Volume One, Chapter 2: The Wedding Night
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Yunxi followed the bridal procession to the marquis’s residence at noon. She then spent the entire day sitting idly in the room arranged by Nanny Li. When the moon rose above the treetops, the door was knocked four times. Yunxi knew that Nanny Li was calling for her.
She wrapped herself in her bright-red nightclothes and opened the door.
“What took you so long?” Nanny Li whispered irritably as she led her along an empty path to the rear entrance of the main residence.
Nanny Li opened the door a crack and peered inside with one eye. Then she turned back to Yunxi. “You bathed, didn’t you? Wait until I tell you to go in.”
Yunxi did not answer. Dressed only in her thin nightclothes, she shivered uncontrollably. Another cold wind swept past, and she tightened her arms around herself. Faintly, she heard voices coming from inside the room.
The groom must have arrived, she thought.
An unknown bird chirped merrily three times from the branches. The voices in the room gradually fell silent, and the lamp went out.
Footsteps sounded soon after. The rear door was pulled open, and a woman dressed in wedding robes stepped out. Nanny Li immediately handed her the cloak she was holding and helped her fasten it.
Yunxiang stood there, letting Nanny Li fuss over her, a coy expression appearing on her face.
She was about to say something when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Yunxi’s face. Her expression instantly darkened, and she closed her mouth. Turning her gloomy gaze toward Yunxi, she said, “You know what to do, don’t you?”
Yunxi did not look at her. She merely nodded slowly.
“Come out the moment it’s done. Don’t get any foolish ideas, or else…”
Yunxiang wanted to say more, but Nanny Li pointed toward the room, so she had no choice but to stop.
Meanwhile, the groom who had been occupying their thoughts sat on the bed, his peach-blossom eyes slightly lowered. One hand, its knuckles sharply defined, tapped lightly against his thigh.
No wonder Yunxiang had looked so coy when she emerged. The groom was strikingly handsome, with sharply slanting brows that swept into his temples. His captivating eyes were framed by lashes as distinct as crow feathers, while the brilliant red wedding robes lent him an almost demonic beauty. He was breathtaking enough to astonish the heavens.
Yet the indifferent expression on his face was hardly that of a newlywed groom.
Ji Yu had once met the eldest daughter of the Yun family. On that occasion, he had lost his way in the Yun residence and casually asked a young maid to guide him. After leaving, he happened to turn around and see that supposedly talented, gentle, and virtuous young lady beating and berating the maid, accusing her of trying to seduce another woman’s husband and calling her depraved. Only when Yunxiang realized he had witnessed it did she hypocritically attempt to cover up her behavior.
Vicious and foolish.
Ji Yu was not the sort of person who hated evil on principle. His only requirements were that people not offend him and not be too stupid. Yunxiang, as it happened, had managed to satisfy both conditions.
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Ji Yu felt nothing but disgust toward his marriage. His wife was merely a decorative vase, a useful tool; whether he liked her or not made little difference. Their union was nothing more than an alliance of interests.
When he lifted the bride’s veil and saw the coy expression on his wife’s face, he felt none of the overwhelming excitement or loss of self-control his colleagues had described. Every part of the ceremony had felt like a task that simply had to be completed.
He had paid no attention at all to whatever she had said to him. His mind had been occupied with the unfinished affairs waiting in his study.
Then the door gave a loud creak, and Ji Yu’s thoughts were interrupted.
Through the folding screen, he saw a petite figure.
The person opening the door seemed startled and let out a soft cry. Moonlight outlined her graceful form, and the cautious way she moved was entirely unlike the woman he remembered.
Ji Yu felt a strange stir within him, but he merely assumed it was another deliberate trick devised by Yunxiang.
He had spent too long in the military camp. His harsh, inhuman nature and his reputation for being unpredictable were known throughout the court. It never occurred to Ji Yu that anyone would dare replace the bride on his wedding night.
The room was dim, and he could not clearly see the person approaching. He vaguely recalled that the bride had just asked him to extinguish the candles.
The hesitant footsteps drew nearer and nearer, until she reached the bedside.
The two of them faced each other in silence.
In the end, the “bride” could no longer bear it. When she spoke, her voice carried a faint sob. “Husband…”
Ji Yu had seen many people frightened by his reputation, but no one had ever expressed fear in such a coquettish, almost spoiled manner. She was certainly more clever than she had been a few years ago. Her performance was remarkably convincing.
The disgust in Ji Yu’s heart faded somewhat.
It seemed that staying the night would not be impossible after all.
He watched her tremble slightly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the hem of her clothes like those of a frightened little rabbit. She stood there helplessly.
In the darkness, he could feel her gaze dart toward him from time to time, only to hurriedly shift away.
Ji Yu did not move. He wanted to see what other tricks she might try.
Unexpectedly, after the two of them had stared at each other in silence, his wife seemed to make up her mind. She suddenly moved closer and sat in his arms. Her slender willow-like arms wrapped around his neck, and she buried her delicate face against his chest.
For a moment, he was caught off guard.
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Then he heard the person in his arms murmur softly, “Husband, let’s retire early. We still have to pay our respects to the old madam tomorrow.”
As she spoke, she deliberately pressed her pair of pale, tender breasts against his chest.
No woman had ever been so bold as to sit on his lap.
Ji Yu still showed no reaction.
He was a proud man who would never lower himself. Even if his wife tried so eagerly to please him on their wedding night, he would never compromise because of it.
The reason he allowed “Yunxiang” to continue was simply that her current performance was satisfactory.
If “Yunxiang” had behaved as she had earlier, he would never have indulged her. He might even have turned around and gone to the study to attend to his affairs.
Perhaps seeing that the man before her remained unmoved, his wife stiffened. Then, trembling, she placed her slender hands on Ji Yu’s sash.
For a long while, she could not bring herself to move. But after a moment, as though making an offering, she suddenly pulled hard.
With a soft click, his clothes came undone.
As she moved, his breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Suddenly, a long, elegant hand seized the restless hand teasing his chest, gradually tightening around it.
Ji Yu’s gaze locked possessively upon the young woman before him, as though he meant to tear her apart and devour her whole.
His broad, solid chest heaved violently. His hands closed around the girl’s slender waist, and then he seized her arm and pulled her beneath him.
The moonlight was enchanting. Its pure radiance streamed through the window lattice and fell upon the man and woman. The red quilt heaved like waves, and from time to time, the soft moans of the young woman drifted through the room.
Ji Yu’s movements were exceedingly rough. He showed no consideration for the fact that it was her first time. Partly, a trace of disgust still remained in his heart; partly, it was his own first time as well, and Yunxiang’s figure had made it impossible for him to restrain himself.
When the storm had passed and the clouds dispersed, both of them were breathing heavily. Yunxi was so exhausted she nearly fainted. Her body ached all over, yet she forced herself to remain conscious and lay on the bed, gasping, “Husband, go wash up first.”
Only after the sound of splashing water came from the bathing room did Yunxi glance at the disordered bedclothes, press her lips together, and rise to leave. Her legs were painfully sore, and she almost lost her balance when she climbed out of bed.
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