Through the latter half of the night, Yan Hui remained trapped in a heavy, suffocating sleep. The oppressive weight made it hard for her to breathe, and in her haze, she dreamed.
She dreamed of a pair of eyes—staring, shadowed, as though they would devour her whole. The murderous aura pressed fear straight into her heart.
Yan Hui jolted awake, only to see Suiqiu preparing the undergarments and inner robes she was to wear that day. The glaring red fabric made her breath quicken.
“Miss, you had a nightmare?” Suiqiu hurried forward to wipe the sweat from Yan Hui’s brow gently.
Yan Hui exhaled heavily, her voice soft: “What time is it?”
“Just before dawn,” Suiqiu replied, her brows furrowing slightly. “The imperial envoys have already gone to the Li household.”
“What business do they have there?” Yan Hui asked, though she quickly understood. The envoys must have gone to exchange pleasantries and deliver a few pointed words to the Li family.
Yan Hui gave a cold laugh: “They truly treat the Li family as nothing more than a house of brute generals.”
“Isn’t that the truth? They came with a mission, never sparing a thought for your situation, Miss. Truly a bunch of—”
Yan Hui cut off Suiqiu’s words: “Did you hear anything last night?”
“No,” Suiqiu said, puzzled. “Did you hear something, Miss?”
Yan Hui could not forget Li Suyu’s eyes from the night before—uncannily overlapping with those cold, murderous eyes from her dream.
Last night, Li Suyu had said only one thing—‘I hope you won’t regret it’—before leaving. Yan Hui still did not understand why he had appeared so suddenly.
Was there truly room for her to regret? Or had her presence stirred murderous intent in him?
She thought of herself as nothing more than a substitute bride. She raised her brows—if he harbored killing intent, it was not so strange.
“Miss, back in the capital I heard Madam’s maid Yunluo say that marriage is the most exhausting ordeal for a woman—endless rituals, heavy headpieces, and fasting for the whole day,” Suiqiu spoke as she went to the outer room, returning with a steaming bowl of lotus seed porridge.
“Yunluo said that before a daughter marries, her mother always cooks a bowl of lotus seed porridge for her. It carries good meaning—union in marriage, many descendants. Miss, I asked the kitchen boy to find some lotus seeds and cook this bowl for you. Please, drink it.”
Yan Hui looked deeply at Suiqiu, her nose stinging with emotion. Perhaps in this world, only this girl before her and her younger brother, far away in the capital, truly cared for her.
“Miss? Why are your eyes red? You… you’re thinking of Madam again, aren’t you?” Suiqiu was about to set the bowl down when Yan Hui took it from her.
Suiqiu blinked in surprise, then smiled faintly: “Drink it. From today onward, you will be part of the Li family.”
Early morning.
Nanny Yuan arrived with several women at Yan Hui’s room. After a few polite words, she explained their purpose. They were there to dress Yan Hui from head to toe—makeup, adornments, and all the intricate local customs.
By the end of the day, Yan Hui nearly fainted from exhaustion. Suiqiu, busy arranging the dowry, could not stay by her side.
At dusk, Yan Hui finally stepped out of the inn, clad in a solemn wedding gown. Only when she felt the steady hand supporting her arm did she relax.
“Miss, the Li family has added many betrothal gifts—all recorded under your name.”
Suiqiu’s soft voice reached Yan Hui’s ears.
Under the bridal veil, Yan Hui steadied herself, but before she could think further, Nanny Yuan’s voice rang out: “Onto the sedan chair.”
The wedding was neither grand nor shabby. The Li family gave proper face to the imperial household, yet placed little importance on Yan Hui, the substitute bride, for the groom himself did not come to fetch her.
As Yan Hui, supported by Suiqiu, stepped into the Li household, the surrounding whispers pierced her ears like sharp needles. But Yan Hui was long accustomed to such cutting words; to her, they were hardly worth notice.
*How magnanimous of the Li family, letting a counterfeit step through the main gate.*
*How shameless, a fake taking the position of Second Young Master’s principal wife.*
And so on…
Only when the wedding rites began did those voices finally fade.
Through a slit in her veil, Yan Hui glimpsed a pair of black boots embroidered with auspicious clouds before her. A chill spread in her heart. From everything she had heard since entering the Li household, this was clearly a deliberate arrangement.
Did they think to intimidate her? Hah.
What followed was the expected sequence—bowing to heaven and earth, then entering the bridal chamber.
Once Yan Hui was escorted into the chamber, the gossip finally ceased.
Suiqiu stayed with her for a while, but was soon called away by Nanny Yuan, leaving Yan Hui alone.
Weary and exhausted, Yan Hui waited deep into the night. Neither Suiqiu nor the man appeared. She knew the Li household must have detained Suiqiu, and as for the man—she cared little.
Pulling off the veil, she looked at the room drenched in red. A faint cold smile touched her lips. Was she supposed to sit here waiting for the man’s favor?
Since the rites were complete, there was no need to follow these tedious customs. In public, husband leads and wife follows—that was enough.
She walked to the dressing table, undoing the elaborate hairstyle and removing the strange makeup. When she had finally shed the wedding gown and was dressed only in a crimson under-robe, the door suddenly burst open.
Yan Hui startled, meeting the gaze of a man bracing himself against the doorframe. But unlike what she had imagined, he was not clad in festive red. He wore black, his face pale, one hand pressed to his abdomen—blood, brighter than all the red in the room, seeped through his fingers.
“You… you’re hurt?” As her words fell, the man staggered inside and collapsed onto the bed.
Yan Hui quickly shut the door and rushed to his side: “I’ll call someone. You seem badly injured.”
Just as she turned, her wrist was seized by his blood‑stained hand.
“Do not let anyone know I’m injured.” Li Suyu looked at the girl bathed in a soft glow, his voice gentling: “The Turks are inside the estate. If Grandmother or the others learn of my wound, it will cause panic.”
Yan Hui lowered her gaze, gently pulling free from his blood‑stained hand. Before she could speak, his weakened voice sounded again: “Behind the screen, there’s water. In the first drawer of the desk to the left, there’s medicinal powder. Treat my wound.”
Yan Hui’s lips parted, but he spoke first: “A wife tending to her husband—that is only proper, isn’t it?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at the pale man, then let a faint smile bloom: “Fine. It is my duty as your wife.”
Meeting his dark, deep eyes, she caught a subtle trace of a smile hidden within them.
The room was filled only with the crackling of red candles and the rustling of loosened clothing.
After about half an hour, Yan Hui looked at the bandages wrapped around Li Suyu’s waist. Her gaze drifted upward—his firm chest rose and fell steadily, his strong jaw clenched as though enduring pain. But his eyes remained sharp, overlapping with those murderous eyes from her dream. Yan Hui turned away, sitting on the floor with her slender back against the bedframe, her expression complicated.
The silence was heavy; their breathing was the only sound. Yet they were hardly familiar with each other, and the atmosphere was stiff.
“Is this your room?” Yan Hui asked softly.
Li Suyu slowly opened his eyes, shifting his gaze. The glaring red of the chamber seemed dull compared to the striking profile of the girl. He gave a faint hum in reply.
“Then where is my courtyard?” Yan Hui had no intention of sharing one with him. Even in her parents’ household, her mother and father had separate quarters.
When no answer came, she glanced toward the bed. Li Suyu was staring at her, his eyes layered with complexity. He asked: “What is your purpose?”
Yan Hui gave a low laugh, her tone indifferent: “Is the General asking about purpose from someone who cannot even control her own fate?”
Li Suyu’s brows furrowed.
“From the moment your Li family learned I was not the Wang family’s daughter, you never regarded me as anything more than a substitute.” Yan Hui spoke plainly, as if stating something ordinary. Seeing his still‑knotted brows, she added: “The General is rather suspicious.”
Just then, the door burst open. Jiang Xiao rushed in, face full of worry, forgetting that tonight was his second brother’s wedding night. He froze upon seeing the woman kneeling by the bed.
“Out.” Li Suyu’s weak voice carried a chill.
Jiang Xiao quickly recovered, smiling apologetically, his tone still mischievous: “Second Brother, I forgot you were with your bride. I was only worried about your injury. I’ve already reported to Grandmother, and I wanted to check on you.”
“You two talk. I’ll go find the maid I haven’t seen all day.” Yan Hui brushed back a strand of hair, her heart heavy. In this unfamiliar place, she truly did not wish to stay a moment longer.
Jiang Xiao stepped aside, watching the woman in red pass by. He recalled Zhao Chi’s words—that the sister‑in‑law from the capital was like water: delicate, yes, but not weak. She carried an air of nobility. Noble—that was it. This new sister‑in‑law was noble.
Once outside, Yan Hui’s faint smile vanished instantly.
Jiang Xiao waited until she was gone before entering the room. Li Suyu was already sitting upright, bare‑chested, his muscles sharply defined—yet his presence was chilling.
Jiang Xiao understood: his second brother was angry.
“Second Brother, the Turks have been caught—one of them at least. I just came to tell you. I’m used to coming in like this, but suddenly there’s a woman in your room, and I didn’t react in time. Since today is your wedding day, don’t punish me, alright?”
Li Suyu’s expression was subtle, his lashes trembling slightly as shadows gathered in his eyes: “That’s only one of the reasons you came to see me, isn’t it?”
Jiang Xiao raised his brows and laughed: “I knew nothing could be hidden from you, Second Brother. I just wanted to see what kind of woman could outshine my sister.”
“Jiang Xiao, you should understand—even without Yan Hui, there was never a possibility between Jiang Yun and me.” Li Suyu’s lips curved faintly. “What happened back then need not be mentioned again.”
Jiang Xiao opened his mouth but did not speak, only sighed softly before saying: “Second Brother, the situation is tense. Everyone in the camp knows the imperial household has humiliated the Li family. They fear the Li family, yet instead of appeasing us, they insult us in this way. This Yan woman’s purpose is unclear. I fear you may become entangled.”
What Jiang Xiao meant by “entangled” was nothing more than being ensnared in Yan Hui’s charms.
Li Suyu cast him a glance.
Jiang Xiao pressed on, despite his unease: “This is what Grandmother and the whole Li family worry about. Since I’ve said this much, I’ll add one more thing: it would be better if you kept some distance from her. Be husband and wife in name only.”
“Leave.” Li Suyu thought of what that woman had said earlier. From the first moment he saw her, he knew she was not someone easily manipulated. She might be a pawn, but not one obedient to the imperial household or the Wang family.
Jiang Xiao left after a while, but Yan Hui did not return.
Li Suyu felt a flicker of displeasure. This was supposed to be the safest place for him, yet he worried that woman might be in danger. Just as he was about to rise, footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by a voice that was not Yan Hui’s.
“The people of this household are truly full of malice. Luckily, we won’t depend on them for food or clothing in the future. Otherwise, it would drive me mad.”
“This already drives you mad?” Yan Hui’s voice was slow and calm.
“Miss, your fate is so bitter. If Madam were still alive and knew you were marrying into such a cruel family, she would never forgive them.” Suiqiu’s voice broke into sobs, her crying mixed with curses: “They only vent their anger on weak women. If they resent this marriage so much, why not defy the imperial decree? Without the courage, they can only trample on you.”
“Enough. From now on, I will protect you.” Yan Hui’s voice was gentle, tender.
As they moved toward the room, master and servant fell silent, only their footsteps sounding.
When Yan Hui stepped inside, she saw Li Suyu draped in an outer robe, the clasps still undone, his bare chest faintly visible. She raised her brows slightly.
“Rest early.” Li Suyu dropped the words, then walked out with deliberate steadiness.
Sure enough, as he reached the courtyard, Suiqiu’s sobbing voice carried after him: “On her wedding night, abandoned by her husband—if this spreads tomorrow, how will Miss ever stand in this household? This family is rotten to the core.”
Li Suyu’s steps faltered, then he continued out of the courtyard. As he emerged, he saw three to five maids in the corridor. At the sight of him, they all held their breath, panic written on their faces. They bowed respectfully: “Master.”