Chapter 35 "Aren't you going to call me 'elder sister-in-law' yet?"...
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened slightly.
I can't quite explain what emotion is rising within me, but I feel as if the softest part of my heart has been gently pinched, causing a pang of bitterness.
Xie Chengyan was unaware of anything amiss. Under her unwavering gaze, he calmly gathered his sleeves and slowly poured the wine from his cup onto the ground.
The alcohol seeped into the cracks between the bricks, leaving only a patch of brown, damp stain in the blink of an eye.
After emptying his cup, Xie Chengyan, perhaps not hearing Shen Xi's movement, turned his head to look back. He still held the empty wine cup in his hand, and the ever-burning candle illuminated his eyes, with a faint light flickering in his pupils.
Shen Xi was caught off guard and was captivated by those deep eyes, becoming as lost in them as she had been in those absurd and decadent dreams before.
The dream shattered the moment he spoke.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Xi then came to her senses, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Following his instructions, she lightly lifted her fair wrist and poured out all the wine as a sacrifice to the deceased.
After she finished doing all this, unexpectedly, she saw Xie Chengyan pour another glass of wine, raise his hand and spill it on the ground, without any explanation, his eyelids slightly lowered, his expression unreadable.
He didn't put the wine cups down until both were empty.
After staring at Shen Xi for a long while, Xie Chengyan finally turned around and went to the wedding banquet after being urged by others.
As Xie Chengyan left, everyone withdrew from the room like a tide, leaving only Shen Xi sitting alone on the wedding bed.
She didn't notice any of this, staring intently at the wine stains on the ground, lost in thought.
Just now, Xie Chengyan's first cup of wine was offered as a tribute to her birth mother.
So, who is this second cup of wine being offered to?
Xie Chengyan's parents are both alive and well. Just now, during the wedding ceremony, the two of them were bowing to their parents hand in hand, so they were naturally not his parents.
The person who might make him dedicate this as a sacrifice on his wedding day must be an extremely important person.
After pondering for a long time, Shen Xi still knew very little about him and ultimately could not reach a conclusion.
After a while, she closed her eyes slightly, made up her mind, got up and walked to the table, picked up the wine pot and poured another cup of wine, imitating Xie Chengyan's actions, and poured another cup on the ground.
Although she didn't know the deeper meaning behind his actions, she subconsciously felt that she should do as he said.
Consider it a way of repaying him for remembering her birth mother on a day like this.
Outside the bridal chamber, there was a constant commotion, but inside the chamber, it was very quiet, with only Shen Xi and two or three maids serving by her side.
She had been busy all day since dawn, and Shen Xi was already hungry and tired. Fortunately, Xie Chengyan remembered that she had not eaten, so he specially asked the servants to prepare food for her before leaving.
A bowl of jade pearl cloud silk soup was prominently displayed inside.
Chen Xi had no time to think about anything else and quickly ate a small meal.
The room was so quiet that one could hear the lively chatter of the wedding banquet outside the high walls. Shen Xi waited for a long time, but eventually succumbed to sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep while half-lying on the wedding bed.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps sounded again outside the door.
Qingqiu saw Xie Chengyan from afar and hurriedly woke her up.
Shen Xi blinked, forcibly clearing her somewhat muddled mind. She straightened her hair ornaments, which had been accidentally messed up, and clasped her hands in front of her, sitting upright in a dignified manner.
As soon as Xie Chengyan stepped into the bridal chamber, Qingqiu, with her keen insight, quickly led a group of servants out and closed the door.
Only the two of them remained in the bridal chamber.
The noise was shut out by the door; their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
Xie Chengyan slowly approached. Although he had been given some alcohol, his steps were steady and composed, not disordered, and he showed no signs of drunkenness.
Now that they were closer, he finally had time to properly observe Shen Xi today.
Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes were clear and bright. After being stared at by him for a long time, she lowered her thin eyelids uncomfortably and avoided his gaze.
Her wedding dress was fiery red, exceptionally dazzling. With the slightest movement, the fabric swayed, reflecting the light of the candlelight. On her body, every stitch seemed to possess a lively vitality.
Whether it was due to the influence of his dream or not, Xie Chengyan had a persistent thought ever since he first met her.
She should wear red.
Only the lone smoke rising from the desert, and the most intense crimson hue at sunset over the long river, are worthy of her.
Just like today.
He approached step by step. Shen Xi sat motionless on the couch, seemingly calm, but the small piece of fabric between his fingers was crumpled and wrinkled.
Before she could figure out how to face him, Xie Chengyan, who had walked up to her, lifted her chin without saying a word.
Their eyes met, and Shen Xi clearly saw a long-suppressed desire in those deep eyes.
He stroked her chin, examining her closely, his voice slightly hoarse.
"It's rare to see you wearing red."
Before Shen Xi could react, his thin, cool lips pressed down on hers, his handsome, cold features magnified before her eyes, their breaths mingling.
Shen Xi was momentarily stunned, and hurriedly closed her eyes in an attempt to comply, but her trembling eyelashes betrayed her inexperience.
Admittedly, she had often profaned Xie Chengyan in her dreams, but this was her first time actually doing it in real life.
He almost bit down, forcefully pressing down on half of his body. Shen Xi couldn't help but lean back, trying to avoid it, but Xie Chengyan didn't give her that chance.
Only then did he realize that she was trying to dodge, so he immediately grabbed the back of her neck with his other hand, tightened his grip, and held her tightly in front of him, his lips and teeth rubbing together.
At first, he was forceful and intense, but later, noticing Shen Xi's discomfort, he gradually became gentle and affectionate, guiding her to slowly adapt.
But Chen Xi could only hold her breath, enduring his one-sided kiss, and almost couldn't catch her breath.
After an unknown amount of time, just when Shen Xi thought she was about to suffocate, he finally released her lips, and at the last moment he gently bit her lower lip before opening the distance a little to allow her to catch her breath.
Her lips, ravaged, were glistening with moisture; the lipstick had been smudged during the kisses, yet her lip color only grew more vibrant.
Shen Xi's body went limp, and she leaned against his chest, breathing softly. Her delicate collarbone rose and fell with it, dazzlingly white.
She was completely unaware that her current appearance was a silent temptation for Xie Chengyan.
The dazzling colors caught his eye, and Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened slightly.
He couldn't help but wonder if she looked just like this on her wedding night with Xie Wenlang in his past life, so beautiful that it was impossible to look away, yet she herself was oblivious, stealing glances at him from time to time with those captivating eyes.
No, it shouldn't be.
She was never afraid of Xie Wenlang. It certainly wasn't like that in her past life. When she married the man she loved, she would only smile radiantly, making him even more irresistible than he was tonight.
Thinking of this, Xie Chengyan's jaw tightened, and his rough fingertips wiped away the lipstick remaining on her lips. Then, without any hesitation, he put it into his mouth and sipped it.
Only then did he straighten up.
Shen Xi gradually came to her senses from the chaos. When she looked up again, she noticed that he was holding a knife and cutting off a strand of hair.
It is the hair-tying ceremony.
Shen Xi understood, but before she could make a move, Xie Chengyan strode forward, took the hairpin from her head, picked out a strand of hair, and cut it off.
With a flick of his fingertips, Xie Chengyan personally tied the hair to a complex, unbreakable knot, then placed it into a brocade pouch he had prepared beforehand.
Then, glancing at the heavy hair ornament on her head, he said, "Take it off, it's uncomfortable to hold."
Shen Xi did as she was told. As the hairpins and hair ornaments were removed one by one, her long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
While Xie Chengyan was putting away the brocade pouch, she suddenly walked to the table, picked up the wine pot, and there was still some wine left after drinking the Heqin wine.
She tilted her head back, opened her mouth directly to the wine pot, and swallowed the spicy wine down her throat. She drank it down so fast that a few streaks of wine trickled down her lips and into her clothes.
Originally, Shen Xi intended to drink it all in one gulp, but before she could take a few sips, Xie Chengyan, who noticed something was wrong, forcibly pressed her down.
In the candlelight of the red tent, Xie Chengyan frowned, took the wine pot from her hand with one hand, and wiped away the wine residue from her lips with the other, which mixed with the lip rouge left behind, leaving a very faint blush.
"What are you doing?"
His tone was already somewhat displeased.
Shen Xi ignored him. She couldn't hold her liquor, and after drinking so much, she was a little tipsy. Her eyes were now misty and she was looking at him with a watery gaze, which was particularly alluring.
Xie Chengyan swallowed hard, but kept a straight face and raised his hand to straighten her disheveled collar.
Before he could even put the wine jug aside, Shen Xi suddenly appeared, hooked his belt around his waist, pulled him close, stared at him intently, and softened her voice.
"Xie Chengyan, tonight is our wedding night."
Xie Chengyan didn't bother arguing with the drunkard, letting her act recklessly. However, his gaze darkened as he looked into her clear, spring-like eyes, placing his hand on her waist to steady her: "And then?"
Hearing this answer, which was obviously a rhetorical question, Shen Xi was somewhat dissatisfied. She wrinkled her nose and accused, "You can't possibly not know that?"
What should I know?
"Xie Chengyan, none of us are innocent."
The next moment, Shen Xi grabbed his collar, stood on tiptoe, pulled him down, and following her memory or instinct, kissed him on the lips.
A kiss without any lust, just a fleeting touch.
Xie Chengyan suddenly grabbed her waist, stopping her from retreating. His eyes were deep and unfathomable as he asked her again, "Who am I?"
"You... are Xie Chengyan."
With a loud bang.
The wine jug fell to the ground, splashing wine everywhere and soaking the wedding dress, but no one cared about the mess.
Without hesitation, Xie Chengyan captured her cherry lips that she offered herself, then bent down and picked her up in his arms.
Shen Xi stiffened for a moment, but she quickly suppressed this slight resistance. Instead, she raised her hand and pushed against his chest, her cheeks flushed as she whispered, "I haven't bathed yet..."
Xie Chengyan couldn't wait any longer. His pupils darkened as he nibbled at her small earlobe and whispered, "Together."
The red gauze curtains are warm, and the night goes on without rest.
In the end, Shen Xi couldn't take it anymore and forgot when it ended, until she was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep.
Before losing consciousness, all she knew was that he carried her to be washed, and she vaguely heard a low sigh mixed with laughter fall into her ear.
"You're only brave in your dreams."
*
As Shenxi slowly regained consciousness, a sliver of pale sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the bed curtains, faintly illuminating the mottled red marks on her skin.
She was held tightly in someone's arms, with a bare, muscular chest in front of her. He was holding her too tightly, and Shen Xi was not very comfortable. She struggled slightly, but as soon as she made a move, she gasped.
My whole body aches, as if it's falling apart, and I can't help but think about the cause of this pain.
Last night... was truly absurd.
This was even more incredible than her previous dreams.
Shen Xi closed her eyes, unable to bear thinking about it further.
However, although I did feel slightly unwell at the beginning of last night, later...
There was a certain exhilaration in it; those scenes that had only appeared in her dreams before, making her blush, became a vivid and sensual experience last night.
Her thoughts, clouded by exhaustion, gradually cleared, and those words she couldn't bear to hear and those scenes she couldn't bear to look at resurfaced in her memory.
A blush crept onto Shen Xi's cheeks, and she couldn't help but bury her head.
Before she could catch her breath, a voice suddenly came from above.
"Does it still hurt?"
His voice had a low, hoarse quality, like someone half-awake in the morning.
Before Shen Xi could answer, Xie Chengyan had already propped himself up and reached down with practiced ease. Shen Xi quickly grabbed him and took the opportunity to bury her face in his chest, leaving only the top of her head exposed.
Her voice was muffled, hiding her shyness: "No... don't touch me."
Xie Chengyan's gaze fell on the fluffy head, and he couldn't help but find it a little funny. She had never been embarrassed when she had those dreams before, and she could still call him "brother" in a serious manner when she saw him.
Now that the couple has done it, they've become ashamed.
Xie Chengyan had already deduced what kind of dreams she had at night based on the few words she inadvertently revealed during her illness.
But knowing she was embarrassed, he never exposed her. Now that it's a reality, there's no need for her to dream about it anymore.
Xie Chengyan reached out and gently rubbed the back of her head, coaxing, "I won't touch you, I'll just look."
Shen Xi shook her head again: "No."
"Be good." Xie Chengyan's fingertips moved down, rubbing the back of her neck. "You might get hurt if you did it too many times last night."
Shen Xi shrank back, and upon hearing what he said, she became somewhat annoyed. Without thinking, she punched him in the chest: "Whose fault is it that you got hurt!"
Xie Chengyan neither dodged nor avoided the light blow, then took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss, frankly saying, "It's my fault."
Although he verbally agreed with Shen Xi, he still firmly gripped her exposed shoulder and pressed her against him, preventing her from moving.
He then lifted the quilt, grabbed her legs, and reached down directly.
With her bare skin suddenly exposed to the air, Shen Xi couldn't help but flinch.
As dawn broke, she could almost clearly see the shadow cast by Xie Chengyan's thick eyelashes, his eyes filled with intense seriousness.
But his serious gaze fell precisely on the red swelling in the center of her body.
this……
Even the thickest skin can't withstand it.
Feeling ashamed after being stared at for so long, but unable to resist his strength, Shen Xi could only turn her head away, covering her eyes with her arm, refusing to look at him anymore.
After a while, Xie Chengyan pulled up the quilt and wrapped her up again, his voice calm: "It's still swollen. I'll find a female doctor to treat you later."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she still did not remove the arm covering her eyes.
Xie Chengyan found it somewhat amusing, looking down at her timid and hesitant appearance.
Several finger marks were faintly visible on the slender, white arm that lay before Shen Xi's eyes. Her skin was too delicate, and last night he hadn't controlled himself properly and had used too much force, leaving these marks.
I didn't pay much attention at the time, but when I looked at it this morning, it did have a somewhat decadent feel.
After waiting silently for a moment, seeing that she still did not intend to move, Xie Chengyan chuckled softly, braced himself on either side of her, and leaned over her, his palms gripping Chen Xi's wrists, trying to gently pry them open.
Unexpectedly, Shen Xi used some force and insisted on going against him, refusing to move.
He didn't force it, but simply shifted his body slightly at a certain angle, seemingly unintentionally nudging it.
With the slightest movement, Shen Xi sensed that the thing beneath him was beginning to revive. It had been tormented by him the night before and was now somewhat unable to bear it. Its body stiffened instinctively, and it dared not exert any more force.
She let him pull her arm down from her eyes.
With her watery eyes wide open, Shen Xi didn't say anything more to him, and turned her gaze away to push Xie Chengyan away from her.
"It's getting late, I still need to serve tea to my parents-in-law."
Xie Chengyan buried his face in her neck, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm not going."
Shen Xi refused, "How can that be?"
Xie Chengyan looked up, his eyes, which had been smiling just moments before, dimmed slightly, and he stared at her with an ambiguous expression.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Are you really going to the Duke's mansion?"
Shen Xi didn't understand why he would ask such a question. On the first day of marriage, it was customary for the bride to serve tea to her parents-in-law. Why did he seem somewhat unwilling? It wasn't like he was the one serving the tea.
So he nodded: "Of course I'll go."
Xie Chengyan rubbed his fingertips together, then stopped trying to stop her. He got up and got off the bed, turned his back to her, and dressed without saying anything.
Watching his retreating figure, Shen Xi was taken aback, not understanding why he suddenly changed his expression. She put on her clothes to cover the ambiguous red marks and muttered to herself, "How inexplicable."
After Shen Xi finished getting ready, she stepped out of the door and saw Xie Chengyan already waiting in the courtyard, dressed in white, as elegant as a pine tree and as graceful as jade, standing tall and imposing.
She stepped forward and noticed that Xie Chengyan's collar was not very neat. After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and straightened it for him.
Shen Xi noticed his gaze was fixed on the top of her head, looking at her. Suddenly, she remembered something: "Why do you always wear white when you go to the Duke's mansion?"
When this matter was mentioned, it was Xie Wenlang who told her about this habit. Shen Xi hadn't paid much attention to it before, since it was none of her business what Xie Wenlang's brother wore.
But now, times have changed, and Shen Xi couldn't help but feel a little sentimental, his fingertips pausing slightly.
While she was still in a daze, Xie Chengyan took her hand into his palm: "How did you know? Did Wen Lang tell you?"
Although Shen Xi did not look up at his expression, she could tell from his voice that he was not happy.
In the few times they spent together after their relationship changed, Shen Xi gradually figured out Xie Chengyan's bottom line.
As long as she agrees to marry him and doesn't mention Xie Wenlang, he will tolerate her every whim, no matter how she acts up.
Therefore, Shen Xi shook her head: "I guessed it myself."
Xie Chengyan scoffed, clearly not believing it, but he didn't expose her, playing with her fingers: "Xi'er is quite clever, she guessed it after only seeing it once or twice."
Sensing his sarcastic tone, Shen Xi frowned and tried to pull her hand away, but Xie Chengyan tightened his grip, holding her wrist firmly.
"I didn't say I wouldn't tell you."
Knowing she was throwing a tantrum, Xie Chengyan stopped teasing her and led her out of the mansion.
"So, why is that?"
Xie Chengyan said calmly, "Wearing white makes some things stand out more."
Shen Xi was completely confused by his question: "What conspicuous thing?"
Xie Chengyan glanced at her sideways: "This is the second question."
"Um?"
"If you want to know..."
Xie Chengyan's eyes softened, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and he beckoned her closer with a flick of his finger.
Shen Xi suspected there was some unspeakable secret involved, so she leaned closer to whisper in his ear.
Xie Chengyan leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and Shen Xi's face instantly turned red.
How could she have ever thought Xie Chengyan was a steady and self-controlled person? He was clearly awful!
That's utterly shameless!
Shen Xi immediately shook off his hand, leaving him behind, and strode forward to get into the carriage first.
Xie Chengyan, who was behind her, clearly saw her reddened earlobes and chuckled softly.
A slight smile played on his lips for a moment before he realized that he had never been in such a good mood, let alone smiled, when he returned to the Duke's mansion before.
His gaze fell on Shen Xi's slender back. He narrowed his eyes slightly to hide his unusual expression before slowly following her.
*
The Duke's Mansion.
This was Shen Xi's first time here. She had never met the Duke of Wei and his wife before. Moreover, this time she had gone from being Xie Wenlang's fiancée to Xie Chengyan's bride.
She didn't know what they thought, but no matter what she thought, she was still a little scared, so she stayed close to Xie Chengyan.
Xie Chengyan was delighted, holding her wrist tightly, never letting go.
In the hall, the Duke of Wei and his wife sat upright, with Xie Wenlang nowhere to be seen. They must have been mindful of Shen Xi's past relationship with him and deliberately kept him away.
When serving tea, Xie Yi and Xue Shi didn't say much, only some high-sounding words. Xue Shi took off her family heirloom bracelet and gave it to Shen Xi, which was considered to be a great gesture.
However, the atmosphere was a bit too formal.
The family members treated each other with excessive respect, which ironically diminished their intimacy.
After serving tea, Xie Chengyan was summoned to the study by Xie Yi, leaving Shen Xi alone in the hall to accompany Madam Xue.
In the past, when Xie Wenlang insisted on marrying her, Xue Shi didn't like her very much. After many twists and turns, she eventually married Xie Chengyan and entered the Xie family.
Xie Chengyan was the eldest son of Xue and Xie Yi. His birth was hard-won. The two had been married for five years before Xue gave birth to him. After his birth, he was weak and sickly and almost did not survive a month.
Later, a Taoist priest gave some advice, saying that Xie Chengyan's birth chart was in conflict and he needed to be raised outside the capital to grow up safely.
Thus, the mother and son were separated until Xie Chengyan was seven years old, when he was brought back to the Duke's Mansion.
Such a hard-won son, yet in the end he married someone whom Madam Xue looked down upon. It's easy to see how dissatisfied Madam Xue was.
As expected, once only the two of them remained in the hall, Madam Xue silently picked up her teacup, blew away the foam, and spoke slowly: "Chen Xi, I never imagined that Cheng Yan would actually marry you."
Shen Xi pursed her lips, forced an awkward smile, and did not answer.
She never expected that she would marry Xie Chengyan.
If it weren't for his prior planning, and the fact that the Duke's mansion wanted to consolidate its power by marrying the princess, she certainly shouldn't have married him.
Seeing that she remained silent, Madam Xue put down her teacup, frowned, and looked at her: "You don't really think that he married you because he likes you, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi was taken aback, feeling even more confused.
Who would believe that he likes her? Isn't it an unspoken understanding among everyone that their marriage is just a temporary measure when they are in a dilemma?
Seeing her reaction, Madam Xue misunderstood, thinking that she had shattered her illusions about Xie Chengyan, and gave a light snort.
"Young girls are bound to believe in love. The truth may be embarrassing, but it's never wrong to recognize the true feelings of the person next to you as soon as possible."
Shen Xi chewed over these words twice, but still couldn't understand their deeper meaning.
What sincerity? What truth?
Completely bewildered, she looked at Madam Xue's inscrutable expression and felt lost. Could there be some other hidden story behind her extremely hypocritical marriage with Xie Chengyan?
Given that things are already like this, how much worse can they get?
She didn't hear a reply, but Shen Xi's helpless reaction satisfied Madam Xue. She raised an eyebrow, her face still showing a kind smile.
But she didn't linger, making up an excuse to leave first, leaving Shen Xi alone to ponder the deeper meaning of her words.
Before she could figure it out, Shen Xi heard footsteps behind her. Unlike Xie Chengyan, who was composed, Shen Xi's footsteps were hurried and unsteady.
Shen Xi turned around in confusion, but unexpectedly met Xie Wenlang's eyes. She was a little stunned, and slightly opened her lips, but did not know how to speak.
Xie Wenlang glanced at her, and seeing that everything was alright, he paused for a moment: "Are you doing well?"
I never imagined that my first meeting with Xie Wenlang after marrying Xie Chengyan would be under such circumstances.
He had lost a lot of weight, and his expression was still disheveled, not much better than when they last met. And all of this was inextricably linked to her.
Shen Xi felt extremely guilty. She lowered her eyes, swallowed hard, and was about to speak when another cold voice suddenly interrupted her.
"No manners! Xi'er and I just got married yesterday, and you still won't call me sister-in-law?"
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