The other uncles joined in the laughter, showering him with praise like “Such a promising young man,” “Outshining the master already,” and “No wonder Mentor Yu Xuan made an exception to take you as her disciple.” As if they hadn’t been the ones doubting him moments ago.
Yan Zhen’s mouth twitched. No wonder they were real estate merchants—their face-changing speed was lightning-fast, and they felt zero embarrassment.
Call him profit-driven, yet he still respected his daughter’s wishes without forcing her.
Call him a good father, but his pragmatism was off the charts, ready to “sell his daughter” to any talented youth.
Still, Mi Dad was easy enough to handle. The real challenge was Madam Mi, who hadn’t spoken a word from start to finish.
She hadn’t said anything, but she’d been staring at him the whole time, her gaze like an X-ray, as if trying to see right through him.
“Madam, what do you think?”
Mi Shan came back to his senses and asked his wife’s opinion.
Madam Mi nodded lightly.
“He’s certainly handsome and outstanding, a dragon among men. If he truly becomes our Mi Family’s son-in-law, it would be a wonderful thing. I’m just afraid it’s all fake.”
Her words hit the nail on the head. Without the script, and if Mi Xue’er hadn’t been reborn, they would have been sweating.
“Fake? What do you mean?”
Mi Shan hadn’t caught on yet when Madam Mi shot her husband a look.
“Don’t you know your own daughter’s personality? She might be scared you’d arrange another marriage alliance for her, so she roped in a fellow disciple she’s close with to fake being a couple and fool us elders.”
Mi Xue’er’s third uncle shook his head.
“It wouldn’t go that far, would it, Big Sister-in-Law? Xue’er may be mischievous, but she wouldn’t joke about her lifelong happiness.”
“Naive! Open your eyes and look closely. Do they even look like a couple?”
Mi Shan and the others immediately cast suspicious glances at Yan Zhen and Mi Xue’er. They hadn’t noticed before, but now Madam Mi pointed it out, something did seem off, though they couldn’t pinpoint what.
“Xue’er, be honest. You’re not fooling us, are you?”
Having been through this once in her previous life, Mi Xue’er wasn’t flustered at all.
“Who’s fooling anyone? Don’t listen to Mom making stuff up. Yan Zhen and I are the real deal—we’re already living together. If you don’t believe me—”
She suddenly turned and planted a firm kiss on Yan Zhen’s cheek, leaving a faint lip mark.
Yan Zhen’s face flushed red. It was fine when they were alone in the carriage, but being kissed in front of the elders was embarrassing.
Mi Xue’er’s cheeks also heated up. She huffed.
“Now do you believe us?”
Mi Shan was about to nod when Madam Mi let out a cold snort.
“That’s it? A kiss on the cheek makes you a couple?”
Wasn’t that enough? Mi Shan and his brothers stared at Madam Mi in surprise, but none dared speak.
Yan Zhen lowered his head, thinking the mother and daughter were about to clash. He wished he could slip away!
But Mi Xue’er didn’t snap back fiercely. She just pouted.
“Isn’t a kiss on the cheek enough? You can’t expect me to kiss him on the lips in front of everyone just to prove it!”
Madam Mi said coolly.
“No one’s asking you to do that. You might not be embarrassed, but your mom still has her dignity.”
“So what do you want, Mom?”
“Simple. Sleep in the same bed tonight, and I’ll believe you’re a real couple.”
Mi Xue’er thought her mom was reliable but said it like she was sulking.
“Fine, we’ll sleep together. That’s what I planned anyway… We’re in the heat of romance—we can’t bear to be apart for a second!”
Madam Mi remained unmoved.
“Fine then.”
Listening to the mother-daughter exchange, Mi Shan lost his composure and was about to speak, but a glare from his wife silenced him instantly.
At home, he decided only the big matters; everything else was under her control.
The uncles didn’t dare challenge Big Sister-in-Law’s authority either, staying silent while inwardly questioning if this was appropriate.
Yan Zhen, however, was perfectly calm. The script had this exact scene. After lights out, he’d just lay out a mat on the floor. No steamy or romantic developments—he wouldn’t risk breaking character.
He just didn’t get it. Why wasn’t Senior Sister Xue’er arguing with Madam Mi anymore? Those two had gone on for ages, even longer than his scrap with Lan Ke.
Sure, it had been awkward to listen to, but without it, things felt somehow off.
“Alright, let’s head in and eat. The food’s gone cold—have the kitchen whip up some fresh dishes.”
With that, Madam Mi turned and led the way back to the dining hall, the rest of them trailing after her.
At the table, she kept piling food onto Yan Zhen’s plate: oysters, sea cucumbers, abalone, chicken gizzards, lamb kidneys, leeks, and more. Her intentions were blatantly obvious.
Not a problem, though. A bit of mystic power could keep it in check.
After the meal, Madam Mi personally escorted Yan Zhen to Mi Xue’er’s boudoir. She summoned the servants to fetch hot water and fill the bathtub, then told her daughter to help her future son-in-law bathe.
“I don’t expect you to be some model of wifely virtue,” Madam Mi said, her gaze sharpening. “But as a proper young lady, you need to learn how to bathe your husband. Or are you two just pretending to be lovers and too scared to do it?”
“Who said we’re pretending!” Mi Xue’er shot back. “Fine, I’ll do it. I’ve wanted to for ages—it’s just Yan Zhen’s the shy one.”
“Then I’ll have to keep a close eye on this.”
She promptly sat down in the room, poured herself a cup of tea, and sipped it leisurely.
—Madam, to be honest, you’re going a bit too far here.
Even with the script in hand, Yan Zhen couldn’t fathom what was going through Madam Mi’s head. He hurriedly recited his line:
“Auntie, Xue’er and I aren’t married yet. No need to trouble her with this—she can learn after the wedding.”
Madam Mi didn’t budge.
Mi Xue’er grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand and tugged him behind the screen.
“Yan Zhen, come here. I’ll help you bathe and undress.”
Yan Zhen had no idea how to respond. According to the script, Mi Xue’er was supposed to chase her mother out, then pretend to help him bathe while actually turning away.
—Hey, don’t—don’t take my clothes off!
Yan Zhen shot her a frantic look. Mi Xue’er signaled back with her eyes, but the two of them clearly weren’t on the same page.
Before long, he’d been stripped down to just his boxer shorts. The long-trunked little elephant pattern emblazoned on them was already swelling up.
Mi Xue’er’s pretty face flushed pink. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, yanking down the boxer shorts.
Slap.
Her soft white cheek took a smack. Startled, Mi Xue’er popped her eyes open. There, reflected in her pupils, loomed the menacing shadow of the one-eyed dragon. Her face drained of color, and her legs turned to jelly.
Strangely, she couldn’t tear her gaze away. She stood frozen in place, staring for what felt like forever.
Snapping out of it, she shot to her feet and casually wiped her face, though her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
“Y-Yan Zhen, you go soak first.”
Yan Zhen wanted to die of embarrassment. He leaped into the tub and huddled underwater. Only after a long moment did he whisper:
“Sorry, Senior Sister Xue’er.”
“It’s not your fault. I wasn’t paying attention—I’ll, I’ll wash you now.”
Mi Xue’er pulled herself together, snatched up a towel, and moved behind Yan Zhen. Her movements were clumsy as she began scrubbing his back.
She’d never done this for anyone before. Yan Zhen was her first.
Little by little, Mi Xue’er lost herself in the moment, fully slipping into the role of a newlywed wife tending to her husband.
