Chapter 6
Chapter 6
The wedding candles were nearly spent, wax dripping like layers of tears.
He had not returned.
Lianxin paced the doorway, peering out anxiously several times.
I began removing my hairpins and jewelry myself.
“Stop looking,” I said calmly. “He isn’t coming.”
Lianxin said urgently, “The Second Young Miss did this on purpose! She hates you; she can’t stand to see you happy!”
Ji Zhi hated me so much, how could she ever let me have a moment of peace?
I had been young and inexperienced back then; that dose of medicine hadn’t managed to take Concubine Liu’s life. It had only left her paralyzed in bed, unable to speak, with saliva constantly pooling at her mouth-a fate more humiliating than death.
Before the wedding, my father had come to my room.
He gazed at me for a long time before saying wistfully, “You truly do take after your mother.”
I didn’t answer.
He sighed, the hair at his temples having long since turned white. Finally, he simply said, “You are sisters, after all. In the future at the Duke’s Mansion, it is better to support each other than to harbor mutual enmity.”
Perhaps I had played the part of the obedient daughter too well later on.
He truly believed those two exorcism rituals had driven the evil spirits from my body, turning me into a good daughter from that day forward.
I smiled. “I have never hated my sister.”
Nor did I particularly hate Concubine Liu.
Getting rid of Concubine Liu wasn’t entirely for my mother’s sake. Without a mother’s protection, a favored concubine would have far too many ways to make life difficult for a legitimate daughter like me. It was better to send her away first.
The wedding candles flickered out.
***
Ever since that glimpse on the lake, Xie Congjin’s heart had known no peace.
He had respected his elder brother since childhood, viewing him as a role model. He had buried himself in the classics, maintaining a righteous and upright character. He never imagined that one day, a silk handkerchief and a fleeting smile would throw his mind into such turmoil.
He didn’t dare search for her openly, fearing he might offend the lady or tarnish her reputation. But that one breathtaking glimpse was impossible to forget.
Meeting her again at the Flower Festival felt like nothing more than a grand dream.
In the past, when he read poems about tossing and turning in longing, he thought them an exaggeration. Only now did he realize that once the sparks of desire catch fire, they become an uncontrollable blaze.
In the depths of the night, he would dream of that woman standing amidst the lotus leaves, her smile charming and sweet. When he woke, he would find his bedding stained with a damp chill. The young man would sit up in a panic, his face flushed, yet a secret sweetness would well up in his heart.
In his idle moments, he would often take out that plain handkerchief and run his fingers over it, as if it still carried a faint, lingering fragrance.
One day, while he was lost in thought in the study, his brother caught him.
He hurriedly tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve.
“What are you hiding?” His brother teased with a smile, his expression gentle. “Could it be… you’ve met a lady who has stolen your soul?”
Xie Congjin’s ears turned hot as he stammered, “It is nothing more than… an empty dream.”
He added wistfully, “Perhaps she was a Fairy who wandered into the mortal realm by mistake, and now… I fear she has already returned to the heavens.”
His brother laughed heartily. “Once your Sister-in-law joins the household, I’ll have her keep an eye out for you. It’s much easier for women to manage such social introductions than it is for us.”
Xie Congjin’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Brother!”
Then, curious, he asked, “I wonder… what kind of person is Sister-in-law?”
His brother fell silent for a moment, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. “Dignified and elegant, reasonable and magnanimous. Her maternal family is renowned for their literary heritage; she is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She will surely manage the household well in the future.”
“Compared to…” Xie Congjin hesitated, “that other one?”
His brother’s smile faded slightly. After a long pause, he said, “Zhi’er is innocent and unaffected; she needs someone to protect her. But your Sister-in-law…”
He looked out the window at the apricot blossoms. “If I can live with her in mutual respect and walk through the rest of my life hand-in-hand… that would also be a blessing.”
“Originally, I only hoped for a harmonious household, but now…” His voice grew softer, and his ears tinged red. “I truly find myself looking forward to the wedding day.”