It had been almost three months since Zheng Qian had transmigrated.
She had always heard people say that her fiancé, Wen Zhao, was very handsome, but she had never really seen how handsome he was.
From the memories of the original owner, Wen Zhao always appeared somewhat blurry. She wasn't sure if it was because the original owner hadn't looked at him carefully, or if the hurt he caused her had been so deep that she had tried to forget him before her death.
The original owner had committed suicide because she had sent Wen Zhao a pouch, only for him to pawn her off to Zheng Yutan's dogs. She had gone to reason with him, been scolded by her father, and then hanged herself.
When a person reaches that final step, it's never on a whim. The reprimand from the Marquis of Jing'an was merely the last straw that broke the camel's back.
The original owner didn't die out of spite; she had thought everything through. She forgot what she needed to forget, remembered what she needed to remember, and then went on her way peacefully.
So for Zheng Qian, looking at Rui Wang Xiao Zhan was clear, but Wen Zhao remained a blur.
It wasn't until today that Zheng Qian truly saw Wen Zhao's face clearly.
She was astonished.
Cosmetic technology in the space age was incredibly advanced. If someone wanted a perfect face, it could be done with no traces visible. Zheng Qian had seen many beautiful people beyond imagination.
If she thought someone was beautiful, then they truly were.
Wen Zhao was such a person.
He had a tall, slender frame and wore a raven-blue traditional robe that made him look exceptionally elegant. His eyes were slanted, his lips thin, and his features combined perfectly, with not a single flaw. Even his gaze was slightly softer and more charming than others.
He was so beautiful that it was hard to tell whether he leaned male or female.
"Truly handsome!" Zheng Qian couldn't help but admire silently.
If she were a Wen family elder and a bit more ruthless, she wouldn't let him marry a fallen noblewoman. She might have sold him to a princess as a kept beauty and gained more benefits.
Of course, someone as handsome as him might even have a prince willing to act as his protector. Beauty could be monetized.
Zheng Qian thought: "If I had the money, I'd want a kept beauty like that too."
He was really a feast for the eyes.
"Big sister!" The third young lady cleared her throat as she noticed Zheng Qian staring at Wen Zhao.
Was the big sister mesmerized by her fiancé?
Zheng Qian snapped out of it.
Wen Zhao's face changed at that moment. Seeing her, he frowned angrily: "Why are you here? Where's the second young lady?"
Was that even a human way to speak in front of the Zheng family's aunts?
"She's beautiful, but her beauty wasn't bought with intelligence, right?" Zheng Qian muttered.
Beautiful people were desirable, but if all his brains had been traded for looks, she wouldn't be happy keeping him. A too-stupid kept beauty wasn't fun. She wanted someone clever, obedient, and perceptive.
Wen Zhao's single question completely snapped Zheng Qian back to reality.
"Third Madam, where is the second young lady? Why hasn't she come?" Wen Zhao asked the third madam, frowning, without waiting for Zheng Qian to answer.
The third madam couldn't help but laugh.
This young master of the Wen family was interesting—he slapped his fiancée's face so directly and loudly.
"Young Master Wen, aren't you mistaken? You're supposed to marry our eldest lady. Isn't it normal that the second young lady hasn't come?" the third madam said, smiling.
Wen Zhao didn't catch the sarcasm in her words at all. "But she promised she would come. She even sent someone to tell me to have my mother specially send her an invitation. She wanted to be different from the other young ladies. Why hasn't she come?"
Zheng Qian: "..."Third Madam: "..."Third Young Lady: "..."
The moment he spoke, he completely exposed the second young lady.
The third madam was clearly shocked, not knowing whether to be angry or laugh.
The third young lady was equally stunned—wasn't the second young lady afraid of being exposed behind the scenes? She was fine, so why must she compete for the big sister's fiancé?
Zheng Qian no longer felt pity for the second young lady; she was her own undoing.
Then Zheng Qian confirmed: "No doubt, Wen Zhao's beauty was bought with intelligence."
Probably several generations' worth of intelligence, traded for such a beautiful face.
No wonder the Wen family didn't use him to gain wealth.
With that brain, it was already good that he didn't bring trouble to the Wen family, so they let him marry a fallen noblewoman to play a small part in life.
As the three women of the Zheng family stared at Wen Zhao in shock, Mrs. Wen appeared.
She was busy, but as soon as she saw her son, her heart skipped a beat.
She stepped forward to greet the third madam, who returned the greeting. Zheng Qian and the third young lady also quickly greeted Mrs. Wen.
Mrs. Wen, however, held the third young lady's hand and complimented: "The third young lady is getting more beautiful."
She left Zheng Qian aside.
If the second young lady had been here today, Mrs. Wen would likely have praised her more and ignored Zheng Qian.
Mrs. Wen was also a beauty; in her forties, she still had charm, with a face retaining traces of youth—a testament to excellent upkeep.
But like her son, Mrs. Wen had long traded away her intelligence.
Zheng Qian held the cat, feeling both amused and exasperated.
The original owner had been a somewhat sensitive and insecure girl. In such a situation, she probably would have cried out of anger.
Zheng Qian, who had spent years with the military, on bases and mechs, had a face thicker than a city wall and could stand there smiling calmly.
The third young lady, startled by Mrs. Wen, exchanged a few polite words before pushing Zheng Qian forward: "My big sister is also here."
She was considerate and didn't want to embarrass her big sister publicly, who was already awkward.
Zheng Qian's expression didn't change at all.
Mrs. Wen saw her holding a cat and smiled warmly. Her eyes were like a pool of clear water, the mole on her brow bright red, a sharp contrast to her previously timid demeanor. She seemed like a completely different person, slightly surprising.
The eldest young lady had changed.
However, Mrs. Wen didn't like this eldest young lady, as the marquis's household didn't like her, so she followed suit in belittling her.
"Eldest young lady," she said coldly.
"Madam, greetings," Zheng Qian replied with a smile.
"All well," Mrs. Wen said, turning to support the third madam. "The old lady has been waiting for you."
She led the Zheng family women inside.
Zheng Qian fell back a few steps, walking side by side with Wen Zhao.
Previously, in the narrow corridor, she had bumped into Wen Zhao while listening to her future mother-in-law and the third madam speak.
Wen Zhao immediately glared at her: "What are you doing?"
"Oh, sorry, Young Master," Zheng Qian apologized exaggeratedly.
Her sarcasm was crude, but the third young lady and the maids behind her noticed. Surprisingly, Young Master Wen didn't.
He snorted coldly: "Don't think sweet words will make me like you. My heart belongs to the second young lady."
"Then in the future, you can take the second young lady as a concubine, is that okay?" Zheng Qian asked.
Wen Zhao paused, then a faint look of longing appeared on his face: "Really?"
His smile was pure, childlike.
Zheng Qian thought that Wen Zhao had completed a profitable transaction. A foolish beauty might be naive, but it didn't make him unpleasant.
Intelligence didn't matter; beauty could do as it pleased.
"Then later, beg your grandmother to send someone to speak with my family," Zheng Qian said.
Wen Zhao hesitated. "Really okay?"
"Aren't you in love with the second young lady? She likes you, right?"
"Of course!" Wen Zhao said immediately.
"Did she say it herself?" Zheng Qian asked again.
Wen Zhao straightened his chest: "Yes."
"Then what's stopping you?" Zheng Qian smiled.
Wen Zhao immediately perked up, eager to try.
The third young lady, walking behind them, couldn't bear to listen. Heaven! In her fifteen years of life, she had never seen a living fool—what an eye-opener.