Chapter 14 – The Wedding Night

“The groom has arrived!”

At the shout of the servant woman, the Count of Xining could no longer dawdle with his eldest daughter. After eighteen years of being a hands-off parent, the moment of sending his daughter off to get married filled him with a complicated mix of emotions, reminding him that Cui Ti was indeed his flesh and blood.

Just as the feeling of parting welled up, his wife gave him a sharp pinch on the waist.

Stifling a cry of pain, the Count of Xining escorted his daughter out.

Cui Ti, having no legitimate brother, declined her mother’s suggestion to have a cousin from the Cui Family carry her to the sedan chair.

The grand sedan chair with eight bearers arrived. Pei Xuan dismounted her horse, the large red flower tied to her chest fluttering in the wind.

As the Chancellor’s legitimate son, Pei Xuan’s marriage to the blind girl raised in the south courtyard of the Cui Family was a stroke of good fortune for the Cui Family. She encountered no obstacles on her way here.

Song Zizhen and Zheng Wuji, dressed as groomsmen, stood beside her like door gods.

The sound of festive music filled the air, and a large crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. As the sun set, casting its golden rays over the land, Song Zizhen whispered, “She’s coming, she’s coming!”

The bride had arrived.

Cui Ti, dressed in a red wedding gown and covered with a red veil, walked out of the residence with the support of the Countess of Xining and Bai Ge.

The May breeze was warm, gently swaying the willow trees. Cui Dai, standing behind her mother, finally saw her ‘brother-in-law.’ How could this be anything but a charming, spirited youth with rosy lips and white teeth?

“Greetings, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law.”

Pei Xuan bowed respectfully.

The Count of Xining, moved, tried to respond, but upon seeing Pei Xuan’s warm and sincere eyes, he found himself at a loss for words.

He sighed softly, “Ti’er is in your hands now. She was born blind and has suffered much. Now that you are marrying her, you must treat her well.”

“I will.”

The Countess of Xining, seeing Pei Xuan’s graceful and courteous demeanor, felt a sense of pride and handed Cui Ti’s hand over with a smile. “Xingguang, this is your wife now.”

Pei Xuan, always cautious, gently called out, “A Cui.” From beneath the veil came a soft reply.

It was Cui Ti’s voice.

Pei Xuan’s smile grew even brighter.

Meanwhile, hiding shyly in the back, Cui Dai turned pale.

Fortunately, Mom did not agree to her idea of substituting for the marriage. This person had come fully prepared. How little did they trust the Xining Count’s residence?

In Dazhao, it was customary for brides to cry on their wedding day—the more they cried, the more it showed their reluctance to leave their family. The Count of Xining forced out two tears, while the Countess couldn’t muster even one.

She was still thinking about the harsh words Cui Ti had said to her the previous day.

The scene was somewhat awkward.

Pei Xuan’s expression remained unchanged.

Whether they cried or not didn’t matter to her. She didn’t like the idea of people sobbing on her wedding day. If no one else cherished Miss Cui, she would.

She was confident she could do better than any of them. She would treasure her like the moon in the sky, like a pearl in the palm of her hand.

“Slow down, be careful with your head.”

In just a few steps, she carefully guided Cui Ti into the sedan chair, her tender care making many people’s teeth ache with sweetness.

“Are you feeling unwell? Is it serious?”

In the brief moment they had to talk, Cui Ti blushed. “I’m much better, it’s nothing serious.”

Only then did Pei Xuan feel at ease.

She stepped back from the sedan chair and bid farewell to the Count and Countess of Xining.

“Lift the sedan!”

As the sky gradually darkened, stars rose into the heavens, and the moon hung in a crescent.

A blind girl, upright and proud, was being welcomed into the Chancellor’s Residence—something unimaginable to many in Xi Jing.

Yet, it happened.

In the wedding hall, surrounded by the sounds of blessings, Cui Ti felt like she was floating on clouds, as if in a dream.

Her sleeve was gently tugged.

She snapped back to reality.

Pei Xuan’s gentle and clear voice flowed softly, “A Cui, it’s time for the couple’s bow.”

Warmth spread through Cui Ti’s heart, her face blushing lightly.

“Bow to each other—”

The couple bowed deeply to each other, solemnly completing the wedding ceremony of their lives.

Pei Xuan quietly sighed with relief. She had feared that Cui Ti might not want to marry her, but it seemed she was mistaken.

Sweat beaded between her fingers as she escorted the bride to the bridal chamber. She didn’t linger inside, her face flushing and heart pounding as she exited to host the wedding feast for the guests.

“Out so soon?” Song Zizhen nudged her arm. “Didn’t talk much?”

“No…”

She was distracted. Zheng Wuji chuckled, “There’s plenty of time for the bridal chamber later. Alright, let’s not bother Xingguang. Shall we drink?”

“Drink? We’re here to help Xingguang handle the drinks. I’m not getting married, but my good brother must stay sober for the wedding night!”

Song Zizhen beamed. “Xingguang, don’t you agree?”

Ah, the wedding night…

Pei Xuan hadn’t even started drinking, yet she already felt half-drunk, dizzy with worry. How was she going to handle her wedding night with A Cui?

She couldn’t hurt her feelings, couldn’t neglect her, couldn’t get too close, and absolutely couldn’t reveal her true gender.

The colleagues from the Hanlin Academy wouldn’t let the triumphant groom off easily. They all raised their cups to toast her.

Song Zizhen, Zheng Wuji, and the other friends kept their promise, drinking until they were all dead drunk.

“Time for the bridal chamber fun… bridal chamber fun…”

“What fun? They’re all drunk.”

With many guests passed out, Pei Xuan instructed the servants to carry them to the guest rooms prepared for the occasion.

After the banquet ended, she patted her face and headed toward the backyard.

“Everyone, leave.”

“Yes, my lord.”

With a creak, the door opened. After a moment, Bai Ge saw the son-in-law, beautiful as jade.

This time, Pei Xuan didn’t look like a silly goose but like a cautious fawn stepping on cotton. Her eyes were clear, and her features were indescribably gentle in the candlelight.

No wonder the people of Xi Jing said that Gentleman Pei resembled a woman. With this figure and demeanor, if she weren’t known as the chancellor’s legitimate son and the current Zhuangyuan, Bai Ge might indeed be suspicious.

“Greetings, my lord.”

Her sudden words snapped someone out of their trance, who had been staring at the bride.

Pei Xuan blinked. “Prepare the bath. I will bathe later.”

Bai Ge glanced at her master, Cui Ti, who sat motionless on the bed. Seeing no objection, she tactfully left.

“You all leave too.”

The maids and older servants guarding the bridal chamber filed out, closing the door behind them, restoring silence to the room.

Pei Xuan looked around nervously, feeling a bit of pre-wedding jitters.

If she felt this way, how could Cui Ti not?

A person cannot step into the same river twice, but Cui Ti had married the same person in both of her lives.

She clutched her handkerchief, embroidered with playful mandarin ducks, twisting it beyond recognition.

The wedding scale lay in a jade tray. Pei Xuan’s hand trembled as she picked it up, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

The wedding veil was lifted.

Cui Ti’s beautiful face lit up the dim room. Seeing her, Pei Xuan couldn’t help but smile. “Have you been waiting long?”

The bright red silk symbolizing their new marriage covered Cui Ti’s unseeing eyes. She shook her head slightly, the phoenix crown on her head trembling with the movement. “No.”

Following the traditional customs of Dazhao, the next step for the newlyweds was to drink the hejin wine, also known as the cross-cup wine. This required the couple to intertwine their arms and feed each other the wine, with the custom dictating that each drink half, symbolizing unity and inseparability.

Cui Ti was terribly afraid of making a mistake while drinking the wine. Her throat was dry with nervousness, and she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.

Seeing her predicament, Pei Xuan guided her step by step. She drank half the wine from the cup handed over by the maid and then slowly fed the remaining half to Cui Ti.

As the hejin wine slid down their throats, both of their faces flushed with varying degrees of embarrassment.

“Did you drink a lot?” Cui Ti tugged at Pei Xuan’s sleeve.

Pei Xuan lowered her head and sniffed.

She was a refined drinker, with a high tolerance for alcohol, and never seemed to get drunk, no matter how much she consumed.

On their wedding night, it was unavoidable to smell of alcohol. She thought Cui Ti disliked it. “I’ll wash off the smell quickly.”

“Are you going to bathe in the room?”

“Yes…”

Pei Xuan observed her expression. “I sent them away. No one is here to accompany you. I’m worried.”

In her previous lifetime, she had also bathed in their bridal chamber. Even though she couldn’t see, Cui Ti was still so embarrassed that she could barely breathe.

But, thinking that they had already been through this once, she hoped for a new beginning with Pei Xuan. She nodded slightly. “Go ahead and bathe.”

Bai Ge ordered the servants to bring in a half-height wooden bathtub. Despite her bold words to Cui Ti earlier about “dealing with Pei Xuan right here,” standing in her master’s bridal chamber made her shy. “I’ll take my leave now.”

After closing the door and turning away, Bai Ge rubbed her face—

This was too thrilling! Was the son-in-law actually going to share a bath with the bride?

Her mind was filled with wild thoughts.

Inside the inner chamber, Pei Xuan considerately helped her Niangzi remove the heavy phoenix crown from her head.

With the weighty adornment taken off, Cui Ti felt much more at ease and softly said, “Go on and bathe.”

“I’ll be quick. Wait for me.”

“Alright.”

Being able to exchange a few more words with her made Pei Xuan happy. She quickly stepped behind the screen, undressed, and stepped into the steaming bathtub.

The sound of splashing water filled the room, and Cui Ti bit her lip slowly.

In her previous lifetime, she often heard people praise her good Fujun’s excellent demeanor and appearance. If she could, she also wished to see it for herself.

She wanted to grow old with Pei Xuan, to treat her well, to repay her for saving her and showing her kindness.

The atmosphere of their wedding night lingered thickly, intertwined with the delicate scent of the bath water. Cui Ti took a light sniff, marveling at how Pei Xuan, a noble gentleman, maintained herself even more meticulously than the most fastidious noblewomen.

In this lifetime, would Pei Xuan still be unwilling to touch her?

She sat there, lost in thought, as her mind wandered far away.

…

The candlelight cast delicate shadows on the embroidered screen, highlighting a graceful and exquisite figure. Pei Xuan let down her hair, water flowing over her smooth skin. She raised her head and stared blankly at the other side of the screen.

“Fu… Fujun…”

Her body stiffened slightly. She turned her ear to listen, confirming that someone was calling her, and quickly responded, “Niangzi?”

Cui Ti’s eyes stung. The red silk ribbon slipped to the floor as she instinctively sought the person who made her feel safe. After just a few steps, her knee hit a chair, causing her to let out a muffled groan.

“Niangzi?”

Pei Xuan hurriedly emerged from the bathtub, grabbing a robe in her haste.

A faint golden light flitted across Cui Ti’s eyelids, the pain receding like a tide. When she opened her eyes, the world had transformed dramatically.

Through the thick fog, a lone figure hurried towards her, indistinct and far away.

“Niangzi? Niangzi?”

A hand gently cupped her face.

The person before her was beautiful, filled with worry and urgency.

“Niangzi?”

Cui Ti stared straight at “him,” unable to believe what she was seeing.

Seeing her eyes red-rimmed, Pei Xuan’s heart leaped into her throat. “Are your eyes hurting again? How about now? Are they better now?”

She had rushed over, water clinging to her thin robe, droplets sliding along her collarbone down into the milky white cleavage.

Gazing at her “good Fujun’s” long, cascading hair and the graceful, delicate body barely concealed by the wet inner robe, Cui Ti’s body and mind trembled. Her face flushed, and she suddenly came to a profound realization…!