Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Liu Tai emerged after changing her clothes.

Phoenixes embroidered in gold thread shimmered under the sunlight, and her elegant bridal crown was intricately adorned with pearls. Although the ensemble was the height of luxury, Liu Tai’s delicate features held their own, neither overshadowed by the heavy garments nor the ornate jewelry.

“The He Family certainly put in some effort,” Madame Zhou remarked. Her tone was flat, yet the underlying bitterness was unmistakable.

Concubine Yang couldn’t understand why the woman had made a special trip just to sour the mood.

Liu Tai smiled. “The He Family values me, so of course they would be meticulous.”

Madame Zhou forced a smile. “Climbing into a high-ranking household has certainly given you more confidence in your speech.”

“Mother, you simply don’t know me well. I have always spoken this way.”

Madame Zhou didn’t stick around to be snubbed further; she rose and left.

Madame Zhou had once tried to push her into a pit of fire, yet she had also taken it upon herself to buy her healing salve. Liu Tai thought that perhaps she and this couple of the Liu Clan were simply never meant to be close.

Turning around, she saw Chunxiao’s bright, twinkling eyes. “The Third Young Lady is so beautiful!”

Liu Tai smiled softly. If there was no fate between her and her parents, so be it; sometimes, family didn’t have to be bound by blood.

“If you like it, I’ll have a set just like this made for you on your wedding day.”

Chunxiao nodded happily, then covered her face in embarrassment. “Young Lady, what nonsense are you saying!”

Liu Tai took out the green jade hairpin from her dressing table. “Auntie, where do you think this hairpin should go? I want to wear it on my wedding day.”

Concubine Yang froze, lowering her head with a hint of bashfulness.

“Is… is that alright? I’m just a concubine.”

She hadn’t even been able to see her own biological daughter off when she married.

Liu Tai smiled. “Is Auntie unwilling?”

“How could I be!” Concubine Yang pulled out her handkerchief to wipe her tears again. “It’s just that there’s no such custom. I’m afraid the Master won’t agree.”

“It’s not him getting married, so what does it matter if he agrees or not?”

That hairpin Concubine Yang had given her was of excellent quality. It had been a gift from Liu Chengshan during the height of his favor-a set consisting of a bracelet and a hairpin, her most precious treasures. The bracelet had already been given to Liu Rong, and the hairpin had been given to Liu Tai just as she was about to be drowned in the pond.

“Alright, then.” Concubine Yang stopped demurring. She tucked the hairpin diagonally into an inconspicuous spot at the back of the hair bun. “This spot is perfect.”

The wedding day was an auspicious one, but no one in the capital held their own celebrations alongside the He Family.

It wasn’t that the He Family’s power was so overwhelming; rather, people were terrified that something would go wrong before the bride even entered the door, turning a joyous occasion into a funeral. No family wanted their happy tunes to clash with a dirge; it was far too unlucky.

Old Madam He held a grudge over this, cursing them all as luckless omens. But while her words were tough, her heart was drumming with anxiety, fearing that the bridal sedan wouldn’t carry back a living person.

He Yuan, however, was full of confidence. From the look of it, Liu Tai’s life was sturdier than his own.

And so, he flipped onto his horse and headed toward the Liu Clan in high spirits.

While the He Family was perfectly organized, the Liu Clan was in a state of chaotic upheaval.

Liu Yi and Liu Rong had naturally returned to see their sister off. It was only then that Liu Yi learned what kind of trouble Liu Tai had stirred up, and she was so angry she nearly fainted.

Liu Rong supported her, rubbing her back to soothe her. “Eldest Sister, at least she’s still alive. Look at her, she’s alive and kicking, and she can still get married, can’t she?”

But by the end of her persuasion, she couldn’t help getting angry herself. She pinched Liu Tai’s cheek hard. “If there’s a next time, I won’t wait for Father to punish you-I’ll break your legs myself.”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Liu Tai let her pinch her. Even though her eyes welled up from the pain, she didn’t dare make a sound, looking incredibly obedient.

Chunxiao came over to refill the tea. “If Second Young Lady pinches her any longer, we won’t even need to apply rouge to the Third Young Lady.”

Only then did Liu Rong let go.

She took a Phoebe zhennan wood box from a maid and handed it to Liu Tai. “Have a look.”

Liu Tai opened it to find a solid gold bracelet lying quietly inside. It was a plain band, without any carvings.

Liu Yi said, “I discussed it with your Second Sister. Intricate carvings waste material, and you’d lose value if you ever needed to sell it in an emergency. That’s why we’re giving you a plain band; it’s not that we didn’t put thought into it.”

Seeing her dazed expression, Liu Rong poked her forehead. “What’s wrong? Do you think it’s too little? Let me tell you, it’s no use complaining; Eldest Sister and I can’t turn stone into gold!”

How could she think it was too little? The Liu Clan wasn’t poor, but they weren’t wealthy either, and any money they had was prioritized for her brothers. She didn’t know how long her two sisters had saved to scrape together enough for this pure gold bracelet.

She didn’t have a biological mother to add to her dowry, but she had her sisters.

Liu Tai put the bracelet on. It felt heavy, making her heart ache with emotion.

“Tai’er, let the past stay in the past. From now on, look toward a better life.”

In the courtyard, firecrackers began to pop and crackle. The matchmaker walked in joyfully. “Third Miss Liu, the auspicious hour has arrived. It’s time to depart!”

Liu Tai had seen both her sisters marry and thought she was familiar with the process.

But when the bridal veil was actually lowered over her own head, she felt more panicked than ever before.

She took a long breath. He Yuan was a husband she had chosen herself. At the very least, his face was handsome, and his physique… well, that wasn’t bad either.

With those thoughts, the path from her bedroom to the main hall felt smoother. Her steps grew lighter, and even kowtowing to the old man didn’t feel so unbearable.

Liu Tai told herself she couldn’t cry. Unlike others, she had chosen her husband herself. She had won a battle; why should she cry?

She had to smile. She would smile all the way to the He Family to make the lashes she’d endured worthwhile.

As for what kind of life awaited her at the He Family… she would cross that bridge when she got there.

If all else failed, she was an expert at the old ‘crying, screaming, and threatening to hang herself’ routine!

During the wedding ceremony, He Yuan realized that the young lady he had married was indeed quite extraordinary.

Not only did she not shed a single tear, but she had also seemed rather reluctant when kowtowing to her father.

When he finally lifted the bridal veil, his suspicions were confirmed.

Her makeup was pristine, with no trace of tears. Instead, she was looking around the bridal chamber with great curiosity.

Her eyes scanned the entire room before finally landing on him, as if he were merely an accessory to the room, something thrown in for free.

How interesting.

He Yuan’s competitive streak was piqued. He scooped Third Miss Liu up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

A moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. He was determined to make her understand who was truly the master of this house.