Two months passed quickly, and before the winter snow arrived, Wen Ye was finally about to get married.
But who could tell her why weddings required waking up so early?
Dazed, Wen Ye was pulled out of bed by several maids. Without any preparation, she was immediately pushed into a bathtub, scrubbed clean from head to toe, and then seated in front of the dressing table.
Various cosmetics were applied to her face. Before she knew it, the sky outside had brightened.
By then, Wen Ye had regained some energy. Looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror, she noticed she looked much more beautiful than usual and couldn’t help but admire herself.
Indeed, a bride is always the most beautiful.
At that moment, the maids brought over her wedding dress. Wen Ye, adorned with golden hairpins, stood up and spread her arms. The wedding dress was quite intricate, taking a full two hours to put on.
Concubine Chang had arrived early in Wen Ye’s room. Her eyes were swollen, a mix of reluctance and relief, all of which eventually turned into tears.
Wen Ran, standing beside her, had also been crying.
Wen Ye smiled at them. “Alright, didn’t you always want me to get married? Why are you feeling reluctant now?”
Hearing this, Concubine Chang’s tears immediately fell, making her look even more pitiful.
It took some coaxing from Wen Ye to finally calm her down.
In the blink of an eye, the auspicious hour arrived.
The wedding sedan arrived at the door, accompanied by the crackling sounds of firecrackers outside.
The red veil was lowered, blocking Wen Ye’s vision. Through the fiery red gauze, she looked at the blurred faces of her family and smiled serenely.
A maid respectfully said, “Fourth Miss, it’s time to leave.”
Wen Ye softly acknowledged and took one last look at Concubine Chang and Wen Ran before decisively walking out of Hengwu Courtyard.
Apart from Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi, the rest of the maids from Hengwu Courtyard also followed Wen Ye to the Duke’s residence.
This was Wen Ye’s request, as she was accustomed to having them around.
Madam Shen didn’t say much and added a few more attendants to her dowry.
Tao Zhi was the last to leave Hengwu Courtyard. She had something to say to Concubine Chang and Wen Ran: “Concubine Chang, Fifth Miss, our lady has left something for you. It’s already been handed to Jinju.”
Jinju was a maid from Xicui Courtyard who had served Concubine Chang for over a decade.
Concubine Chang and Wen Ran exchanged puzzled glances.
What had Wen Ye left for them?
The mother and daughter returned to Xicui Courtyard with questions in their minds. Concubine Chang asked Jinju, “Where is the thing Tao Zhi gave you?”
Jinju replied, “I placed it in your room.”
Concubine Chang entered the room and found a rather large wooden box on the table.
She opened the box to find a letter and several books inside.
Concubine Chang and her daughter exchanged glances before opening the letter. Inside was a recipe book, detailing various unusual dishes Wen Ye had experimented with in the past.
Concubine Chang read through it, her eyes welling up with tears.
Wen Ran’s gaze shifted from the recipe to the books in the box, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
Concubine Chang quickly asked, “What is it?”
Wen Ran excitedly flipped through the books. “These books cost at least twenty-five taels each at the bookstore! Sister must have spent hundreds of taels to buy so many!”
Concubine Chang was also shocked. “So expensive?!”
The most expensive book Wen Ran had ever bought was only ten taels.
Seeing how much Wen Ran adored the books, Concubine Chang said, “Since your sister has bought them for you, take good care of them. But remember her kindness.”
Wen Ran nodded happily but then hesitated. “But the books I bought for Fourth Sister only cost a little over five taels in total.”
Comparing the two, Wen Ran felt she hadn’t been a very good sister.
Concubine Chang said, “Different books have different prices. But I remember you bought quite a few, enough to fill a small box. How did it only cost five taels?”
She had seen the box when helping to organize the dowry. Although it wasn’t large, it was packed full.
Wen Ran touched the book covers and then looked up at Concubine Chang, saying seriously, “The books Fourth Sister asked me to buy were all quite cheap. One tael could buy three or four books.”
In total, she had bought twenty-four books for less than six taels.
Concubine Chang’s eyelids twitched, and a bad feeling crept into her heart. She quickly asked, “What kind of books were they?”
Wen Ran replied honestly, “I only remember a few titles like ‘The Lovely Lady in My Arms,’ ‘The Fox and the Scholar,’ and ‘The Passionate Young Widow.’”
At six years old, Wen Ran had only been studying for a year and was still learning basic texts. No one had taught her about such topics, so she didn’t understand the implications of a title like “The Passionate Young Widow.”
Upon hearing this, Concubine Chang’s face, already flushed from tears, turned green. “...”
Meanwhile, Wen Ye’s dowry had already been carried box by box to the Duke’s residence.
*
In the main hall, Wen Ye silently watched as the man approached her.
Dressed in red robes with a golden belt, his steps were steady and composed.
Xu Yuejia walked slowly to Wen Ye’s left side. Amidst the continuous congratulations and teasing from the crowd, Wen Ye lowered her gaze, her vision filled only with a pair of wedding boots and the hem of his red robe swaying slightly.
The two bowed to Wen Ye’s father and Madam Shen.
After the ceremony, Wen Ye was handed one end of a red silk ribbon, while Xu Yuejia grasped the other end. As they turned in unison, their eyes met unexpectedly. Beneath the surface joy, there was a calmness like a still lake.
Thus, the two walked step by step out of the main gate of Wen Mansion, maintaining a distance neither too close nor too far.
As she stepped over the final threshold, Wen Ye paused for a moment. Stepping out of this door today meant she was about to embark on a new, unknown chapter of her life.
Could this be considered her third rebirth?
Xu Yuejia, walking ahead, seemed to sense her hesitation and subtly slowed his pace.
The wedding sedan carried Wen Ye from Wen Mansion to the Duke’s residence, stopping in front of the main gate.
Wen Ye slowly stepped out of the sedan. At that moment, a hand reached out to her—its fingers long, the palm slender yet broad, unlike the hands of scholars she had seen, such as her eldest brother’s, which were delicate and slender with calluses only on the fingers from holding a brush.
The hand before her seemed to hold boundless strength, deep and unfathomable.
Amidst the joyful chatter, Wen Ye placed her hand in Xu Yuejia’s.
The old Duke and Duchess had passed away many years ago, so the couple bowed before their memorial tablets. After completing the rituals, Wen Ye was escorted to the bridal chamber.
By the time the final ritual of sharing the nuptial wine was completed, it was already late at night.
Once the others had left, only the maids waiting outside remained in the room, leaving Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia alone.
After the veil was lifted, Wen Ye got her first clear look at Xu Yuejia’s face.
Indeed, he had the looks that could make the women of Sheng Jing fall for him at first sight.
His figure was as elegant as a pine tree, and when he turned, his refined features were accentuated by the red robes, adding a touch of allure.
A single glance was enough to captivate anyone.
Yet Wen Ye’s gaze remained calm, with only a fleeting moment of admiration for something beautiful.
“If you’re hungry, call the maids to bring you something to eat,” Xu Yuejia said in a deep voice. “I’ll return later.”
Without waiting for Wen Ye’s response, he left the bridal chamber.
As soon as he was gone, Wen Ye immediately relaxed her shoulders and rubbed her back, calling out, “Yun Zhi!”
“Madam,” Yun Zhi entered, carrying a tray with a few pastries. “Tao Zhi and Liuya have gone to fetch hot food. Have a couple of soft cakes to tide you over first.”
Wen Ye, however, said, “Quick, quick! Take this thing off my head. It’s too heavy!”
After wearing it all day, her neck felt like it was about to break.
Yun Zhi quickly set down the tray and came over to help.
Fifteen minutes later, the elaborate headpiece was finally removed. Wen Ye sat at the table, holding a teacup in one hand and a pastry in the other.
Soon after, Tao Zhi and Liuya, a maid from the west courtyard, brought in several hot dishes.
The food was relatively light, not to Wen Ye’s usual taste, but after being starved all day, what she ate didn’t matter—filling her stomach and staying alive were her priorities.
Wen Ye ate a small bowl of shredded pork noodles, a few pieces of steamed fish, some meat, and a few bites of vegetables.
She didn’t dare eat too much, as there was still some “exercise” to be done later.
After finishing her meal, Wen Ye went to the side room to wash up. Returning to the bedroom and finding that Xu Yuejia had not yet come back, she called over the maids from the west courtyard to learn more about the household.
The maid who had entered earlier with Tao Zhi was named Liuya. According to her, after the previous second madam passed away, most of the affairs in the west courtyard had been managed by her, with the Duchess only checking in once every ten days.
There weren’t many maids in the west courtyard. There were only two first-class maids: the other was named Liuxin. Liuya was responsible for the backyard, while Liuxin focused more on the front courtyard.
In other words, all matters related to Xu Yuejia’s study were handled by Liuxin.
Wen Ye did not delve deeper into the matter, only roughly inquired about the number of people before dismissing them.
Before she could relax for even a moment, Xu Yuejia returned to the room.
He carried a faint scent of alcohol, though not overwhelming, indicating he had only had a few drinks.
This was no surprise; given his current status and position, few would dare to pressure him into drinking.
Wen Ye did not shy away from his gaze and even asked, "Shall I send someone to assist you with washing up, my lord?"
After all, she had no intention of serving anyone herself.
"No need," Xu Yuejia replied calmly before heading to the washroom alone.
Hot water had already been prepared in advance.
Half an hour later, Xu Yuejia emerged, dressed in sleeping robes, his ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall down his back.
The flickering light of the wedding candles accentuated his striking features, making him appear like an unyielding piece of ice amidst a fiery blaze—cold yet captivating.
A man of many charms, yet restrained in his desires. Wen Ye suddenly felt parched.
Such beauty—she was not at a loss.
After a few moments, Xu Yuejia turned to her and said, "Let us retire."
He then drew the curtain on his side of the bed. Wen Ye watched his retreating figure, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
The red candles burned on, and after a bout of passionate intimacy, they each wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay down to sleep.
Though exhausted from the day's events, Wen Ye found herself suddenly wide awake.
The curtains blocked most of the candlelight, leaving her in near darkness.
She couldn't help but overthink. Indeed, no one could be perfect.
The heavens had opened countless doors for Xu Yuejia, yet they had forgotten to open that one small window.
Wen Ye lay in the dark, her eyes wide open.
Just as she was beginning to feel something, it was over.
The duration wasn't particularly short, but his technique left much to be desired.
Or perhaps it was simply because she had always slept alone, and now, with someone suddenly beside her, she was still unaccustomed to it?
Xu Yuejia slept with impeccable posture, lying straight as a ruler. After some time, he noticed that the person beside him was still awake and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Wen Ye, of course, knew Xu Yuejia was also awake—she had that much awareness.
What surprised her, however, was that he had initiated the conversation. After all, from their first meeting earlier that day until now, her strongest impression of him was his reticence.
"Nothing," Wen Ye replied, but then, as if struck by inspiration, she added, "But since neither of us can sleep, why not go another round?"
The implication of "another round" needed no explanation.
Xu Yuejia: "..."
Moments later, the passion reignited, and after several rounds, they finally stopped.
Not long after, Wen Ye fell asleep, clutching her blanket, a hint of satisfaction lingering on her face.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuejia, lying on the outer side of the bed, remained awake for a long time.
