Chapter 54: Fated Only to Be a Concubine

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Fated Only to Be a Concubine

Shen Hanyue and her sister were both utterly dumbfounded.

’Wasn’t it just a few days ago that she was interested, but he wasn’t?’

’How could she become his future wife after such a short time?’

’No, wait... his *wife*!?’

Shen Hanyue’s eyes widened. "You two are getting married?"

Out of shock, her voice rose uncontrollably.

Shen Tingyu frowned slightly. "Keep your voice down!"

He glanced toward the main building where Mrs. Shen lived and said, "Don’t disturb our aunt."

’How could their aunt not know about this?’

Shen Hanyue clapped a hand over her mouth. She glanced inside at Cui Lingyao, who was at her vanity, then lowered her voice and asked, full of disbelief, "Is our brother truly going to marry our cousin as his main wife?"

"Correct," Shen Tingyu said. "You’ve been of age for a year now. It’s time you learned to be more composed and not make a fuss over every little thing."

Shen Hanyue: "..."

’Her brother, a man of celestial beauty, was going to take their orphan cousin as his main wife—a girl who lived in their mansion, utterly dependent, with no father or brothers to her name.’

’How was she supposed to stay composed about something like this?’

’The entire Shen Family was going to be turned upside down!’

She was so horrified she could barely speak. "Do Father and Mother know?"

"You don’t need to concern yourself with this. Just pretend you don’t know."

Shen Tingyu had no intention of explaining the details to his two younger sisters. He only instructed, "Just continue to treat Yaoyao as you always have."

As the three siblings spoke, Cui Lingyao finished getting ready inside.

Not wanting to keep them waiting, she gathered her skirts, stood up, and walked out the door.

All three pairs of eyes outside fell upon her.

As she was attending a banquet today, she couldn’t be dressed in her everyday attire.

She wore a light pink, high-waisted gown, layered with a pale yellow outer robe. The hem and cuffs were embroidered with a few lotus blossoms. The fabric was the finest Shu brocade, which shimmered under the sunlight and made her already fair skin appear even more delicate.

She was almost dazzling to behold.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Cui Lingyao emerged in a few quick steps, smiling apologetically. "My apologies. I overslept a little this morning."

With her pearly teeth and red lips, her bright, captivating eyes, and her gentle smile, she was more beautiful than any flower.

The lily-of-the-valley forehead marking painted between her brows gave her a maiden’s fresh charm, yet also created an unexplainable, subtle distance.

It made one wary of offending her.

For a moment, Shen Hanyue could hardly recognize her.

She had always known her cousin was uncommonly beautiful, a rare gem. But that was all there was to it.

After all, in a family of their standing, mere beauty was nothing extraordinary.

If her family background had been a match for theirs, she would naturally have been respected and welcomed as a wife.

For those of lowly birth, becoming a concubine, a maid, or even one of the household courtesans who entertained guests was all quite common.

Without a powerful family background, beauty was nothing more than a plaything.

In these peaceful and prosperous times, right here in the Capital City, the great aristocratic clans were never short on beauties.

But how, in just a few short days, had her cousin seemed to transform into a completely different person?

Her face was the same, her figure was the same.

Yet now, she was so stunning that one almost dared not stare.

She was beyond compare with any common beauty.

In contrast to his two sisters’ shock and bewilderment, Shen Tingyu’s expression was far more composed.

He subtly glanced beneath the girl’s eyes. Seeing no dark circles, he smiled. "We haven’t been waiting long. Let’s go."

Cui Lingyao agreed and went to take the arms of the two sisters, Shen Hanyue and Shen Hanyun.

Shen Hanyue let herself be pulled along, as if in a daze.

Two carriages were already waiting.

One was jet-black all over; its canopy and body were without a single ornament.

The other was much brighter in color, with jade pendants hanging on either side of the door, from which fell thick tassels.

It was obvious at a glance who each carriage belonged to.

Ignoring Shen Tingyu’s slightly reproachful gaze, Cui Lingyao boarded Shen Hanyue’s carriage.

Soon, the wheels began to turn, and the carriages departed from the Shen Family’s main gate.

The carriage was spacious. With two basins of ice giving off a cool mist, the three young women sitting inside felt neither crowded nor hot.

Inside, no one spoke for a time.

Cui Lingyao hadn’t eaten breakfast. Seeing a plate of exquisite, tempting iced cakes on the tea table, she casually picked one up and began to eat.

Her table manners weren’t stiff or overly formal; she ate with a natural grace that was nonetheless perfectly proper.

It was clear that her grasp of etiquette was so impeccable that even the strictest governess in the Duke Mansion would be unable to find fault.

However, the former Pei Shuyao hadn’t been close with her cousins in the Duke Mansion, so Shen Hanyue didn’t find this particularly unusual.

She was still reeling from the shock of hearing Cui Lingyao would be her sister-in-law.

Shaking herself from her stupor, she turned to look at her cousin, who had finished the pastry and was now wiping her hands with a handkerchief. Her expression was extremely complicated.

"What is it?" Cui Lingyao paused. "Cousin, why are you looking at me like that?"

Shen Hanyue’s lips tightened. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Are you really going to marry my brother as his wife?"

Shen Hanyun, beside her, remained silent. As a cousin from a cadet branch of the family—and one whose father was born of a concubine—it wasn’t her place to ask about the major affairs of the main line.

But both of them fixed their gazes on Cui Lingyao, who sat opposite.

They watched as she gave a soft hum of affirmation.

Cui Lingyao said, "Your brother says he will not take concubines, only a wife."

’No concubines, only a wife...’

’What a ridiculous notion.’

Shen Hanyue’s feelings became even more complicated.

Her interactions with her cousin over the past few days had indeed changed her opinion of her. She had even thought that if her brother were willing to put aside his prejudice and speak with her cousin properly, his opinion might change as well.

But that didn’t mean she thought her cousin was worthy of being her brother’s main wife.

The main wife of the Shen Family’s eldest son and heir would be the future Duchess.

Internally, she would need to manage the household’s myriad affairs, oversee the accounts, and deal with the servants with clear rewards and punishments, wielding both kindness and authority.

The Shen Family has numerous branch families of varying ability and closeness, all of whom she would need to manage relations with. She would have to perfectly navigate these complex ties, making no mistakes in judging who to prioritize.

Externally, she would need to have the Capital City’s tangled web of aristocratic relationships memorized, as her every word and deed would represent the honor of the Duke Mansion.

She couldn’t be too soft, nor could she be too harsh.

She would have to strike the perfect balance.

How could an orphan girl, with nothing but a pretty face, possibly hold such a high position?

’She wouldn’t even be able to command the respect of the servants born into the household.’

Shen Hanyue’s expression soured. "Father, Mother, and our grandparents will never agree to this. If my brother truly insists on having his way, I fear..."

Cui Lingyao felt helpless about this as well.

’She, on the other hand, thought being a concubine would be fine. She was going to go home eventually, anyway, and had no plans to stay in this world for long.’

’Besides, it was all just a matter of expediency. To her, there was no real difference between being a wife or a concubine.’

’But now Shen Tingyu was fighting for their marriage. She couldn’t go around telling people she was willing to be a concubine just to show how considerate and aware of the bigger picture she was.’

’Wouldn’t that just be stabbing him in the back?’

Silence fell inside the carriage.

Shen Hanyue wasn’t an unreasonable person. She knew her own brother’s personality: he seemed gentle and mild-mannered, but in reality, he was decisive and extremely stubborn once he’d made up his mind.

’Besides, her cousin had only wanted to be a concubine. This sudden change to becoming his wife had to be her brother’s decision.’

Shen Hanyue said worriedly, "Even if my brother isn’t thinking of himself, he should at least consider whether you are capable of taking on the role of the Shen Family’s matriarch."

’The mistress of a great and noble house—that was no easy role to play.’

"..."

Cui Lingyao was left speechless.

’If it were the old Pei Shuyao, who had barely ever touched an abacus, who married Shen Tingyu, her fate would likely have been to be a concubine and nothing more.’

’But she had been a Prince’s main wife for three years; she felt she was more than capable of being the main wife of the Duke Mansion’s eldest son.’

’It would just be a bit more taxing, that’s all.’