Chapter 3 — The Proxy Sister

My father smoothed his features into an expression of gentle, beaming affection.

"Today is the day your elder sister is laid to rest."

"Behave yourself, and do not cause any more trouble."

Seeing that I remained silent, he looked at me with his swollen, puffy face, his eyes full of pleading. "Do you hear me? Can you do that?" I gave a slight nod. Only then was he reassured, and he accompanied us into the Grand Chancellor's estate. My father wore a face that looked like a slaughtered pig's head, and my stepmother limped heavily on one leg. When curious onlookers inquired about their conditions, they simply claimed that their overwhelming grief had manifested as physical ailments—one having slammed his head against a wall, the other having twisted her ankle. As everyone else gravitated toward the main courtyard, I quietly slipped away toward the funeral chamber.

"I wish to spend a moment alone with my sister. You may all withdraw."

The fact that I was to be wed into the Cui household as the successor wife to Cui Teminh was no longer a secret. The servants of the house, seeing me as the future young mistress, offered me enough deference to clear the room. Once they had dispersed, and with my fourth younger sister keeping watch outside, my third younger sister and I combined our efforts to push aside the heavy lid of the coffin.

"Second Sister, hurry!"

Pressed by her urgency, I drew the dagger I had long hidden within my sleeve. I plunged it deep into the chest of Meng Chennyue with all my might. If she wanted to die, she might as well die thoroughly.

7

Once we had cleaned away the evidence, we sat in the main hall. The Heavenly Scroll flickered with even greater intensity than before. [Wait a minute... what did the side character just do?] [Even if she destroys the heroine's body, it is useless. Three years from now, she will return. The system merely needs to snap its fingers to provide her with a brand-new vessel.] [Whoever said the male lead is a true romantic was right—even with a new body, he recognizes her with just a single glance. It makes me swoon.] The scroll erupted into a chaotic clamor. [I don't understand; they could be intimate behind closed doors, so why drag the side character into this?] [Destroying someone else's entire life just to complete their own love story—is that really what passes for righteousness?] I calmly memorized every piece of vital information revealed in those lines. So-called heroine? Meng Chennyue was a demon through and through. Noticing my prolonged silence, my father took the initiative to ask, "Hien Am, what is on your mind?" I offered him a smile—a perfect, flawless expression that invited no scrutiny.

"Father, I was simply thinking of some storybooks I have been reading lately."

"Tell me, do you think it is possible for someone in this world to switch bodies and continue living under another person's identity?"

Before my father could respond, the young master of the Cui household interjected with a scoff.

"It seems your obsession with those storybooks has driven you to delusions."

"Such fabrications—how could they ever be considered reality?"

"Even if such things truly existed, they would surely be the work of evil spirits, and they would have to be burned alive to prevent future catastrophe."

I feigned deep contemplation and gave a slight, agreeable nod.

8

Before long, the wedding day between myself and Cui Teminh arrived.

"Since you are merely a successor wife following in her footsteps, there is no need for grand displays."

Those were the exact words of Cui Teminh. Soon after, a modest bridal sedan arrived to carry me into the Cui manor, and a few close acquaintances were invited for a simple meal, marking the end of the ceremony. I sat inside the austere sedan, swaying as it jolted toward the gates of the Cui estate. From daylight until nightfall, the Cui family seemed to have forgotten my existence entirely. The meal box prepared earlier was withheld, with the steward claiming it "did not befit the rules." The sounds of laughter and revelry from outside drifted into my ears. Without the patience to wait for Cui Teminh, I lifted my own veil and began foraging for food in the room. Madam Trieu, who had been waiting in the corner, immediately spoke up to block me.

"Young Mistress, the master has not yet unveiled you, nor have you shared the nuptial wine. The wedding is not complete."

"If you act this way, I fear it is highly improper."

Madam Trieu had been the wet nurse close to my elder sister in the old house. She was fiercely loyal to her, and my sister had always treated her with utmost respect. It was a pity that, having been pampered by the household for so long, she had forgotten her own station. Though her words sounded respectful, her actions were incredibly insolent. As she finished speaking, she reached out to force me back into my seat. However, before her hand could even touch the hem of my dress, Thuy Lieu, standing beside me, caught her wrist with lightning speed. Madam Trieu flew into a rage and shrieked, "How dare you! I am the wet nurse of the eldest young lady. Who are you to obstruct me?"

As she continued her tirade of insults, Cui Teminh stepped into the room.

9

He reeked of strong alcohol, stumbling as he made his way inside.

"I have long heard that the second young lady of the Meng family had no sense of propriety."

He scanned me from head to toe with his eyes, then let out a sneer of contempt.

"It is exactly as they said..."

In the letters my elder sister used to send me, she would always write: "My husband loves me deeply; he is the finest man in the world."

But... what cat in this world refuses a taste of stolen fish? Especially a man who cannot control his base physical desires? The way he looked at me now—filled with disdain and low, carnal hunger—was sickening. Beneath that contemptuous gaze lurked a surging, uncontrollable lust. It made my stomach churn. Cui Teminh collapsed onto the bed.

"Come here and serve me."

The Heavenly Scroll flickered to life again. [Has the male lead been possessed? Didn't he only love the heroine?] [Wake up, you people above. All this talk of "undying devotion" is nothing but a performance. He has taken concubines and married a successor wife; what pure love are you still expecting?] [Apparently, taking the concubines was forced by the Empress, and marrying the successor wife was forced by Meng Chennyue.] [So, is sleeping with whoever he pleases also forced by others?] The others in the room, sensing the mood, wisely withdrew. I lifted my feet and walked slowly toward Cui Teminh. He kept his eyes fixed on me, not wavering for a second. I tilted my head and asked softly, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Cui Teminh parted his lips, his breath heavy with the scent of wine.

"Although you are vulgar and low, you cannot compare to your sister."

"But since you have married into this house, I will not treat you coldly. Whatever you are owed, I will provide in full, so that others will not dare to look down upon you."