Chapter 2 — The Wedding Veil Still Cold, Loyal Bonds Severed

Confronted by my pointed question, Han Lam Than deliberately attempted to deflect and brush the matter aside:

Mu Vu, let bygone days remain in the past. Why must you continually refuse to let go of these grievances?

If you are still consumed by anger, you may vent it all upon me, but I beg of you to spare Tuyen Tuyen. She has never once offended you in her life.

His talent for fabricating absolute falsehoods with his eyes wide open truly remained unchanged. I maintained a serene, unyielding smile upon my lips, though the depths of my eyes overflowed with bitter mockery:

Very well, then. Just how do you propose to make me dispel this anger?

Han Lam Than froze, entirely unprepared for me to actually seize upon his polite pleasantry. His complexion turned a dismal shade of dark. He gestured sharply, commanding the Marquis estate attendants to step forward and forcibly drag me away. Skillfully, I sidestepped their grasp, retreating to the side of Ninh Tuyen Nhi, and feigned a benevolent desire to assist her to her feet. She had not the slightest intention of accepting my aid, but ever since I had taken up martial arts, my physical strength had multiplied manifold; with just a fraction of my power, I hauled her upright. Clad in garments of the thinnest silk, despite Tuyen Tuyen desperately hunching over, the distinct swell of her abdomen remained impossible to conceal. Han Lam Than, naturally, saw it all with pristine clarity, yet his expression mirrored nothing save for panicked anxiety. I knew instantly that every word he had once uttered—claiming he regarded Tuyen Tuyen merely as a sworn brother—was nothing more than a deceitful lie. For all I knew, long before he had ever wedded me, illicit feelings had already blossomed between them. I locked my grip tightly around Tuyen Tuyen's arm, preventing her from fleeing toward Han Lam Than, and asked with a saccharine smile:

Whose child is resting within your womb? And how many months have passed since its conception?

The single inquiry sent a shockwave through the surrounding crowd. Not a soul had anticipated that I would so bluntly press an issue of such excruciating awkwardness. Tuyen Tuyen's face instantly flushed a brilliant, burning crimson, and she hissed with furious indignation:

Little sister Shen Vu, do not spout such reckless nonsense and ruin my reputation...

With chilling indifference, I cut her off mid-sentence, pivoting to demand whether Han Lam Than had been aware of her pregnancy all along.

Forgive my abruptness, but surely this child has no connection to you whatsoever, does it?

I cast their minds back half a year to our wedding night, recalling how Han Lam Than had sworn with his own lips that absolutely no romantic relation existed between himself and Ninh Tuyen Nhi. He had declared them to be nothing more than devoted sworn siblings, vowing that they would never cross that forbidden boundary in this lifetime.

At the time, even the young master of the Ministry of Rites and the heir of the Duke's estate stood as witnesses to his vows.

How is it that mere months later, you have suddenly taken her as your bride? Let me venture a guess—was it entirely to shield her from the scandal of conceiving a child out of wedlock that you sacrificed your own dignity and married her as your wife?

To think that the affection between such sworn siblings runs so profoundly deep. It is truly enough to inspire one's utmost admiration.

The more outrageously I spoke, the more frantic Han Lam Than became, shouting for me to hold my tongue while lunging forward to snatch Tuyen Tuyen away. Tuyen Tuyen likewise thrashed desperately, attempting to tear herself free from my grasp. Yet regardless of how fiercely she struck and kicked at me, I resolutely refused to loosen my hold, dragging her straight into the thickest part of the dense crowd while raising my voice in a piercing cry:

Everyone, I beg of you, come forward and help! The bridegroom is overcome with shame and fury, and now he means to resort to violence!

The bride is carrying a child within her; no mishap can be permitted to befall her. Someone, quickly restrain him!

The courtyard had long since filled to the brim with onlookers eager to witness the spectacle, and the Marquis estate guards and servants dared not offend the distinguished guests, leaving their movements severely constrained. I dragged Tuyen Tuyen straight toward the outer courtyard, where the gathering was even more densely packed. The Marquis and his wife were currently entertaining their esteemed guests when they suddenly beheld their newly wedded daughter-in-law, her hair disheveled, being hauled directly before them. Both stared in utter, paralyzed astonishment. Seizing the fleeting moment before Han Lam Than could catch up, I once again let loose a fabricated tale:

My lord, my lady, this is a catastrophe! Your esteemed heir discovered that Ninh Tuyen Nhi was with child before marriage, and now he is enraged to the point of wanting to beat her to death!

I implore the two of you to quickly send someone to stop him! Whatever faults she may possess, we must prevent a murder from taking place here today!

Destroying her reputation alone was far from sufficient; since Ninh Tuyen Nhi had dared to strike the initial blow, I felt no compunction against returning tenfold the malice. I longed to witness whose cruelty would ultimately prevail. By the time Han Lam Than finally caught up, frantic to offer explanations, the situation had long since spiraled past the point of control. The assembled guests exchanged relentless whispers, fixing Tuyen Tuyen with gazes brimming with utter disdain, while casting looks of biting mockery even upon the members of the Han family.

To think he broke his engagement with the Prime Minister's daughter solely to marry this one, imagining he would secure a bride of noble birth, only to discover she is nothing more than a loose woman bearing a bastard child!

Throughout the entire Marquis household, Han Lam Than is the sole legitimate son, yet now he welcomes home a firstborn of dubious paternity. I have truly never heard of a more humiliating spectacle!

Utterly broken past the point of endurance, Han Lam Than finally snapped, letting out a furious roar:

Which among you dares to utter that Tuyen Tuyen's child is a bastard! I swear I shall never forgive any of you!