Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 111:【Pei Ji’s Affection For You +10. Current Level: 95】

　　Just as everyone stood there in utter confusion with no idea what to do next, Pei Ji finally arrived—fashionably late.

　　Dressed in white with long black hair, his tall figure walked out of the tower like a breeze, elegant and calm. Even though he was right in the middle of enemy territory, his expression didn’t change one bit. He looked completely at ease, not the slightest bit flustered.

　　Walking beside him was ‘Xian Wuming’ in wedding robes. The two men looked similar in build, but for some reason, Pei Ji still seemed to outshine him in every way.

　　An Jiu could tell at a glance—Xian Wuming had been replaced.

　　The others didn’t know him well enough to notice. All they saw was how refined and noble Pei Ji looked, and no one really thought much of the switch.

　　An Jiu’s eyes stayed fixed on the young man in white until the two of them walked right up to her.

　　‘Xian Wuming’ spoke up. “Divine Doctor Pei is here. We can begin the ceremony now.”

　　His voice sounded the same, but the tone was just slightly off—flat and stiff, like a parrot mimicking someone’s words.

　　An Jiu pretended not to notice. She blinked, like she’d just snapped out of it, then smiled and said, “Right. Let’s go start the ceremony.”

　　Even as she spoke, her eyes kept drifting toward Pei Ji without meaning to.

　　If this ‘Xian Wuming’ were the real one, he would have caught her strange behavior by now. But he was just a stand-in, and even with her clearly distracted, he had no idea how to react.

　　Instead, it was the young man in white—the real Pei Ji—who suddenly asked, “What are you looking at?”

　　He had already taken a seat, but clearly noticed her odd behavior. A flicker of suspicion flashed in his eyes.

　　Pei Ji figured she might have noticed something off.

　　An Jiu blinked and looked a little embarrassed, as if she had just realized she was staring. She shook her head. “Just feels like I haven’t seen you in a long time. Wanted to look a little longer, that’s all.”

　　After a pause, she turned back to take ‘Fei Yi’s’ hand. “Let’s finish the ceremony first. We can catch up later.”

　　The moment her fingertips brushed his, ‘Fei Yi’ flinched just a little, barely noticeable, then lightly held her hand.

　　No one knew how nervous he really was behind that borrowed face.

　　He had seen the Pavilion Master's real identity with his own eyes. Would he even survive after this?

　　An Jiu had no idea what was going on in his mind. She simply pretended not to notice the sweat on his palm and tugged him toward the open space nearby.

　　People in the martial world weren’t too hung up on tradition. A wedding didn’t need a fancy hall—just find a spot, bow three times, and that was it.

　　But before An Jiu could take a single step, Ming Yi’s voice rang out from behind.

　　“Wait a second. An Jiu, you still haven’t answered my question. Now that everyone’s here, don’t you think it’s time to give us a proper answer?”

　　More than anything, it was his unwillingness to give up that made him speak up.

　　If An Jiu really had been affected by a love gu like everyone suspected, then getting her to say she wasn’t marrying Xian Wuming willingly would be nearly impossible.

　　Whether she truly liked him or not, once under the love gu’s control, how could she possibly fight it?

　　Sure enough, the girl turned around when she heard the question. Seeing all her friends at the table staring at her so intently, she gave a helpless smile and said, “Alright. Since none of you believe me, I’ll just say it again myself.”

　　Before the words even left her mouth, the music at the wedding feast suddenly stopped. Everyone’s eyes turned to the beautiful bride.

　　Under all those watchful gazes, the girl smiled and said clearly, “I wasn’t forced. I genuinely like Xian Wuming. I want to be with him. All of this was my choice.”

　　Her crisp voice floated through the air and reached every ear in the crowd.

　　As soon as she finished speaking, a slight frown crept onto her face. Her rosy cheeks lost a bit of color.

　　Still, the change was so subtle that no one really noticed. Ming Yi lowered his head, crushed. He couldn’t bear to keep watching the girl he loved marry someone else. He downed a mouthful of wine in silence.

　　If he could leave, he probably would’ve stormed out by now.

　　Then Lin Qingyan suddenly spoke. “Let me ask you one more thing, An Jiu. Do you really want to marry him?”

　　Her question took everyone by surprise. As far as they were concerned, An Jiu had already given a clear answer.

　　But Lin Qingyan looked dead serious. When the girl didn’t answer right away, she locked eyes with her and repeated it firmly. “An Jiu, do you truly want to marry him?”

　　“Do you really want to marry this man? Do you really want to marry Xian Wuming?” The girl in green pointed straight at ‘Xian Wuming,’ her tone pressing harder and harder.

　　Lin Qingyan was sharp. She was the only one who caught that tiny flicker of struggle in An Jiu’s expression.

　　She believed there was still a chance to turn this around.

　　The girl in the ornate red wedding gown opened her mouth, clearly trying to say something. But after opening and closing her lips a few times, no words came out.

　　Her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward Pei Ji again.

　　Even Pei Ji, dense as he could sometimes be, realized something was wrong.

　　Besides, he wasn’t truly dense.

　　His hand instinctively tightened around the cool white jade fan in his palm. His dark eyes locked onto hers. He kept his face blank, but his gaze never wavered.

　　A strong premonition welled up in his chest, warning him that whatever was about to happen next might ruin everything he had carefully planned.

　　He had to stop it, or everything would fall apart.

　　Yet he didn’t move. It was like he’d been welded to the spot, still seated, eyes locked onto the girl in the blazing red wedding gown.

　　Truth be told, he wanted to hear her answer too.

　　“Who... who do I want to marry? Who do I want to marry... I want to marry...” The girl repeated the question slowly, her eyes fixed only on the young man in white sitting in front of her.

　　Her voice trembled as she spoke, and the struggle on her face grew more and more visible until it twisted into real pain.

　　Logically, when things went wrong like this, Xian Wuming should’ve stepped in and taken her away.

　　But the ‘Xian Wuming’ standing there only looked calm on the surface. Inside, he was full of panic.

　　He hadn’t received any orders from the boss! Was he supposed to take the girl and leave or not? Anyone with eyes could see that if she kept going, this wedding was going to fall apart. What was he supposed to do?

　　No one knew just how complicated things were in his head right now, nor did they have time to wonder why he was just standing there doing nothing.

　　All eyes were on An Jiu.

　　Her face was growing paler by the second, sweat beading on her forehead, and her big dark eyes were filled with pain and resistance. At this point, no one could pretend not to see it. She was clearly being forced!

　　Jin Yanwan was the first to rush forward. She quickly stepped in front of An Jiu and held her up before she could collapse, her voice soft with pity. “It’s alright. We know you’re being forced. We’ll get you out of here.”

　　But An Jiu, still under the influence of the love gu, shook her head hard. “No... I’m not leaving... I... I want to marry Fei Yi...”

　　Jin Yanwan’s movement set everyone else in motion. Lin Qingyan and He Ziqing jumped up at once, pulling An Jiu into their protective circle and pushing the red-robed ‘Xian Wuming’ out of it. They stared at him warily, ready for him to lash out at any second.

　　‘Xian Wuming’: What do I do? Do I fight? Do I start yelling? But the boss hasn’t given me the signal! He hasn’t even looked at me!

　　No one knew when Pei Ji had moved to stand in front of An Jiu.

　　His head was slightly lowered, thick lashes casting shadows over his eyes, those dark, deep eyes fixed intently on her like a still pool.

　　“You... who do you want to marry?” His throat moved as he swallowed, and he asked slowly, each word gentle but steady.

　　The girl seemed a little out of it. When she heard the question, she lifted her face in a daze.

　　Her pretty peach blossom eyes were done up with makeup, misty with a layer of tears, making her look even more tender and emotional.

　　Those beautiful eyes stayed fixed on him for a long while, like someone lost finally seeing a path forward, or like someone drowning who suddenly grabbed hold of a single straw. In the blink of an eye, her gaze cleared up.

　　“I want to marry Pei Ji. I want to marry Pei Ji,” came her sweet and crisp voice.

　　Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky, so bright that nothing else could compare.

　　She stared straight at the man in white, her eyes fierce and unwavering. Slowly, that familiar pride and arrogance crept back into her expression — the signature attitude of a proper young lady.

　　“Pei Ji, you're not crippled anymore. Are you going to marry me or not?”　　

　　Even when confessing her feelings, she refused to lower herself. Instead, she stood tall, asking if he wanted to marry her like it was his privilege.

　　The young lady was always above it all. Whether in daily life or in love, she was never a delicate clinging vine waiting for a man's favor.

　　This was An Jiu. This was the real An Jiu.

　　It was like a bolt of lightning cracked through his mind, leaving it blank and his body frozen stiff.

　　Pei Ji realized, only now, that she had broken free from the love gu.

　　It was the second time he had seen someone do that. The first was Lin Qingyan, and that moment had left a deep impression on him. But not nearly as deep as this one.

　　Pei Ji remembered it well — when Lin Qingyan turned her back on him and ran to He Ziqing without hesitation, there had been a faint trace of admiration in his heart.

　　At that moment, he had felt envy. Deep, biting envy.

　　Not because of He Ziqing’s strong, healthy body. Not because he’d taken Lin Qingyan. Not even because of his talent or good luck.

　　He was jealous because someone could be loved that much.

　　Loved so deeply, so fiercely, that someone could tear themselves out of the control of a love gu.

　　He never imagined that kind of love truly existed in this world.

　　But now, he had it too.

　　The kind of love that once belonged only to He Ziqing, only to that so-called ‘chosen one’ — he had actually earned it for himself.

　　It felt like his heart had slipped out of his control, seizing up one moment and swelling with warmth the next. Joy and disbelief swirled together, then melted into a deep, overwhelming sense of contentment.

　　Pei Ji couldn’t put his emotions into words. He couldn’t even think clearly.

　　It wasn’t until someone gave him a little nudge from behind and muttered in a sour tone, “Hurry up and say yes already. If you won’t, I will!”

　　It was Ming Yi.

　　If this had been before, he never would’ve let anyone get so close to him so casually, much less touch him. But now, none of that mattered.

　　His heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it would leap out of his chest. That old, cold emptiness where his heart once felt hollow — it suddenly healed. Warm blood seemed to rush through the cracks, growing into new flesh, flooding him with heat.

　　His throat was dry. Slowly, he opened his mouth. Under the girl’s bright and unwavering gaze, he rasped out a single word:

　　“Yes.”

　　How could he possibly say no?

　　How could he turn down this kind of love?

　　Even if he knew what lay ahead was an abyss, even if he knew the Twin-soul Gu was hidden right inside his robes, even if saying yes meant falling into ruin or being torn to pieces...

　　He still couldn’t resist.

　　He had been wrong.

　　His arrogance, his pride, his stubbornness — they had made him blind. He’d only just come to understand her feelings, only just realized the love he had nearly let slip away.

　　Thankfully, it wasn’t too late.

　　He could still make it right.

　　This was enough.

　　【Pei Ji’s favorability +10. Current score: 95.】

 

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