Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 97: “Who Were You Just Waiting For?”

　　When the famous Minister An married off his daughter to the legendary Ming Wang, the wedding was naturally over-the-top.

　　The bridal carriage stopped right in front of the Shangsu Mansion. As An Jiu walked to the side of the carriage, she saw a large male hand reach out through her limited line of sight. Just as she was about to place her hand into his, she suddenly felt a sharp, heavy gaze land on her back. Startled, her fingers shrank back, and instead she quickly held onto Ji Xiang’s arm and climbed up into the carriage on her own.

　　Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the hand she had just ignored was left hanging there, stiff in midair. All she could do was silently apologize in her heart.

　　Once inside the carriage, An Jiu casually lifted her red veil and glanced around.

　　The bridal carriage was incredibly luxurious. It wasn’t cramped like an ordinary carriage; it could easily rival the ones used by the royal family during imperial outings.

　　In terms of the ceremony's scale, her wedding treatment wasn’t far off from that of an actual princess.

　　“Miss, how could you lift your veil? That’s… that’s against tradition!” Ji Xiang scolded gently from beside her. Since An Jiu was getting married, Ji Xiang had been brought along as part of the dowry.

　　“It’s fine. No one’s watching anyway.”

　　An Jiu held the red veil in her hand and used it to fan herself.

　　There was no electric fan or air conditioning in ancient times, and in this scorching June heat, it felt like being steamed alive. Dressed in layers upon layers of wedding robes, she was already sweating all over.

　　Ji Xiang didn’t dare go against her and could only grumble a little before taking out a small round fan and fanning An Jiu with care.

　　Even though they were inside the carriage, they could still hear the sounds outside. The bridal procession had begun to move slowly, and the lively chatter and noise from the crowd poured in from all sides.

　　This carriage would circle around the capital’s main streets. Both the Shangsu Mansion and the Prince's Mansion spared no expense, sending out servants to scatter candy and coins along the way.

　　So even under the blazing sun, both sides of the street were packed with children and passersby, waiting to snatch the sweets and coins.

　　The outside was a full-blown celebration, with gongs and drums sounding, people loudly chanting auspicious phrases, and the steady hum of gossip buzzing into the ears of those inside the carriage.

　　And the subject of most of that gossip was none other than the handsome young man in fine robes, riding the tall horse at the front of the bridal procession.

　　After all, people had seen brothers stand in for each other at weddings before, but they had never seen a son stepping in for his father.

　　What made it even more outrageous were the vague, whispered rumors about the son having some kind of ambiguous connection with his soon-to-be stepmother.

　　Ji Xiang had heard it all too and was fuming with anger.

　　“Miss, don’t listen to all that nonsense outside. Who knows who’s spreading those disgusting rumors. They’re so bold, tarnishing your reputation like that! Once the master finds out who’s behind it, he definitely won’t let them off easy!”

　　An Jiu hadn’t eaten a bite all morning, and her stomach was growling like crazy. She lowered her head, picked up a piece of cake, and stuffed it into her mouth in one bite. Chewing with a full mouth, she mumbled, “What’s there to be scared of? It’s not like people’s gossip can take a chunk out of me. Besides, your lady here already had the guts to run away from her wedding. Why would I care about reputation now?”

　　An Jiu seemed easygoing and unbothered, not just because she truly didn’t care, but also because those rumors were actually spread on her orders behind the scenes.

　　Of course, that part didn’t need to be shared with her little maid.

　　Just then, a gust of wind blew in from who knows where and lifted the curtain hanging by the carriage window.

　　An Jiu instinctively glanced outside and saw a dense crowd lining the streets, faces flashing past her eyes one after another.

　　The moment was too quick for her to make out any one person clearly. The curtain fell back down just as fast, blocking her view again.

　　She only vaguely remembered a tall figure dressed in blazing red robes.

　　In this era, it was rare for men to wear red in everyday life, especially that kind of bold, bright red.

　　Wearing bright red on someone else’s wedding day? Yeah, that’s definitely not normal!

　　“System, that guy in red just now… was it Pei Ji?” An Jiu asked in her mind, feeling conflicted.

　　【Yes, Host.】

　　Hearing that emotionless robotic voice give a definite answer, An Jiu wasn’t even surprised. In fact, it kind of felt expected.

　　At this point, nothing the villain did could shock her anymore.

　　That crazy Pei Ji guy could pull off all kinds of deranged stunts.

　　As she thought about it, An Jiu absentmindedly rubbed her ring finger. Now she was starting to worry—how was he planning to crash the wedding?

　　【Host, why did you have people spread rumors about you and Ming Yi?】

　　The usually quiet system suddenly spoke up.

　　“Why do you ask?” An Jiu raised a brow.

　　【The system cannot analyze your reasoning and is curious.】

　　An Jiu let out a silent chuckle. “Of course you can’t. Human emotions aren’t something cold logic can understand.”

　　“In love, people often show their ugliest sides. Like how things you can’t have always seem better. Or how something you had to fight for feels more valuable than something that comes easy.”

　　“If I keep him guessing, make him think I’m always just out of reach, he’ll feel like all his efforts are in vain. And for someone like Pei Ji, the harder it is to get something, the deeper his obsession grows.”

　　【Understood. Host is stringing him along. But Host, you don’t have much time left. Wu Sheng will return with the Twin-soul Gu within a month at most.】

　　“Don’t panic. We need patience.” An Jiu smiled and slowly chewed on a piece of pastry as she responded in her mind.

　　“Pei Ji’s walls are way too high. A 100 favorability score means deep, unconditional love—the kind of love where someone is willing to give their life, to live and die with you… Do you think someone like him, who doesn’t trust a single soul, is even capable of that kind of love?”

　　Honestly, even An Jiu didn’t believe it.

　　She couldn’t even picture what that kind of love would feel like. Sure, there were legendary romances in history, tales of soulmates and lifelong vows, but… she just couldn’t see it.

　　She might look calm and collected while talking to the system, but deep down, she was uncertain too.

　　After spending so long with Pei Ji, An Jiu had never stopped analyzing him. The more she understood him, the more detailed her strategy became.

　　If she succeeded, she could finally go home.

　　If she failed, she’d die.

　　There was no plan B.

　　Thinking of this, An Jiu lowered her gaze. Her thick lashes veiled her eyes, hiding the sharp glint of clarity that flashed beneath them.

　　In a way, she and Pei Ji were the same kind of people.

　　They would do whatever it took to reach their goal—no matter the cost.

　　The wedding procession finally arrived at the Prince's Mansion by midday.

　　An Jiu pulled the veil back over her face and, with Ji Xiang’s help, stepped out of the carriage. Ming Yi came to greet her and led her into the back courtyard.

　　There was supposed to be a ceremony where they’d bow to heaven and earth, but the whole situation was strange enough—having a son take his father’s place to marry a bride. If they actually performed the ritual too, the rumors would get even messier. So that part was skipped entirely.

　　An Jiu was led to the bridal chamber, her hand still holding one end of the red silk ribbon. Once she sat down on the festive red bed, she heard Ming Yi speak up.

　　“You all may leave for now. I want to have a few words with… my mother.”

　　The room still had the matron of honor and a few maids, and they all looked at each other in confusion.

　　If they were a regular bride and groom, it wouldn’t be weird to leave them alone. But Ming Yi was the bride’s stepson. Letting them be alone like this… what would people say?

　　Still, Ming Yi was the master of the house. Once he gave the order again, the attendants filed out one by one.

　　Soon, only An Jiu and Ming Yi remained. The noise outside was shut away. Inside, it was dead silent.

　　When the doors finally closed, Ming Yi turned his eyes toward the bride sitting so properly on the bed. She wore a red veil embroidered with the double-happiness symbol. The veil should have been lifted by his father, but now it was up to him.

　　Ming Yi wasn’t sure whether he should be happy or sad.

　　He let out a quiet sigh and asked softly, “Miss An, did you really agree to marry my father of your own will?”

　　From under the veil came a calm reply.

　　“Does it really matter whether I did or not?”

　　As soon as Ming Yi heard that, he got a little worked up and quickly stepped forward.

　　“I know your father and mine have some kind of dealings. I don’t understand that stuff, and honestly, I don’t want to. From what I know about you, Miss An, I doubt you care about it either. Most women in this world have it rough. Even someone like you, the daughter of a minister, still doesn't have full control over her own life. If you tell me today that you don’t want this, I’ll help set you free.”

　　Under the veil, An Jiu’s expression didn’t change, but her voice came out with just the right touch of surprise and hesitation.

　　“R-really?”

　　Back when she first met Ming Yi, An Jiu had already hinted that she was forced into this marriage. Someone as simple and sweet as him would never ignore something like that. His reaction now was exactly what she expected.

　　“Of course it’s true,” Ming Yi said. “Where do you want to go? My father’s returning tomorrow, so I’ll sneak you out tonight.”

　　Saying that made his heart ache, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch a girl like her waste away in the back courtyard like a bird in a cage.

　　“I want to go to Medicine King Valley,” An Jiu replied. “Take me to Pei Ji. I want to see him.”

　　Ming Yi froze for a second before he understood what she meant.

　　He thought back to that elegant young doctor they met at Jinshe Villa, and while he felt disappointed, he also kind of understood.

　　So Miss An chose Doctor Pei after all. It was a bit unexpected, but thinking back on how much care Pei Ji had shown her, it actually made sense.

　　Not every man would go that far, treating the girl he liked like some revered ancestor. Ming Yi knew for sure he couldn’t have done that.

　　With that in mind, he suddenly felt like losing didn’t seem so unfair after all.

　　“Alright,” he said. “I’ll go attend the banquet first. Once it’s over, I’ll come back for you.”

　　After that, Ming Yi turned and left the room.

　　The Prince's Mansion was huge. To show how important this wedding was, they’d invited tons of guests and filled the halls with banquet tables.

　　He Ziqing and the others had managed to sneak in with an invitation they ‘borrowed’ during their little ambush. They found a table and sat down casually.

　　They were just a bit late and missed the bride’s entrance, but they did catch a glimpse of the glowing, cheerful Ming Yi, drinking and chatting with the guests. Dressed in a deep red robe, he looked so dashing and happy that if they didn’t know better, they would’ve thought he was the lucky groom who had just married a beauty.

　　After sitting for a bit, Pei Ji suddenly said he felt a little stuffy in the chest and got up to take a walk in the courtyard alone.

　　Lin Qingyan watched him go, eyes filled with sympathy.

　　He Ziqing turned and asked, “Should we follow him?”

　　Lin Qingyan quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t. Let him be by himself for a while. Pei Ji’s really… pitiful right now.”

　　The longer they stayed in the city, the more rumors they heard. By now, they were almost sure that An Jiu had returned home willingly and agreed to the marriage herself.

　　Not just that—gossip about her and Ming Yi was spreading like wildfire.

　　And Pei Ji showing up today in full red… in Lin Qingyan’s eyes, it was the stubbornness of a heartbroken man pushed to his limit.

　　What was that saying again? ‘Even though I'm not the one marrying you, I still wore red, as if I were the groom.’

　　God, it hurt. It hurt so much.

　　Just thinking about it was enough to make someone cry.

　　But Lin Qingyan had no idea that while she was busy imagining Pei Ji’s heartbreak, he had already snuck into the bridal chamber in the back courtyard without making a sound.

　　The maids guarding the door had all fallen unconscious, not a single one left standing.

　　He pushed open the door and slowly walked toward the bride.

　　The bride was still wearing her red veil. Hearing footsteps, she asked without a clue, “Who’s there? Ji Xiang?”

　　The man’s black eyes swept across the room. He lifted his hand and picked up the white jade wedding scale from the table nearby, slowly lifting the red fabric.

　　Bit by bit, the delicate face of the young girl appeared beneath the veil. Dressed in bridal makeup, she looked completely different from usual, beautiful in a way that was bold and radiant. The moment she entered his view, his heart began to pound wildly.

　　As the veil lifted higher, the girl, who had been keeping her gaze down, started to raise her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and the corners of her eyes and brows carried the soft shyness of a young bride.

　　Her watery peach blossom eyes shimmered with a gentle light, full of affection.

　　But the moment those affectionate eyes clearly saw who was standing in front of her, her face went pale.

　　“You... you...” The blush faded from her face layer by layer. Her red lips trembled as if she'd just been struck by lightning.

　　“Surprised to see me?” the man asked softly. He was now wearing the face of Fei Yi, the one she was familiar with.

　　His voice was gentle, like whispering to a lover, but the darkness in his pitch-black eyes was dangerously heavy.

　　He leaned down, his red robes brushing against hers, their hems overlapping as if they truly belonged together. Anyone unaware might have thought they were the newlyweds.

　　His fingers gripped her delicate, panicked face. His narrow eyes stared deep into hers, and finally, he couldn’t hold back anymore. A cold and cruel smile slowly curled at the corners of his lips.

　　“Who were you waiting for just now?”

________________

T/N: Haha, sorry for the cliffhanger today. It's already late, and I’ve been quite busy today. 😘

　　

　　

　　

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter