The New Bride's Winning Smile (Complete)
The silence stretched on. Liu Bang simply stared at me in a daze, like a man who had seen a jiangshi in broad daylight.
“How is it? Do I look happy?” In the end, I moved first. I tilted my head slightly, peeled away the smile I had fixed on my face, and returned to my usual calm expression. Only then did focus return to his dark eyes. He let out a loud cough and jerked his head away.
“Ahem! Y-yes. You look happy. Very… very good!”
Stammering, Liu Bang headed for the gate as if fleeing. He nearly tripped over his own feet, stumbling with a loud clatter. The sight was almost comical.
“Then I’ll bring the children! Wait for me!”
Liu Bang scurried off. Watching him vanish in a cloud of dust, I let out a soft chuckle.
It worked.
Su-a’s strategy had been a resounding success. If it could work on that dense blockhead of a man, it would surely work on the terrified Lady Cao as well. I went inside, laid a cushion on the mat, and set water to boil for tea.
A short while later, I heard movement beyond the gate.
“Come in. It’s all right.”
Liu Bang’s voice. Then hesitant footsteps, cautious as if treading on thin ice. I took a deep breath and summoned the smile back to my face—the one I had practiced dozens of times before the mirror. Natural. Not intimidating. Not servile. The smile of a genuinely happy principal wife, rising from the heart.
I lifted the curtain at the entrance and stepped out.
“Welcome home, husband.”
Liu Bang stood in front. Behind him was a woman in shabby brown sackcloth and a small child clutching the hem of her skirt.
“Please come in, Lady Cao. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Lady Cao. Seom-a. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with a thin frame, weary eyes, and hair tied up plainly without a single ornament. Her overall impression was modest, yet her face was deeply etched with exhaustion and guarded wariness.
“And… young master Liu Fei. Please come in.”
Next was Liu Fei, a boy of six or seven. He hid behind his mother, peeking at me. Large eyes, plump cheeks, and a face still rounded with baby fat—yet the line of his nose and the shape of his eyes bore a striking resemblance to Liu Bang. Those same dark eyes now watched me with a turbulent mix of caution, fear, and curiosity.
He’s wary, as expected.
Well, it couldn’t be helped. Resembling Liu Bang didn’t mean he had inherited that bulldozer personality. I met his gaze directly, then bent my knees and lowered myself to his eye level. My silk skirt brushed the dirt floor, but I paid it no mind.
“Young master Liu Fei, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lü Zhi. I will be your stepmother.”
The child’s eyes widened. Seom-a’s body stiffened faintly. Liu Bang watched in silence, swallowing dryly.
“Thank you for coming today. Here, this is for you.”
I drew out the honeyed jujube sweets Su-a had prepared and offered them. The premium treats glistened with honey and carried a rich, sweet fragrance.
“Do you like sweets?”
Seom-a flinched again. Liu Fei stared fixedly at the jujube in my hand. Conflict flickered in his eyes—the fundamental question of whether he should accept anything from this unfamiliar person his mother clearly feared.
I remained in that position, smiling, and waited. I didn’t rush him. I didn’t force him. I matched the child’s pace, recalling Su-a’s teachings as I watched for his reaction.
At last, Liu Fei’s small hand reached out hesitantly.
“Can I… eat it…?”
“Of course.”
I nodded.
“I brought them for you, young master. Eat as many as you like.”
Liu Fei carefully accepted the sweet, then immediately popped one into his mouth. He chewed. His eyes sparkled. The luxurious sweetness he had never tasted before must have flooded his senses.
“…It’s delicious.”
A tiny exclamation slipped out. Deep inside, I let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness.
The first hurdle was cleared. As expected, nothing worked better on children than food. An eternal truth.
Next came Lady Cao—Seom-a.
“Lady Cao.”
I stood and turned to face her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am truly honored.”
Her expression shifted subtly.
“Honored…?”
“Yes. I consider it a genuine honor to meet the woman who gave birth to young master Liu Fei.”
“……”
Her eyes narrowed. It was a look of suspicion, as if she were trying to discern what scheme lay behind my words. She clearly assumed this was nothing more than the principal wife’s empty pleasantries. Still, I met her gaze without flinching. I kept my smile steady and refused to look away.
“Please come inside. The house is humble, so forgive me, but I’ve prepared warm tea.”
I bowed to her. A principal wife bowing to a concubine—by the standards of this era, it was blatantly abnormal. But I was remembering Su-a’s words.
Neither enemy nor ally, neither above nor below. Simply another victim and companion entangled in the same man’s life.
“……”
Seom-a remained silent for a long moment. Her eyes scanned me thoroughly, searching. She was looking for falsehood, for pretense, for a hidden blade. But I did not avert my gaze. I simply smiled—the happiest smile in the world. The face of someone with no intention of harming others, content with her present life.
How much time passed like that?
“Excuse me…”
Seom-a gave a small nod. Her voice still carried wariness, yet it was not a refusal.
Second hurdle cleared as well.
I guided the pair inside with a quiet sense of relief. Once in the room, we sat facing each other on the mats I had prepared. Seom-a and Liu Fei on one side, me on the other. Liu Bang hovered awkwardly before dropping down near the wall a short distance away.
“Please have some tea.”
I offered the steaming cup to Seom-a.
“Thank you…”
She accepted it awkwardly. Her fingertips trembled slightly. Liu Fei, meanwhile, was utterly absorbed in the sweets on the table. The honeyed jujubes must have won him over; his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s as he kept popping them into his mouth.
“Young master Liu Fei seems to have quite a sweet tooth.”
I smiled as I spoke.
“Yes… Fei-a loses all restraint when it comes to anything sweet.”
Her voice was still stiff. But the moment the conversation turned to her son, that rigid shell softened a little.
Just as I thought.
I sensed it instinctively. The key to unlocking Seom-a’s heart—her weakness—was her son. If I showed affection for Liu Fei, her wariness would gradually melt away.
“Young master.”
I addressed the child.
“What other foods do you like?”
With his cheeks stuffed full of sweets, Liu Fei looked at me with round eyes.
“…Meat.”
“You like meat?”
“Yeah… Uncle Fan gives it to me sometimes.”
“That would be General Fan Kuai.”
I nodded.
“The meat General Fan Kuai catches himself is delicious, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…!”
Liu Fei’s eyes sparkled. I smiled warmly and continued.
“Then next time, I’ll cook it for you. A truly delicious meat dish.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I promise.”
I raised my pinky finger.
“Pinky promise. I swear I’ll do it.”
Liu Fei looked intrigued. Of course—the gesture didn’t exist in this era.
“Finger hooking?”
“This is a spell for keeping promises.”
I hooked my pinky around his small, plump one.
“You hook fingers like this and say ‘promise.’ Then you must never break it. If you do, your nose will grow long, you know?”
I was teaching a modern custom to an ancient Chinese child. It was an odd scene, yet Liu Fei stared at our linked fingers with fascination.
“Promise…”
“Yes, promise.”
Our pinkies separated. And then Liu Fei smiled.
He smiled.
It was his first smile—small and shy, but genuine, with all wariness gone. At that moment, something warm bloomed in my chest.
Children really are adorable.
I had lived thirty years with almost no connection to children, yet this boy’s smile filled me with honest joy. Perhaps I had finally reached the age where paternal instincts began to stir.
“When that day comes, Lady Cao must join us. I’ll prepare a full table of proper dishes.”
Liu Fei was already completely won over. I turned my gaze to Seom-a. She had been staring blankly at her son’s smiling face and gave a small start.
“Ah, no… I…”
“There’s no need to refuse. I’m doing this because I truly want to.”
I reached across the table and gently took her rough hand. Stroking the back of it softly, I whispered, “We’re both stuck dealing with a handful of a man, aren’t we? We women should help each other through it.”
Then I winked and flashed a playful smile.
A faint blush rose on Seom-a’s cheeks.
“…I can hear you, Zhi-a.”
“Oh my, could you?”
Liu Bang, tucked in the corner, sighed and interjected, but I laughed brightly and released Seom-a’s hand as if I hadn’t heard him.
“It’s just a figure of speech. Besides, it’s true that my husband is quite a handful, isn’t it?”
“…Ugh.”
Liu Bang couldn’t refute it. Given the trouble he had caused, he had no ground to stand on. I giggled and turned back to Seom-a. Only then did a small smile appear on her face as well—a graceful one, like a delicate flower blooming on frozen winter ground.
“Yes, I will. Madam.”
Her voice, too, sounded as if it were revealing a glimpse of her true self.
…
“Then we’ll be going.”
They left when the western sky had turned the deep orange-red of a ripe persimmon. Liu Bang and I walked them all the way to the gate.
“Young master, don’t forget our promise.”
“Yeah…”
Liu Fei nodded. In his small hand he carefully clutched the bundle of leftover sweets. What a good boy. He was probably saving them to share with his mother at home.
“Excuse… us.”
Seom-a bowed awkwardly. A faint trace of wariness still lingered in her expression, but the frozen tension she had carried when first crossing the threshold had clearly thawed.
I offered her that “happy smile” once more and gently took her rough hand.
“Lady Cao.”
“Ah… yes.”
She blushed again. I looked straight into her eyes and spoke clearly.
“I am not your enemy.”
Her eyes widened.
“Young master Liu Fei is my husband’s precious son. You are the one who gave birth to him. No matter what the world says, I have no reason to reject either of you.”
I held her gaze. Half sincerity, half calculation. Yet my eyes did not waver.
“So please visit anytime. I want to see young master Liu Fei, and I would like to talk more with you, madam.”
She remained silent for a long time. Complex emotions swirled in her eyes—suspicion, wariness, relief, and the faintest spark of hope.
“…Understood.”
She finally gave a small nod.
“I will come again.”
She took her son’s hand and walked away slowly. I watched their retreating figures and let out a deep, inward sigh.
…It worked out somehow.
My knees were trembling faintly. The tension that had held me rigid now released all at once, and a profound wave of exhaustion crashed over me like a tsunami.
Still, it seems to have gone well.
Building a relationship with Seom-a was only the beginning. Today’s meeting had been successful, but a tower of trust would require many more bricks. We would need to meet repeatedly, share delicious food, and continue proving I was not an enemy. Nevertheless, thanks to Su-a’s advice, I now held a firm conviction that I could do it.
“You did well.”
Liu Bang’s voice came from behind me. I turned. He wore an unadorned, honest smile.
“It looks like both Seom-a and Liu Fei took a liking to you.”
“I hope so…”
“No, I’m certain of it. He’s my son. I’ll vouch for it.”
Liu Bang placed a hand on my shoulder.
“As expected, Zhi, you really are an extraordinary woman.”
“It’s all thanks to Su-a.”
“My sister-in-law?”
“Yes. Handling a woman’s heart, soothing a child… those things are actually quite difficult for me.”
At my honest admission, Liu Bang chuckled.
“For someone who finds them difficult, you handled it remarkably well.”
“What?”
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
“…?”
When I turned slightly, Liu Bang obediently withdrew his hand from my shoulder. He laced his fingers behind his head and gazed up at the orange sky.
“Well, it seems we’ve taken care of everything necessary now.”
“What do you mean by everything?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. The debts are being settled with Xiao He, Liu Fei’s matter is resolved, and all the troublesome issues that could complicate our married life have been cleared away.”
Liu Bang wore a strangely light, carefree expression.
“That can’t be right.”
I answered firmly. After all, my project of raising Liu Bang had only just completed its tutorial phase.
“Huh…?”
Liu Bang blinked and looked at me, his face asking what else could possibly remain. I paused for a moment, then met his eyes and nodded.
“Now we must seriously prepare for the future.”
Two keywords floated in my mind: money and swords. In other words, the face of my father, Lü Gong, and the two characters that spelled Han Xin.
“Future? What future?”
Of course, Liu Bang tilted his head with an expression of pure ignorance. I stared at that foolish face and spoke the next step of my Liu Bang-raising plan.
“Dear.”
“Yeah, go on.”
“Starting tomorrow, we’re going to make money.”
“…?”
The confusion on Liu Bang’s face only deepened.