"From today, you are a member of the Gong family!" The voice was old, yet it carried a sense of pressure. It came from a woman, a very old woman, the oldest woman in the Gong family—Old Madam Gong.
Xue Lian sat quietly at the edge of the bed, her face completely covered by a red veil with gold embroidery. The room was very quiet, so quiet that the faint crackle of the candle could be heard. Xue Lian shifted slightly, feeling a bit numb from sitting for too long.
"Creek—" The door suddenly opened, emitting an unpleasant grinding sound.
It must be her husband. Xue Lian felt a wave of nervousness as she sat there, her body instinctively moving further into the bed, trying to shrink away from whatever might come. She wasn’t sure how to face him, her husband, or even what he expected. She could only wait helplessly, feeling like the situation was beyond her control.
A gust of cold wind blew in, causing Xue Lian to shiver slightly. She had been waiting for a while, but her husband hadn't come over. To be precise, she hadn't heard any footsteps at all...
There was no sound, but the door creaked open. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she reached up to gently lift the red veil from her head. The room was empty, save for two red dragon-and-phoenix candles, their flickering fmes casting unsettling shadows across the space.
No one was there, yet the door was open. Thinking of this, Xue Lian couldn′t help but shiver. She reached up and gently removed the red veil from her head. The room was empty, with no one in sight—only two red dragon-and-phoenix candles flickered with a dazzling but somewhat uneasy glow.
"Is anyone there?" Xue Lian's voice trembled slightly, but no one answered her. Summoning her courage, she slowly walked toward the door and cautiously peeked outside. The courtyard was completely deserted. On this joyous day, there wasn′t even someone stationed outside to look after her. Only two bright red nterns hung high above the door.
Just as Xue Lian was puzzling over the situation, a sudden voice rang out.
"What are you doing?"
The voice came from not far away, startling Xue Lian. She stumbled backward, her foot catching on the threshold.
"Young Madam!" The voice sounded again, this time right beside Xue Lian, as the person had rushed over at lightning speed. "You should stay in the room. How could you remove the veil yourself? That's so inauspicious!"
Xue Lian looked up to see a girl squatting in front of her, no more than fourteen or fifteen years old. She had arched eyebrows, slender eyes, fair skin with a rosy glow, and long jet-bck hair braided into two pits that hung over her chest. She was slightly plump and short, dressed in a pink jacket and blue pants—typical servant attire.
Relieved, Xue Lian let out a small sigh. At the same time, she felt a little embarrassed that she had been startled by such a young girl.
"Young Madam, please hurry back inside and put the red veil back on! If Shen Ma sees this, she'll report it to the old dy, and then you'll be in trouble!" The young girl spoke anxiously as she helped Xue Lian to her feet, her face full of innocent worry. Xue Lian found herself warming to the girl before her, liking her cheerful and straightforward demeanor.
"Xiao Dun'er, what are you talking about?" A voice suddenly sounded behind them, carrying a hint of sternness.
"Ma—dam—Shen—" The girl who had been chattering nonstop a moment ago immediately froze. Her head drooped as she took a step back, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.
Xue Lian thought to herself: If it weren′t for the door behind her, the girl would probably keep retreating until she disappeared entirely.
"Young Madam, why are you standing by the door? Shouldn't you be inside with the red veil on?" Shen Ma's words alternated between sharp and soft, sounding as if they were squeezed through her teeth. Her face, deeply lined with wrinkles, was completely expressionless, yet her small, slit-like eyes carried an indescribable air of shrewdness.
Xue Lian lowered her head and remained silent. She still wasn′t accustomed to the way people in wealthy households spoke.
"Young Madam, perhaps she doesn′t fully understand our rules yet, or maybe she′s just not used to them..." Xiao Dun'er softly spoke up in defense of Xue Lian.
"Is it your pce to speak? I was asking the young madam!" Shen Ma's sharp, calcuting eyes locked directly onto Xue Lian.
"I... I thought I heard the sound of the door opening, so..." Xue Lian murmured softly, keeping her head lowered, unable to meet Shen Ma's penetrating gaze.
"The sound of the door opening!" Shen Ma's voice suddenly rose, so loud it sounded as if she had been startled by something. Even Xiao Dun′er, standing nearby, instinctively leaned back against the door.
Xue Lian hadn′t expected her simple comment to provoke such a strong reaction. She carefully observed the expressions of the two women before her.
"Again, it's happening again..." Xiao Dun′er repeated the words over and over, her face as pale as paper. Tears welled up uncontrolbly in her eyes, and her legs seemed unable to support her anymore.
"Silence!" Shen Ma suddenly shouted, her voice thunderous. Then, just as quickly, she returned to her earlier tone and said, "It's getting te. Young Madam, you should rest now. Xiao Dun′er, take good care of the Young Madam. And remember—don't speak carelessly about things you shouldn't say!"
The st sentence was clearly directed at Xiao Dun'er.
Xiao Dun′er nodded vigorously, her exaggeratedly tight-lipped expression making it obvious she wouldn′t dare utter another word. Seeing this, Xue Lian couldn′t help but find it amusing and burst out ughing.
"Young Madam, please conduct yourself properly!" Shen Ma reminded Xue Lian incessantly, leaving her feeling stifled. She suppressed her ughter, composed herself, and slowly walked back into the room. However, questions began to swirl in her mind.
She couldn’t understand why her casual remark had elicited such an intense reaction. And why had there been no wedding ceremony before she was sent directly to the bridal chamber?
