A life of ups and downs is pure joy

On the wedding night, the whole room was brightly lit by the wedding candles. Lin Qinghuan sat motionless on the edge of the bed, staring at the door. The maid next to her was so frightened by the aura of the room that she dared not say a word.

As the noisy gongs and drums outside died down, the door was pushed open with a creak. Lin Qinghuan felt her body tense up, and the red veil on her head trembled. She hid under the veil in fear, closing her eyes tightly.

When the girl next to him saw Xiao Yi coming in, she picked up the jade ruyi and handed it to Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi waved his hand and said, "All of you get out."

The maids looked at each other and then retreated.

Lin Qinghuan waited for a long time and found that the room was extremely quiet. She thought Xiao Yi had also left, so she gently lifted the veil. When she raised her eyes, she met Xiao Yi's eyes. His icy face was still expressionless. She was so scared that she put the veil down again.

"I...I want to take...take off this phoenix crown. It's...too heavy." After a long time, Lin Qinghuan could no longer bear the weight of the heavy object on her head and spoke cautiously.

"Yeah." Xiao Yi responded briefly.

Lin Qinghuan lifted her veil, stood up and walked to the dressing table to sit down, thinking carefully about how to take off the phoenix crown. Usually Chuxia Lixue served her, and now she was alone, it would take her a long time to figure out how to take off the phoenix crown.

Xiao Yi looked up at Lin Qinghuan's embarrassed face in the bronze mirror because she was unfamiliar with the process and couldn't take off the phoenix crown for a long time. After a long time, Lin Qinghuan was still struggling in front of the dressing table, at a loss.

Xiao Yi couldn't bear it any longer, so she lowered her head to drink tea to avoid embarrassing Lin Qinghuan, who had been glancing at her in the bronze mirror. Finally, she took off the phoenix crown on her head.

The air was unusually quiet. Lin Qinghuan still sat at her dressing table, not daring to speak or move. Her mind was filled with He Su's earnest advice when she was getting married. "The marriage between the Lin and Xiao families is a decree from the Emperor. Huan'er, Aunt He knows you've been wronged, but you're a child of the Lin family. Naturally, there are many things you can't do as you please. This is the fate you've earned through a lifetime of wealth and glory, and it's the responsibility you bear."

Lin Qinghuan stood up and slowly took off her outer wedding dress, revealing a transparent red gauze dress. Under her fair and slender neck, her breasts were as white as Hetian jade. The transparent gauze dress half-covered her beautiful breasts, and her slender waist was pitiful. Her long, slender, plump and well-proportioned legs were slightly revealed with the broken silk of her skirt. She looked as translucent and seductive as a freshly peeled lychee.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but be stunned when he saw this, then he lowered his eyes and asked without looking at Lin Qinghuan, "What are you doing?"

"Aunt He said that today is our wedding..." Lin Qinghuan's voice was slightly choked, "On the wedding night, the nanny in the mansion has already taught me how to serve... serve you..." Lin Qinghuan couldn't bear to continue with tears in her eyes.

"Go to sleep, there's no need..." Xiao Yi glanced at Lin Qinghuan who was standing there with a pitiful look and stopped talking. He stood up and prepared to leave.

"Aunt He said that if the groom goes out today, I won't be able to hold my head up in the Xiao Mansion in the future. However, it doesn't matter to me anymore." Lin Qinghuan said.

Xiao Yi raised his hand to open the door, then put it down again. He returned to the west couch and sat down coldly. "I'll go out again tomorrow. Go cover the candle and go to sleep."

Lin Qinghuan glanced at Xiao Yi from afar, who was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. He turned around and gently covered the wedding candles beside the bed, lowered the curtains, lay down on the bed, and cried silently under the quilt.

She eventually married into the Xiao family, but the groom was not her brother Yu.

The next day when Lin Qinghuan woke up, Xiao Yi was no longer in the room. Two little maids came in carrying washbasins.

"Young Madam, you're awake." One of the taller girls saw the figure in the curtain sitting up, so she stepped forward to change Lin Qinghuan's clothes. Seeing this, Lin Qinghuan lowered her head and sat back into the bed in fear.

"Young Madam, don't be afraid. We are your maids. My name is Yunxiang and she is Luhua." Yunxiang rolled up the curtains on both sides and stretched out her arms towards Lin Qinghuan.

"I don't need you to serve me, I have maids." Lin Qinghuan buried his head in his legs and sat in the innermost position. The two little maids looked at each other and were suddenly at a loss.

"Young Madam, the eldest master will ask your personal maids to come here in the future. Now let us serve you for the time being." Yun Xiang stepped forward cautiously and said.

"Yes, young madam, you didn't eat anything last night. Let us help you eat now!" Luhua also stepped forward to coax her.

Yun Xiang looked a few years older than Lin Qinghuan, while Lu Hua was a little younger. At this moment, the two maids only felt that this lady was rather willful and was acting like a spoiled young lady. Her character was exactly the same as that of the eldest daughter of the Xiao family.

"I'm not hungry, you guys go out." Lin Qinghuan was afraid of this unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar faces, and everything that would happen next. She was extremely resistant in her heart. It seemed that only the one inch of space on this bed could give her a little sense of security at this moment.

Yun Xiang and Lu Hua stood by awkwardly, then Yun Xiang exchanged a look with Lu Hua and ran out first.

After a while, Yun Xiang came in with an elderly woman. This woman's name was Luo Yun, and she was the housekeeper of Luoyi Pavilion.

Luo Yun walked forward and knelt gently on the couch beside Lin Qinghuan's bed. "Young Madam, a new bride is supposed to serve tea to her mother-in-law and father-in-law on her first day. I believe the nanny in charge of the Lin Mansion's rules should have told you about this, right?"

Lin Qinghuan didn't want to pay attention to this woman, and still buried his face and said nothing.

"Young Madam, the Lin family is a famous family in Kyoto. I believe you know all the etiquette. If you act like a spoiled child and refuse to serve tea on the first day of your wedding, and the news gets out, it won't be a big deal for the Xiao family, but won't you care about the Lin family's reputation?" Luo Yun continued.

"I want my maid to serve me." Lin Qinghuan raised her head, her face covered with traces of tears. Luo Yun then realized that this young lady was so stunningly beautiful. The two maids were also stunned for a moment. They had only heard that the young lady was beautiful, but they didn't expect her to be so stunning.

"Young Madam, when Madam returns home in three days, you can come with your own maid." Seeing Lin Qinghuan give in and looking so pitiful, Luo Yun's tone softened immediately.

"Can I go home after three days?" Lin Qinghuan's frightened eyes looked very weak. The two little maids also looked at each other with sympathy and nodded continuously.

"Of course you can. You are the most honorable young lady of the Xiao Mansion. You will be free in the future and can return to the Lin Mansion at any time." Luo Yun stretched out his hand to help Lin Qinghuan, who had relaxed her vigilance, stand up. Two maids also hurried forward to help her put on clothes and shoes, and to dress up.

"Madam Luo, the eldest master is already waiting for the young lady in the front yard." Yun Xiang walked in from outside and said. When Lin Qinghuan heard that Xiao Yi was outside, she was so scared that the bowl of soup in her hand fell to the ground instantly. The crisp sound of the bowl breaking was even heard by Xiao Yi in the outer yard.

"It's okay, it's okay. The young lady is just too nervous. Don't be afraid. Our master and the eldest lady are very approachable." Luo Yun stepped forward to wipe the residue off Lin Qinghuan's hands, and Lu Hua also cleaned up the debris on the ground.

"Young Madam, the time has come. Don't let the eldest master wait too long." Luo Yun helped Lin Qinghuan up and accompanied her to Xiao Yi in the front yard.

"Are you injured?" Xiao Yi glanced at Lin Qinghuan and asked in a low voice.

"No, no, the young lady's hand slipped." Luo Yun stepped forward and said.

"Well, let's go. Mom and Dad have been waiting for a long time." Xiao Yi wanted to go forward and support Lin Qinghuan, but she was so scared that she took several steps back, so he gave up and let Luo Yun support her.

After Lin Qinghuan and the others left the courtyard, Lu Hua, who was clearing the dishes, said, "Our young mistress is too timid. Is she really a descendant of a military family?"

"I find it very strange too. I just mentioned the eldest young master and she was so scared that she dropped the bowl on the ground. What did the eldest young master do to the young lady last night to make her so scared?" Yun Xiang felt shy again after she finished speaking.

"Sister Yunxiang, I'm so shy, but our young lady is so beautiful. This is the first time I've seen such a stunning beauty. If I were the eldest master, I wouldn't be willing to mess with her." After Luhua finished speaking, the two maids laughed secretly.

In Xuanhui Hall, Xiao Baiwen and Liu Ji were sitting at the upper seats, Xiao Yi and Lin Qinghuan were kneeling below and respectfully serving tea, Xiao Qiannan stood beside Liu Ji and looked at Lin Qinghuan carefully, she never thought that her elder brother would marry her in the end, and she would have to call him sister-in-law in the future.

"Yier, Huan'er, please sit down." Liu Ji said in a soft voice.

Xiao Yi glanced at Luo Yun, who hurried forward to help Lin Qinghuan sit down, and then Xiao Yi sat next to her.

"Now my son has a wife, I am very happy. Huan'er has been the apple of everyone's eye since she was a child. Yi'er, you must treat her well in the future and never let her down." Liu Ji looked at Lin Qinghuan's lost eyes and felt a little sad.

"I know, mother, don't worry." Xiao Yi replied respectfully.

"Huan'er is not familiar with the mansion yet. Yi'er, if you have free time these days, remember to take Huan'er around to show her the way and let the servants recognize their master." Liu Ji continued.

"Mother, if big brother is busy, Nan'er can take the new sister-in-law out for a walk." Xiao Qiannan said.

"That's fine. You are of similar age, so it's convenient for you to talk." Liu Ji glanced at Lin Qinghuan, who had been keeping his head down and not saying a word, and then said.

"If everything is fine, let her go back and rest first." Xiao Yi stood up and said, Luo Yun hurried forward to help Lin Qinghuan up.

"My Yi'er really loves his wife." Liu Ji glanced at Xiao Bowen and said with a smile, "You guys go." Then she waved to the two children.

On the way back to Qingyin Pavilion, Liu Ji and Liu Rong were chatting.

"It's really hard for this child. She was in love with Yu'er, but ended up marrying Yi'er." Liu Ji still felt uncomfortable when she talked about Xiao Yu.

"Feelings can be cultivated. Besides, Yi'er is so outstanding. The young lady will definitely like him after a while." Liu Rong said.

"They will have to rely on themselves in the future. When you are free, go and check Huan'er's pulse. Although she is much better now, I am still a little worried. I hope they can give me grandchildren soon. It's hard to bear seeing Aunt Chen showing off her children and grandchildren in front of me every day." Liu Ji said in a low voice, and Liu Rong nodded.

Xiao Yi gave Luo Yun a few instructions, asking her to take Lin Qinghuan back to Luoyi Pavilion, and then he went straight to Xiao Bowen's study.

"Sister-in-law, wait for me." Lin Qinghuan and Luo Yun were walking in front, and Xiao Qiannan caught up with them.

"Miss." Luo Yun saluted.

"You go back first. I'll take my sister-in-law back to Luoyi Pavilion later." Xiao Qiannan waved to Luo Yun.

"Yes." Luo Yun glanced at Lin Qinghuan worriedly, and seeing that she had no expression on her face, he went downstairs first.

"Is that bracelet your second brother...was it given to you by Gong Heyu?" Xiao Qiannan asked.

"You changed your mind pretty quickly." Lin Qinghuan slowly looked up at Xiao Qiannan and said.

"My...eldest brother has already told me that he is no longer my second brother from now on. He is the young prince of Dayan, the powerful enemy of Dasheng. Naturally, he has to change his words." Xiao Qiannan said after thinking for a while.

"Young Prince..." Lin Qinghuan murmured.

"Let me see if you are still wearing the bracelet." Xiao Qiannan roughly picked up Lin Qinghuan's wrist and lifted her sleeve, revealing only her fair and slender arm without any decorations. "Where is the bracelet?" Xiao Qiannan asked.

"Lost." Lin Qinghuan replied coldly.

"You are quite capable. In the end, you married my elder brother. I warn you, if you dare to bully my elder brother, I will never let you go." Xiao Qiannan said, grabbing Lin Qinghuan's wrist.

"Also, since you are already my eldest brother's legal wife, you must treat him wholeheartedly and stop thinking about my second brother... or that little prince." After Xiao Qiannan finished speaking, she shook off Lin Qinghuan's hand and walked away.

"Brother Yu, the young prince..." Lin Qinghuan couldn't help but let tears flow down her cheeks again.

Lin Qinghuan wandered aimlessly through the Xiao Mansion, unable to recall the way back to Luoyi Pavilion. Before she knew it, she reached a locked courtyard. She looked up and saw "Chenyu Courtyard." She could smell a medicinal aroma, just like Lin Mo's Zelan Garden. Curious, she walked forward, crouching under the crack in the door to peer inside.

"Who are you?" A shout from behind scared her so much that she knelt down on the steps at the door.

"Who are you and why are you here?" A girl who looked like a maid walked over here, frowned and asked Lin Qinghuan from a distance.

"What is this place?" Lin Qinghuan stood up and asked softly.

"Why are you asking so many questions? Turn around and let me see who is so brave." The maid walked slowly over from a distance and asked loudly.

"I... I smelled the fragrance of herbs in it, so I was curious and wanted to take a look." Lin Qinghuan straightened her skirt that was accidentally soiled when she knelt on the steps, and looked up at the maid.

"Who... who are you?" The head maid saw Lin Qinghuan's face which was too pretty, but looked particularly unfamiliar, so she asked again.

"How dare you! Kneel down and pay your respects to the young lady." Yun Xiang and Lu Hua, who were looking for Lin Qinghuan everywhere, ran over and scolded her.

"Ah, Madam... Madam, it's my fault for being short-sighted. Please spare my life." When the maid heard that the woman in front of her was the eldest son's wife who had just married yesterday, she was so scared that she knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

"Whose yard is this?" Lin Qinghuan motioned her to stand up and speak.

"This..." The head maid looked at Yun Xiang and Lu Hua and didn't dare to say a word.

"Young Madam, this courtyard has been empty for a long time. We don't know who lived here before. Let's go back to Luoyi Pavilion." Yun Xiang stepped forward and supported Lin Qinghuan and said.

"Yeah." Lin Qinghuan didn't want to embarrass the servants. She thought she had guessed right. This was her brother Yu's former courtyard. As Lin Qinghuan walked, she suddenly looked back for a long time. This was where she was supposed to live.

"Young Madam, what's wrong?" Yun Xiang also turned around and looked at the courtyard where the second young master used to live, and asked Lin Qinghuan curiously.

"It's okay, let's go."