C2 A Wife Yan Li

"...Her name is Yan Li, and she will be Ye's wife in the future..."

Mr. Luo's words left Mrs. Lau's mind buzzing. Even after Mr. Luo and the woman in the bridal gown disappeared from sight, she couldn't quite process it. It was only when Nanny Lau raised her voice that she snapped back to reality.

A wife? Luo Tingye's wife? Where did this wife come from? He just went to the Second Master Luo Mansion for a wedding banquet, and now he brings back a wife?

The important thing wasn't the wife but that Mr. Luo hadn't consulted her, disregarding her position as the mistress of the Luo Mansion.

"Ha, Luo Tingye, do you think having a sudden wife will let you slip through my fingers? Even if you had ten or eight wives, I, Liu Huiying, wouldn't care."

With a cold snort, Mrs. Lau followed them into the mansion. But after taking just two steps, she realized something was off.

"Wait, this is a wife for that little brat. Then, what about the young lady from the Xie family?"

The bride's last name was Yan, not Xie. Mrs. Lau was stunned. What on earth was going on?

Banquet Night Courtyard.

Yan Li's red veil was still in place. She had come straight from the bridal sedan to the Luo Mansion with Mr. Luo. She didn't mind who she married; she just wanted to complete her tasks peacefully.

However, she had been sitting on the bed for almost half an hour, and her sickly husband hadn't come to lift the veil. Was he really too ill to move? Should she lift it herself? She didn't mind doing that, just as she didn't mind changing husbands, let alone lifting a small veil.

Yet, she decided to hold her patience. After all, this was the past, not the present, and it was better to be reserved. Waiting a bit longer wouldn't hurt.

What Yan Li didn't know was that through the window lattice, her every move was being observed by a certain sick man. Luo Tingye's deep eyes narrowed slightly, filled with an unreadable expression.

Zuo was deeply concerned for his young master but felt helpless. He gently advised, "Sir, you should go inside. I'm sure the master had no other choice... Sigh, that cousin from the Luo family is really something else. How could he stoop so low?"

Luo Tingye's mood was far from good, but he suppressed his irritation and replied softly, "Enough, let's not talk about my cousin. It's not for us to judge."

"...Yes," Zuo said, stepping back with a hint of resignation.

Luo Tingye sighed inwardly, composed himself, and covered his pale lips before finally entering the room.

The room was neither too big nor too small. The usual white candles had been replaced with festive red ones, casting a warm glow on the unfamiliar woman sitting by the bed. Her bright red wedding dress radiated a sense of celebration, yet he felt no joy at all.

Her face was hidden beneath a veil, making it impossible for Luo Tingye to see her features. His father had mentioned, "She's beautiful," before leaving, but how beautiful? Was she more beautiful than Miss Xie?

As he pondered, a cool, gentle voice broke the silence.

"Husband, is that you?"

Luo Tingye was taken aback. He had walked so quietly; how did she know he was there?

The voice continued, "Please don't be upset, husband. I have a keen sense of smell and caught the scent of the medicine you use. Your father mentioned you rely on it."

This was Yan Li's unique ability—to detect scents others couldn't. Unbeknownst to her, her candidness eased Luo Tingye's earlier frustration. Marrying Miss Xie for business reasons seemed less appealing than marrying Yan Li, who had no such ties. Plus, her voice was pleasant, and at least he didn't dislike it.

He cleared his throat with a fist to his lips, "Yes, it's me. I suppose it's been a bit unfair to you."

Unfair? That was just on the surface. Who was really being treated unfairly was up for debate.

Yan Li seemed not to catch the underlying meaning of his words and continued, "Let's just call it fate. No one expected the Luo family's son to elope with the Xie family's daughter. And just when I was supposed to marry into the Luo family, the fathers of both families, along with yours, decided I should marry you instead."

The situation was complicated, yet easy to understand. Essentially, her cousin from the Luo family had ties with her, while Luo Tingye was connected to the Xie family's daughter. But when her cousin and the Xie family's daughter ran off together, to save face for all three families, it was decided that Luo Tingye and she should marry. This arrangement benefited everyone: it allowed the cousin and the Xie family's daughter to be together, Luo Tingye to marry early, and provided her, an orphan from the countryside, a place to call home. In short, it was a win-win.

However...

Yan Li added, "Husband, this isn't unfair to you either. At least now you know the Xie family's daughter wasn't interested in you. It's better to find out before marriage than after, sparing you from greater harm. In these unpredictable times, what if the Xie family's daughter had cheated with your cousin? You'd be the one losing out."

Yan Li rattled off a string of thoughts.

Luo Tingye felt a bit overwhelmed. Was she sympathizing with him or trying to console him? And didn't she get tired of talking so much? No woman had ever spoken this much in front of him before. The maids either feared catching his illness and left quickly or were too infatuated to speak.

Luo Tingye raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing her first trait: she talked a lot, which was a bit of a headache since he preferred silence.

He walked to the bed, sat on the other end, and asked, "And what about you?"

Yan Li paused, confused. "What?"

Luo Tingye replied, "Miss Xie might be unfaithful... what about you?"

"Unfaithful" was a new word to her, but she understood its meaning. It implied that Miss Xie admired Luo's cousin and might eventually have an affair with him.

Yan Li answered honestly, "I would never be unfaithful. I'm a country girl who values purity and family reputation highly. I would never do something that would bring shame. I promise—no, I swear—that as long as we're married, I won't look at another man."

While we're married? So, does that mean if they're not married, she could be unfaithful?

Luo Tingye caught the implication in Yan Li's words but chose not to dwell on it. Instead, he smiled to himself and let it go.

"Um, could you lift my veil now? Father said that once you do, I'll truly be your wife," Yan Li said earnestly from beneath the veil.

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