Chapter 40 The Wedding Wine "Yu'er..."
Lu Xiuyi stared at her intently. He had been filled with anger at her words, but when he glanced down, he saw her slender figure outlined in her wedding dress. He realized that the methods he had used to get her were indeed somewhat dirty, and his anger instantly dissipated.
He walked to the purple round table, poured himself two glasses of wine, picked one up and looked at her from afar: "Well, it's just lifting the beaded curtain, it doesn't matter whether it's there or not, but you should come and drink a sip of this nuptial wine."
He wasn't asking, he was certain.
Meng Yu sneered: "You're the one who caused Meng Yin's red rash on his face."
She didn't question it; she affirmed it.
Lu Xiuyi gave her an appreciative look and didn't try to hide anything: "Yu'er isn't too stupid. It was indeed me who did this."
He had an air of nonchalance, as if he were a superior person who could easily control the life and death of others.
Meng Yu was utterly disgusted by his behavior: "Why? If you want to marry me, just say so. Do you think my father would dare to defy the Emperor's will? Why go through all this trouble? Everyone in the capital knows that she was the one who was supposed to marry you, but now it's me. How is she supposed to face people in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyi suddenly burst out laughing, his tone full of sarcasm: "Meng Yu, are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending? If it weren't for you, why would I go to all this trouble?"
Meng Yu laughed in exasperation: "Don't try to justify your selfish desires with such high-sounding words. I'm not a three-year-old child; I won't be fooled by your 'for me' excuse."
Lu Xiuyi didn't reply immediately. He slowly pulled up a chair and sat down a distance away from her. Some things really should be clarified tonight, otherwise she would really think he was some kind of heinous villain.
The room was brightly lit by red candles, the flickering light casting shadows on Lu Xiuyi's face: "I admit, there was some personal bias involved. But Meng Yu, can't you guess that this marriage was proposed by that fourth young lady herself? When the imperial decree came down, wasn't she the one your father initially wanted to marry? If I had petitioned the emperor for a marriage decree, specifying that I wanted to marry you, you would have to marry into a high-ranking family. Would your smiling but treacherous mistress have let you off the hook? Even if you had married out and escaped this ordeal, would she have forgiven your mother? Back then, you were able to feign compliance and endure humiliation for your mother's sake. If you saw her suffering in the Meng family, could you be at peace with yourself? You must have been involved."
His words silenced Meng Yu, her eyes lowered, and even the cold smile on her lips gradually disappeared.
Seeing her frown in thought, Lu Xiuyi knew that his words had worked. He quickly pressed on and said gently, "Since I've already thought of this, why not solve this problem for you before the wedding? Now that you're married into the family, you'll not only solve their immediate problem, but you'll also make them feel guilty towards you. This is a win-win situation for both you and your mother."
After a long silence, Meng Yu raised her hand: "Do you think that by doing this, Meng Yin will no longer hold a grudge against me?"
Lu Xiuyi didn't care at all: "So what if she holds a grudge against you? You've already married into the General's Mansion, what can a young woman like her do to you?"
Meng Yu laughed, laughing at his naivety after so many years of fighting with others: "If she holds a grudge against me, she will bring disaster upon my mother. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. You've been fighting with your father for so many years, you must know this better than I do."
Her few words silenced Lu Xiuyi. After a moment, he said gently, "It was my oversight. Don't worry, I will send people to protect your mother."
Meng Yu shook her head: "No need. Lu Xiuyi, after spending this time together, I know you're not as bad as the rumors say. It's just that we're not suitable. Let me go! You're the one who's right for me..."
Before she could finish her gesture, Lu Xiuyi's face turned ashen, and he interrupted her coldly: "We're already married. In the end, you still want to leave."
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat warm, suddenly turned as cold as an ice cave because of his words. Meng Yu's heart sank to the bottom, and she suddenly regretted saying those words at that moment.
Lu Xiuyi stood up, picked up two glasses of wine, walked over to Meng Yu, handed them to her, looked down at her, and said, "Let's drink the nuptial wine."
Meng Yu didn't take it, and looked up: "What's the point of forcing someone who doesn't love you?"
Having understood her sign language, a fleeting, almost imperceptible pain crossed the man's face, but vanished in an instant: "Meng Yu, I don't want to say those things that threatened you. Since you were even willing to bow to me in the hall, is it really that difficult to drink just one cup of wine?"
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
Meng Yu glared at him; if looks could turn into knives, he would have been dead a thousand times over. Fortunately, Meng Yu was a flexible person, and since she was under his roof, he hadn't done anything too outrageous to her yet, so she endured it as best she could.
Therefore, Meng Yu slowly raised his hand and took the wine glass.
With her hands crossed, she really didn't want to see Lu Xiuyi's face up close, so she simply closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp, then raised her empty glass to him.
Lu Xiuyi glanced at her with satisfaction, then took her wine glass and set it aside.
***
Who knew the wine was so strong? After only a small cup, Meng Yu choked and turned red in the face. She quickly turned to the side, lowered her head, and patted her chest to catch her breath.
Upon seeing this, Lu Xiuyi frowned slightly, immediately poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, then sat down next to her, patting her back as he said apologetically, "This wine was originally prepared by the servants; I didn't know it would be so strong."
Meng Yu raised her hand and shook her head. When she saw the tea being handed to her, she quickly took the teacup and took a sip to calm herself down. The feeling of choking and tears welling up in her eyes was finally suppressed.
"Yu'er..."
Meng Yu was rubbing her chest to catch her breath when she suddenly heard a hoarse, deep voice behind her. The tone seemed to be filled with overwhelming lust, and a dangerous aura instantly enveloped her.
Meng Yu didn't turn around. The moment she realized something was wrong, she immediately got up and tried to run away. But before she could even take a step, a pair of large hands suddenly blocked her way and forcefully pinned her down.
In the dim candlelight, her slender and shapely figure was perfectly outlined by her wedding dress. Lu Xiuyi, who had just been watching her, felt a surge of heat coursing through his body in less than half a breath. Thinking that after the wedding ceremony today, she would be his rightful wife, he could no longer control himself and flipped her over, pressing her down on him.
The man buried his face in her soft, white neck and sucked wildly. His warm breath sprayed over her body, and that sticky, terrifying feeling permeated her entire being. Meng Yu struggled desperately, but her hands were pinned behind her head, and even her legs were restrained, so she couldn't move an inch.
She wanted to shout out her curses, but her lips moved for a long time without uttering a sound. When she agreed to marry in place of her, she hadn't forgotten this moment, but when it actually happened, the overwhelming despair still engulfed her like a raging flood. She opened her eyes and looked at the red wedding tent above, which, like a mountain fire, burned away everything in her path. She immediately closed her eyes, her heart filled with despair.
Lu Xiuyi, like a beast in heat, tightly bound her hands with one hand and lowered his other. But when his lips touched the wet hair at her temple, all his passion vanished like a receding flood, leaving only a mess.
He stopped, lifted himself up slightly from her, and looked down at her tear-streaked face. He felt a little disheartened and commanded her in a hoarse voice, "Meng Yu, open your eyes and look at me."
Upon hearing this sound, Meng Yu turned her head away, her face stubborn.
Seeing that she loathed him to such an extent, Lu Xiuyi was instantly enraged. He grabbed her chin and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'll tell you to open your eyes."
The person beneath him remained motionless, like a soulless body.
Lu Xiuyi's dark eyes were filled with anger. He stared at her for a long time before finally coldly shaking off her hand, grabbing his outer garment, and storming off in a fit of rage.
Bang!
The door was slammed shut, the loud noise startling everyone outside, and even the lanterns under the eaves swayed.
Meng Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
***
Upon hearing the sound, Huaiyin's mind went blank for a moment. She frowned and rushed into the room, only to find Meng Yu half-undressed, her face pale as she propped herself up on the bed, her eyes red and her face still wet with tears.
Her eyes immediately reddened, and she hurriedly helped Meng Yu straighten her clothes, asking tremblingly, "Miss, he, he didn't..."
Huaiyin didn't dare to say those last few words.
Meng Yu shook her head, smiled brightly, and raised her hand: "Silly girl, don't cry. Since I agreed to marry in place of him, I expected this to happen. Besides, he didn't do anything to me just now."
The smile on her face was too bitter. When Huaiyin saw it, she couldn't hold back anymore. She rushed over and hugged Mengyu tightly, sobbing uncontrollably: "Miss, you've been wronged."
Meng Yu gently stroked her back.
Lu Xiuyi left without saying a word, which was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune; she dared not ask for anything more.
***
The news that Lu Xiuyi stormed off to the study with a dark expression on his wedding night spread throughout the mansion in less than half an hour.
Everyone was secretly puzzled.
After all, everyone could see the joy Lu Xiuyi felt when he personally prepared the betrothal gifts, and the way he couldn't stop smiling when he went to the Meng residence to welcome the bride this morning.
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhuang frowned, and couldn't help but guess that Lu Xiuyi's heart belonged to the fourth daughter of the Meng family. However, after thinking it over, she immediately dismissed the idea.
She knew Lu Xiuyi's personality better than anyone. If he truly loved the Fourth Miss, he would definitely agree to Lord Meng's suggestion to postpone the wedding today.
Upon careful consideration, Madam Zhuang guessed that Lu Xiuyi had previously intended to marry this third daughter. She had heard that the matriarch of the Meng family was not someone to be trifled with, and his roundabout approach was likely due to her status as an illegitimate daughter. If he rashly proposed marriage, how could an illegitimate daughter gain the favor of the General's Mansion? Even if her son Yi'er's reputation in the capital wasn't good, how could the matriarch of the Meng family possibly make things easy for her and her daughter?
She could figure out these things about women in the inner quarters with just a thought.
After thinking for a moment, Madam Zhuang stood up and said, "Die Xue, take out the box from the bottom of that mahogany chest."
Diexue asked in surprise, "Isn't that the gold hairpin with rubies and sapphires that the Princess gave to Mother? Apart from the regular maintenance in the middle of each month, you've always been reluctant to take it out to look at it. Why did you suddenly take it out today?"
Mother Zhuang said frankly, "I heard that Yi-ge'er just went to the study on his wedding night. I don't know what kind of conflict the couple had. This hairpin is the only presentable thing I have. I will take it to the lady and try to reconcile them."
Ying Congxin paused in her work, then smiled and said, "In that case, Diexue and I will accompany Mother. It's getting late, and the road from here to Longxiang Pavilion is all cobblestones, which may be difficult for Mother to walk on."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhuang turned her head and gave her a deep look. Ying Congxin lowered her head somewhat guiltily. Madam Zhuang then said, "Very well. I've heard that Miss Meng is also a great beauty. Let you go and see her too."
Knowing that she still harbored those feelings, Mrs. Zhuang wanted to help her completely let go of them.
After saying this, Diexue held up the lantern, and Ying Congxin helped Zhuang Mama. The three of them went to Longxiang Pavilion together.
Meng Yu had composed herself, changed into her pajamas, and was about to go to sleep when she suddenly heard Huai Yin announce that Aunt Zhuang had arrived. Puzzled, she quickly suppressed her anxiety and got up to greet her.
She had heard a little about this Madam Zhuang; she was said to be the wet nurse of Princess Minghua and had even raised Lu Xiuyi. Such an important figure could not be treated with disrespect.
As soon as the door opened, three people walked towards them, with the old woman being helped by a beautiful young woman.
From afar, Zhuang's mother saw Meng Yu coming out to greet her. She noticed that Meng Yu had a face like an apricot and cheeks, with a rosy glow, and her demeanor was graceful and poised, without the slightest hint of pettiness.
She really is a beauty.
Upon arriving, Madam Zhuang immediately began to curtsy, but Meng Yu quickly stepped forward to help her up, raising her hand and saying, "Mother, there's no need for such formalities."
Huaiyin translated her words.
Madam Zhuang frowned and said seriously, "No, no, this is my first time meeting you, Madam. How can I not pay my respects? That is against the rules. Please come in and take the seat of honor."
Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Meng Yu had no choice but to accept.
Mother Zhuang performed a deep bow to her. Just as Meng Yu was about to raise her hand after she finished bowing, Lu Xiuyi's voice rang out loudly from outside the door: "It's so late. I wonder what important matter Mother has come here for?"
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