Chapter 65 Is a moment of passion worth a thousand pieces of gold?
Before dawn, Sheng Zhiyi was woken up by her maid.
She struggled to open her eyes and glanced out the window.
The sky was pitch black, except for a few thick wedding candles that illuminated the room with a soft glow.
The maidservant advised, "Miss, please get up quickly. Today is your happy day. Master and Madam love you dearly and have specially asked you to sleep a little longer, but if you delay any longer, it will be too late."
Sheng Zhiyi sat on the bed, still somewhat dazed, clutching the blanket.
The wedding isn't supposed to be held until the evening, so how could getting up so early cause any delays?
However, she soon realized just how complicated, tedious, and exhausting it was to hold a wedding.
A maid led in a woman dressed in wedding attire, who performed a facial cleansing, hair combing, auspicious chants, makeup application, and dressing for her in her wedding gown...
The room was bustling with people coming and going, each carrying a tray and transporting various items, creating a lively atmosphere.
Sheng Zhiyi sat upright for three or four hours without being able to move, and her legs were already numb.
She desperately wanted to shake the person she was last night to see if she'd lost her mind and insisted on sticking to this plan.
So what if Lin Wanshuang gets married? She can simply disguise herself as a maid and follow her around, and she can still find out the details.
But looking at the maid standing behind him, he thought better of it and decided to sit rather than stand.
It is clear that getting married is a difficult task.
The old woman applying her makeup moved her hand away, her voice tinged with a smile:
"Miss, look at yourself now! You are truly as beautiful as a flower, stunningly gorgeous! Of all the brides I, Wang Po, have made up, you are the most beautiful I've ever seen."
Sheng Zhiyi looked up at the bronze mirror.
The disguise technique she used was similar to illusion magic. To outsiders, it looked like Lin Wanshuang's face, but she herself would never be fooled by the illusion and would only see her own appearance.
In the bronze mirror, an exquisitely beautiful face was revealed, with skin as smooth as cream, eyebrows like distant mountains, lips like a touch of cinnabar, and almond eyes slightly wide open, as if even she herself was somewhat surprised.
She wore a bright red wedding dress, embroidered with exquisite patterns, both radiant and vibrant. The beaded veil on her head cascaded down her cheeks, swaying gently with her movements. The shimmering light of the pearls reflected on her face, creating a flowing, almost ethereal effect.
After thinking for a moment, Sheng Zhiyi suddenly spoke:
"Put on my hairpin."
Granny Wang paused for a moment, then took the jade hairpin from her vanity box. "Is this the one you're talking about, young lady? But the color of this jade hairpin..."
The bamboo-colored hairpin, usually worn with an elegant and refined air, seemed somewhat out of place with her wedding attire.
"Put it on for me," Sheng Zhiyi said firmly.
Wang Po didn't say anything more, but simply inserted the jade hairpin below the beaded chain to cover it up slightly.
Sheng Zhiyi looked at herself in the bronze mirror from left to right, then pulled out the bamboo hairpin and put it back into her hair bun.
The makeup and styling were finally finished, and all that was left was to wait for the groom to come and fetch the bride.
Maids kept coming to report on the movements of the wedding procession.
"Miss, they have arrived at Suzaku Street."
Sheng Zhiyi covered her mouth with her sleeve and secretly yawned.
"Miss, they've arrived at Wan'an Lane!"
Hey, isn't that the alley near the Lin family's house?
Sheng Zhiyi immediately sat up straight, preparing to get up.
"Miss, they've arrived at Suzaku Street again."
?
How many times do we need to circle around here?
During this time, her makeup and wedding dress could not be messed up, and Sheng Zhiyi could not move around freely, sitting on the stool until her whole body was numb.
Finally, the wedding procession arrived at the Lin family home.
With the help of her maid, Sheng Zhiyi, wearing a red veil, stepped out of the door.
Just as I was about to go down the steps, a hand suddenly reached out from under my eyes, which were hidden by the veil.
A deep, steady male voice rang out; it was an unfamiliar voice she had never heard before.
Chen Jihui said, "Madam, according to custom, I should carry you for this part of the journey."
In the process she had been cramming on last night, there was one rule that the bride's feet had to stay on the ground the entire time.
Afraid of giving herself away, Sheng Zhiyi only gave a soft "hmm".
I had just stretched out my arm when someone suddenly hoisted me onto their back.
The man was tall and strong. He wrapped his arms around her knees and carried her on his back as if walking on flat ground, taking steady steps.
Sheng Zhiyi leaned against his back, and instantly, she seemed to faintly smell the fragrance of pear blossoms.
Her heart skipped a beat. She sniffed again, but could only smell a strong scent of perfume, and she couldn't tell which of the two people was wearing it.
Looking down from under the veil, only Chen Jihui's chin could be seen.
The outline was not what she was familiar with, and thinking back, there were indeed several pear trees in the Lin family courtyard.
Perhaps it was her unease that led her to have such expectations.
The maid had already lifted the curtain of the sedan chair. Chen Jihui put her into the sedan chair, and when the curtain fell, everything went dark again.
The bridal sedan chair swayed as the wedding procession set off.
She could hear the deafening noise of drums and music outside, as the groom rode a tall horse and announced the marriage to the whole city.
In everyone's eyes, the groom was tall and handsome, and the bride was renowned for her talent; they must have been a perfect match.
Only Sheng Zhiyi knew that beneath the beaming groom's human skin lay a complete and utter demon.
She raised her finger and touched the jade hairpin in her hair, calming her mind somewhat.
As soon as the bridal sedan chair stopped, she stretched out her arm, waiting for the maid to help her up.
Chen Jihui was there again. He held her arm through her wedding dress, and the two walked slowly into the main hall through the noisy guests on the specially laid red carpet.
Merchant families naturally have many acquaintances, and the main hall is always bustling with people, filled with constant chatter.
Sheng Zhiyi took a deep breath.
She must act cautiously, otherwise Chen Jihui might become desperate and hurt these people.
The servant at the door carried a copper gong in his hand. With a gentle tap, he instantly drowned out the noise of the entire place. Everyone fell silent except for the matchmaker's loud voice.
"The auspicious time has arrived!"
A maid helped Sheng Zhiyi, whose head was covered by a veil, as the wedding attendant continued to call out, "First bow to Heaven and Earth."
The two knelt and worshipped together, facing the heaven and earth outside the hall.
"Bowing to the parents twice."
Sheng Zhiyi slowly turned around and knelt down with Chen Jihui beside her to pay respects to Chen's parents in the hall.
She glanced at Madam Chen's wrist; the skin was slightly bluish.
Sheng Zhiyi frowned; Madam Chen seemed to have also become obsessed.
"Husband and wife bow to each other."
The maid helped her back, and she slowly bent forward, only to bump into Chen Jihui's forehead.
The surrounding guests let out good-natured laughter.
The newlyweds performed the kneeling ceremony again, and this time they completed it successfully.
"Send them into the bridal chamber."
The maid helped Sheng Zhiyi leave.
Beneath the veil, Sheng Zhiyi bit her lip.
When she bumped into Chen Jihui's forehead, she seemed to hear a familiar sneer.
The laughter was fleeting, and she wasn't even sure if it was just her imagination.
The maid led her into the bridal chamber.
A moment later, Chen Jihui also stepped in, with the matchmaker following behind him.
The wedding candles burned brightly in the bridal chamber, and the couple, dressed in their wedding attire, sat together on the edge of the bed.
The matchmaker carried a flower basket filled with colorful petals on her arm. She strode forward, scattering petals toward the wedding bed while chanting incantations:
"Spread the tent to the east, and the flowers will bloom in abundance, each one a symbol of wealth and prosperity."
"The tent is set up to the west, a talented man and a beautiful woman are a perfect match."
"Spreading the tent southward, couples share the beauty of the moon."
"We'll scatter northwards, never to be separated again!"
After scattering the curtains, she cheerfully handed the jade ruyi to Chen Jihui, then led the others out of the bridal chamber, deliberately making a loud bang as she closed the door.
The sound of the door closing immediately alerted Sheng Zhiyi.
Beneath her loose wedding dress, she gripped the jade hairpin tightly, her mind already rehearsing over a dozen ways to subdue Chen Jihui in an instant.
Ideally, it should be a fatal blow, rendering him speechless, so that he can be interrogated slowly.
One end of the jade ruyi has already been inserted under the veil, slowly lifting the veil upwards.
Sheng Zhiyi tensed up, poised to strike, waiting for the veil to be completely lifted before making the first move.
As the veil rose higher, she could see more and more of it.
Chen Jihui was dressed in a red wedding gown, the patterns on which matched hers, and he stood ramrod straight.
The moment the veil was completely lifted, she had no time to look. She suddenly got up, pressed him down on the bed, and pressed the jade hairpin hard against Chen Jihui's neck.
The sharp hairpin pierced into the soft flesh, and the spiritual energy rushed straight into the meridians.
Sheng Zhiyi gave a cold laugh, "Chen Jihui..."
Before she could continue, Chen Jihui suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"What, are you so eager to die?" Sheng Zhiyi pressed the jade hairpin even deeper, and bright red blood seeped from Chen Jihui's neck.
Chen Jihui curled his lips into a slight smile: "To die at the hands of the lady is to die a romantic death, even as a ghost."
?
Lin Wanshuang said Chen Jihui had a steady personality, so how come he's so unrestrained and frivolous? Can cultivating demonic arts really change a person's personality?
Sheng Zhiyi was both shocked and furious. She reached out to grab Chen Jihui's wrist, trying to seal his demonic energy.
Unexpectedly, Chen Jihui grabbed her wrist, his voice tinged with amusement:
"My lady, don't be anxious. Let me show you a magic trick."
Under Sheng Zhiyi's astonished gaze, a ripple seemed to pass across Chen Jihui's face, his appearance appearing and disappearing intermittently, and in a few breaths, he transformed into Ji Fuguang's appearance.
Ji Fuguang grabbed Sheng Zhiyi's arm tightly and pulled her straight back towards him.
"My lady, why did you so eagerly press your husband down the moment the veil was lifted? Could it be that..."
He tilted his head back, his sharp Adam's apple bobbing up and down with his speech, dangerously pulling at the soft flesh beneath the jade hairpin, causing beads of blood to seep out.
But he seemed oblivious to the pain, even chuckling softly as he whispered in Sheng Zhiyi's ear:
"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold?"
Sheng Zhiyi's cheeks flushed red. She abruptly withdrew her hand, pressed on Ji Fuguang's shoulder, and tried to get off him: "You—"
"Shh-"
Ji Fuguang covered her mouth with his palm, and used his large hand to hold the back of Sheng Zhiyi's head, pressing her back down.
"Madam, why are you in such a hurry? Look outside."
Just as Sheng Zhiyi was about to say something, she heard his voice and turned to look out the window.
There were shadowy figures moving around outside the window.
"That was a maid who was worried about our marriage not going well. Madam, are you planning to murder your husband on our wedding night and make it known to everyone?"
Sheng Zhiyi glared at him angrily, then suddenly opened her mouth to bite his finger, but Ji Fuguang pulled his hand back. She could only bite her own teeth crisply, which made her teeth ache.
Ji Fuguang laughed twice more, then suddenly rolled over and pinned Sheng Zhiyi beneath him.
The candlelight illuminated the red bed curtains on their faces. Before Sheng Zhiyi could speak, Ji Fuguang raised his hand and gently lifted the beaded curtain covering her face, his gaze falling on her face, examining it inch by inch.
She let out a soft sigh.
"Madam...you are quite different from usual today..."
Sheng Zhiyi's ears burned, and she muttered:
"This makeup was done before dawn, so it's bound to be different..."
She thought of something and asked again:
"How did you become Chen Jihui? When did you impersonate him?"
Ji Fuguang smiled gently, "Guess."
Sheng Zhiyi gave him a disgruntled look. "Before the wedding?"
The scent of pear blossoms she smelled was indeed not an illusion.
Ji Fuguang's eyes held a hint of approval: "You're quite clever."
Sheng Zhiyi grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to replace Chen Jihui? What about Chen Jihui's master?"
Ji Fuguang reached out and flicked Sheng Zhiyi's forehead, changing the subject: "Don't worry, I've already figured out Chen Jihui's matter. He accidentally met a demon outside Yingzhou City and became his disciple. Why do you think that demon taught him demonic arts?"
Sheng Zhiyi rubbed her forehead. "Why? Isn't the goal to develop a downline?"
Ji Fuguang's smile turned colder. "That demon has old injuries. He's waiting for these people to achieve some mastery of demonic arts so he can use them as nourishment for himself."
Sheng Zhiyi was shocked to find that the demon race was so bloody and cruel.
Ji Fuguang reached out and covered her lips, leaned down, and narrowed his eyes.
"Madam... please don't worry about others. Don't you think..."
He moved closer and closer, almost touching Sheng Zhiyi's cheek.
"Is the air in the bridal chamber filled with the scent of acacia flowers?"
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