Lily paused at the bottom of the marble staircase, hands slightly clammy, heart performing a very unhelpful tap dance inside her chest.
At the top stood him.
Lihyun Shulong.
Tall. Perfectly pressed suit. Expression carved from a glacier.
Their eyes met — his dark and unreadable, hers trying very hard not to scream please don't eat me alive.
It wasn't the gaze of a man greeting his fiancée.
It was more like a lion watching its prey.
For three very long seconds, neither moved.
Then Lily swallowed, plastered on what she hoped was a polite smile, and started climbing the stairs.
Okay, just act normal. Don't trip. Don't sweat. Don't breathe too loudly. Easy!
She could feel his gaze follow her. If she made one wrong move, she was sure he would catch that.
Han, trailed behind, keeping close like she had requested.
As soon as she reached the veranda, something pink and glittery launched itself at her.
"Eeeeeee! You're finally here, Sister-in-law!"
Lily blinked as a blur of ribbons and perfume wrapped her in a bear hug.
"I'm Meilin!" chirped a petite girl who looked like she'd just stepped out of a bubble tea commercial.
"Oh! Hi!" Lily laughed, half from relief, half from oxygen deprivation. "You must be Meilin. You're… very energetic. My name is Lily."
Meilin grinned, practically glowing. "Everyone already knows who you are, Sister Lily! You're so pretty. Mom said so too!"
Lily's cheeks warmed. "That's very kind. I'm sure she exaggerated—"
"Mother doesn't exaggerate!" Meilin gasped. "Well… except about calories."
From the corner of her eye, Lily caught sight of Lihyun still standing near the doorway, all stoic and mysterious like some villain in an expensive watch commercial.
She looked away so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.
Before she could recover, a graceful woman approached — elegant qipao, warm smile, and the kind of aura that said I run this family, but also bake cookies on weekends.
"It's lovely to finally meet you, child," she said, cupping Lily's cheeks. "I'm Lihua, Lihyun and Meilin's mother."
Lily instantly relaxed. There was something about this woman that soothed you. "It's an honor to meet you, Aunty—"
"Oh, don't be silly," Lihua interrupted kindly. "Call me Mother if you wish."
Before Lily could melt entirely, Lihua took out a 500-yuan note, circled it above her head three times, and handed it to a maid.
Lily blinked. "Um… what was that?"
"To sweep away bad luck," Lihua said cheerfully. "You'll only bring good fortune into this home as a new bride."
Lily's throat tightened. "That's… so sweet. Thank you."
Behind them came a voice as smooth as it was ice-cold.
"She hasn't married into the family yet, Mother."
Lily froze.
Lihyun again — calm, polite, and very much not the man she'd once seen begging another woman to take him back in a hotel lobby.
Lihua gave him The Mom Look. "And yet she will. Atleast try to pretend to be welcoming Lihyun."
He didn't reply, but his eyes flicked to Lily once more, like he was inspecting a peasant.
The grand hall gleamed golden with chandeliers glittering, servants floating about, enough gold trim to buy a small island.
"Here comes Mr. Weiming Shulong," whispered Hui, Lily's stepmother, her tone clipped enough to mean, don't mess up.
Lily turned and instantly understood the warning.
The patriarch of the Shulong family was tall and broad-shouldered, his suit crisp and severe. But it was his eyes that made her pulse skip — cold, glassy, and utterly devoid of softness. The kind of eyes that could make a man confess a crime he didn't commit.
"Welcome," he said, his tone a command rather than a greeting. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "You're Lily Liang, I presume?"
"Yes, sir," she said, bowing.
He gave a curt nod. "Good. You have a firm voice. Weak women don't last long here."
Fantastic, Lily thought. I'll just casually stop being weak then.
Thankfully, Lihua jumped in like a seasoned diplomat. "She's quite strong, Weiming. You should've seen her at the gala."
He grunted and wandered off, clearly done with human interaction for the day.
Then came the grandparents, grandpa Ren and Grandma Suirin - dignified, elegant, terrifying in the way only people with 80 years of authority can be.
"May your marriage bring stability," said Grandmother Suirin.
Lily bowed again. "Thank you, Grandmother, Grandfather. I'll do my best!"
When she straightened, she accidentally caught Lihyun's gaze again. He was standing now by the window, one elbow propped on the windowsill, a glass of wine turning lazily in his fingers. His gaze trailed her every move like a quiet threat.
She could almost feel his analysis — the tilt of her chin, the tremor in her hands, the way she tried too hard to please.
Her heart stuttered. What does he want from me?
Does he ever blink? she wondered.
By the time everyone had entered into the grandhall, Lily was mentally prepared to faint face-first into her soup. It felt like she had run a marathon in heels.
"Sit here, Sister Lily!" Meilin chirped, dragging her to the center of the table. "Best seat! Everyone can see you!"
Oh great, Lily thought. Exactly what I wanted — a spotlight and no escape routes.
Meilin plopped beside her. "We have so much to talk about! If Gege were here, he'd totally—"
"Meilin," Lihua warned gently.
Meilin zipped her lips.
Lily smiled awkwardly. "Ah, another brother? Maybe I'll meet him next time?"
Lihua only smiled mysteriously, then returned with a tray of golden walnut cakes.
"I heard you love these," she said warmly. "I made them myself."
Lily's eyes widened. "You bake too? I'm not crying, you're crying!"
Lihua laughed. "You're sweet, child."
The room buzzed with conversation, silverware clinking, laughter spilling like wine.
Lily dared a glance down the table — and yep, there he was.
Lihyun, sitting in shadows, staring at her like she was a riddle he intended to solve.
When she fumbled with her napkin, one corner of his mouth twitched upward.
Oh no.
Was that… a smirk?
Mrs. Chen, seated across from her, leaned in kindly. "You're doing wonderfully, dear. My first dinner here, I nearly dropped the soup on Father's lap."
Lily smiled, exhaling the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Hahaha. Thank you, Mrs. Chen."
"Keep your calm heart," Mrs. Chen said. "Don't lose it."
Lily smiled — and then accidentally made eye contact with Lihyun again.
That same quiet, unreadable stare.
Like he was saying, You're not as composed as you think you are, Miss Liang.
A quiet challenge. A question. A warning.
It's was maddening, like being dissected in silence.
She took a sip of water and muttered under her breath,
"Challenge accepted."