After My Death, the Richest Heiress Committed Suicide to Be With Me - Chapter 1

In the Morning Star Empire, at the ancestral home of the wealthiest family, the Wu family, a grand wedding was taking place inside Minded Hall.

The venue was packed with distinguished guests, yet a heavy silence hung over the room.

In the back row of the guest area, a little girl peeked through the crowd, her innocent face filled with curiosity as she stared at the center of the hall.

A space had been cleared there, covered with high-quality red carpet. A bride in a floor-length gown stood alone in the center, her hands cradling a plain portrait.

The bride was as radiant as a rose, adorned in traditional wedding finery, yet she showed no joy. Instead, her eyes were cast down, her expression solemn, and her entire being radiated a heartbreaking beauty of profound despair.

Red silk draped from the beams, colorful ribbons fluttered, and drums and music played in unison. It should have been a scene of laughter and celebration, but every guest kept their mouth shut, maintaining an eerie silence.

The little girl looked around for a while before she could no longer hold back her question.

“Mom, why is the bride wearing a black wedding dress?”

“Shh.”

Her elegantly dressed mother quickly pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her daughter’s inquiry.

However, the girl’s curiosity was piqued, and she kept tugging at her mother’s sleeve.

The mother leaned down and whispered in her ear, “As long as the bride is willing, she can wear any wedding dress she wants.”

The child grew even more curious. “But why can’t I see the groom anywhere?”

The mother grabbed the girl’s arm and scolded her in a low voice, “Don’t talk nonsense. This is a same-sex wedding. Two brides are getting married, so there is no groom.” Perhaps seeing her daughter’s aggrieved look, the mother patiently explained in a whisper, “The other bride has something to attend to, so a portrait is used in her place. Now, stop asking questions.”

The girl’s eyes darted around. Suddenly, she broke free from her mother’s hand and pointed a chubby finger at a golden-thread sandalwood coffin located in the north of the hall.

“Mom is lying. I just heard an uncle say that the other bride is lying in that black box.”

The crisp, childish voice echoed clearly through the hall.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward them simultaneously.

Panic-stricken, the mother covered her daughter’s mouth and grabbed her arm to lead her out.

Wu Yi looked up, a ripple finally appearing in her deep, stagnant eyes. Holding the portrait, she walked toward the mother and daughter.

“It is alright.” Perhaps because she had not spoken for a long time, her voice was hoarse and low.

The mother stole a quick glance at her. The bride before her was as beautiful as a celestial being, yet she felt like an empty shell without a soul. Her eyes were hollow and her expression was wooden, reflecting a desolation as cold as dead ashes.

Thinking of the coffin nearby, the mother felt a shiver of fear. She apologized repeatedly, “I am so sorry. The child is on holiday and had no one to look after her, so I brought her along. If I had known.”

She stopped abruptly. The guests turned their faces away, continuing their silence.

Wu Yi looked down, her fingertips lightly brushing the portrait in her arms. Her voice was strangely calm. “Thank you and your daughter for attending our wedding. Please, have a seat.”

The little girl looked at her mother, then at Wu Yi, and suddenly asked in a clear voice, “Sister, why won’t your bride come out? Is she playing hide-and-seek with you?”

With a loud crash, a cup was hurled violently onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

The music stopped instantly.

Wu Xiaochen stood up from the high seat in the center and shouted in anger, “Xiao Fang, my daughter died with her eyes open and her bones are not yet cold, yet you let her have a ghost marriage with the culprit? You dog, have you taken bribes from the Wu family?”

She pointed at Xiao Fang, but her eyes, filled with grief, were fixed deathly on Wu Yi.

Xiao Fang, sitting in the high seat beside her, lowered his head and sighed deeply, saying nothing.

Wu Yi raised her hand. The drums stopped, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Holding the portrait, she walked toward the high seats and knelt down with a thud.

“Mother, I belong to her in life, and I am her wife in death. Please let me give Lou-lou a complete wedding, and then I will personally atone for my sins.”

Wu Xiaochen looked at her with hatred. “Even if your Wu family pays with a life for a life, my daughter will not come back to life!”

Wu Yi’s kneeling body swayed violently, and her face turned as pale as paper.

As Wu Xiaochen was about to say more, Xiao Fang quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head with a sorrowful look. Wu Xiaochen sighed heavily and sat back down.

The drums and music began again.

At that moment, the hall doors were slammed open, and Qi Qing rushed in, guarded by four bodyguards.

“A-Yi, the situation outside is about to collapse!”

“The Sun family and the Xiao family have surrounded the place completely. You.”

Her eyes fell on Wu Yi’s face. Seeing the dense red veins in those deep eyes, her voice cut off abruptly.

Wu Yi stood up slowly, like a black rose on the verge of withering.

“Qing-qing, please help me hold them off.”

Qi Qing thought of the two powerful families lurking outside and the media swarming from all over the country. Her heart felt incredibly heavy.

“A-Yi, you must think carefully. Once the wedding is completed, there is no turning back. The Wu family will face ruthless attacks from two major families and the condemnation of the entire Empire.”

Wu Yi seemed not to hear her. She turned to look at the golden-thread sandalwood coffin, her eyes surging with grief.

She suddenly gripped the portrait in her arms tightly, her knuckles turning white and veins bulging.

After a long, silent stare, she replied slowly, “Qing-qing, do not try to persuade me. I must complete the wedding with Lou-lou.”

Qi Qing’s lips moved slightly, and she closed her eyes.

Images of threats, dangers, and matters of life and death flashed through her mind. Finally, meeting her best friend’s determined gaze, she nodded. “Fine.”

She turned and marched out of the hall with the bodyguards.

Shortly after Qi Qing left, the silent hall was met with the high-pitched call of the master of ceremonies.

“The auspicious hour has arrived!”

“Will the two brides please enter the hall!”

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

Holding the portrait, Wu Yi stood by the coffin and knelt toward the main entrance of the hall.

“Second bow to the parents!”

Turning around, she held the portrait tightly and knelt before Wu Xiaochen and Xiao Fang. With six heavy thuds, she kowtowed deeply.

Xiao Fang remained silent, took the tea handed to him by the attendant, and drank it in one gulp.

Wu Xiaochen held a cup in her hand, but her wrist trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, with a violent jerk, she splashed the full cup of tea onto Wu Yi’s face.

Wu Yi did not move, letting the tea stream down her face.

Wu Xiaochen spoke coldly, “Wu Yi, listen to me. If I weren’t afraid that Xiao Lou would be lonely and companionless in the underworld, I would never have agreed to this ghost marriage even if I died!”

“From now on, do not even think of using the title of her wife to gain a shred of forgiveness!”

Wu Yi listened without moving and replied softly, “Mother, thank you and Father for letting me marry Lou-lou. My wish is fulfilled, and I ask for nothing else.”

Wu Xiaochen treated her as if she were invisible and shouted toward the crowd, “Xiao Wei, Xiao Guang, Xiao Liang, Xiao Chao, get over here and carry your sister to her burial!”

She strode down from her seat, rushed to the coffin, ripped off the red silk flower on top, and trampled it into the ground.

Four tall young men stepped forward in silence, took the mourning clothes thrown by Wu Xiaochen, and put them on. They tied their hair, donned headbands, and cinched their waists and legs. Their movements were swift and efficient, completing the change in a few breaths. Then, the four men took their positions at the corners and lifted the coffin.

“Xiao Wei, wait!”

The four men carrying the coffin hesitated. Wu Xiaochen roared, “Go now! Do you really want your sister to be unable to rest in peace?”

Xiao Wei pursed his lips and looked at Wu Yi with a sorrowful expression. The girl who was once incomparably radiant now had eyes full of pleading.

A sharp pain shot through his heart, and he stood still on the spot.

The crowd parted as Wu Yi walked forward, her gown trailing on the floor, and arrived before the coffin.

The master of ceremonies took the opportunity to shout, “Brides, bow to each other!”

Cradling the portrait, she faced the head of the coffin and slowly bent her waist in a deep bow.

The music played, and the ceremonial cannons roared. The master of ceremonies announced loudly, “The ceremony is complete. Congratulations to Miss Wu and Miss Xiao on their union!”

The guests stood up. Someone took the lead in clapping, but when no one joined in, the clapping stopped quietly.

The scattered sounds of applause were exceptionally jarring.

Wu Yi closed her eyes, then opened them, and stood up straight. Her hollow gaze swept to the side, and four attendants immediately stepped forward. Two helped her put on a sackcloth mourning robe, while others removed her wedding headpiece, necklace, and earrings, replacing them with a mourning hat.

In an instant, the bride became a widowed mourner dressed in white.

The guests watched this scene in a daze. After a while, whispers began to break out. Some sighed, some were confused, and some sneered. However, with a ring of black-clad security guards standing around the hall, no one dared to cause trouble.

A moment later, Wu Yi was dressed entirely in white mourning clothes. She walked to the front of the coffin with her bloodshot eyes shedding two silent lines of tears.

“Lou, I am taking you home.”

The four young men carrying the coffin remained silent. Wu Xiaochen and Xiao Fang did not speak again either.

The guests parted to make a path and watched the procession leave. The hall doors swung open with a bang, and the aggressive crowd outside stared at the scene inside with utter shock.

The celebratory wedding band had, at some unknown point, switched to a funeral dirge. The music played with heartbreaking sorrow, leading the way.

Following behind was the bride in white mourning clothes, cradling a black-and-white portrait.

Four tall young men carried the coffin with grief-stricken expressions.

Behind them followed a large group of people, all dressed in black clothes and trousers, with white headbands and white cloth wrapped around their arms.

The wedding scene that had been filled with drums and gongs just a moment ago had turned into a funeral procession in the blink of an eye.

The media who had rushed from all directions watched this scene in a daze. For a moment, they forgot to take photos with their cameras. It took a while before a chaotic noise broke out.

This was immediately followed by the frantic sound of shutters clicking.

“Big news! This is huge! Connect to the TV station immediately!”

“Get me the station manager now. I want a live broadcast!”

“Quick, quick, send the video back! This is definitely first-hand breaking news!”

The procession came to a sudden halt.

The clicking of cameras also thinned out abruptly.

The crowd pushed and shoved, standing on their tiptoes to catch a glimpse.

Inside the human wall built by the black-clad bodyguards, a figure blocked the funeral procession, looking coldly at Wu Yi.

The leading band parted, and Wu Yi walked forward with the portrait and knelt down silently.

“Master, please let me take Lou-lou to her burial.”

Sun Xuezhong stared at her for a long time. “If you take her, I fear she will not be able to rest in peace.”

Wu Yi looked up, and the mourning cloth covering her head slipped down. “Master, I am already her wife. Today is the day she is laid to rest. Please let me accompany her for the final journey. After that, you may do with me as you wish, whether it be life or death.”

Only then did Sun Xuezhong notice that beneath the mourning cloth, her long black hair had been tied into a woman’s bun, with a white pearl flower pinned among the strands.

His old eyes blurred instantly. He suddenly clutched his chest and stumbled back.

Four bodyguards rushed up to support him, but he waved them away.

He looked at Wu Yi, his arm trembling as he pointed at her. “You. You killed her. What right do you have to be her wife?”

He fell backward toward the sky.

“Second Uncle!”

“Second Brother!”

Several figures rushed forward to lift him up.

The surrounding media were like flies attracted to blood, snapping photos frantically. The scene erupted in chaos.

The funeral procession remained blocked there in a deathly silence.

Even after a vehicle carried Sun Xuezhong away, Wu Yi remained kneeling.

The Sun and Xiao families still stood in front of the procession, refusing to move an inch!

Wu Xiaochen grabbed an erhu from the band and rushed forward aggressively.

She pointed at them. “Get out of the way! Today is the day my daughter is buried. Anyone who blocks the way wants my life!”

She swung the erhu, sweeping it left and right, driving both families away. Sun Xuerong shouted angrily from the side, “Wu Xiaochen, you are only Xiao Lou’s adoptive mother. My second brother is her biological father, and my Sun family is her biological clan!”

Wu Xiaochen’s eyes were blood-red. Like a madwoman, she hurled the erhu at him!

“You dog! Now that Xiao Lou is dead, you come to claim you are her biological family? When she was alive, which one of you dogs ever cared for her for a single moment?”

Sun Xuerong jumped aside to avoid it. Sun Qingsong stepped forward and scolded, “You are just an adoptive mother. You have no right to speak at all!”

Wu Yi’s eyes turned cold. She rose from the ground and cast a cold glance at the bodyguards on both sides.

“Throw them out.”

Two groups of men immediately emerged from the human wall and threw the two families out like fierce tigers.

“Let’s go.”

The funeral procession moved forward once again.

The long, winding procession was silent and deathly. From afar, only a sea of white headbands could be seen, moving slowly with the flow of people.

The swarming media gradually fell silent. Only the scalp-numbing sound of shutters clicking rose and fell incessantly.

Soon, several news stories dominated the internet of the Morning Star Empire.

“Shocking Insider! The new head of the wealthiest Wu family holds a ghost marriage today!”

“Live Broadcast: Wu Yi, the new wealthiest person in the Morning Star Empire, wears mourning clothes for her beloved!”

“Major Breaking News! The Sun and Xiao families publicly denounce the Wu family, accusing them of being the killers!”

An hour later, the Ministry of Commercial Development of the Morning Star Empire held an emergency meeting.

After everyone arrived, Minister Xuan Yuanmin looked around and said solemnly, “I received news an hour ago that Wu Yi, the new head of the Wu family, intends to release a public statement.”

The dozen or so officials seated there looked at each other and shook their heads. “Minister Xuan Yuanmin, what is going on?”

Xuan Yuanmin sighed and waved his hand. The secretary quickly distributed the documents.

Everyone scanned the materials urgently and gasped in unison.

“This.”

“Minister Xuan Yuanmin, the Wu family is the wealthiest in the empire. Their industries span the globe and affect the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. If they announce a dissolution.”

The dozen officials were all shocked. The Wu family was a top-tier financial conglomerate, holding trillions in wealth. Once it collapsed, it would affect countless livelihoods.

“In the name of the Ministry of Commercial Development, we must immediately issue a letter strictly ordering Wu Yi not to release this statement!”

Xuan Yuanmin raised his hand to stop the whispering. “I have already spoken with Wu Yi. This matter has wide-reaching implications. I called everyone here so that each department can prepare a contingency plan.”

Just as he finished speaking, the meeting room door was forced open, and a tall figure burst in.

Everyone looked over in surprise. “Why is he here?”

Xuan Yuanmin personally stood up to greet him. “Commander-in-Chief, what brings you here?”

Sima Long walked step by step to the main seat and sat down. His tiger-like eyes narrowed as he looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, “Wu Yi’s new spouse is my granddaughter who has been missing for many years. The Wu family caused her death. How could I not come?”

Everyone froze, silenced by shock.

Xuan Yuanmin was the first to react and immediately spoke out, “Very well! I was just worrying about what to do with the Wu family. Now, it is clear. The Wu family has been unscrupulous and persecuted the biological granddaughter of the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire’s three armed forces. Their assets, aside from the compensation for the victim’s family, shall all be confiscated into the national treasury!”

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