Years later, Su Mingyuan would still regret that moment.
He would regret not asking more questions.
He would regret not insisting on checking whether there was a bite mark on Ruan Qingli’s shoulder.
With his own hands, he had written the marriage certificate for the woman he would love most in his entire life…
…and then personally placed her hand into Han Sheng’s.
Winter had yet to truly arrive, but the tail end of autumn could still be surprisingly warm.
The sunshine was especially bright that day, as if it too knew it was a joyous occasion.
Once Han Sheng and Ruan Qingli received their marriage certificate, they were husband and wife in every legal sense.
They had originally planned to celebrate with a good meal.
But the moment they stepped out of the magistrate’s office, they saw Han Jiaojiao and Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang hadn’t been looking at Ruan Qingli.
Her eyes had been fixed entirely on Han Sheng.
Then she suddenly noticed their hands intertwined.
Following their joined hands upward, she found herself looking at a radiant, smiling face.
It looked nothing like the plain countrywoman she had imagined.
The young woman was breathtakingly beautiful and full of life.
For some reason, she also looked strangely familiar.
That face instantly put Jiang Tang on guard.
Her fingernails dug deeply into her own palms.
With graceful courtesy, she bowed to Han Sheng.
“Cousin… who is this?”
Han Sheng didn’t even spare her a glance.
Instead, he led Ruan Qingli straight toward Han Jiaojiao.
“Third Sister, this is Ah Li—your younger brother’s wife.”
“Your wife?”
Han Sheng raised the marriage certificate in his hand and waved it in front of her.
“Legally and properly.”
Han Jiaojiao instinctively glanced nervously at Jiang Tang before exploding with anger.
“What wife? I don’t acknowledge her! Tang’er is the only sister-in-law I’ll recognize!”
Han Sheng turned to Ruan Qingli.
“Ah Li, greet Third Sister.”
“Hello, Third Sister.”
The meaning was obvious.
Whether she acknowledged it or not made no difference.
The facts wouldn’t change.
“Third Sister, aren’t you giving us a wedding gift? Ah Li and I are holding a wedding banquet, but your little brother doesn’t have any money.”
Han Jiaojiao was furious.
She truly felt sorry for Jiang Tang.
How could her own brother be such a scoundrel?
“I don’t have any!”
As Han Sheng led Ruan Qingli away, she hurried after them.
“Go ahead and keep causing trouble! Once Father and Mother find out, they’ll break your legs!”
Her words were harsh…
Yet she quietly stuffed a banknote into Han Sheng’s hand.
Han Sheng glanced at it.
One hundred taels.
As expected, his third sister was rich.
When Han Jiaojiao returned, Jiang Tang looked at her with tear-filled eyes.
“So… even Third Cousin agrees with Cousin marrying someone else?”
Han Jiaojiao hurriedly explained,
“Of course not! It’s just…”
It was just that…
Seeing her younger brother dressed in worn-out clothes and living in such a shabby place had softened her heart.
After all, among the entire Han family, only Han Sheng shared the same mother as she did.
Other than her mother, he was the closest family she had.
Jiang Tang looked as though she had suffered an unbearable injustice.
Tears shimmered in her eyes but refused to fall.
She didn’t say a single word.
That only made Han Jiaojiao feel even guiltier.
She gently persuaded,
“Tang’er, let’s go back to Youzhou. Under these circumstances, only my mother can keep Xiao Wu under control.”
But Jiang Tang had no intention of leaving.
She was an excellent chess player.
How could she place all her pieces on a single square?
If Han Sheng would marry her, that would naturally be best.
But if he absolutely refused…
Su Mingyuan wasn’t a bad alternative.
So she decided to trick Han Jiaojiao into returning to Youzhou while she herself stayed in Liu Town, continuing to play the pitiful victim.
Perhaps she could win Su Mingyuan’s heart instead.
Han Sheng had won his gamble.
Acting first and asking forgiveness later had indeed worked.
His third sister still couldn’t stop herself from caring about him.
One hundred taels wasn’t an enormous sum.
But it was more than enough for a respectable wedding banquet.
Someday, when he had the chance, he would give Ah Li an even grander wedding.
After returning home, the two discovered that Jiang Tang had purchased all sorts of things for the house.
Without even looking at them, Han Sheng picked everything up and threw it outside.
Ruan Qingli laughed carelessly.
“Han Sheng, I think that young lady is quite pretty. The way she looked at you was full of affection.”
“Ah Li, let’s make a bet.”
“About what?”
“I bet that once she realizes she has no chance with me, she’ll go looking for Su Mingyuan.”
“Why would she go to Lord Su?”
“What do you think?”
“That can’t be… Lord Su is still engaged to your third sister, isn’t he?”
Han Sheng walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
“Ah Li, if I win, then tonight we won’t sleep in separate beds.”
Sure enough, Han Sheng guessed correctly.
The moment Han Jiaojiao left, Jiang Tang hurried over to Su Mingyuan’s residence to play the pitiful victim.
Seeing her crying so delicately, like pear blossoms drenched in rain, Su Mingyuan immediately developed a headache.
He had known Jiang Tang for years.
Like Han Sheng, he understood exactly what kind of person she was.
What surprised him was…
She really had the nerve to do this.
His engagement to Han Jiaojiao hadn’t even been dissolved yet.
And Jiang Tang already dared to flirt with him so openly.
Su Mingyuan watched her performance with cold eyes.
Inside the room stood an entire row of maidservants and servants.
The bizarre scene made it difficult for Jiang Tang to continue crying.
What was Su Mingyuan doing?
Why had he deliberately kept so many people in the room?
“Brother Mingyuan… why is my life so miserable…”
“Fourth Miss Jiang’s life is hardly miserable. You’re the treasured daughter of Lord Jiang and Lady Jiang. There aren’t many women in the world with a better life than yours.”
“But I didn’t grow up beside my parents. Even now, my eldest brother still doubts my identity. Truly, all I want is to marry someone who will cherish me. Why is something so simple so difficult?”
Su Mingyuan replied,
“Fourth Miss Jiang, if you’ve come to tell me these things, then you’ve come to the wrong person. I’m a man—I can’t relate. My humble residence is too small to entertain you any longer. Someone, see the guest out.”
Seeing that he was actually sending her away, Jiang Tang quickly said,
“Brother Mingyuan, actually… I came because I have nowhere to stay tonight. Third Cousin has returned to Youzhou, and I’m afraid to stay at an inn by myself. Could I stay here for just one night?”
Su Mingyuan nodded.
“Certainly. You stay. I’ll leave.”
After saying that, he actually walked out without giving Jiang Tang another opportunity to cling to him.
The moment he stepped outside, he found Han Sheng and Ruan Qingli waiting by the entrance.
The two wore expressions of eager spectators, clearly there to watch the drama unfold.
“What are the two of you doing?”
Han Sheng grinned at Ruan Qingli.
“Ah Li, I won again. Didn’t I tell you Lord Su would run away?”
Su Mingyuan turned to Han Sheng.
“I’m going to stay at the magistrate’s office tonight. Are you coming with me?”
Han Sheng simply gave him a meaningful look.
Only then did Su Mingyuan realize…
Han Sheng was now a married man.
Things were different.
The only lonely bachelor left was himself.
Since Han Sheng had won the bet, he naturally refused to leave Ruan Qingli’s room that night.
After several exhausting days, they could finally enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
Ruan Qingli was terribly shy.
But Han Sheng wasn’t about to give her the chance to change her mind.
He removed his outer robe, leaving only his inner garments on.
Then he blew out the lamp and slipped beneath the quilt.
“Ah Li… come here.”
Ruan Qingli lingered by the bedside, hesitating for quite a while.
Finally, she slowly lifted her hand…
…and rested it on the frog-button fastening at the collar of her robe.