“I…”

Mu Yunjin couldn’t refute Mu Yunhan’s words at all. She just looked at him as if he were some strange creature and slightly furrowed her brow.

Before meeting this older brother, just hearing his name, she had thought he would be another cold and proud person!

But he turned out to have such a fiery temper!

Mu Yunhan looked at Mu Yunjin’s aggrieved expression and released her ear, sighing. “You’ll be married in a few days. Once you enter the Sixth Prince’s residence, you can’t be as casual as you are now.”

“Mm, I know.” Mu Yunjin nodded, and at the mention of the Sixth Prince’s residence, she smiled awkwardly. “Fortunately, when princes marry, they move out of the palace. Otherwise, being locked up within those high walls and grand courtyards all day, I would truly suffocate.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunhan gave Mu Yunjin a sideways glance, his brow showing some contemplation. “Your temperament now truly doesn’t have even half a shadow of your former self. If not for the identical face, I would think someone else was standing before me.”

Mu Yunjin was taken aback by Mu Yunhan’s words, then managed a faint smile. “Before, I was suppressed by Mother, so I had no choice but to compromise. Now I can finally express my true nature.”

Mu Yunhan seemed to accept Mu Yunjin’s explanation and nodded slightly. Then he turned his gaze to Zixiang, standing nearby. “Zixiang, in these last few days, keep a close eye on Yunjin for me. Don’t let her act recklessly.”

…

…

“Yes, Young Master.” Zixiang curtseyed.

…

Walking to the back garden, Zixiang let out a long sigh of relief and patted her chest. “Miss, the Young Master was so fierce at first. I thought he was going to punish you!”

“What’s there to fear? In this mansion now, the one who sees the situation most clearly is probably my big brother.” Mu Yunjin smiled leisurely.

Zixiang seemed half-understanding, but still followed Mu Yunhan’s instructions from earlier. “Miss, these are your last few days here. Let’s stay obediently in the mansion.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin nodded casually.

Upon reaching the entrance of Shihua Pavilion, Mu Yunjin discovered that it too had been decorated with many red lanterns and red silk, with double happiness characters pasted throughout the courtyard. Looking around, there was a scene of joy everywhere.

At this moment, Luo Ningyu was walking out of Shihua Pavilion. Seeing Mu Yunjin at the door, she smiled at her. “Yunjin, all the places in the mansion, large and small, have been decorated. Only your Shihua Pavilion remained. Today I had time, so I ordered people to decorate your courtyard and bedroom a bit.”

After a pause, Luo Ningyu continued, “Oh, by the way, don’t worry, I didn’t touch any of your things here.”

Mu Yunjin nodded. “Thank you, Third Madam.”

“No need for such formality among family. I won’t disturb you anymore. You should rest well.” With these words, Luo Ningyu left.

Mu Yunjin looked back at Luo Ningyu’s retreating figure, feeling an indescribable emotion in her heart.

…

The remaining days passed quickly.

Finally, it was the day of Mu Yunjin’s coming-of-age ceremony and wedding.

Just as dawn was breaking, Mu Yunjin was awakened from her dream by Zixiang, with Zixiang’s urgent voice in her ear. “Miss, today is the big day. You can’t sleep in.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin rubbed her eyes and sat up, glancing at the time on the water clock. It was only the Mao hour (5-7 AM).

After washing up, Mu Yunjin sat at her dressing table, allowing Zixiang to arrange her hair and apply makeup.

“Miss, today is both your coming-of-age ceremony and your wedding day. So we need to first complete the coming-of-age ceremony in the mansion, and then the Sixth Prince will send a bridal sedan chair to take you to the Prince’s residence.”

Mu Yunjin nodded.

Shortly after Mu Yunjin had her hair arranged, several elderly matrons entered. After Mu Yunjin changed into her colorful brocade garments, they all broke into smiles.

“Third Miss is truly worthy of being Xi Yuan’s number one beauty. Such celestial grace and jade-like features—I’m afraid a second one couldn’t be found in the world,” one elderly matron said with a smile.

Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together slightly and, with the support of one of the elderly matrons, walked toward the front hall of the Minister’s mansion.

Today, being both Mu Yunjin’s coming-of-age ceremony and wedding day, quite a few guests had already arrived in the front hall. Mu Lingzhu had arrived in the front hall earlier, also wearing a colorful dress.

When Mu Yunjin walked into the front hall, everyone’s attention was drawn to her.

Seeing this, Mu Lingzhu bit her lip, her hands tightly clenched together.

“The auspicious time has arrived. Let’s proceed with the hairpin ceremony.”

Upon hearing Minister Mu’s voice, Mu Lingzhu knelt first, slightly lowering her eyes, not daring to look at Minister Mu.

Seeing this, although Mu Yunjin was a hundred times unwilling to kneel, the current situation left her no choice. So she reluctantly bent her knees and knelt.

Luo Ningyu, sitting on the other side of the main seat, stood up and walked in front of the two, smiling with full affection. “Once the coming-of-age ceremony is over, you will have truly grown up.”

As she spoke, she took a jade hairpin from a tray held by an elderly matron and gently inserted it into Mu Yunjin’s hair.

After a pause, she took another jade hairpin and inserted it into Mu Lingzhu’s hair.

After the hairpin ceremony, a burst of congratulations erupted from the crowd. “Minister, congratulations! Your two excellent daughters have come of age.”

Minister Mu smiled, though there was some melancholy in his heart at this moment.

“Alright, now that the coming-of-age ceremony is over, we need to escort the Third Miss back to change into her wedding dress,” a wedding attendant said with a cheerful smile, then supported Mu Yunjin as they left.

Mu Lingzhu stood in place, looking at Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure with jealousy and hatred. Looking at the room full of red decorations, she knew at this moment that she had been utterly defeated.

To the side, Mu Yunhan watched with a smile in his eyes, glancing at the jade hairpin in Mu Yunjin’s hair, the corner of his mouth lifting.

The little girl had finally grown up.

…

After Mu Yunjin returned to Shihua Pavilion, everyone began to help her change into her wedding dress and redo her makeup.

Looking at the brocade clothes that had been worn for less than half an hour before being removed, Mu Yunjin pouted, allowing others to fuss over her.

Luo Ningyu and Mu Xiarou also came from the front hall. Seeing the scene in Mu Yunjin’s room, Mu Xiarou smiled. “Third Sister was so beautiful just now. Soon she’ll be the most beautiful bride.”

“Thank you, Fifth Sister.”

Soon, Zixiang again arranged a bridal hairstyle for Mu Yunjin. Looking at herself in the mirror, Mu Yunjin felt a wave of dizziness in her head.

Marriage—something she had never dared to imagine or do in this life.

“Alright, the Sixth Prince’s wedding procession has arrived at the gate. We should send the bride off now,” a wedding attendant rushed in, then took a red veil from the side and covered Mu Yunjin with it.

Moments later, surrounded by everyone, Mu Yunjin was supported as she left Shihua Pavilion.

Walking on the path to the front hall, Mu Yunjin had a thought: Was it because of Chu Li’s status as a prince that he didn’t have to personally come for the bride?

Although she wasn’t truly sincere about marrying Chu Li, his casual attitude made her somewhat displeased.

Upon reaching the front hall, there was a burst of excited murmuring both inside and outside the Minister’s mansion, followed by the sound of firecrackers, making the entire mansion festive inside and out.

“Bride, please enter the sedan chair,” the wedding attendant’s voice sounded beside her ear. Then Mu Yunjin was helped into a bridal sedan chair and carried toward the Sixth Prince’s residence.

Once seated securely, Mu Yunjin pulled off the red veil on her head, took a long breath, and secretly lifted a corner of the sedan chair’s curtain to peek at the situation outside.

The wedding procession was now heading toward the busiest part of the market. Many citizens stood on both sides of the street to watch, and some thoughtful citizens had even prepared flower petals to throw as the sedan chair passed by.

Soon, the sedan chair stopped at the entrance of the Sixth Prince’s residence.

Mu Yunjin glanced at the people standing at the entrance, then put the red veil back on, waiting for the wedding attendant to help her out of the sedan chair.

Outside the Sixth Prince’s residence, many people were standing, including Chu Qing, Chu Xin, Chu Ye, Chu Qingyuan, and other familiar princes and princesses—almost all had arrived.

At this moment, Chu Li slowly walked out from inside, his thin lips slightly pursed, his face showing clear-cut cold handsomeness. He wore a red garment that displayed magnificent elegance.

Mu Yunjin sat in the sedan chair, then heard the wedding attendant’s voice from outside. “Sixth Prince, please help the bride out of the sedan chair.”

“Mm.” Chu Li responded with a light sound.

Then, the sedan chair’s curtain was gently lifted, and a hand with distinct knuckles reached in from outside, accompanied by a cool voice—

“Give me your hand.”

Mu Yunjin became even more displeased, even somewhat angry. This fellow had insisted on marrying her, yet now he was acting as if she was forcing herself upon him!

“Carry me on your back.” Mu Yunjin sat in the sedan chair, displaying a bit of petulance.

Outside, the wedding attendant was startled by Mu Yunjin’s words and immediately leaned in to whisper to her, “Third Miss, today is your wedding day. Please don’t upset the Sixth Prince.”

“Chu Li, will you carry me or not?” Mu Yunjin seemed not to have heard the attendant’s words and repeated her previous statement, even adding Chu Li’s name.

Outside the sedan chair, hearing Mu Yunjin’s repeated words, Chu Li couldn’t help but smile, as if he could imagine her sitting in the sedan chair, frowning with a small pout.

After a while, he spoke as if possessed. “Come on.”

Seeing that Chu Li had agreed, Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling somewhat satisfied. She lifted the sedan chair’s curtain and climbed onto Chu Li’s back.

The moment she lay against Chu Li’s back, Mu Yunjin felt as if she were leaning against a block of thousand-year-old ice, and she couldn’t help but shiver slightly.

As Chu Li carried Mu Yunjin through the main gate of the Sixth Prince’s residence, Chu Qing, standing at the entrance, smiled teasingly. “It seems our Sixth Brother does have some genuine feelings for this Third Miss Mu.”

“Of course, Sixth Sister-in-law is so beautiful. She and Sixth Brother make such a good match,” Chu Qingyuan said with a smile, then walked inside.

Hearing Chu Qingyuan’s words, Chu Qingrang snorted coldly. “She’s just a brainless beauty. How could she be worthy of Sixth Brother?”

“Brainless beauty? Qingrang, at this point, do you still believe that?” Chu Qing raised an eyebrow, glancing at Chu Qingrang.

Chu Qingrang’s throat tightened, and she couldn’t speak.

…

In the front hall of the Sixth Prince’s residence, when everyone saw Chu Li carrying Mu Yunjin on his back as they entered, there was some astonishment in their eyes.

Only Ding Xian couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing from the scene that his master had yielded to the Third Miss Mu again.

It seemed that Third Miss Mu truly had some ability!