“Father, Mother.”
She addressed Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman.
Yan Changye released her hand and first saluted Liu Youcheng. “Father-in-law.” Then he addressed Bai Manman. “Mother-in-law.”
Liu Youcheng hurriedly returned the salute and stepped forward. “Young Marshal, A-Yin, please, come in.”
Yan Changye nodded slightly, retook Liu Xiyin’s hand, and led her through the entrance.
Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman were both stunned.
Liu Xiyin offered them an embarrassed smile.
[The great villain’s acting is truly superb. Liu Father is the Director of the Military Supplies Department; acting affectionate with his daughter is the quickest way to get closer to him.]
[But have you considered that you’re showing off your affection to the wrong person? I’m not even close to them.]
In the month since Liu Xiyin had returned to the Liu household, she hadn’t crossed paths with the family more than ten times.
Liu Youcheng was alright; every time he saw her, he would ask if she was getting used to living at the mansion and if she needed anything.
Bai Manman, however, was always on guard, terrified that she would harm Liu Mingyue. When Liu Xiyin asked for her own small kitchen, Bai Manman didn’t even bother to ask if she was unhappy with the family’s food; she simply had it arranged for her.
Opportunities to run into Liu Mingyue were even rarer. Aside from the day she arrived at the Liu house—where the whole family stood at the gate to welcome her, Liu Mingyue included—she had only seen her once while out on the street picking up clues, where she accidentally bumped into her at a teahouse.
Heaven is her witness, that time she had only said two sentences to Liu Mingyue:
“Sister, you’re here too.”
“Haha, I came to taste the pastries here.”
……
Then, the very next day, rumors spread that she had bullied Liu Mingyue.
Liu Xiyin remembered that in novels, even the vicious supporting characters didn’t bully the female lead like this.
Liu Xiyin was afraid of dying, so from then on, whenever she saw Liu Mingyue, she took a wide detour.
Today, Liu Mingyue wasn’t present. Liu Xiyin knew why, but as long as it didn’t affect her, she didn’t plan to interfere. It would be best if she never had anything to do with the female lead in the future.
Liu Xiyin and Yan Changye entered the flower hall where the Liu family received guests to serve tea to Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman.
Yan Changye spoke first: “We are a democratic government now; kneeling has been abolished. Yesterday, when serving tea to Father and Mother, Father did not insist on it, so surely the same applies here for Father-in-law and Mother-in-law?”
Even the Marshal hadn’t made them kneel; Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman had no guts to insist otherwise. Liu Youcheng hurriedly replied, “No need, no need! It is an honor to have the Young Marshal here.”
Although Yan Changye had only just returned to Ancheng and had no roots here, he was a man who had come off the battlefield, held military power, and had dared to stand up to the Marshal even at age twelve when he had nothing.
Marshal Yan Ting already had a reputation as a bandit; Yan Changye, who dared to defy him, would only be more ruthless.
Liu Youcheng had even braced himself for the possibility that after the Liu family switched brides, the Young Marshal might be displeased and refuse to accompany Liu Xiyin back to her home.
The fact that he came, personally opened the car door for her, held her hand, and wanted to serve tea to them, already had Liu Youcheng feeling flattered and overwhelmed.
Yan Changye’s phoenix eyes were calm. “Then, my young mistress and I shall be excused for any lack of formality.”
He called Liu Xiyin “young mistress” (Shao Nainai) in front of Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman, as if Liu Xiyin had no relation to the couple before him.
Liu Xiyin peeked at him.
A servant brought over the tea.
Liu Xiyin and Yan Changye each picked up a cup, standing separately to serve Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman.
The two elder Liu’s took symbolic sips and then handed each of them a red envelope.
This was Liu Xiyin’s favorite part.
[If we switch positions and serve another round, there’ll be another red envelope. The Director of the Military Supplies Department’s red envelope must be huge, right?]
She cheered and leaped for joy in her heart, while Yan Changye’s gaze deepened as he switched positions with her.
In the eyes of everyone else, it looked as if the Young Marshal was being careful to ensure his new bride wouldn’t stumble as he moved.
One maid observed this, then quietly slipped out of the flower hall.
Biyu Pavilion.
Ever since falling into the lake, Liu Mingyue had been bedridden, recuperating.
These past few days, she had been vomiting incessantly. Her face had grown thin, no longer retaining the vibrant, dazzling beauty of the former “Top Socialite.”
The maid entered with a tray, wiping away tears out of pity. “Eldest Miss, Madam had this bird’s nest sent over. Please, drink a little.”
Liu Mingyue felt a little better today and hadn’t vomited again. She struggled to sit up, though she was weak and her eyes were sunken. “Have they… have they returned to visit?”
The maid’s eyes reddened; she turned her head away, not wanting to bring up this topic and cause the Eldest Miss more sorrow.
She had seen the Young Marshal; he was even more handsome and noble than in the newspapers, but he was also… treating the Second Miss better than they had imagined.
The maid, Chunmei, who had just delivered the bird’s nest, said that even when serving tea, the Young Marshal hadn’t let the Second Miss kneel, and he kept looking out for her to make sure she wouldn’t trip.
It was clear that… for the first sixteen years, he had been the Eldest Miss’s fiancé.
Even if there had been a misunderstanding about who the bride was, given the sixteen years of shared history, how could the Young Marshal not have considered the Eldest Miss’s situation? The better he treated the Second Miss, the more people would mock the Eldest Miss.
Seeing the maid’s reaction, Liu Mingyue knew the answer.
She closed her eyes bitterly.
“Take the bird’s nest away. I won’t eat.”
What right did she have to eat? The bird’s nest belonged to the Liu family; she wasn’t a Liu. Everything belonging to the family should have been the Liu family’s true daughter’s.
And…
Liu Mingyue thought of that night and quietly covered her stomach.
Her period had been late for several days.
At first, Liu Mingyue had tried to blame it on catching a chill from falling into the lake, but the vomiting these past few days had sent her into a complete panic.
She had been too bold that night; it was that man…
Liu Mingyue clutched her clothes; she had to resolve this matter quickly.
“Ugh!”
Liu Mingyue began to retch again, but having eaten nothing for days, she couldn’t bring anything up. She didn’t dare seek a doctor, fearing the matter would be exposed.
……
Liu Xiyin and Yan Changye finished serving the tea and stood awkwardly in the flower hall making small talk with Liu Youcheng and Bai Manman.
[So awkward. I have to stay here for the return-visit banquet? I just want to leave this place of chaos quickly.]
[The place where the female lead is, is too dangerous for me. After today, I won’t come back unless I absolutely have to.]
[If only I could go back to the countryside; I miss the chicken noodle soup Mother used to make.]
If she could, Liu Xiyin really didn’t want to have any connection with the Liu family.
In the original book, this was the point where the female lead was experiencing morning sickness. Those around her insisted that the “true heiress” had poisoned her. Whether or not the true heiress had actually done it, Liu Xiyin didn’t know, but in the book, Yan Changye had not accompanied her back to her parents’ home. When the true heiress returned, she had provoked Liu Mingyue and was severely punished by Bai Manman, losing all face in the process.
Later, the blame for Liu Mingyue’s constant vomiting naturally fell even more firmly on the true heiress, who even took pride in it, thinking she had gotten her revenge.
Hmm…
Liu Xiyin lowered her head, not wanting to speak.
[Liu Mingyue had better not splash her dirty water on me.]
[I really didn’t do anything. If she keeps vomiting, it has absolutely nothing to do with me.]
[If she insists on dragging me into it… well, self-defense and counterattacking should be fine, right?]
Liu Xiyin was afraid of death and didn’t want to become entangled with the male and female leads, but if they insisted on causing trouble for her, she would have to stand her ground.
Otherwise, she couldn’t just obediently wait to be splashed with dirty water, only to be skinned and fed to the fish in the end while everyone cheered.
Liu Xiyin straightened her back, her fighting spirit soaring.
[Let the storm rage more fiercely!]