Although they had dealt with the Su family, Su Jiu could not go out as casually as she had before, in case Surin suddenly came to visit her daughter. There would be trouble if she found that Su Yuejiu was not there.

Fortunately, it was less than ten days until the wedding. It would not be so difficult to pass the time with Chang Huan as her companion.

On the third day of their visit to Shengjing, the Su family took the initiative to pay a visit to Ji Manor with gifts.

Looking at the Ji Manor’s pavilions and buildings, the Su family was glad, knowing soon their daughter would be the mistress of the house.

In the absence of Ji Yuxian, Master Su and his wife only met Second Mistress.

After initial greetings, Second Mistress spoke. “Yuejiu was ill a few days ago. I have been saying I would visit her soon. It is just that there are many people in this yard, and thus many matters so I have not been able to make time. Is she well?”

Before Su Wenqian could open his mouth, Surin replied, “Thank you for your concern, Second Mistress. She’s alright! Thank you for taking care of Yuejiu since she came to Shengjing a month ago.”

The Second Mistress smiled demurely. “You’re welcome, Mrs. Su. She will be my family in the future. It is also right to take care of her!”

“Yes, when Yuejiu marries in the future, we will have to trouble Second Mistress to take care of her!”

Surin’s face was full of delighted smiles.

“Mrs. Su, you’re too polite. When Yuejiu marries into the family, she will be the Young Mistress. Perhaps I will rely on Yuejiu in the future!”

“Second Mistress, you flatter her,” Surin said warmly. “She is still a child, and will have to rely on you when she enters the manor!”

With all that was said and done, it was almost noon by the time that Su Wenqian and his wife prepared to leave.

“Since Yuxian is not present, I will not bother you further. One day when Yuxian is free, I’ll invite you over to have dinner!” Second Mistress said politely.

“We are all family, there’s no need for courtesies! You don’t have to send us off, Second Mistress!”

The Second Mistress nodded with a smile and did not get up. She just turned her head and said, “Yuan’er, send our in-laws off!”

“Yes!” Yuan’er replied and he escorted them out.

Soon, Yuan’er came back and opened the gifts from the Su family: ginseng, collagen, and cordyceps. They were all valuable supplements used by women.

“They knew to visit you, my lady, when they arrived at Shengjing. At least they know manners!” Yuan’er chuckled.

The Second Mistress got up and rifled through the gifts, saying disdainfully, “All junk. Aren’t they embarrassed to give this to me? Throw them all out!”

“Yes!” Yuan’er smiled as she ordered the gifts to be removed. “This may be the best that the Su family can offer, but I know it’s impossible to compare it with what my lady uses normally. If they could see what my lady usually eats, they wouldn’t dare to give such trifles!”



As the days passed, Surin came to visit Su Jiu twice, but each time she went, there was a curtain in the room. Su Jiu lay in bed covered with a veil, and when she spoke, she coughed violently.

Looking at the blood on the veil, Surin was startled and her heart ached, but she dared not approach any closer.

“I have let you down. If I hadn’t let you come to Shengjing to get married, it may not have ended up like this!” Surin sat in a chair by the bed to hide her face and weep.

“Oh, Second Mistress, don’t be so sad. Young Lady will be fine. Maybe after she gets married, fortune will come!” Nanny persuaded.

“I hope our Yue’er will be lucky!” Surin’s face was sad, only looking forward to Yuejiu making it to the marriage.

Or perhaps, a little more selfishly, she thought that, even if she really dies, she will die in the Ji family.

Surin’s heart was worried about Yuejiu, and Su Wenqian did not know what was going on but thought she was reluctant to marry their daughter.

The two sons of the Su family were with women every day, and within a few days, they had wandered around the big and small brothels in Shengjing. They were too happy to even think about returning home.

The day of the wedding was getting closer and closer, and the people in Shengjing City had been talking about their marriage over tea.

Everyone was saying that the Ji family was magnanimous and kind, even abandoned by the Su family, they were forgiving enough to marry their daughter.

One family was happy and the other sad, and the women who had secretly fallen in love with Eldest Young Master Ji were crying their eyes out, especially the lady of Shangguan family, who had not eaten for days.

Miss Lan Zhihui, who garnered the most attention, however, remained stoic.

Everyone began to admire her character.

Ji Manor’s dowry had been handed over to the Su family. On that day, Surin came to tell Su Jiu, how much money there was, how much jewelry there was, and how much silk there was…

Su Jiu coughed profusely when she heard it, but this time it was real blood.

Her heart ached!

There was so much silver, why didn’t they give it to her straight?

Then she wouldn’t have to marry into the Ji Manor!

Two days before the marriage, the two brothers of the Su family that were born by mistresses invited Su Wenqian to dinner. The unusual politeness between the words was to the effect that the daughter of the Su family would naturally have to marry in the Su family if she wanted to marry. How could she marry in the yard given by the Ji family?

It seemed like a joke: the yard was not only simple and unrefined, but run-down, and not at all suitable to someone of their status.

The two brothers were cousins of Su Wenqian’s father’s brother’s family. They had lost contact since Su Wenqian arrived in Fuyang. All of a sudden, they were so courteous and enthusiastic because Su Wenqian and Ji Manor were now relatives.

Su Wenqian did not like Su Cheng and his brother, but what they said was indeed reasonable.

Su Cheng tried to persuade Su Wenqian to let Su Yuejiu marry in his house. Su Xing, the second, was not willing to let him take the spotlight, saying that his yard was bigger.

Su Wenqian dismissed them on the grounds of going back to discuss the matter with his wife.

After returning to the inn, Su Wenqian and Surin discussed the matter and felt that another yard should be found, but Yuejiu could never be married at the two brothers’ house.

He could still remember when the two men worked together to hurt them, and now he wanted to borrow his daughter to cling to the Ji family.

Don’t even think about it! he thought fiercely.

Thankfully, Shengjing’s famous aristocrats had other idle courts and after inquiries they could find several to be rented out.

The yard was booked in the afternoon of the same day, and several miscellaneous attendants were temporarily employed. They cleaned up the place and decorated both the interior and exterior, the atmosphere joyous.

The day before the wedding, a sedan chair carried Su Jiu from the small yard to the temporarily rented court.

The sedan chair landed in front of the door, along with the man they’d hired to carry the sedan chair. He was big and tall, with a beard on his face. “My lord, the lady is here!” he said with a smile.

Su Jiu was wearing a cloak and a hat. There was a thick white gauze towel on her face, and she got off the sedan chair, her head bowed.

With a glance at the corner of her eyes at the three men, Hu Dapao, Ah Shu and Qiao An, she bowed and coughed, and then entered the gate with the help of the Nanny and Chang Huan.

Su Wenqian saw that the newcomers did their best and rewarded them each with fifty coins and asked Housekeeper Qin to take them to the backyard.

The gang, together with a waiter from the tavern, happily followed through the door.

It was night, and Su Wenqian paid money to everyone in the house and arranged a banquet. The atmosphere in the court was exuberant and noisy.

Only First Mistress’s room was unusually quiet, from beginning to end, no one came out, but the candle remained lit all night.

Afraid that Surin would come in, Nanny turned off the lights early in the morning to serve Su Jiu to sleep.

After Nanny went out, Su Jiu lay in bed, listening to the noise of drinking outside. She couldn’t tell if it was the desire to drink or something else, as she tossed and turned.

She was going to get married!

Although she knew it was all a fraud, looking at the busy people and at the red decorations everywhere, she couldn’t help but feel a strange feeling…as if after this day, everything would really be different!

Su’s parents did not know that she was a fake, and were all immersed in joy, which made her feel a little uneasy.

Suddenly the window creaked opened slowly, and a glint of moonlight poured in.

Chang Huan’s slender figure sat on the window, turned to look at Su Jiu, his back to the moon.

A smile bloomed on his handsome face. “Chief, I will protect you!” he promised.

Su Jiu scoffed. “Oh, please. Do I need you to protect me?”

Chang Huan smiled, picked up the pot of wine in his hand and poured it into his mouth, but remained silent.

Smelling the faint scent of wine, Su Jiu closed her eyes, her mood returned to calm. Gradually a steady breathing sound filled the room as she drifted off to sleep.



Late at night, in the attic of the Robes Square in the city, a woman was lost in thought with a book in her hand.

Servant girl Qin Xiang placed a cloak around her body and said gently, “Miss, it is late, do rest!”

“Mm-hmm,” the woman said faintly but still she sat, motionless.

“Miss, the Eldest Young Master will be married tomorrow,” Qin Xiang said nonchalantly.

The woman frowned slightly, and her eyes were half-closed. “What does his marriage have to do with me?”

Qin Xiang laughed awkwardly, as she squatted down to massage the lady’s legs. “So what if Eldest Young Master gets married, you will always hold his heart, my lady!”

In the past, he had had three concubines in the house, but when Eldest Young Master had anything going his way the first person he would think of was his young lady…o what if he married another? What difference would it make?

The woman’s long eyelashes trembled gently as she closed the book in her hands, and asked, “Do you have the Buxus tea that came a few days ago? Make me a cup of tea. My mouth feels dry.”

“Yes, I will go and make tea for you at once!” Qin Xiang nodded and got up and went out.

The woman tightened her cloak and looked out of the window. Under the lamplight, the beauty had a distant look with a touch of sorrow.

Ji Yuxian was about to be married, and in the future, Xiao Lie would likely marry a concubine. Then she would be the only one left… alone.

This was her destiny!