Beauty misled me
Jiang Yi froze on the spot.
The man in front of me is... damn good-looking.
He was handsome and dashing, possessing the face of a typical male protagonist in a novel: sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, rose-shaped lips, and a sharp jawline. His hair was simply tied up in a bun, meticulously secured with a jade hairpin. He wore a long, light blue-white robe, with a cloud-patterned belt around his waist, from which hung a jade pendant and a sachet…
No wonder young ladies in ancient times were always tricked away by pretty boys with just a few words. Anyone who stares at such a face for a few seconds would probably find it unbearable.
Looking up again, Jiang Yi noticed that his lips were not the normal color of blood; they were mixed with a hint of purple. If anyone had seen them, they might have thought he had been poisoned.
However, this person's eyes were exceptionally beautiful, with long eyelashes and clear black and white pupils that seemed to hold countless stars deep within. Staring intently into those dark eyes, they also seemed to contain turbulent whirlpools that could suck people in and cause them eternal damnation, shattering them to pieces...
Jiang Yi's heart was pounding like a drum, jumping up and down endlessly.
"Miss? Miss, what's wrong?"
Jiang Yi only snapped back to reality when Xia Zhi secretly tugged at her sleeve a few times from behind.
She slurped up non-existent drool and swallowed.
Beauty has ruined me!
Xia Zhi bowed to the man with a standard greeting: "Young Master Lin."
Jiang Yi felt her heart skip a beat.
Young Master Lin?
It's her newlywed husband, He Lin?!
Good grief, the male lead is already on stage? That fast?!
He Lin gave a soft "hmm" in response.
"Are you... alright?"
This question was directed at Jiang Yi.
"It's alright. Is there anything I can do for you here?"
He Lin was surprised by her direct question, as if she had seen through his thoughts.
"I heard from Xia Zhi that you woke up, so I came to see you. If it's convenient, let's have a meal together in the front yard."
Jiang Yi squinted, staring slyly into those dark eyes, like a cunning little fox.
Are you inviting me?
He Lin was taken aback, then found it quite amusing, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Yes, I'm inviting you."
At this moment, another man came down from the corridor, carrying a black cloak, and walked to He Lin's side to drape it over his shoulders.
"Young master, I've really searched high and low for you. Why didn't you bring a cloak with you when you went out? If you catch a cold, Madam Tong will definitely not let me off easily."
Then he turned to look at Jiang Yi, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Young Madam."
The address of "Young Madam" made Jiang Yi's cheeks flush slightly and her ears burn.
She nodded slightly, not daring to answer easily.
He Lin smiled and asked, "Ziyu, is the food ready?"
"It's all ready. Madam Tong is already waiting in the warm pavilion. She specifically asked me to come and inform you, young master."
He Lin nodded knowingly, then said to Jiang Yi, "Let's go."
Jiang Yi nodded and walked side by side with He Lin.
Xia Zhi and Gu Ziyu, who were following behind, both looked hesitant to speak.
It didn't seem right to remain silent the whole time, so Jiang Yi mustered up her courage and tried to start a conversation: "...Um, I heard from Xia Zhi that you were the one who found a doctor to treat me last night, thank you."
"It's nothing. I've been physically weak since childhood and have had to take medicine all year round. I know how unpleasant it is to be plagued by illness."
Jiang Yi turned to look at him: "What...is your illness?"
Looking into her innocent, large eyes, as if she genuinely just wanted to know what illness he had, He Lin didn't detect the slightest malice...
The air froze for two seconds. Jiang Yi seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing, blinked, and quickly looked away.
"Excuse me."
"It's alright."
After saying those two words, He Lin stopped talking, and the atmosphere seemed to become even more awkward.
Jiang Yi felt a pang of regret, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground. She regretted her words.
He Lin led the way, and after many twists and turns, they finally arrived at their destination.
After walking through a meadow and along a cobblestone path, a magnificent and elegant pavilion stands just a few steps away.
He Lin looked up at the second-floor window, which was not closed, and a slight smile appeared in his eyes.
Let's go.
Jiang Yi followed He Lin and hummed in agreement before walking towards the attic.
Xia Zhi quickly stepped forward and whispered to Jiang Yi, "Miss, this is against the rules. A woman cannot walk side by side with her lord; she must stand a step behind or to the side..."
Jiang Yi's lips twitched twice.
Tsk, this damned feudal mentality, wealthy families always break so many rules.
Fine, I'm new here, I'll put up with it!
Jiang Yi closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and then slowly relaxed them. She paused for a moment, then obediently followed behind He Lin, looking quiet and well-behaved.
Once inside the attic, Jiang Yi felt warm and cozy all over, as if every pore on her body had opened up, making her feel incredibly comfortable.
Although it was late autumn and the temperature had dropped slightly, charcoal fires were already being used in the mansion. It just goes to show that wealthy people are different; they can squander money at will.
"Qinglian, where is Madam?"
He Lin took off his cloak and handed it to Gu Ziyu, then turned to look at a maid who had just come upstairs and asked.
Qinglian bowed and replied, "Young master, the madam said she will arrive shortly. Please have you and the young mistress take your seats first."
He Lin pulled out a chair next to the round table for Jiang Yi, gesturing for her to sit down.
Jiang Yi thanked them. There were only a few sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table in front of her. The food had not yet been served. The sky-blue translucent porcelain looked extremely beautiful.
"Coo coo..."
In the silence, Jiang Yi's stomach suddenly growled a few times.
He Lin asked, "Are you hungry?"
Jiang Yi: "Yeah, a little."
The maids nearby secretly covered their mouths and giggled.
A faint smile appeared on He Lin's lips as he turned and ordered, "Qinglian, serve the dishes."
"Yes, young master."
The girl named Qinglian seemed to be the head maid among them. Before leaving, she glanced at them sideways, and none of them dared to laugh anymore. They composed themselves and stood up properly.
Before long, the fragrant dishes were served one after another.
He Lin picked up a piece of fresh and tender fish for her with his chopsticks, saying, "If you're hungry, you should eat first."
Jiang Yi stared at the piece of meat for a few seconds, then swallowed hard. "Isn't this against the rules?"
He Lin smiled and said, "It's alright, there are no outsiders here."
She shook her head: "Actually, I'm not that hungry. Let's wait for Madam to come and eat together."
He Lin didn't say anything more and let her go.
Jiang Yi was so hungry that her stomach was sticking to her back. If it weren't for the fact that there were other people around, she probably would have already torn the chicken leg apart and started gnawing on it. She swallowed a few times and had to drink some tea to cover up her craving.
He Lin, who was standing to the side, took in the actions of the person next to him, slowly lowered his eyes, and couldn't help but gently rub the bowl of the cup with his fingertips.
This person is quite interesting. She doesn't have the slightest air of a well-bred lady. She thinks she's hiding it well, but everything is written all over her face.
"Lin'er".
A gentle, soft voice suddenly came from the stairwell.
He Lin stood up and took a few steps forward to greet her: "Mother."
Jiang Yi stood up and moved a few steps to the open space beside her. She clasped her hands together in front of her, and at first glance, she really did look like a lady from a prestigious family.
She had already thought it through. Since she had come here for no reason, she might as well enjoy the wealthy and leisurely life of the young ladies in ancient times. She could treat it as participating in a large-scale murder mystery game, or as acting in a period drama. And it would be the super real kind. She majored in acting, so there was definitely no problem!
A woman dressed in indigo and with her hair in a bun was seen walking towards them, supported by He Lin.
The woman wore very few hairpins, only a simple hairpin to hold them in place, and she rarely wore any jewelry, which was quite different from the lady's attire that Jiang Yi remembered.
Xia Zhi told him that He Lin was the son of a concubine in the General's Mansion, so his mother was naturally a concubine, not the principal wife.
Su Tong always wore a gentle smile. When she saw Jiang Yi, she first looked her up and down, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
As she approached, Jiang Yi could see the woman's face clearly. Her eyebrows and eyes did indeed resemble He Lin's, but upon closer inspection, they were not that similar. She probably took after her father.
Su Tong walked slowly to Jiang Yi and took her hands in his.
"You are Lin'er's new bride?"
Jiang Yi glanced at He Lin apologetically and nodded, "Yes, Madam."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the attic looked over.
Jiang Yi was confused and inadvertently met Xia Zhi's gaze. Xia Zhi shook her head slightly at her.
Su Tong herself didn't care much. As long as it suited her son's tastes and was genuinely good to him, what difference did it make whether she called him by that title or not?
After a few seconds of stunned silence, she realized she had said the wrong thing, so she opened her mouth and whispered, "Mother."
For some reason, Jiang Yi's eyes welled up with tears after she called out "Mother"—she missed home.
It seems I'm still not fully ready for this role.
"There were too many people the other day so I didn't get a good look at you, Lin'er, your new bride is truly beautiful!"
Jiang Yi's face suddenly turned red, and He Lin smiled silently.
Su Tong gently stroked the little braid hanging down in front of her from top to bottom, took Jiang Yi's hand and patted it, and said with a gentle smile, "Good child, you must be starving, come and eat, Lin'er, come quickly!"
Jiang Yi sat next to Su Tong, while He Lin sat down right next to Jiang Yi.
Su Tong saw this scene, but didn't say anything. She lowered her eyes, smiled, and reached for the soup spoon on the table.
Seeing this, Qinglian quickly stepped forward: "Madam, let me do it."
Su Tong dodged the spoon to the side, avoiding her, and laughed, "It's alright, I'll do it."
According to the rules, the elders should eat first. Since Su Tong doesn't eat, He Lin and Jiang Yi, the two younger generation, naturally cannot start eating first.
Su Tong ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Jiang Yi: "This is lotus root and old duck soup. I had them simmer it on the stove for several hours. It should be flavorful by now. Try it and see if you like it."
Qinglian, standing nearby, smiled and chimed in, "This old duck soup was made by the madam herself. Young mistress, please try it."
Jiang Yi was quite flattered. According to the plot, she was supposed to be an unfavored concubine's daughter. How come the plot was different from those TV dramas and novels?
He Lin looked at Su Tong in surprise upon hearing this.
Su Tong had already prepared the soup and handed it to Qinglian, who then walked around the table and placed it in front of He Lin.
"Mom, did you cook today?"
"Hmm, I didn't know what you, my new bride, liked to eat, so I simply made this signature old duck soup."
"Then I'll have to drink more. If Dad finds out, I doubt anyone can take it from him."
Su Tong shook her head helplessly, then said indulgently, "There's plenty more, drink slowly..."
"..."
Jiang Yi stirred it gently with a spoon a few times, took a small sip, and found it to be very good. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the duck meat, simmered over low heat, was so tender that it melted in her mouth. It was incredibly rich, fresh, and delicious. Without exaggeration, this soup was so delicious that it could make your tongue tingle.
"How is it? I think it suits your taste?"
Jiang Yi didn't care about anything else at that moment and gulped it all down in a few mouthfuls.
The maids stared in astonishment, their eyes wide open; they had never seen such a "bold" woman before.
"Mmm, perfect, perfect! This soup is so delicious!"
Jiang Yi was about to serve herself some soup when her hand touched the ladle. She noticed that the air seemed to freeze. When she looked up, she saw a group of people staring at her blankly.
Oh no, I've accidentally revealed my true nature again.
She immediately withdrew her hand, took out a handkerchief, and demurely wiped the corner of her mouth. "Mother, I mean, this soup is delicious."
Su Tong paused for a moment, then bent over with laughter, bursting into a few laughs: "As long as it tastes good, here, let Mom serve you some. Drink more; soup is the most nourishing thing to have at this time of year..."
"..."
Jiang Yi tentatively asked, "Mother, don't you think I'm an unlucky person?"
Being struck by lightning on her wedding day is something most families would avoid like the plague. They would be lucky if they didn't kick her out!
Su Tong smiled and said, "Whether it's auspicious or inauspicious, everyone knows in their hearts. It's not something that others can influence with a few words. I only know that you are now Lin'er's new wife and my daughter-in-law. Don't think too much about anything else."
Jiang Yi was deeply moved. In her eyes, Su Tong was truly worthy of the title "Good Mother-in-Law"!
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