But when Yeri didn't immediately respond, the uncle didn't dare look up. Instead, he bowed even deeper, almost to the point of kissing the floor.
Lizzy and her relatives were completely dumbfounded, wondering what on earth was wrong with him.
It wasn't as though Yeri was angry.
In fact, she was just as surprised as everyone else. He was bowing to her as though she were some revered ancestor.
The rural people were once again clamoring, upset with the uncle for making them look like they were in the wrong and insisting that he shouldn't lower his head to capitalist city people.
Lizzy also covered her face, crying crocodile tears as she glanced at the yellow-haired guy, clearly waiting for him to defend her.
Yeri's group didn't realize it, but amid the commotion, some of the men had already gotten close to them, taking advantage of the chaos to grope or touch them.
This immediately resulted in shouts, with Levi getting into a physical altercation. Even Nina didn't hold back and unleashed her martial arts skills.
"Damn it, you're a woman! What are you beating us for?" one of the men exclaimed.
"Keep your hands off me, or I'll beat you until no one recognizes you," Nina spat.
The uncle tried to explain the situation to his nephew and the others, but no one was listening anymore. Seeing the situation getting increasingly out of control, he hurried to call the hotel's security.
Yeri suddenly felt herself being pushed slightly and sensed someone trying to grab her, so she immediately took a step back.
When she looked up, she realized it was Lizzy's brother and one of the groomsmen.
"You look like you're about to pass out anytime. Come with me, and I'll get you out of here," Lizzy's brother said.
"Don't mind him. He's just a kid," the groomsman said before extending his hand toward her. "Take my hand instead."
Yeri looked at the two men.
A bewitching malice flashed in her eyes as she smiled at them, causing both men to suddenly blush.
Should she make them fight each other instead?
Just as she was considering it, the hotel's security arrived.
"Waaah! You city people are bullying us rural folks! You have no respect for elders! I'm going to sue you for compensation!"
"Yeah! Call the police! They just slapped my son!"
"Shut up! All of you, shut up!" the uncle hollered, his face red as he stepped between them and turned toward his nephew.
"You! Can't you go even one day without causing trouble? Even at your own wedding?! I let you use my hotel venue for free, and now you're harassing my guests?!"
The yellow-haired guy, still angry after being smacked earlier, immediately flared up, feeling that his uncle was being completely biased.
While the two argued, a couple of black cars arrived outside.
Daisy, who was observant as always, suddenly exclaimed and tugged at Yeri.
Following her gaze, Yeri saw Shin Keir stride in, flanked by several men in black suits. His tall, imposing figure immediately drew attention as he entered the hotel.
Yeri was subtly surprised.
What was he doing here? He had mentioned that he would be traveling, but he hadn't said exactly where.
Like them, everyone else began noticing Shin Keir's arrival. He seemed to be a magnet for attention, making people instinctively look at him even when he was simply standing there.
Shin also spotted Yeri, and his brows immediately furrowed as he approached and noticed her muddy sportswear and damp hair.
"What happened to you? Did you roll down the mountain?" Shin asked quickly, reaching out to touch her forehead. "Are you sweating?"
Yeri shook her head.
"Unfortunately, it rained while we were on our way down the trail."
Shin took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped her forehead. "You should've taken a bath immediately. What if you get sick?"
"Well, I was planning to, but..." Yeri paused, glancing at all the people staring at the two of them.
Nina didn't wait for anyone and immediately spilled everything that had happened all at once.
"It's, it's a misunderstanding," the uncle stammered, forcing an ugly smile.
He still couldn't believe he was seeing Shin Keir in person. He stared at him intently, his mind reeling.
"In this remote town, most people rarely see city people and failed to recognize Miss Zhi. I sincerely apologize for this. I'll definitely teach my nephew and everyone else a lesson."
"And what if she's not related to me?" Shin spoke coldly, his piercing gaze fixed on the uncle. "Are you implying that it's acceptable for them to harass her or any other guests?"
"That nephew of his said this hotel is under the protection of Hexion and that we'd better obey if we wanted to leave here unscathed," Yeri added. "Is it true?"
Shin's eyes narrowed as he glanced at one of his assistants.
Without a word, the latter immediately pulled out his phone and began checking.
Not long after, the assistant nodded.
"This hotel is indeed listed under Hexion, but merely for financial aid."
Shin recalled that Hexion did have a division that assisted small, struggling businesses and those in remote areas, either to prevent them from closing down or to help them settle contract and debt disputes outside the legal system.
"Have you been going around using Hexion's name to get your way?" Shin asked the uncle.
Seeing everything spiraling out of control, the uncle finally came to his senses. He trembled in fear, stammering out one feeble explanation after another.
The people who had been listening gradually began to realize exactly who the man standing before them was.
Still, one of Lizzy's aunts seemed to completely miss the gravity of the situation.
She excitedly grabbed her daughter, pushed her forward, and immediately began her own "selling pitch."
"Sir, this is my beautiful daughter. She just turned sixteen, very young and never dated anyone before. She's never even held a man's hand. She spends all her time at home studying and doing household chores. She's very pure and innocent, much better than..."
She paused and glanced at Yeri.
"Well, my daughter is absolutely obedient and not materialistic. She's perfect wife material."
A deafening silence descended.
The girl initially looked embarrassed, but after getting a proper look at Shin Keir's devastatingly handsome face, not to mention his obvious wealth and status, her face gradually turned red as she lowered her head.
The uncle was so frightened and horrified that he felt like he might pass out.
"You... you troublemaker, shut up! Do you even know who you're talking to?!" he shouted, pointing shakily at the woman.
This time, he didn't merely bow but practically kowtowed to Shin.
"Young Master Keir, I have absolutely nothing to do with these ignorant people! Even my nephew is nothing but a distant relative. I was simply being generous and allowed him to hold his wedding here. I never thought they would be so uncultured and ill-mannered!"
"What do you mean?" Lizzy's aunt jumped up indignantly. "What's wrong with introducing my daughter to a great match? Besides, if marriage isn't possible, he could just take my daughter as a concubine. Nowadays, it's perfectly normal for rich men to have a few women outside, as long as he treats them right and doesn't deprive them of what they deserve."
She then turned toward Yeri and sneered.
"You don't mind, right? I don't believe rich men only have one woman. As his wife, you should be more magnanimous and understanding."
Yeri "..."
Even her friends couldn't have been more dumbfounded. The woman's logic was so twisted that it seemed to have completely rewritten their understanding of the world.
"What do you mean by concubine? Don't you know the era of emperors has been over for centuries?" Daisy asked in shock.
"I'm more surprised she thinks that way, given that rural people tend to be traditional," Levi muttered.
"That's not exactly it," the uncle explained.
To these people, Shin Keir was merely a wealthy man from a powerful mafia organization. And judging by how men like him were often portrayed in movies, they assumed wealthy mafia men indulged their desires with countless women.
"Enough," Shin said.
He turned toward Yeri, removed his suit jacket, and draped it over her shoulders. He didn't even spare Lizzy's aunt or her daughter a glance.
"Go to your room and change before you get sick," Shin reminded Nina and the others as well.
Yeri felt the warmth of Shin's suit jacket around her. She had been wanting to change and rest too, if not for these people blocking their way.
Her gaze darted toward the crowd and met Lizzy's eyes.
The latter was no longer condescending and arrogant like she had been earlier, as though marrying her husband made her the most desirable woman in the world.
Now, there was only disbelief, fear, and unwillingness in her eyes.
Since Lizzy had attended the same middle school as Yeri, she had a better understanding of who Shin Keir was compared to everyone else there. She also understood exactly why her husband's uncle was acting as though he had just offended an immortal being.
Yeri tilted her head and gave Lizzy a villainess-like grin.
"Our Yz didn't even look at that simp you had a crush on back in middle school. What made you think she'd be jealous of your thug husband?" Nina scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Who's bullying you now, huh?"
Lizzy turned pale.
With her relatives and wedding guests all staring at her, she covered her face, crying as she hurried away.
"Wait a minute," Yeri called out. "I haven't seen your husband getting chased by his neighbor's mad dog yet."
The yellow-haired guy, who had been hiding behind the crowd ever since he recognized Shin Keir, shuddered.
Yeri then turned to the others who had made their ridiculous proclamations earlier.
"And you, when are you going to livestream yourself making out with a cow? I'll even help with the marketing to make sure you go viral."
The man's face turned pale.
"A thousand kowtows is quite generous. Are you planning to do them all at once?"
The other man's expression immediately collapsed.
Then Yeri turned toward Lizzy's parents, who were still standing there in a daze.
"A year's worth of earnings from your entire village as a wedding gift for me is too generous. Since everyone worked hard for it, I'll be more than happy to accept your generosity." She smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. I won't forget to have someone come over and collect the money on our wedding day."
Lizzy's parents turned ashen, staring at Yeri as though she were about to ask for their lives.