Hua Yaoyao didn’t care what he was thinking. Having finally mustered the courage to force herself on him, she absolutely wouldn’t back down now! Fresh from verifying his identity, she grew even more reckless and bold.
Li Hao’s mind descended into chaos from her unrestrained actions and the drug’s effects. He couldn’t help cursing Si Yiyuan inwardly! Being a stand-in was bad enough, but enduring this was intolerable! What kind of twisted mind did this woman have to devise such torture!
What drove him even crazier was that after all her reckless advances, the woman suddenly hesitated at the crucial moment, her face twisting in confusion! This abrupt pause was enough to drive any man insane! Li Hao felt like he was on the verge of madness—she’d strung him along, then pulled back! Was she doing it on purpose?
Hua Yaoyao was genuinely puzzled and sorry. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She’d steeled her resolve, but when she reached that part, she just couldn’t go through with it. Not only did she feel no excitement, but a strange resistance welled up. Something was off—but she should have been intimately familiar with it!
The bewildered woman didn’t notice Li Hao’s mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to speak. Since she couldn’t continue, she wouldn’t force it. Anyway, she’d achieved her goal of punishing him. She’d try again when the mood struck!
The heartless woman ignored Li Hao’s agony entirely, dressed herself, helped him pull his outer trousers back on, and called to the servant outside: “Bring in a bucket of cold water!” She’d chosen a mild aphrodisiac out of concern for his health—a cold bath would do the trick.
Because the drug wasn’t very potent, Li Hao remained perfectly sober throughout. If Hua Yaoyao had pressed on, he would have revealed his identity to stop her. But then she suddenly changed her mind.
Li Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief, planning to keep channeling his internal energy to neutralize the effects. But this woman’s antics were far from over—she called for cold water! He didn’t know why Xiao Jiu acted so swiftly this time, as if it had been prepared in advance. Poor Li Hao didn’t even have time to protest before he was dumped into the icy water!
The instant chill instantly quelled his physiological urges. Hua Yaoyao waved casually and made a clean retreat. Xiao Jiu didn’t dare show her face, leaving Li Hao alone in the cold water, seething with rage!
Seemingly relaxed on the surface, Hua Yaoyao returned to her bedroom and sank into deep thought. Why had she felt such sudden resistance earlier? Was it just because of the man’s coldness these past few days? No, that wasn’t it. Her instincts didn’t lie—for a moment, she’d felt like she was facing a complete stranger! It definitely wasn’t an illusion!
Could this Li Hao really be a fake? But she’d touched the man’s face with her own hands and felt no trace of a mask. Perhaps ancient disguise techniques were so advanced that even she couldn’t detect anything amiss!
Suspicious, Hua Yaoyao couldn’t sit still any longer. She went straight back to the study. Li Hao, who had just climbed out of the cold water, hadn’t even had a chance to vent his anger at Xiao Jiu when Hua Yaoyao blocked his path again. He recoiled in alarm, immediately going on the defensive: “What are you planning now?”
A strange glint flashed in Hua Yaoyao’s eyes, and she smiled faintly. “Why is my husband so wary of me? I just wanted to ask if you still remember what you promised me on our wedding night.”
Li Hao silently calculated the time—Si Yiyuan should be back in two days. Pretending impatience, he said, “Why bring that up out of nowhere?” Hua Yaoyao pouted deliberately, acting coquettish: “My husband has been so busy these past few days he hasn’t had time for anything else. Naturally, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten what you promised me!”
Li Hao replied, “I won’t forget what I promised. Besides, that was my wedding night—how could I forget?” Hua Yaoyao fell silent. His words seemed to answer her on the surface, but they lacked any real substance. The truth was clear.
Nodding, Hua Yaoyao smiled: “It’s good that my husband remembers.” With that, she turned and left the study, her heart pounding wildly. She wondered who this man was, how he knew the Li family so well, and how he’d hidden his true identity for so many days. If she hadn’t sensed something off today, who knows how long she would have been deceived!
But why was he impersonating her husband? Was it a switcheroo? Or some other motive? Should she tell her in-laws? What if her real husband was in his clutches and exposing him would provoke harm? But if she stayed silent, could she just let him keep usurping her husband’s identity? Who knew what other schemes he had?
The scheming woman rubbed her forehead, a headache brewing. She was truly in a dilemma! However, from his behavior over the past few days, he didn’t seem to harbor ill intentions toward the Li family, nor had he been guarded around her. Perhaps she should try drugging him again!
So, the next evening at dinner, Hua Yaoyao seized the chance to serve soup to Li Hao and slipped soft tendon powder into his bowl. Poor Li Hao was tied up once more. This time, he truly couldn’t tolerate it. Last time, nothing major had happened after the aphrodisiac, so he’d let it slide. But this madwoman had tied him up right in front of his parents!
“Hua Yaoyao, what exactly do you want?!” The man’s fury stunned everyone. Li’s father and mother blurted out simultaneously, “Hua Yaoyao?”
A knowing glint sparked in the young woman’s eyes—he really did know her identity! But so what? They were both impostors—who was afraid of whom? Ignoring the Li elders’ reactions, Hua Yaoyao launched her interrogation: “You say I’m Hua Yaoyao, then who are you?”
“Nonsense! Of course I’m Li Hao!”
“Impossible! If you were Li Hao, how could you not know what happened on your wedding night!”
“…” Li Hao was speechless for a moment. After a pause, he said, “Because the person on the wedding night wasn’t me!”
“What?!” The two Li elders were stunned anew by the revelation, and Hua Yaoyao was dumbfounded: “What do you mean! Explain yourself!” No matter how wild her imagination ran, she’d never suspected that her wedding night husband had also been a substitute—just like her!
When Mother Li recovered, she exploded in fury: “Yes, you explain yourself clearly—what exactly happened!” Halfway through dinner, her daughter-in-law had chased out all the servants, tied up her son, and declared him a fake!
But now this “fake son” claimed her daughter-in-law was fake too! Neither daughter-in-law nor son was real—their family must be cursed this year!
Seeing his mother’s rage, Li Hao dared not hide any longer. He recounted the full story of Hua Qianqian’s elopement on their wedding night and his swap with Si Yiyuan—but omitted Si Yiyuan’s true identity.
Hua Yaoyao grew angrier as she listened, then shot back furiously: “If you knew I was an impostor, you should have told the truth and sent me back! Instead, you sent someone else to the bridal chamber in your place! You cared about Hua Qianqian’s reputation—but what about mine? Why should I, Hua Yaoyao, be ruined for no reason? Just because I’m a concubine’s daughter, does that mean you can toy with me?”
God knows—she’d nearly stripped naked in front of this stranger last night! She’d seduced him twice and even drugged him with aphrodisiacs! She didn’t care what others thought of her, but mistaking a stranger for her husband gnawed at her!
Mother Li was livid too: “The Hua family actually sent a concubine’s daughter as a substitute bride! And you went to such lengths to scheme for that woman who abandoned you! Now that the truth is out, send this substitute home immediately! The marriage between our Li and Hua families is over!”
Father Li backed his wife: “Exactly. Our Li family is a prestigious clan—we won’t tolerate such humiliation. Since Hua Qianqian refuses to marry in, we have no need to grovel for an alliance with the Hua family! Let’s pretend this marriage never happened!”
Hua Yaoyao’s shame and indignation boiled over, her words turning sharp: “Madam Li, you were just calling me daughter-in-law, and now I’m ‘this substitute’! Madam, you flip your tune awfully fast! Yes, I’m a concubine’s daughter, but that doesn’t mean anyone can humiliate me at will!”
“Since Young Master Li isn’t my true love, I naturally won’t pursue him. Why make such veiled accusations, Madam? The Hua family sent me as a substitute because of my father and stepmother—not because I coveted wealth! If the Li family has grievances, take them up with Hua Wenye, not vent them on me!”
Hearing this, Madam Li flew into a rage: “Your Hua family sent a concubine’s daughter as a substitute, and you still dare complain?”
Hua Yaoyao retorted without flinching: “Whether the Hua family was right or wrong, argue it with my father. What does it have to do with me? Your son knew I was a substitute yet arbitrarily sent someone to ruin my reputation. Does the Li family think you’re blameless?”
Li Hao’s headache intensified from their bickering. He couldn’t help shouting, “Enough!” Once the three quieted, he told Hua Yaoyao, “Give me the antidote first and go back to the bedroom to wait. I’ll give you a full explanation—but it’s wrong of you to disrespect my parents. They’ve never mistreated you.”
Hua Yaoyao casually tossed the bottle at his feet, her anger still simmering: “Young Master Li, the two elders have never mistreated me—but have I ever mistreated them? I’m nominally your wife, yet how have you treated me?”
Li Hao fell silent. They’d already gone too far with the substitute issue. Hua Yaoyao pressed on: “I’ve made it clear—as a concubine’s daughter, Hua Yaoyao’s fate isn’t in her own hands. If the Li family is furious, go to the Hua residence and confront them. It has nothing to do with me!” With that, she turned and stormed out without a backward glance.
Li Hao sighed inwardly, signaling his mother to untie him. After taking the antidote, he explained to his parents the real reason Hua Qianqian had fled the marriage.
Finally, he said, “Please don’t be angry with Qianqian, Father and Mother. She’s a very good girl. As for Hua Yaoyao, I’ll explain everything properly and make suitable arrangements for her. She won’t tarnish the Li family’s reputation—rest assured.”