Lace Glory Universe King GL - Chapter 3

The young princess of Wu held her 18th birthday party at sea—the private yacht Red Lotus was even named after Sun Shangxiang’s skills. Moreover, Sun Ce gave his younger sister ownership of this luxurious yacht as a birthday gift.

The sea stretched endlessly. The sky, just after nightfall, was a deep hue. The yacht was steady as a rock, adorned with lights brighter than stars, as if a small piece of land were slowly moving across the water.

Xiangxiang, wearing a green dress, stepped onto the deck and saw an extravagantly designed multi-tiered cake at the center of the party. It was covered with decorative chocolate pieces, jams, and colorful lights, topped with a tiny figurine of a princess in a pink dress. She murmured faintly, “Is this your surprise?”

“Do you like it? I specially ordered it for you,” Liu Bei said beside her, a polite smile on his refined young gentleman’s face.

Xiangxiang nodded and accepted his courtesy, “It’s beautiful.”

At that moment, Sun Ce, founder of the Wu Group, stood at one end of the long table and said simply, “Welcome to Shangxiang’s 18th birthday party. Make yourselves at ease.”

The guests offered brief applause. Sun Ce and other honored guests began serving dishes, while other young people played around the deck. Xiangxiang’s best friend, Xiao Qiao, leaned against the railing taking pictures with a few other girls.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei stayed close to Shangxiang. Thinking back to last year’s birthday party, she could still feel the uneasy irritation she had then.

Clearly, her eldest brother had noticed everything. After the party, Sun Ce, who didn’t like staying up late, lingered until the end. He stood side by side with his sister by the ship’s railing, watching the staff push away the dishes. The music ended, leaving only the twinkling lights like stars.

“Xiangxiang, I told you, the Wu Group will be yours someday. Do you remember?”

“Yes,” Shangxiang nodded.

“To our heir, I’ll be straightforward: I don’t like that Liu Bei kid. You must understand that the decorations on the cake can’t buy you over. You should only care about who eats the cake and how it’s divided. One day, when you inherit a big cake, you must know how to discern wisely.”

Shangxiang would never forget what her brother said.

Since childhood, Liu Bei had been a playmate in their “Three Territories” circle, and she had once shared a sincere friendship with him. Although his wealthy family had declined and their name became mostly ceremonial, when Sun Ce fell ill and it became apparent that Shangxiang would inherit the Wu Group, Liu Bei’s attitude changed.

He began pursuing Shangxiang.

She did not resist, observing his every move as though watching a show, understanding in her heart that their friendship was gone forever.

Unlike Sun Ce, her other brother, Sun Quan, strongly supported her relationship with Liu Bei.

“Our family builds ships, their family builds cars. Isn’t this a strong alliance?” Sun Quan said.

Yet everyone knew the Liu family’s luxury car brand was no longer what it once was; the market had been largely taken over by new elites.

At that time, Shangxiang only knew her eldest brother’s health was poor. She was unprepared to take over the inheritance and Liu Bei’s constant attention made her uneasy. She didn’t realize her second brother, Sun Quan, was already watching her closely from behind the scenes.

Two years later, after Sun Ce passed away, Sun Quan revealed his true nature. He placed his sister under house arrest, forcing her to get engaged to Liu Bei while he swiftly took control of the Wu Group—he was no longer the same second brother.

At this moment, Shangxiang wandered aimlessly in a spacious living room.

Three large east-facing windows draped with double-layered white curtains allowed just enough light to create a cloudy indoor atmosphere. The marble floor was spotless, the angular sofas and the cold, clean air filling every corner.

Frowning, she thought about what would happen tomorrow. Her priceless crossbow had been confiscated by Sun Quan, though she could “borrow” Liu Bei’s —God knows why, even though he wasn’t a marksman, this weapon was his.

That wasn’t the real concern. The important question was not how to escape the wedding, but where she would go afterward. She remembered a motorized underground warehouse her eldest brother had once taken her to.

Three knocks sounded at the door. The house steward, Uncle Ge, entered with two servants, placing a tray of neatly prepared food at the doorway and silently retreating.

“Miss, I know you’re unhappy, but you should eat something tonight. Your health is always the most important, whether at the Wu estate or the Liu family. I only hope for your wellbeing,” Uncle Ge said.

“Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll obediently wear my dress,” Shangxiang said, looking at Uncle Ge in the shadows.

“All right… I’ll bring breakfast tomorrow,” he said, hesitating to give further advice—he could neither stop her marriage nor influence Sun Quan. Anything more would be useless.

Uncle Ge left, locking the door behind him. Silence returned.

Before entering the Three Territories, Hua Mulan found a self-service changing booth, a small square cabin like a phone booth.

To infiltrate the Wu estate, she couldn’t keep her signature warrior outfit and crimson hair.

She swiped her finger across the panel several times.

“All right, this dark blue set it is.” The silver high ponytail and modified formal gown contrasted greatly with her usual appearance. Her greatsword could be stored in the long-handled umbrella, convenient for nighttime operations.

Except… the outfit’s name.

“Confirm purchase of the Valentine’s Day limited outfit?”

Mulan pressed “Confirm.”

A few seconds later, a dark blue figure hurried out of the booth and disappeared into the streets.

Leaving Heluo, she kept heading east. She passed Yicheng without stopping, arriving at Jiangjun, the largest city in Eastern Wu.

Unlike the desert canyons, the air carried a faint sea breeze, and distant ship horns occasionally sounded from the harbor.

She casually dined at a restaurant while watching the news broadcast. The princess’s wedding would be held at Qiuyin Resort two days later.

She wanted to witness the event. Though she didn’t have an invitation, it was easy to handle.

After the meal, Mulan booked a room at a high-rise hotel near Qiuyin. Then she called the resort.

“Hello, this is Qiuyin Resort.”
“I’d like to book a room for tomorrow night,” Mulan said.
“Sorry, the resort isn’t accepting individual guests for the next two days.”
“Why? Because of the wedding reservations mentioned on TV?”
“Yes.”
“But isn’t it only the day after tomorrow?”
“The event requires preparation. Many guests come from afar and may arrive early. Sorry, we could book after the 22nd…”
“No, thank you,” Mulan ended the call.

The next morning, she scouted the resort perimeter. She had already studied the garden layout online in detail.

The resort rested on a small green hill. A guarded entrance sat halfway up, with a parking area outside. Only two guests arrived that morning.

Hidden by the foliage, Mulan observed a man and woman exiting a car. The man handed a card to the woman, who brightened as the guard gestured them in.

So, the invitation could be accompanied by a guest.

In the afternoon, more luxury cars arrived. Using intuition and observation, Mulan studied the guests.

Finally, she stepped forward at a curve in the parking lot, nodded and smiled, observing a family of seven (five adults and two children) exit a seven-seater vehicle. They went to the entrance.

“The resort route is complex; please follow me,” she said with a tone that made it seem like she had been guiding guests all day.

They followed without hesitation.

When the guard asked for the invitation, Mulan moved closer to the children, looking like part of the family.

Thus, she successfully entered Qiuyin Resort.

“Where’s the pool?” asked a young lady.
“Guide?”… Everyone turned to look, but the beautiful guide had vanished.

The next day, the grand wedding that shook the Three Territories began on time.

Guests were seated according to prearranged name cards. Most were Jiangdong celebrities; others came from afar—Yicheng and Weidu. Two names, in particular, seemed to be from the Eastern Wind sea region.

A few hours prior, the hosts Sun Quan and the couple had quietly arrived and rested in a small building, with attendants outside politely denying any visitors. No one had seen the bride or groom yet.

Hua Mulan, composed, entered the crystal-like banquet hall, took food at the long table, and sipped champagne. Technically, as long as she maintained the appearance of dining, no one would notice she had no seat.

The marinated shrimp was good—she hadn’t eaten such things at the Longcheng.

Lights dimmed except for the red carpet and main stage. Dense applause erupted around the dining tables.

Two men appeared to speak. By their weapons and aura, she recognized one as Sun Quan.

While eating, she observed the hall’s activity. Unexpectedly, just as the beautiful night was beginning, Sun Shangxiang cut it short.

The princess appeared in a white wedding gown and revealed her .

“Forcing me to marry him? In your dreams!”

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