Chapter 5 — Wedding Day Switch: My Husband Traded Me Away

Throughout the entire imperial capital, everyone was placing heavy wagers on how many days I would manage to survive. Yet, against all expectations, on the third day following the wedding—the traditional day for the bride to return home—the Regent Prince, a figure whose very name struck terror into the hearts of mortals across the realm, reached out a hand toward me, signaling his intention to assist me into the carriage.

I gazed at his extended hand, hesitating for a fleeting moment before gently placing my own palm within his. His hand was remarkably large and radiated a deep warmth, the skin of his palm bearing a light layer of calluses—a texture I had never before touched. He tightened his grip slightly, conveying a quiet strength that allowed me to steady myself effortlessly as I stepped down from the carriage. The entire movement unfolded as naturally as flowing water, and rather than letting go immediately, he simply kept holding my hand with complete naturalness. Standing side by side before the towering gates of the Shen estate, I could sense countless gazes fixed upon us like sharp needles piercing our skin, filled with astonishment, incomprehension, burning jealousy, and lingering fear.

Raising my head, my gaze swept past the gathered crowd and landed with absolute precision upon Gu Yan and Shen Rou. They stood at the very front, directly beside my father, Prime Minister Shen. Shen Rou was draped in a delicate light pink gown, her face meticulously made up, though it failed to mask the sickly pallor beneath. Clinging tightly to Gu Yan’s side, her slender frame trembled slightly, her eyes brimming with a disbelief so profound it bordered on the surreal. As for Gu Yan, he stared fixedly at our interlocked hands, his features—once forever gentle and refined like polished jade—completely distorted by consuming jealousy. Veins thudded against his bloodshot eyes, and the hand hidden within his billowing sleeve was clenched so rigidly that the knuckles turned white.

A wave of deep, intoxicating satisfaction surged through my heart at the sight of his wretched state. I offered him a faint smile, my lips parting slightly.

"I must still express my gratitude to my dear brother-in-law for bringing us together."

My voice was not loud, yet the courtyard before the Shen residence was so dead silent that the drop of a pin could have been heard, allowing every single soul present to catch each syllable with absolute clarity. Those two words—brother-in-law—struck like a pair of resounding slaps, viciously landing squarely across Gu Yan’s face. In an instant, his complexion morphed from a twisted mask of jealousy into a humiliated, ghastly white. Shen Rou swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing on the spot. Gu Yan hastily caught her, his eyes burning with an intense, venomous rage as he glared at me.

"Shen Hua, you..."

He started to speak, but the words were abruptly frozen in his throat by a gaze of chilling severity. It was Feng Yuan. Feng Yuan did not even deign to look at him; he merely inclined his head slightly, a razor-thin glint of absolute killing intent flashing through his fathomless eyes. Gu Yan’s unfinished words choked off instantly, unable to force out even a half-syllable.

The entire scene plunged into a bizarre, suffocating stillness. The expression on my father’s face grew hideously grim to the extreme. Stepping forward, the Prime Minister bowed low in a deep, reverent salute toward Feng Yuan.

"This humble subject was unaware of Your Highness's grand arrival and failed to welcome you from afar. I beg the Prince to forgive this transgression."

His back was bent deeply, his posture radiating utter submission, entirely stripped of the usual haughty authority that befitted a man of his high office.

"It is of no consequence."

Feng Yuan uttered the four words with absolute nonchalance.

"This Prince has accompanied the Princess back to visit her family home."

His tone remained measured, yet it carried an innate, overwhelming pressure that forced everyone present to unconsciously hold their breath. Princess. He was reminding every single person there of my current status. I was no longer the discarded daughter of the Shen household who could be casually manipulated and cast aside at a moment's notice; I was the legitimate, honored mistress of the Regent Prince's grand mansion.

Bending even lower, my father replied hastily, "Indeed, indeed. Please, Your Highness, Princess, step inside."

He edged to the side, extending a deferential hand in a gesture of welcome. Gu Yan and Shen Rou had no choice but to humiliate themselves by retreating to the margin, clearing a path for our procession. Holding my hand securely within his, Feng Yuan paced steadily up the stone steps of the Shen estate. Every single step felt as though it were deliberately crushing down upon the hearts of Gu Yan and Shen Rou. As we passed right beside them, I could distinctly hear the stifled, choked sobs of Shen Rou struggling against her tears, mingled with the heavy, furious breathing of Gu Yan, choked by impotent rage.

Truly, it was music to my ears. The smile lingering at the corners of my lips deepened even further.

As we crossed the grand threshold of the Shen manor, the murmurs of the surrounding guests erupted behind us like rolling thunder.

"Good heavens, the Regent Prince actually came alongside her in person!"

"And he is holding her hand! Weren't the rumors claiming that the Regent Prince has never once cared for female company?"

"Look at Young Master Gu’s expression—it has turned entirely green."

"What a magnificent spectacle we have to witness today. To think she was viewed as a cast-off, only to ascend directly to the heavens in a single bound."

Every single word drifted unhindered into the ears of Gu Yan and Shen Rou, leaving no room for escape.