slammed against hard edges once more.

The pain was soon accompanied by blood. Soon, the metallic scent wafted across the room as it trickled down the corners of her lips.

However, the person holding her down completely ignored her. Instead, she continually forced her bow a dozen more times–with each shout more unsatisfied than the last. There were times when she'd thought it was over, but before she could even familiarize herself with the peace, the person would shove her back down once more. Was this the life that was left for her?

Her blood tasted like salt and metal, and she couldn't help but scrunch her face up in discomfort.

She had wanted to scream, to yell out a string of curses that could render a priest lifeless, but the red cloth in her mouth prevented her from doing so. Her fists clenched behind her back, as she felt the woman pushing her even lower to the ground, so low that her lips could graze over the cold surface.

Suddenly, her long hair was pulled downwards, forcing her to raise her head and look at the sight before her. A shiver shot down Yu Se's spine.

There, in front of the red coffin, was a man. His face was as pale as snow, and his eyes were closed. If he had been placed on a bed rather than a coffin, she would've assumed that he had just fallen asleep. The embalmer had truly done a marvelous job, she noted to herself, staring at the motionless man. If they were trying to make him look more alive, it had worked. At least...partially.

And as she glanced at him up and down, she could've sworn that he was the most beautiful man that she had ever met.

With his high cheekbones and strong jawline, Mo Jingyao looked like a man fresh out of a male magazine. There was no doubt in her mind that this man was incredibly good-looking when he had been alive. In fact, if he were walking down the streets right now, she'd bet that there would be hundreds of women who'd stand by the sidewalks, just praying that he'd look their way.

He was truly much better than what she had imagined.

If such a man would've set his eyes on her in the past, she would've immediately agreed to be courted. In fact, whatever proposal Mo Jingyao had planned out, she would've nodded her head and take him into the bridal chamber herself. That would have been her happily-ever-after, and she would've been satisfied. Why not? It would have been a good life, and she might have been happy then–even ecstatic.

Perhaps she would've even slept with him if he had so insisted.

But now, there was no way in hell she wanted to marry this man.

The consequences of marrying the dead loomed over her head, and suddenly, the high ceilings and wide walls surrounding her were starting to make her anxious. As her fingers trailed across the fabric of her dress, she could only imagine the darkness that she'd meet upon being locked inside that godforsaken coffin. Yu Se exhaled shakily. It was a lot harder to breathe now.

If she were to marry him, then her faith was sealed. She had to die.

"Yu Se, this is your husband. From today onwards, you will be his wife." Mrs. Mo stepped forward. There was a gentle glint in her eyes as if she was really accepting the young woman as her daughter-in-law, and not as a sacrificial lamb that was simply waiting to be slaughtered. "When you get to the afterlife, I could only hope that you'd stay and love him with all your heart as he will to you."

'There's no way I'm agreeing to do this!' Yu Se thought as her eyes widened in terror. Although her life wasn't as great as the rich and famous, it was certainly better than death! Anything was better than death! Her fingers dug against her palm, and she pushed and pull, struggling to get rid of the women's hold. If she really had no other choice, then she wasn't going to go down without a fight!

Caught off guard, the women had loosened their hold over their captive, allowing her to break free.

She didn't even wait for a signal as she turned and ran.

At the same time, she wrenched the clothe from her mouth, and the words came tumbling right out of her mouth,"Help! Save me!" Blood and tears streamed down her cheeks, staining her skin, but she didn't look like she cared. Instead, her gaze was simply narrowed at the curved pathway ahead–leading her down the winding mountains. Her hands cupped around her mouth as she screamed, hoping that someone–anyone–could hear her cries for help.

Yu Se was only nineteen, with a whole life right ahead of her. She wasn't going to die! She can't die! At least, not today!

However, no matter how fast she was or how far she had gone, she wasn't able to outrun Mo's guards.

The two women each pulled one of her arms, plopping her across the floor before dragging her towards the center once more. Her forehead scraped across the concrete, leaving a trace of red right below her feet. It was as if the Mo's had planned to paint the entire sanctuary with her blood, and the others were simply aghast and some, even intrigued by the sight. Her hands clenched once more, but no matter how she struggled, they didn't let her go a second time.

As the pathway strayed farther away from her sight, her bleak future suddenly seemed even more certain than before.

"Please," she cried out. "Please, just–just let me live! I beg you, please!"

"T–the marriage could continue. I could even live in the cemetery to watch over him every single day. That–That's even better, right? Isn't it?" Yu Se turned to the older woman, offering her all the alternatives and excuses that had popped into her mind. The dead had always scared her, and to think about just standing in a graveyard was enough to give her the creeps. But it wasn't as if they had given her a choice!

If it meant for her to live, then she'd willingly guard Mo Jingyao's grave for the rest of her life.

She'd even sleep on the ground if need be!

Anything was better than dead!

Luo Wanyi stepped forward. Being her newly claimed mother-in-law, she offered no sympathy for the young woman. "Stop fighting, Yu Se," she instructed harshly. The gentleness in her eyes had vanished, and it was soon replaced with annoyance. "If you don't want to go in willingly, then we'll simply throw you in. It's that simple. You can choose, but either way, you are still to accompany my son–till death."

"Dad–Dad, please...I don't want to die! You have to save me!" Knowing that she had no other choice, Yu Se crawled towards Yu Jing'an, her father. He had followed her all this way without saying another word. In fact, from the way he had regarded her this entire journey, it was as if she was nothing but a stranger to him. The thought had sent a pang straight to her heart, and she winced.

He was her father–her protector. He was the very same man who had promised to provide for her family.

Ironically, he was also the same man who had betrayed her as if she was nothing but trash.

How could he be so heartless?

Yu Se grabbed a hold of his pants, shaking him desperately. "Dad, please save me," she begged. "I promise to listen to you more! To never make you angry! Please, Dad, just...just take me home!"

She raised her head, revealing her now stained and bruised face. The large smile that usually danced across her features was now gone, and as each second had passed, her eyes had grown even more desolate. The hope she had of her father saving her, had withered in her heart. To her dismay, it seemed that the man who had promised to protect her was already gone from sight.

Instead, Yu Jing'an had turned into a statue–cold and untouched. Tears blurred her vision as she felt him slipping away from her grip.

This wasn't her father–not anymore. As Yu Se glared at the man in front of her, she made a quick promise to herself. If there was truly a life after this, then this man would be nothing to her but an enemy who deserved to rot in hell.

The same went for the others!

"The auspicious hour has arrived. Throw her in," Luo Wanyi ordered, and before Yu Se could speak, the young woman was immediately thrown into the coffin.