Yan Mo did not look like someone who belonged to Liu Yanyu.
That thought crossed my mind the moment I saw him.
But this marriage… was never normal from the beginning.
Years ago, Yan Mo's father was a gambler.
He borrowed money from anyone he could find. No matter the family, no matter the situation, as long as he could get money, he would take it. And like most gamblers, he never truly paid back what he owed.
One of those debts… was to Liu Yanyu's parents.
At that time, things were still manageable. Liu Yanyu's parents were kind people. They did not press too hard, hoping he would repay them someday.
But he never did.
In the end, he made a promise.
If he could not pay back the money… then his son would marry their youngest daughter.
It was a careless promise.
But Liu Yanyu's parents agreed.
They had always been worried about her.
With her personality...arrogant, stubborn, and troublesome...they feared she might never get married.
So they accepted it.
Years passed.
The debt was never paid.
And now, Liu Yanyu was nineteen.
Yan Mo was twenty.
The promise had come due.
At first, Liu Yanyu did not care much about him. To her, he was just another poor village boy, always dressed in rough clothes, covered in dirt from farm work.
She ignored him.
Looked down on him.
Never gave him a second glance.
Until one night.
That night, she saw him by accident.
He had just finished washing. His usual rough appearance was gone. His clothes were simple, but clean. His face, no longer covered in dust, was sharp and calm.
For the first time, she saw him clearly.
And she fell.
From that moment, everything changed.
She declared that she would marry him.
No one could stop her, not her sisters, not the villagers, not even Yan Mo himself.
She forced the marriage through, without caring about what he wanted.
And that was how this wedding came to be.
---
Standing in the courtyard, I looked at the man in red again.
So this is the result…
A forced marriage.
A husband who probably did not want to be here.
A wife who used power and pressure to tie him down.
I let out a slow breath and continued walking toward him.
The closer I got, the clearer I could see his face.
Even with all the noise earlier, he had not reacted at all, it was as if none of this mattered to him.
I stopped a few steps away from him.
Immediately I stood in front of him a screen appeared beside him.
[ Yan Mo ]
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then his eyes lifted slightly and met mine.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then his eyes lifted slightly and met mine.
The moment he saw me clearly, his expression changed.
It was very small.
But I saw it.
His gaze stayed on my face a second longer than before, as if he was not sure what he was seeing.
And honestly… I understood why.
This was not the Liu Yanyu he knew.
I was not dressed in those bright, messy clothes anymore. There was no heavy, ugly makeup covering my face. No strong smell of powder. No exaggerated colors.
Instead, I was wearing a simple blue hanfu.
The color rested softly against my skin, making it look even clearer.
My face was bare, without a single trace of makeup. My lips had their natural color, soft and light. My eyes, though small, were clean and bright.
My hair was tied into two neat buns, with a few soft bangs falling gently over my forehead.
For the first time…
I looked like a proper young lady.
Yan Mo's gaze lingered for a moment before he slowly looked away, as if he did not want to stare too long.
But that brief reaction was enough.
He had noticed.
I did not say anything about it.
Instead, I stood calmly in front of him, my posture straight, my expression steady.
"The guests are gone," I said simply.
My voice was quiet and clear.. there was no trace of arrogance.
He had noticed.
He gave a small nod. "Mm."
Before I could say anything else, I heard stumbling footsteps.
"Master… master… ahhh, master… is that you…?"
I turned slightly.
The four drunk men from earlier were walking toward me, swaying as they tried to keep their balance.
The moment they saw me clearly, they froze.
Their eyes widened.
One of them, a tall man with long braided hair, dropped the jar of liquor in his hand. It fell to the ground with a dull sound.
A blue screen appeared beside him.
[ Name: Zhang Lei ]
He blinked hard, as if trying to wake himself up.
"T-this… this is not right…"
Another man stepped forward. He had sharp eyes and a thin face.
He stared at me in disbelief.
"There is no way… Master looks… like this?"
A screen appeared beside him.
[ Name: Chen Guo ]
The third man, bald and fat, rubbed his eyes again and again.
"Did I drink too much…? Why does Master look… angelic?"
Another screen appeared.
[ Name: Wang Bao ]
The last one was shorter, with a scar on his chin. He said nothing, but his eyes stayed fixed on me, full of shock.
[ Name: Li Shan ]
The four of them slowly surrounded me, still staring as if I had turned into a different person.
Behind me, I could feel Yan Mo's gaze, calm and quiet, watching everything.
I let out a small breath.
So these are… my people.
I raised my hand slightly.
"Enough."
My voice was calm, but firm.
They immediately went quiet.
That alone told me how much influence the original Liu Yanyu had over them.
"Listen carefully," I said. "Go back to your homes now."
They blinked.
"Master…?"
"Take your families," I continued. "Pack food, clothes, and anything valuable. Don't take too much. Only what you can carry."
Their expressions slowly changed.
From confusion…
To seriousness.
"What is going on?" Zhang Lei asked.
"I will explain later," I said. "For now, just do as I say."
They exchanged quick looks.
Something in my tone must have convinced them.
Because this time, none of them joked.
None of them questioned further.
They all nodded.
"…Alright."
"We'll go now."
Without wasting another second, the four of them turned and rushed out of the courtyard.
The atmosphere became quiet again.
Just then, Liu Muyan walked over quickly.
"I've sent everyone away," she said.
I nodded.
"Alright."
She looked at me, then at the direction the men had left.
"What about them?"
"They'll be back," I replied.
"With their families."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Before she could ask more, Liu Ruyan came out, carrying the packed bundles.
"I'm done," she said.
I nodded again.
"Good. We're leaving soon."
Liu Muyan's expression turned serious.
"I'll go call Uncle Han and Aunt Han," she said quickly.
"They need to come with us."
I looked at her and gave a small nod.
"Ok.. we will be here waiting."
She did not waste time and immediately ran off.