I woke up to the sound of gongs and drums outside.

The sunlight shone through the window, glaringly bright on my face.

I sat up abruptly, "Shiqin, what time is it?"

Shiqin was puzzled, "Miss, it's past noon. Wang Dagongzi has already escorted Second Miss out."

I felt like I had been struck on the head, trembling all over.

How could this be...

Ignoring Shiqin's calls, I put on my shoes and rushed out.

Perhaps it was a day of great joy, as Father had dismissed the guards, and no one stopped me.

The courtyard corridors were filled with maids and guests coming and going.

I pushed past them and ran forward. It seemed like someone was calling me from behind, and it seemed like I knocked over a tray, but I paid no attention and didn't have time to look back, just forging ahead.

The bridal procession was not moving fast, but there were too many people around, densely packed, pushing me aside a few times.

I strained my neck and looked into the distance several times before finally seeing a glimpse of the tall and imposing figure in red, followed by a square-shaped bridal sedan.

From the back, it was tightly sealed, resembling a coffin.

Second Sister was carried into the Wang residence without getting off the bridal sedan; the brightly adorned bridal sedan was carried through the gates of the Wang residence.

The people outside were all smiling, congratulating each other. Amidst the noise of gongs and drums, they were celebrating a bride who had never spoken a word and had never been seen before.

I don't remember how I returned to the residence.

I knelt in front of the Buddha statue, unsure of what I was thinking.

Father ordered me to reflect behind closed doors, to kneel down and admit my mistakes before I could rise again.

"Do you think you can act recklessly just because the General's Residence supports you? As long as you haven't left this door, you are still a member of the Liu family."

My memory still lingers on the scene of Father leaving with a flick of his sleeves.

I apologized to Father and returned to my own courtyard.

I couldn't confront Father head-on; I still had to go out and save Second Sister.

I stayed obediently in the courtyard for more than half a month before finally leaving the residence under the pretext of buying birthday gifts for my maternal grandmother.

Although Father said those words, he still had to consider the maternal family, and that was the biggest difference between Second Sister and me.