Chapter 28: My Wife 28: The Wedding (Two in One) "I'll collect the interest first...
He just felt that the time he spent close to Lu Huai passed by so quickly, but he was also afraid that if he took advantage of his mood and hugged his best friend for too long, it would be a bit excessive and might make the other party aware of his ugly and evil thoughts.
So Pei Yu had to say goodbye to Lu Huai reluctantly on the grounds that he had something else to do.
Lu Huai stared blankly at the direction he had left, feeling the sudden emptiness beside him as he struggled to shake off the complex thoughts in his head. Then, he walked towards the courtyard, adorned with flowers for the bride's reception, intending to observe the servants taking care of the place to distract himself and focus on the wedding of Tong Chen San.
When Pei Yu returned to the mansion, he remembered that he still had something to deal with, so he asked Pei Zhi about the cancellation of the engagement at the Shen Mansion.
If this marriage wasn't resolved before Shen San and his friend's wedding, they would still have to return home three days after the wedding. Even if he wanted to go back home to deal with it, he couldn't be disrespectful and ruin the mood. If he brought it up again after this period, the other party would probably deny it.
When Pei Zhi talked about this with him, he rubbed his aching brow and sighed that this was really a bad fate. He had never expected that Pei Yu's new fiancée would be such a vicious character.
Just as he was talking about taking Pei Yu to the Duke's Mansion, Pei Yu politely declined his father's kindness to take him to the Duke's Mansion to cancel the marriage and decided to go alone.
Although it was the words of the parents and the agreement of the matchmaker, the girl was currently in the wrong, and the Pei family could not be too rigid about etiquette.
He knew too well Pei Zhi's rough yet delicate and measured style of doing things.
Let Pei Zhi be the vanguard, and he will definitely have to spend his energy to shut up the Duke's Mansion, which is asking for too much.
After all, he had been well aware of the style of the Duke's Mansion since he was a child, and his dislike for that family reached its peak when Duke Shen came to him to change his engagement partner right after he made Liu his principal wife.
The original engagement was made when Shen San's mother was still alive, before they were even born. The relationship between the two families was good because Pei Yu's mother and Shen San's mother were close friends. But after Shen San's mother passed away, the relationship cooled considerably.
Pei Yu was dressed simply. A martial artist would have a strong body, so even a short and light outfit was enough for walking in cold weather. At this moment, he did not want to dress up properly as he did when he was going to meet Lu Huai.
So he simply divided out a part of the dazzling array of gifts that Pei Zhi had prepared earlier, brought the marriage certificate and the gifts to the Duke's Mansion, and asked the guard at the gate to report the news.
As expected, upon seeing his former "son-in-law" coming to their house, the smiling Shen Youzhong and the wandering Mrs. Liu changed the subject in unison. They pretended to want to chat with his "good nephew" about family matters and refused to give him the chance to talk about breaking off the engagement.
Pei Yu didn't want to play around with these people anymore and just wanted to get things resolved quickly. He took out the marriage certificate from his backpack, lifted his robe, clasped his fists, and knelt in greeting, showing the proper etiquette of a younger generation towards an elder.
He didn't care about the two people sitting there, who looked as if they had died many days ago. He directly stated the reason for his visit: "Uncle Shen, Madam Liu, my father sent a letter to your family the day before yesterday, but I haven't received a reply yet. I wonder if you two have received it."
"If I haven't met you yet, that's fine. I came here today to fulfill the promise in the letter and to break off the engagement with your second daughter. As for the reason, my uncle and his wife also know it, so I won't mention it any further. It would be better for both my Pei family and my uncle's Shen family if I could get this troublesome matter resolved as soon as possible."
Although Shen Youzhong had some respect and awe for this young man who had become famous at a young age and had made great military achievements, he still couldn't get over the hurdle of seniority and inferiority in his heart when Pei Yu turned his face away so decisively, so he responded to him with a little anger.
"Even if my son did something wrong, where do you put the friendship between you and Chen Meng over the years, and the friendship between the Shen family and the Pei family over the years? Is this how your Pei family taught you to behave in the world?"
After saying that, looking at Pei Yu's indifferent and cold expression, he felt a little regretful that his excessive tone might have annoyed the other party.
Seeing that his stern attitude was failing, Shen Youzhong softened his tone, "Nephew Yu, if we cancel the engagement this time, what will become of my son Shen Meng in the future? Her devotion to you is obvious. Do you really have no sympathy for her at all, to be so heartless?"
"I originally only considered her a younger sister, and never developed any romantic feelings for her. But in Yu's eyes, whether a wife or a younger sister, a woman's character may have flaws, but her morals must not be corrupted."
"That's all I have to say. I'll return this marriage certificate. I'll take my leave first."
After listening to Duke Shen's unreasonable demands, Pei Yu felt exhausted.
Even though the person Shen Meng targeted was Shen Youzhong's other daughter, he still defended her indiscriminately, clearly showing his favoritism. No wonder he raised such a stupid and vicious daughter.
Pei Yu handed the things to the trembling servant beside him, and was about to step out the door decisively.
"Brother Yu, don't leave me... Please, I can't live without you..."
Chen Meng, who should have been hiding behind the curtain of the main seat, biting her nails until the color of her nail polish had faded, and forcing herself to remain silent with rare patience, could no longer sit still.
Regardless of her utter exhaustion and haggard appearance over the past few days, she opened the curtain and rushed out in front of the astonished gazes of Shen Youzhong and Liu Yilan, hugging Pei Yu's legs and begging him humbly.
Pei Yu was exceptionally sensitive to close proximity, and he dodged as soon as he sensed her movement. Consequently, Chen Meng's pounce was completely empty, not even catching a piece of his clothes. She stumbled and fell to the ground in disarray, sobbing.
"Mom and Dad, didn't you say that if I didn't come out, Brother Pei Yu wouldn't call off the engagement?... Why is it that even though I'm obedient now, he's still so cruel?"
Chen Meng looked at the two people on the stage with hatred, then turned her head and looked at Pei Yu with deep sorrow and affection, trying to draw pity from her "lover's" eyes.
But it only met the handsome man's calm and silent eyes, which were even shrouded in clouds of displeasure and disappointment.
Just when her heart was falling into the abyss, someone broke this tranquility, but unexpectedly brought her even deeper despair and humiliation.
"Father, Aunt, please stop struggling. Fourth sister has made such a mistake today. Everyone in the capital knows that my Shen family has a daughter like this. Brother Yu, as your ex-fiancé, is lucky enough to still save face for you. If you continue to struggle, it might be even more embarrassing."
The cold and slightly hoarse voice attracted the attention of everyone present. The beautiful woman, dressed simply but with a radiant glow, walked over slowly. Her words were so sharp that they did not support her at all. She did not even glance at Shen Meng and Liu Yilan who were looking at her with resentment, nor at Shen Youzhong who was dumbfounded.
Shen San?
After not seeing him for a while, this ice-sculpture-like figure looks much more lively and vivid than before, and is so eloquent.
Loving someone is like planting flowers. Hearing that she was getting married, perhaps her future husband would carefully nurture her and help her move in the right direction, which is not bad either.
Pei Yu was somewhat pleased with the changes in the only person in this huge Duke's Mansion that he liked, but he suddenly thought that it might be Lu Huai who brought about this change in her, and he felt a sense of loss in his heart.
Being immersed in the gushing love of a gentleman like Yan Jin was truly too blissful and made him too jealous.
He recalled, at an inopportune moment, the time when he and Shen Chensheng were still engaged as children. Although he couldn't say he was particularly fond of the aloof Shen San, he at least treated her as a sister. Later, even when he had a new companion, the noisy Shen Meng, he still felt that Shen San was quieter and easier to get along with.
Therefore, at the Qionghua Banquet, he was searching for someone to use to fool Pei Zhi among the group of beautiful girls, and he turned his attention to her. However, he didn't expect to run into Lu Huai, who was just beginning to fall in love.
And this sister, with whom he had grown increasingly distant as they grew older, now, despite his efforts to stop her, had stepped on his confidant in just one month, marrying his sweetheart and becoming Lu Huai's true wife. How happy was this?
Pei Yu looked at Chen Chensheng deeply with a complicated look in his eyes.
Shen Chensheng also let him look at her quietly and calmly, until he saw the jade bracelet on her wrist that fit her perfectly and was passed down only to the wife in Lu Huai's family. His pupils shrank slightly and he could not hide his astonishment.
He sensed the jealousy that could not be concealed in Pei Yu's eyes, and he immediately understood. At that moment, he felt a bit of the fierce hostility of a male beast defending his mate, and his expression turned cold.
Pei Yu, also wants to snatch his Lu Huai? Cheng Ruochen, that despicable vicious dog, is not enough. This "good confidant" looks high-sounding, but is also so dirty. Does Lu Huai know?
His little husband is really good at provoking others. There are bees and butterflies around him that can't stop, and tigers and wolves are all around him, but he has no idea.
But Pei Yu didn't pay attention to Chen Chensheng's sudden change of attitude. He just felt a dull pain in his chest.
Suddenly I thought of the line, "When people come to Luoyang, the flowers are in full bloom, but it's not spring when I arrive."
He nodded to Shen San who helped him escape, and hurriedly left the Duke's Mansion, just to control the urge to take the bracelet off Shen Chensheng's hand... and put it on himself.
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Time is the fastest way to age people. Time flies by, and now it is the day when this marriage, which was personally granted by the emperor, has been completed.
Because the protagonist of this marriage was Lu Huai, the world-renowned Lu Zhuangyuan, the people waiting between the two mansions to see the bride off filled the road tightly, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling.
However, when everyone who had been waiting eagerly saw the handsome and elegant Lu Zhuangyuan, who looked unlike an ordinary person, with a gentle smile on his face, eyes like stars, and wearing a red robe of a groom, riding a horse, they couldn't help but hold their breath.
Lu Huai looked just like the handsome man he was when people first met him, when he passed the imperial examination and was paraded through the streets to show off his official position. However, this time when people watched this handsome man rushing forward, he was no longer going to get his name on the list of successful candidates, but to welcome a happy marriage.
Such a wonderful and ideal man has actually made up his mind to marry someone else, which really makes countless women who regard him as their dream lover and have their hearts moved by him shed tears.
At that time, I could still imagine that this was my lover and I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life, but now it is really impossible for me to have him anymore.
In the Yong Dynasty, a woman who was unmarried at the age of 20 was considered to be marrying late, and the top scholar had just come of age this year and was the same age as the bride.
Although Shen San was still the most beautiful woman in Beijing, she was also surrounded by Hua Wen and was also said to be cold, arrogant and difficult to get along with. How could such a girl capture the top scholar who they thought was as flawless as jade and could tell at first sight that he would love her? How could they not be envious?
Lu Huai, on horseback, gazed at the common people passing by, and felt a sense of familiarity. The people he loved, for whom he was willing to devote his life, were watching him as he navigated the second most important juncture in his life—getting married. It was a happy and heartwarming experience.
He could always face the gazes of the crowd with composure, but whenever he was with Chen San, he would always be put in a mess by him.
Lu Huai was still a little nervous, wondering if his wife, his Shen San, was also looking forward to everyone's blessings and their wedding night like him?
The groom on this side rode on horseback, carrying the gifts, towards the Duke's Mansion. He walked from the tall mansions on Huayun Road in the residential area to the main wide road leading to the wedding reception area.
The Duke's Mansion was also bustling with activity, decorated with lights and colorful decorations, as they were arranging the third young lady's marriage and awaiting the arrival of their soon-to-be son-in-law, Lu Zhuangyuan.
Even though there were thousands of grudges and conflicts between her and Shen San, everything had to take a back seat in the face of this marriage bestowed by the emperor.
After all, those who rise to high positions are those who understand the current situation. Those who are powerful but lack brains have become the earliest victims in political struggles. The Duke's Mansion must seize the time and work together to get things done.
Therefore, Liu Yilan did not make any more trouble. This time, with Shen Youzhong's rare intervention, she even gritted her teeth and sent the jewelry from the treasury that she had spent a lot of money to buy for herself and that she had been eyeing for a long time to Shen Sanyuan. Even the wedding dress was made of the best materials, just to show the elegance and grandeur of the Duke's Mansion.
The overwhelming red joy hurt Chen Meng's eyes, but no matter how frantic she was, no matter how much she pounded on the closed door, she could only be locked in the side room and refused to come out. The Duke's Mansion could no longer tolerate another marriage ruined by its own family and subject to criticism. One wrong step led to another, and she could only shed tears silently, savoring the pain of being abandoned.
In the quiet environment without being disturbed by people with bad intentions, Shen San, who got up early in the morning and dressed up, was not as plain as usual without makeup. She was dressed up in an exceptionally beautiful and stunning way.
The bronze mirror reflected a face that even the best painter of Dayong could not imitate. Her eyebrows were lightly dyed black, like distant mountains. Her thick black hair was combed to the top of her head, and was tied up into the popular Chaoyun Jinxiang bun like dark clouds piling up like snow.
A peach blossom hairpin with gold and pearls is inserted into the bun, and the edge is decorated with slender and delicate tassels, which looks solemn and luxurious.
Shen Chensheng looked at herself in the mirror, her radiant self. Her slender fingers stroked the familiar yet unfamiliar face, and she had some rare thoughts that only belonged to a newlywed bride: Does Lu Huai think that this color is suitable for the home?
She couldn't help laughing at herself because after being a woman for so long, even her thoughts have become so gentle. Her whole face looked more lively and more attractive.
Ningshuang also used red paper to decorate his naturally pale lips, and applied rouge on his cheeks to add a bit of redness. Still feeling that it was not enough, she added an exquisite flower ornament on his forehead, making his already gorgeous face even more stunningly beautiful.
When the veil was put on, all the brilliance was hidden under the red festive cloth. The two maids were still dazed, thinking it was a pity that such beauty could not be seen by more people.
Then she thought, it would be a good idea to keep it for her son-in-law to see. After all, Shen Chensheng had told them that he was a trustworthy gentleman and would not reveal his identity. In their opinion, only Lu Huai was worthy of the best "lady" in the world.
They supported Chen Chensheng, whose feet covered with red shoes could only be seen in the corner of their eyes, and slowly walked out of the room. They carefully lifted the curtain of the big red wedding sedan and let the bride, who had been made by their own hands and looked brand new, sit in.
Chen Chensheng folded his hands in a graceful manner, closed his eyes silently and waited in the sedan chair, a faint sense of melancholy suddenly flowing in his heart.
It turns out that women are confined in the wedding sedan like this when they get married.
If she were like him, marrying her lover would be fine; but if she really was a complete stranger and had to rely entirely on her family's arrangements, she would probably be terrified in this cannibalistic silence, nervously clutching the veil in her hand, like a floating duckweed waiting to be taken to the other end of her destiny.
Until the excitement spread to this end, someone lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, letting the light re-enter his world, and a clear voice called him.
"Asheng, I'm here to pick you up."
A hand, with thin calluses from years of practicing calligraphy, but still stunningly beautiful in his eyes, politely and reservedly held his hand, only trembling a little with nervousness in a pitiful and cute manner, and slowly led him out of the sedan chair.
The veil obscured his vision, preventing him from seeing the other person's handsome face, but he could vaguely piece together everything in his mind through the red robe beside him.
Lu Huai was wearing a bright red color, which must have been stunning and attractive, completely different from his usual gentle green and white.
Chen Chensheng suddenly felt a little regretful. He really wanted to lift the troublesome curtain covering his face right now to take a look at Lu Huai's face, and then get closer to smell the bamboo leaf fragrance on him that made him feel at ease.
This little husband was clearly his, so why did he still feel so far away? Only their hands could hold each other for a while, but it was far from enough to quell the wildfire in his heart. What would he do after the ceremony was over?
It was not until he got out of the sedan chair and the red quilt wrapped around his hand was tied together with the flower bouquet tied to Lu Huai's body that his sense of unreality and insatiable possessiveness were temporarily dispelled, and he actually felt a sense of connection between the two of them.
0359 I peeked at the screen silently in my sea of consciousness, watching the host dressed in red and crossing the high threshold with the strange bride. I inexplicably felt that I was very old, as if the cabbages I had raised were about to be eaten by bad things.
Just as he was reciting the Qingxin Jue he had learned from the martial arts world, telling himself to stay calm, he saw Lu Huai and Shen San, escorted by others, entering the magnificently decorated main courtyard and about to begin the ceremony. The moment the data stream running in the space suddenly stopped, and a green box popped up.
[Male No. 2 plays an important plot point: "Xu Qing's Life" is 2/2 completed, and the "Forever Together" achievement has been lit.]
0359 was so happy that he immediately stopped thinking about Shen San, the bad man, and replied to the main system excitedly: “Received!”
Although Lu Huai did not communicate with 0359, he seemed to feel its good mood, and a happy arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. Originally, there was a smile in his eyes, but it was subtle. Now, no matter how people looked at him, he was surprisingly happy.
Although the guests at the banquet didn't know why Lu Huai's joy became so obvious, they felt it was reasonable at such a happy time.
Those who were interested only attributed the reason to the fact that she had to pay her respects to the bride, and sighed in their hearts that the third daughter of the Shen family was extraordinary. She actually made Lu Huai so moved that he completely took the elegant and graceful lady under his spell. His curiosity about the bride unconsciously reached its peak.
At this moment, the wind blew obediently, lifting the red veil on the bride's head a little, revealing her graceful jaw and red lips. She was so perfect that everyone felt like they were seeing a goddess, and they were a little dazed for a moment.
She unconsciously looked at Lu Huai again. The usually dignified and elegant young man was wearing a bright red dress, which contrasted with his fair and clear skin. The red and white added a rare bit of charm to him.
The worst thing is that the flower ball tied to the champion scholar's body clearly outlines his slender waist, which makes people's mouths dry when they see it. If it bends into an arc...
Not daring to think any further, everyone tacitly withdrew their gaze as if ignoring what had happened.
Those who had originally felt that Lu Huai was not worthy of justice were silenced by the beauty of the couple, and they felt even more ashamed in front of the "matched pair" headed by Bai Qichao and Fang Siming.
Bai Qichao was in high spirits and was about to boast to his colleagues that he had known for a long time that Lu Huai and Shen San would succeed and that they were a perfect match.
He saw Cheng Ruochen next to him smiling like a demon from a strange story who looked polite and kind but wanted to tear his skin apart inside. He came over to him and spoke to him very affectionately.
"I didn't expect Brother Bai to be so disloyal. He knew everything long ago but didn't share anything with us brothers. Brother Bai's crime should be exposed!"
The people around didn't know that the two of them had no previous interactions. They just thought that Bai Qichao, who was usually generous and easy to get along with, had a good relationship with this third place winner, so they joined in the fun.
Bai Qichao felt a little creepy when he saw the man's smile. He didn't know what he had done wrong, so he didn't dare to say anything. Seeing that everyone was urging him to drink again, he drank a glass of wine without hesitation.
Unexpectedly, it was as if some mysterious switch was turned on. The third place winner used the art of language to keep giving him one glass after another, as if he would not stop until he got him drunk.
It was not until Fang Siming was afraid that he was drunk and would go crazy when his good brother Lu Huai was happy, so he hurried over to smooth things over and rescued him.
"Old Bai, don't drink anymore. Do you think you won't be able to raise your head when you toast the groom later?" After saying that, he looked meaningfully at the guy who was biting someone.
Cheng Ruochen did not stop Fang Siming. Seeing that Bai Qichao had been taught a lesson, he no longer went to join his colleagues. He held the wine bottle and played with it, looking like a passerby who didn't care much, but his body was sitting honestly facing the newcomer.
Watching them "bow to heaven and earth first, and then to their parents", watching Lu Huai's face filled with a happy smile, looking dotingly at the person beside him but not paying any attention to himself at the table.
The light in his peach blossom eyes shattered, gradually fading into a gloomy black, until the bottomless pain and hatred completely destroyed the light. He stared at Lu Huai like a deep hole covered in darkness, ready to completely devour the delicious god.
Pei Yu, who was sitting with the military officers on the other side, originally didn't want to come today. Cheng Ruochen's words a few days ago were still ringing in his ears, and today seemed to be a confirmation.
He sat quietly and politely at the table, acting as the most tolerant and generous confidant, watching the two people who had unclear entanglements with him get together, like a statue, unable to utter a word of blessing.
The only way to relieve his worries is to drink Du Kang. He drank in silence, as if a little drunkenness would make him fall into a dream, imagining that it was himself standing beside Lu Huai in a red dress, and that he was the one who would tell his heart to Lu Huai and send him to the bridal chamber.
After paying respects to his parents on the stage, Lu Huai was about to pay respects to Shen San and his wife, but he felt two deep gazes piercing his body like thorns. He glanced away and did not notice who it was at the crowded table, so he continued to look at Shen San in front of him intently.
Shen Chensheng's red lips were curved very beautifully under the veil, and she spoke softly in a sticky tone to Lu Huai who was about to bend down to greet him head to head.
"Ah Huai, after this ceremony, you will be my husband. I will be escorted to the bridal chamber soon. I am afraid that you will be pestered by those brothers for too long, so I will be left alone in the empty room. If I am lonely, how will you compensate me?"
Seeing this man speaking so bluntly and directly, regardless of the many guests' eyes on them, Lu Huai blushed brightly. "What are you talking about? Since we're getting married, there's no way I'm going to ignore you."
"This is what Ah Huai said himself. If I believed it so easily, what reward should you give me?"
"Reward? What do you want? Can I give it to you later?"
"No! If I want you, kiss me now..." Chen Chensheng didn't keep anyone in suspense, and his mind quickly turned to asking for something sweet.
"You! Can't you wait a little longer?" The red on Lu Huai's cheeks became brighter and brighter, and his clear voice was also tinged with sweetness, but Chen San was making trouble again.
The man's hands stretched out from under his red robe, seemingly unintentionally, and at the moment when they were very close to each other because of the wedding ceremony, he quietly kneaded his side, causing him to lose his balance and almost fall towards the other person, and he also let out a whimper that would make anyone blush.
"This time I'll just take some interest. Lu Lang's voice... is really nice."
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The author has something to say: Pei’s inner oc: The position next to him should have been mine, and he wanted to take Shen San’s place in the wedding.
Cheng Xinli OC: I hate it so much, I want to spend the wedding night for him, but no, I have to make trouble
Chen: If Huai doesn't want me to kiss him right there, I'll take my time.
I found that when I write about happy plots, I write like a god (covering my face). So Shura, I love writing... so bt... cough cough
The next chapter will be even more exciting (holding a rose and smiling, hehehehe)
I have liked and recorded the opinions of the wives. I will announce the ending plan at the weekend.
Bug fixed on March 15th, thanks to my hometown darlings!
Bug fixed on 3.30, thanks to Tang baby!
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-03-13 00:14:17 and 2024-03-14 22:37:04~
Thanks to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Yizhen Huaian 20 bottles; Baiyi Qingxiang, Jia1 10 bottles; Xianyu Haotian yeah 5 bottles; Zhanzhan Ping'an Xile, Bailu Xiaoxiao, Mingyue Baochao Beautiful Wife, Another Day of No Books, Goji Berry in the Thermos, He Du Shang Xilou, Sui Xin, Lianshui, Weiwei Xingchen, Shaochen, Jixingyi 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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