Cui Yunchu braced herself against the table with both hands.
Beyond the lattice window, the moon hung high in the sky. Candlelight flickered within the room, while bowls, dishes, and teapots lay shattered across the floor, creaking whenever they were disturbed.
Even as Cui Yunchu seized his arm, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and clung to him, she could not help marveling at one thing: this table was truly sturdy.
He carried her behind the folding screen and lowered her into the bathing tub that had been prepared long ago.
Cui Yunchu raised her hand and slapped his handsome, refined face. “My waist is nearly broken.”
Shen Xiabai kissed the back of her hand. “Then next time, we’ll try somewhere else.”
“…”
Her wedding night was unlike anyone else’s.
There were no matchmaker’s rigid formalities, no meticulous ceremonial steps, and no grand canopy bed beneath a scarlet wedding quilt.
Cui Yunchu shot him an annoyed glance, then reached her arm out through the droplets of water, wrapped it around his neck, and kissed him. Her voice was soft. “I like it very much, my Lord Shen—my husband.”
This kind of wedding night suited Cui Yunchu perfectly.
Shen Xiabai cupped her face with one hand and kissed her back. “My lady, don’t forget our wager. Your husband is still waiting for you to serve him in the latter half of the night.”
Cui Yunchu immediately pushed against his chest. “I’m full. I want to sleep.”
Shen Xiabai would not allow the servants to enter and attend to them.
The room was a complete mess, but the two of them seemed not to notice. Shen Xiabai swept Cui Yunchu up in his arms and stepped over the shards scattered across the floor, setting her down on the bed.
Cui Yunchu lay on her side, one hand resting against his broad, muscular chest, where crystal-clear droplets of water still glistened.
Without warning, she thought of her previous life. In the hazy moments before, all she had seen was his strong and powerful chest, and the sight had sent her blood rushing.
“Do you believe people have past lives?”
Shen Xiabai slipped a hand into her sleeve and gently rubbed her wrist bone. With his other arm, he drew her against his shoulder. “After meeting you, I’m willing to believe they do.”
Cui Yunchu lifted her head to look at him. He lowered his eyes slightly, her reflection shining within them.
“A Chu, I hope we’ll have countless lifetimes together.”
…
Cui Yunchu thought perhaps she should finally forget the sword that had taken her life. What she ought to remember was all the good in him.
She should not cling so stubbornly to the past.
If Heaven were to ask her now, “If you want the Shen Xiabai you have today, you must also accept the fate of dying by his hand in your previous life. Would you still choose him?”
She would nod without the slightest hesitation.
She would!
If all the misfortune at the beginning had been necessary for her to meet, understand, and fall in love with him later, then she would willingly accept it.
After all, in this life, Shen Xiabai alone regarded her as his very life.
She thought perhaps everything that happened, everything that appeared in her path, had been decreed by fate—just like her and her Lord Shen.
…
In the woodshed, Chen Miaohe huddled in a corner, leaning against Shen Zilan as silent tears streamed down her face.
“I want to go home.”
“I do too…”
“Your uncle really isn’t going to lock us up here for three days without food or water, is he?”
“Will your parents come rescue you once they receive word?”
“They probably won’t.” After all, considering what she had said, even she would have been too ashamed to come if she were in their place.
“...Let’s sleep. We won’t feel hungry once we’re asleep.”
…
It was their wedding night, and the two of them had barely slept at all.
The one who truly suffered was Xing’er, who came to clean the room the next morning.
“My lady, this… this… Did you and Lord Shen get into a fight?”
The room looked like the site of a disaster. Half the quilt had been thrown onto the floor, and the sheet had slipped down after it. Part of the bed curtain had been torn away.
The groom’s wedding robes, belt, and inner garment were scattered everywhere.
The tablecloth had vanished from the table, while bowls, cups, and teapots lay shattered across the floor. Anyone trying to walk through the room would have to hop from one clear patch to another.
Only the roof beams remained intact.
Cui Yunchu could barely lift her legs. With tears in her eyes, she curled up beneath the quilt and shot Xing’er an irritated look. “Hurry and help me up. I still have to go pay my respects over tea.”
Xing’er carefully picked out a path and helped Cui Yunchu change.
The mistress and maid supported Cui Yunchu’s legs and moved her little by little until she reached the edge of the bed. Xing’er’s face crumpled.
“My lady, I never want to marry in this lifetime. It’s terrifying.”
Cui Yunchu glared at her. “What would an ignorant girl like you know?”
“Once you’re betrothed to Yu Feng, you’ll understand what a delight it is to be human.”
“…”
“My lady, you are a woman, after all…” Xing’er’s face flushed scarlet.
“Where is he?”
“The master went to the study early this morning. He left in a great hurry, as though something had happened.”
Cui Yunchu frowned and gave a quiet reply. Once she had finished dressing, she went straight to Shen Xiabai’s study.
Shen Xiabai was listening to Yu Feng’s report, his expression grave. The moment he saw Cui Yunchu enter, his features softened considerably.
“Why are you up so early?”
He rose and came forward, helping her sit in his chair.
Cui Yunchu glanced at Yu Feng. “Is there news of Cui Qingyuan?”
Yu Feng stole a glance at Shen Xiabai but said nothing.
Cui Yunchu’s heart sank. She looked toward Shen Xiabai. “Is he dead?”
“No.” Shen Xiabai stroked her hair. “My people managed to rescue Cui Yunli, but Prime Minister Cui fell into an ambush set by the enemy. He headed northwest, and now… his whereabouts are unknown.”
Cui Yunchu seemed to let out a breath of relief. “Have you sent people to look for him?”
“We have. Now it depends on who finds him first.”
Prime Minister Cui’s disappearance gave the emperor the perfect opportunity to wipe out the entire Cui family. It was not only Shen Xiabai who was searching for him—the emperor’s men were looking as well.
At this point, all they could do was leave it to fate.
“Whose men kidnapped Cui Yunli? The emperor’s?”
Shen Xiabai nodded slightly. “Zhou Yu, the newly appointed Minister of War.”
He was also the one currently hunting Cui Qingyuan.
“What will you do?” Cui Yunchu asked anxiously. She gripped Shen Xiabai’s hand tightly. “You openly defied His Majesty by rescuing Cui Yunli. The emperor will certainly make things difficult for you.”
“Don’t worry. He has no time to contend with me right now.”
Shen Xiabai drew Cui Yunchu into his arms. “Rest easy, A Chu. Nothing will happen to me.”
“You’ve done so much for me,” Cui Yunchu said. “I don’t want you to run into trouble again because of me or the Cui family.”
She was selfish. At present, all she wanted was for her husband and grandmother to live peaceful, carefree lives.
“Don’t worry. Given the state of the court, sooner or later, the situation will be overturned.” Since he had chosen her, he had been prepared for this from the very beginning.
The political situation suddenly grew tense. Shen Xiabai became extraordinarily busy, and Cui Yunchu went alone to pay her respects to Dowager Shen.
Dowager Shen’s gaze lingered for several moments on Cui Yunchu’s unusual way of walking before her eyes curved into a smile. She drank the tea, gave Cui Yunchu a welcoming gift, and then urged her to hurry back and rest.
Dowager Shen was very easy to get along with, which eased Cui Yunchu’s mind considerably. She, too, had matters weighing on her heart, so after sitting with Dowager Shen for a while, she returned to her courtyard.
By the time she arrived, Shen Xiabai was no longer in the study. Xing’er told her, “The master left word that he has urgent business at the Bureau of Judicial Discipline and will return later. He asked that you not worry.”
The weather was pleasant enough. Since it was the first day of their marriage, Cui Yunchu had quite a few matters to attend to. The steward brought over the household account books and tally tokens, and all the servants in the residence came to pay their respects to their new mistress.
Cui Yunchu had to familiarize herself with them one by one and gradually take over management of the Shen household.
Only once she became busy did the unease in her heart slowly begin to fade.
