Amnesiac Fiancé Married Another, So I Married His Brother - Chapter 23

The next day marked Li Su’s official performance.

It was also her grand return to the dazzling stage after Huo Zhenzhou’s three-month disappearance.

Tonight’s performance had drawn immense attention, with promotions saturating every corner. Very few rehearsal clips or previews had been released online, instead, the focus was on those fleeting seconds from last night when Huo Xuanye had carried Li Su backstage.

Just a few seconds, barely enough to make out Li Su’s face, with only Huo Xuanye’s profile visible.

The dashing, rebellious heir of a wealthy family vs. the enchanting classical dancer.

The atmosphere was electric.

And their relationship was even more dramatic and scandalous.

Former sister-in-law and brother-in-law, now a whirlwind-married couple.

Those few seconds alone were enough to captivate the public.

Scandalous gossip was always the most tantalizing, and before the show even began, it had already spawned over a dozen trending topics.

Even the CP fanbase “Li-Ye,” personally acknowledged by Huo Xuanye, was rapidly established, with shippers flooding in nonstop.

Huo Xuanye strolled confidently into Huo Zhenzhou’s office, tickets in hand. “Bro, work-life balance, yeah? My wife’s performance tonight, front-row VIP seats. Mom and Dad are going. You should bring sis-in-law too. Su’s comeback after a hundred days, you have to come. Do me this favor.”

He dropped two tickets on the desk and left.

Huo Zhenzhou stared at them. A hundred days… such a pointed number. Because of him, Li Su had been absent from the stage for exactly that long.

Should he go?

Was it appropriate?

Probably not.

Tonight’s gala, hosted by the television station, promoted intangible cultural heritage, broadcast live on both TV and online platforms.

In the past, when Huo Xuanye had accompanied his brother to watch Li Su perform, he’d felt nervous too.

Back then, it was for his future sister-in-law, a familial concern.

Tonight was different.

Tonight, he was Li Su’s lover.

His parents, dressed to the nines, had already arrived.

His grandparents, uninterested in such events and unable to endure the lengthy program, had stayed home.

On the other side, Li Su’s parents and her brother Li Chen were seated, with Li Chen accompanied by Li Su’s best friend, Chi Qingche.

The seats he’d reserved for his brother and sister-in-law remained empty.

Not coming?

Fine.

Li Su’s performance was third in the lineup. Though Huo Xuanye had already seen it last night, he watched with undiminished enthusiasm.

Because now, his mind wasn’t on the dancing Li Su, it was on the memory of their passionate embrace in the dressing room.

Lost in thought, he imagined himself onstage, clad in Dunhuang-inspired attire, playing the role of Li Su’s devoted lover.

At the finale, he’d hold her, their eyes meeting, love radiating wordlessly between them.

But reality was the thunderous applause for Li Su, standing alone onstage.

After a deep bow, she took the microphone from the host. “I’m honored to participate in this gala celebrating intangible cultural heritage. Thank you all for your concern these past hundred days. I hope you’ll extend the same attention to our nation’s cultural treasures.”

Another round of applause erupted.

Huo Xuanye clapped so hard his hands turned red, beaming with pride at Li Su.

Was he being obnoxious?

Everyone else had stopped clapping, why was he still going?

Li Su suspected Huo Xuanye was deliberately trying to catch her attention.

He’d succeeded.

“I heard that Susu recently got married, so I’ll boldly represent all her fans in wishing her a happy newlywed life,” the host said.

Li Su smiled. “Thank you.”

Huo Xuanye, the ever-conspicuous one, had announced it on Weibo, but Li Su hadn’t responded to his post.

As a result, many of Li Su’s fans, as well as shippers of Li Su and Huo Zhenzhou, refused to acknowledge Huo Xuanye as Li Su’s legitimate husband.

“As far as I know, Susu’s new husband is also here with us tonight,” the host said with a smile.

The camera panned to Huo Xuanye, whose image appeared on the large screen behind Li Su and in the live broadcast.

Seated in the audience, Huo Xuanye waved gracefully, exuding an air of noble elegance.

This segment had been arranged at his expense, his way of declaring it to the world.

Too bad his older brother hadn’t come. Otherwise, he could’ve skipped over the ex-husband’s face and left a striking, dramatic moment. That would’ve been quite the spectacle.

Li Su had no idea this segment was coming, it was all too sudden.

As the camera zoomed in on Huo Xuanye’s face, he actually got a little shy, his ears tinged with red.

Eloping with her ex’s younger brother wasn’t exactly a glorious affair. If Huo Xuanye hadn’t made such a fuss about it on Weibo, ensuring the entire internet knew, Li Su would never have publicly acknowledged it.

The person she’d publicly announced before had been Huo Zhenzhou.

The seat next to Huo Xuanye was empty, clearly reserved for Huo Zhenzhou.

“We’ve received everyone’s blessings. Thank you all again,” Li Su said, forming a tiny heart with her fingers for the camera.

Then she handed the microphone back to the host and walked offstage, lifting the hem of her dress.

[Oh my, oh my, the new brother-in-law is so handsome! Ruggedly charming!]

[I think he’s more the bewitching type, especially that mole on the tip of his nose. It’s downright fox-like.]

[The new brother-in-law looks so much like the old one.]

[Are you dumb? They’re brothers, of course they look alike!]

[What on earth happened? How did the older brother’s wife become the younger brother’s wife??]

[The parents-in-law are here too! Seems they’re big fans of Li Su and Xuanye!]

[What nonsense! Back when she was engaged to Huo Zhenzhou, Mr. and Mrs. Huo also attended Li Su’s performances!]

[I really want to work as a maid in the Huo household, just to witness the drama up close.]

[Did no one notice the empty seat next to Huo Xuanye? That’s reserved for Huo Zhenzhou and his wife, right?]

[If my fiancée became my younger brother’s wife, I wouldn’t show up either.]

[Are you kidding? Huo Zhenzhou got married first, then Li Su.]

[So, who took whom seriously? Who’s whose substitute? Isn’t it obvious?]

The comments section was ablaze with arguments. Meanwhile, back at the Huo residence, Zhou Motang was eating dinner with tears in her eyes.

Noticing her despondent expression, the Huo matriarch asked, “Tangtang, what’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”

“Mom and Dad went to watch Li Su’s performance but didn’t invite me. Do they think I’m too much of a country bumpkin and that I’d embarrass them…?” Zhou Motang’s voice was soft and fragile, as she fought back tears.

“That’s not it at all. They gave me the tickets, but I thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go, so I didn’t mention it to you,” Huo Zhenzhou said, unaware of the live broadcast. “If you really wanted to go, I’d have given you the tickets next time.”

“A-Zhou is right, it’s not really appropriate for him to go now. Tangtang, you’re now the eldest daughter-in-law of our Huo family. Whatever your background was before doesn’t matter, and A’Ye isn’t that kind of person. Don’t overthink it. Just focus on taking good care of our A-Zhou and helping her recover soon. Grandma won’t treat you unfairly.”

“If you could give Grandma a great-grandson sooner, she’d be even happier. When that time comes, Grandma will gift you shops, cars, and even the jewelry she’s been treasuring. You’d better work hard!”

Zhou Motang blushed at the words, stealing a glance at the expressionless Huo Zhenzhou as he ate. “Grandma, it’s not like I can do this all by myself~”