Substitute Bride (Repair)

"Holy crap, where am I?"

Qu Linghan, who was sleeping soundly, was forced to wake up from the violent jolts.

The creaking of the carriage and the loud music outside gave her a headache, and she shook her head to try to clear her mind.

"Oh my god, oh my god, wasn't I making clothing with the Liuchao style at home? Where is this?"

A ray of light shone from the front, and Qu Linghan then realized that she was wearing a wedding dress embroidered with gold thread, featuring subtle patterns and adorned with jewels.

"What?! A wedding dress. This...this...Qu Linghan, you even went to Hengdian to find a film crew to do cosplay?"

"You've been kidnapped and you don't even know it!"

Qu Linghan even wanted to slap himself a few times.

The tassels of her phoenix crown swayed with her movements.

"Oh my, no wonder it's so heavy."

She carefully removed the phoenix crown and breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew, causing the carriage curtain to flutter.

Qu Linghan, carrying the heavy phoenix crown, peered forward. A man in red clothes sat on a horse, "driving" a carriage, while the "extras" on both sides of the street chattered amongst themselves.

"Stop the car, stop the car, I'm done playing."

"The house design drawings aren't finished yet; I'm rushing to get them done."

Qu Linghan called out several times, but the driver showed no sign of stopping.

"No, brother? You?"

"Stop! The car!" Qu Linghan raised his voice, but it was still to no avail.

Seeing that the carriage showed no sign of stopping.

Qu Linghan shouted again.

—The carriages were even going faster and faster.

"OK."

Qu Linghan took a deep breath, then darted out of the carriage through the back door, clutching the phoenix crown.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Qu Linghan lay on the floor, clutching the phoenix crown in a disheveled state, while the faces of the "extras" in front of him were all filled with shock.

Haha, everyone's acting was pretty convincing...

The carriage seemed to have stopped. Qu Linghan, with one hand on his waist and the other holding the pure gold phoenix crown, approached the carriage, intending to have a good argument with the driver.

"Brother, I've called out several times, I want to get off the bus, I want to get off the bus! Are you so engrossed in your game that you don't care about the customers' lives?"

"customer?"

The driver was completely bewildered.

"Madam, what are you saying?"

"Ah, a concubine?"

Qu Linghan frowned.

"I just said I'm not playing anymore, look at you."

Qu Linghan handed the phoenix crown to the coachman with a speechless expression.

"Here, this must be quite expensive. Here you go."

"I'm leaving."

Then, Qu Linghan walked towards the less crowded area, which was probably the exit, saying as he went, amidst the shocked gazes of everyone:

"That's enough, that's enough. I'm really leaving."

As Qu Linghan walked, she pondered the design of the new costumes. She had to admit that the costumes in this production crew were quite suitable for the Liu Dynasty.

But after only a few steps, a fierce-looking woman suddenly appeared and grabbed Qu Linghan by the ear.

"You slut, I drugged you, and you still manage to cause so much trouble."

"Your maid's life is in my hands. You dare not marry her?"

Qu Linghan couldn't help but laugh as he watched the old woman in front of him get so into character.

"Stop playing, I'm in a hurry to go home!"

"Home? You're getting married soon, the Zhenbei Marquis's residence will be your home!"

The Marquis of Zhenbei's residence? That sounds familiar.

There was a Marquis of Zhenbei during the Liu Dynasty, but the historical records do not seem to describe him well.

Historical records state, "Bai Hui, the Marquis of Zhenbei, inherited his father's title. He was born in the first year of the Yuanjia era. He was always victorious in battle and was enfeoffed as the King of Zhenbei. Three years later, when Hui was twenty-three, he was cruel and ruthless. He massacred and slaughtered people in the city, colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. He was executed and his three clans were exterminated."

Some unofficial histories even say that "Bai Hui, courtesy name Zhaoming, always covered his face with iron tools, was extremely ugly, and had a hoarse voice that could stop children from crying."

In short, the Marquis of Zhenbei must have been a bloodthirsty and extremely ugly man.

After recalling everything, Qu Linghan told his wife:

"I know that the Marquis of Zhenbei doesn't have a very good reputation."

"Hmph, not so great, but you still have to marry him in place of your older sister."

...

After several rounds of debate, Qu Linghan felt more and more that something was wrong.

"How can this film crew be so meticulous..."

That's so strange.

"Costumes, acting skills, the Marquis of Zhenbei..."

She shook off the old woman's tightly gripping arm and randomly approached one of the "extras".

Qu Linghan spoke cautiously, afraid that his fears would become reality.

"Um... sis, what year is it now?"

The extra looked at Qu Linghan with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean by 'year'? This year is the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era..."

What? The nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era…

Isn't this the reign title of Emperor Ryūjūjō?

No way, no way.

The old woman, baring her teeth, grabbed Qu Linghan's arm again.

"Go, go, stop pretending to be stupid. Get in the bridal sedan chair and stop making a fool of yourself here."

Although Qu Linghan was not yet fully aware of the situation, she still managed to act with lightning speed when the old woman dragged her toward the bridal sedan chair.

He rushed out...

Why should I listen to a stranger like you, especially one who doesn't seem like a good person?

"You little bitch, grab her!"

The old woman guarding Qu Linghan was trembling with anger, shouting with a ferocious expression.

The screams pierced through the noise, and Qu Linghan was about to run out of the crowd.

An invisible, suffocating fear instantly descended upon the entire street.

"Da...da...da..."

The heavy sound of horses' hooves approached slowly, reaching Qu Linghan's ears. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She stiffly turned her head away, little by little.

Cold-blooded, unruly, with iron fittings covering his face, capable of stopping a child's crying—these adjectives suddenly come together.

Before Qu Linghan could think, she saw the crowd watching the spectacle:

With a loud "thump!", he knelt down.

"Greetings, Marquis of Zhenbei."

Qu Linghan was left standing there stiffly, his eyes filled with fear.

He sat quietly on his horse, without saying a word, but slowly approached, his dark, hole-like eyes fixed precisely on the disheveled Qu Linghan.

As he approached, Qu Linghan lowered his head.

A cold, flat voice rang out in the deathly silence, accompanied by his disdainful gaze, striking the bluestone slab.

"Do you know that disobeying an imperial edict is a capital offense?"

"Oh my god, she really wore it..."

And so, Qu Linghan appeared in front of everyone.

His vision went black, his legs went weak, and he fainted.

...

When Qu Linghan woke up again, she was lying on the soft bed. In her sleepy state, she could smell a faint, familiar fragrance in her nostrils, which calmed her down and made her feel at peace.

Qu Linghan thought to herself that everything that had just happened was indeed just a nightmare. She turned over and prepared to go back to sleep.

Several hurried footsteps approached. "Miss, Miss, I thought I would never see you again."

Qu Linghan suddenly felt a weight on his body and had to sit up. Looking at the antique-style room in front of him, a wave of dizziness washed over him.

My God, where am I?

She smacked her head hard, trying to clear her mind.

"Miss, no, Concubine, please don't do anything rash!"

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have let them catch me, allowing them to use me to blackmail you into marrying someone."

"Who are you?"

The girl in front of him, who was genuinely expressing her feelings and crying her eyes out, suddenly stopped mid-beat.

"Miss, I'm Jing'er?"

What's wrong with you?

Upon hearing her words, Qu Linghan waved his hand.

Suddenly, a flood of memories rushed into Qu Linghan's mind, a blurry, chaotic jumble of fragments swirling in his head.

"Qu Linghan, I can't marry you."

"Qu Linghan, you must marry in my place today. Your father is just a lowly ninth-rank official, while my father's rank is much higher. You must listen to me."

"Qu Linghan, His Majesty has decreed that Linglong and Bai Hui's marriage be bestowed upon you. Let's see how you escape now!"

"Qu Linghan, your father and brother are both in the west. Even if they find out, what can they do?"

"Qu Linghan, I'll tell you a secret: I heard that Marquis Bai Hui of Zhenbei is extremely ugly!"

The flood of memories was unbearable for Qu Linghan, who already suffered from migraines, and she rubbed her forehead.

He looked at Jing'er.

"It's alright, there are just some things I can't remember. Come here and sit down for a bit, I have something to ask you."

As Qu Linghan spoke, she directed Jing'er to come and sit next to her.

Jing'er nodded repeatedly with worry, but hadn't yet uttered a single "okay".

"What does my wife want to know? Why don't you ask your husband?"

The familiar, terrifying sense of oppression returned, and Qu Linghan instinctively curled up.

"You may all leave now."

Seeing her young mistress's utterly dejected expression, Jing'er longed to stay and take care of her, but she had no choice but to leave as ordered.

As Bai Hui drew closer, Qu Linghan nervously closed his eyes.

Surprisingly, the imagined humiliation did not occur.

Surrounded by the refreshing scent of sandalwood, Qu Linghan's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The great boss in the history books was preparing to put a veil on her head.

In an instant, their eyes met, and a blush rose on their faces.

"Well, now that you're awake, you can put this on yourself."

Taking the red veil he handed over, Qu Linghan casually draped it over her head.

"Your Highness, it's time for you to lift your veil."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and Qu Linghan, realizing that she had said the wrong thing, tightly closed her lips.

Bai Hui has not yet been granted the title of king!

That's it!!!

"Oh? Your Highness? Does Madam perhaps wish to become a princess?"

With a mocking tone, Bai Hui used his bulging veins to lift Qu Linghan's veil.

The person in front of him gradually revealed their full form. With the iron tools no longer obscuring their appearance, Qu Linghan saw a face with an aggressive look, a jawline with sharp, cold lines, alluring peach blossom eyes, tightly pursed thin lips, and a perfect face.

She was stunningly beautiful, a true celestial being.

Qu Linghan's eyes widened in shock, completely forgetting what Bai Hui had asked.

Good heavens, did he offend the historian?

"Or perhaps, Madam, you have other plans for coming here?"

Bai Hui's eyes were sharp, staring intently at Qu Linghan, trying to discern from her face whether she had any other plans.

"Of course, I came here to save our Marquis's mansion from dire straits and to develop a happy and prosperous life."

Seeing Bai Hui's slightly furrowed brows, Qu Linghan suddenly felt a sense of unease.

Try to gloss over it immediately.

He glanced at Qu Linghan's serious face.

"Is this idiot not quite right in the head?"

Bai Hui pondered silently in his heart.

"My lord, this... is against propriety," said Qu Linghan, who was struggling beneath him.

Realizing what he was doing, Bai Hui released his grip on Qu Linghan's neck.

"Ahem, it's none of your business to interrogate me about what I do."

Although Bai Hui felt guilty, he still managed to shake Qu Linghan's head off.

After all, he was the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"It's alright, it's alright. You are the Marquis of Zhenbei."

You are right no matter what you do.

Qu Linghan said it was nothing, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"What a madwoman," she thought, panting. "The escape plan is urgent."

"call."

The red candle by the bed was extinguished in an instant by the wind outside the window. The moon was already crescent-shaped, and its bright light shone through the thin gauze curtains, scattering brightly and purely.

Qu Linghan looked up and sighed inwardly, "The moon tonight once shone on the ancients."

"Moon, moon, take me back to the 21st century."

"baffling."

Bai Hui glanced at the person beside him who was doing something.

"That's enough for today, I should rest now."

After saying that, he stood up and gestured for Qu Linghan to leave.

Completely bewildered, Qu Linghan sighed and asked helplessly, "Are you not even going to pretend anymore? Isn't our marriage an imperial decree?"

"There's no need to put on airs with someone like you. As for His Majesty, that's none of your business."

Bai Hui looked down at Qu Linghan with disdain, speaking without a trace of warmth.

"Alright, alright, I'm living under someone else's roof now, so I won't hold it against you."

Qu Linghan, somewhat speechless, picked up a quilt from the couch.

"Tell me, where do you want me to go?" she asked, suppressing her speechless frustration.

"Outside the door, turn left..."

Qu Linghan's heart pounded as Bai Hui uttered those words.

Don't let her sleep outside the door!

"The side room." As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Linghan let out a long sigh and walked out of the room to the side room.

After a long day of activity, she was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep as soon as she touched the bed.

She had a very strange dream. In the dream, she was wearing a lake-blue dress and dancing hand in hand with a man. Doubt arose, and she leaned closer to see what the man looked like.

Suddenly, he discovered that the flat ground beneath his feet had turned into a high mountain, and the man in front of him had vanished.

A baby had appeared in her arms without her noticing, neither crying nor fussing, while pursuers continued to pounce from behind.

In an instant, she lost control and fell off the cliff.

"Help! Help!"

"Help! Fire! The concubine is still in the side room. Come quickly and put out the fire!"

...