Chapter 17 – Bewitched

The bright red undergarments slid off the girl’s ivory shoulders, and Pei Xuan found herself momentarily bewitched. She felt that neither the grandeur of the mountains and rivers nor the splendor of the sun and moon could compare to this demure glance.

Cui Ti had endured much hardship in her childhood, abandoned heartlessly by her parents to live in a dilapidated house in the south courtyard. Her only companion was Bai Ge, a girl of similar age, and together they scraped by, lacking food and clothing, barely surviving.

Cui Ti was slightly shorter and more petite, despite being a few months older than Pei Xuan. Her quiet demeanor reminded one of a damp cat hiding in a corner on a rainy day.

Just as Pei Xuan’s initial amazement arose, so did an uncontrollable affection for Cui Ti. The more she learned about her, the more she found it difficult to let go.

What did it matter if she was blind? What did it matter if she was unloved? Pei Xuan liked Cui Ti, cherished her, and no one could stop her from being good to her.

Pushing aside her almost improper thoughts, Pei Xuan helped Cui Ti remove her undergarments, making sure to avert her gaze from the rising mounds on her chest. “Niangzi…”

Cui Ti’s fingertips trembled as she obediently extended her hand.

Pei Xuan turned her face to the side, focusing solely on helping her dress, her mind free of any distractions.

Cui Ti had never seen anyone like her in both of her lives. Her nose was elegant, her lips red, her face fair, like a clear breeze and a bright moon. The poetic descriptions of beauty perfectly fit Pei Xingguang, who was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

But why wasn’t she embarrassed?

Cui Ti’s heart was pounding in her throat, while her Fujun remained composed. Initially, there was a hint of nervousness, but soon after, her trembling hands steadied, and she didn’t even spare her another glance.

Cui Ti calmed her emotions, resting her arm on Pei Xuan’s shoulder, her fingers gently playing with her black hair.

Pei Xuan froze, her gaze shifting away to avoid offending her. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

Her voice was muffled, as if she were suppressing a chestful of grievances. It was soft and tender, even her sulking was gentle and slow.

The wedding night had just passed, and Pei Xuan, not knowing how she had upset Cui Ti, finally mustered the courage to look at her. Cui Ti’s cheeks were tinged with a delicate blush, her hair slightly disheveled, and her lips beautifully shaped, with her full lower lip adding to her allure.

Pei Xuan’s heart skipped a beat. She hastily lowered her gaze, only to inadvertently catch sight of the rounded mounds of her new Niangzi’s bosom, with an intricate lotus pattern embroidered in gold thread on her undergarments, capturing the essence of a vibrant spring.

Normally composed and mature beyond her years, Editor Pei found herself blushing furiously at the sight, completely at a loss.

She stared blankly, almost foolishly, her infatuated expression still managing to retain a certain elegance, something Cui Ti found deeply endearing.

“Mistake, mistake, do not look, do not look…,” Pei Xuan mumbled incoherently. Cui Ti heard the word “mistake” and was puzzled. What mistake? Was it a mistake to look at her?

If so, why had Pei Xuan married her?

Cui Ti tilted her head, observing Pei Xuan fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, seemingly forgetting what to do next.

This side of Pei Xuan was refreshing, more thirst-quenching than plum wine.

She blinked, and in those few moments, Pei Xuan took a deep breath. Her long fingers reached for Cui Ti’s waist, her eyes closed as she prepared to pull down the white underpants.

This time, it was Cui Ti who was at a loss. She clutched her pants tightly, her face turning crimson. Her soft hands pressed against Pei Xuan’s warm, strong hand. “I-I’ll change myself.”

“…”

Heat flushed through Pei Xuan, her face turning bright red. She was grateful her Niangzi couldn’t see her embarrassment.

Little did she know that Cui Ti saw everything clearly. She watched as Pei Xuan’s blush spread from her face to her neck, how she rubbed her face and ears. Pei Xuan, thinking Cui Ti was blind, made many amusing little gestures, all of which Cui Ti noticed.

After changing her underpants, Cui Ti poked her round head out from under the quilt. “Fujun… my clothes.”

Pei Xuan, still dizzy with emotion, handed her the clothes, accidentally catching sight of the golden lotus on her chest, her heart pounding.

In the room, on the wedding bed, one heart raced while the other fluttered, leaving poor Bai Ge outside the door in a state of anxiety.

Bai Ge was nearly frantic.

The time for the newlyweds to serve tea to the elders was approaching, and they were still inside. Her ears perked up like a rabbit’s, straining to catch the faint sounds from within. They were awake, but what was taking them so long?

A new bride missing the tea ceremony would surely be gossiped about.

The young lady of the house was visually impaired and moved slowly, but why was Gentleman Pei also dawdling along with her?

Bai Ge’s heart was aflame with anxiety as she banged on the door, “Son-in-law, it’s time to get up!”

The delicate foot quickly darted back under the quilt. Pei Xuan wanted to laugh, tried to hold it in, but eventually couldn’t help but chuckle. Cui Ti was secretly annoyed at her laughter and even more frustrated by the three years in their previous lifetime that made it difficult for her to fully accept that her Fujun was a woman.

A woman’s feet should not be seen by a man. Even if it was her Fujun, it should only be at night.

She bit her lip, angry at Pei Xuan for being a genuine woman disguised in men’s clothing, and even angrier that her eyes worked perfectly, allowing her to stare at her feet.

By the time her anger subsided, Pei Xuan had already gotten out of bed and was gracefully dressing.

A sea of red pooled at her ankles, making her skin appear even more white and jade-like. Cui Ti, caught off guard by the sight of her slender, soft waist, hurriedly closed her eyes, her chest heaving with a mix of emotions.

“Niangzi.”

Pei Xuan, now fully dressed, lifted her robe and knelt down to help Cui Ti, who was sitting on the bed, put on her socks and shoes.

Holding the delicate foot in her hand, Pei Xuan’s breath quickened. She looked up to see Cui Ti’s even more overwhelmed and embarrassed face. Gentleman Pei, ever the composed gentleman, had a gentle smile in her eyes. “It will be done soon.”

The amusement in her voice was subtle, but Cui Ti could hear it clearly. What could she do, though? She still had to sit there obediently and watch Pei Xuan’s hair.

The sensation of Pei Xuan’s thumb brushing over her foot was too distinct. Cui Ti endured it without making a sound, feeling like there was a little creature with wings fluttering wildly in her heart, shouting, “Hooray! She likes you! She likes you!”

The back of Cui Ti’s neck reddened, and her chest felt tight. She tried to kick away the little creature that was stirring up her emotions, but it only shouted louder, “You’re shy! You’re shy! You’re so dishonest! A woman who says one thing and means another!”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

Pei Xuan suddenly received a kick. “I-I’m not talking nonsense.”

The familiar voice sounded in her ear, and Cui Ti came back to her senses, feeling secretly ashamed. Her toes curled slightly. “Fujun, I wasn’t talking about you.”

There were only the two of them here. Pei Xuan didn’t understand her meaning but earnestly said, “Niangzi, you are indeed the most beautiful in my heart.”

It turned out Pei Xuan was just complimenting her looks.

Cui Ti felt unworthy of such praise.

“If I say you are, then you are,” Pei Xuan said, lifting Cui Ti off the bed. “Stand here and don’t move. I’ll go open the door.”

She turned and walked away.

Cui Ti listened to her footsteps, then the sound of the door opening. The maids filed in, Bai Ge rushing in first. She held Cui Ti’s arm and whispered, “Miss, how are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Of course, I mean the wedding night!” Bai Ge glanced nervously at Pei Xuan, who was busy washing up. “Did Gentleman Pei bully you?”

She realized her mistake. “No, no, did Gentleman Pei not bully you?”

Her words were jumbled, and she stood on tiptoe to peer at the bed.

Cui Ti knew she was looking for the virginity handkerchief. Facing Bai Ge, Cui Ti saw only a dense white fog.

She could still see no one but Pei Xuan.

An immortal had granted her a spiritual eye, a vision that fulfilled her deepest desire. At that time, all she wanted was to see her gentle and refined Fujun from her previous lifetime. Now that she had seen her, her gaze instinctively sought Pei Xuan’s figure through the mist.

A splash of bright color appeared in the monotony of white.

Once she found Pei Xuan, her heart settled.

Both she and Pei Xuan were dressed in bright red, like a burning flame.

She leaned over to whisper to Bai Ge, “She didn’t bully me. If anything, I was the one who wasn’t honest. I dared to bully her.”

Bai Ge’s eyes widened. She swallowed the words “impressive” that were on the tip of her tongue.

Knowing her words would cause Bai Ge to misunderstand, Cui Ti still said them.

She liked Pei Xuan and liked the feeling of others misunderstanding their closeness. It felt like blood was thicker than water, like lips and teeth were dependent on each other. The more people misunderstood, the better.

“You’re amazing, Miss,” Bai Ge whispered in her ear.

While the master and servant whispered, Pei Xuan had finished washing her face. Fresh and clean, water dripped from her chin. Her neck was graceful, her skin smooth like porcelain. Cui Ti took a step, startling Bai Ge. “Miss, where are you going? Let me take you.”

“Don’t call me Miss anymore,” Cui Ti thought for a moment. “Call me Young Madam.”

“Oh, oh! Young Madam!” Bai Ge saw her miss completely focused on her new husband, blushing at the thought of how Miss might have bullied Gentleman Pei last night. Gentleman Pei, such a big person, being bullied by a blind girl—who would believe it?

But her miss was indeed wild, daring to be on top the first night. Didn’t it hurt?

She watched Cui Ti’s walking posture. No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like she had been thoroughly penetrated.

“These are the servants your mother arranged for you,” Pei Xuan said. “The one on the left is named Haozhong, and the one on the right is Raoliang. From now on, they will serve you along with Bai Ge.”

“We greet the Young Madam,” the servants said in unison.

“Rise,” Cui Ti responded.

Watching her calmly converse with the maids, Pei Xuan’s smile never faded from her lips.

Haozhong and Raoliang were names of ancient zithers. This sparked a thought in Cui Ti’s mind about renaming Bai Ge.

Renaming someone could change their destiny. In her previous lifetime, Bai Ge had suffered greatly while serving her. Later, Bai Ge finally found some peace and got married, but the man she married was not a good person.

That man, wary of Young Madam Pei’s status, kept her in the dark, claiming Bai Ge was doing well. When Bai Ge didn’t come to the manor to pay her respects, Cui Ti sent someone to investigate and learned that Bai Ge had passed away.

The regret from her previous lifetime lingered in Cui Ti’s heart. Renaming Bai Ge was a must, but the immediate priority was to get ready to pay respects to her in-laws.

Pei Xuan took a chair and sat down, watching the servant attend to her grooming.

After greeting, Momo headed straight for the bed, found the blood-stained virginity handkerchief at the foot of the bed, and took it away with a satisfied smile to report.

Cui Ti couldn’t see her, but hearing the sounds and recalling her experiences from her previous lifetime, her face flushed red.

With her head lowered in modesty, she looked the picture of gentleness.

The maid responsible for her makeup and hair was stunned by the Young Madam’s shy demeanor. Looking into the bronze mirror, she saw the affectionate gaze of Gentleman Pei directed at Cui Ti, and she felt as though she had stumbled into a honey pot.

These two people…

Cui Ti had no idea when Pei Xuan had fabricated that item.

Thinking deeply and far back, she recalled the time in her previous life when Pei Xuan, drunk, had touched her. What kind of feelings did Pei Xuan harbor for her back then?

Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, her thoughts caused ripples. Just as her heart had settled, it became restless again.