Chapter 1.3

A red silk ribbon was handed to her, and the matchmaker and maids helped her out. Covered by the veil, Li Yuhu had no sense of direction, probably also due to hunger! The noisy crowd around her was annoying! The sound of firecrackers almost made her jump on the spot!

Oh God! A wealthy person’s wedding! She could already foresee her bleak future!

Entering the main hall, she was surrounded by flattery and praise!

“What a perfect couple…”

Nonsense! How could they see her looks through the veil!

“A match made in heaven!”

Li Yuhu almost stumbled! She finally understood what it meant to lie through one’s teeth!

Next came the kneeling, standing up, turning around, and kneeling again. Following the master of ceremonies’ loud instructions, she became a puppet, being pressed down and lifted up, making her dizzy! Finally, the onlookers decided to give her a break, cheering as they announced, “Send them to the bridal chamber!” Everyone clapped, and she was finally pardoned!

They seemed to walk around the courtyard, passing through an archway, and she was helped to sit on a lavishly decorated bed.

Matchmaker Lin whispered in her ear, “Miss Li, remember, from now on you are Du Bingyan. Don’t worry, Xiaoxi and Yue’er will assist you, and I will return to Yangzhou soon…”

Li Yuhu quickly lifted a corner of her veil.

“Hey, don’t leave! At least get me something to eat!” she whispered urgently, seeing only the two maids and Matchmaker Lin.

Matchmaker Lin said softly, “Soon they will bring various auspicious foods for you and the groom to eat together. Even if you’re not hungry, you’ll have to eat something then. You won’t starve.”

“Heavens!” Li Yuhu moaned quietly, holding her stomach.

As she sighed, another group of voices approached the bridal chamber. Here came another part of the ceremony!

Matchmaker Lin instructed the two maids, “Xiaoxi, Yue’er, you must help Miss Li well, understand? If word of this gets out, we’re all finished…”

Every time a forty-something-year-old woman brought a dish for them to share, she recited auspicious phrases, and the onlookers would cheer for the groom to feed the bride. Li Yuhu, turning her back to the annoying groom, focused on the food, her hunger growing stronger! She was close to grabbing the food and eating it herself, not knowing what the groom was waiting for! Impatiently, she looked up at the groom, only to see a smile…

Before she could process it, she saw the groom’s face turn pale and break out in a cold sweat.

“The young master is having another attack!” a servant exclaimed.

All the cheerful atmosphere vanished! People hurriedly lifted the groom onto the bed, handling him as if he were made of glass.

“Should we call in Doctor Liu?”

“No need, let me rest early…” Qi Tianlei’s voice was faint.

Right! This was how a sick person should be! Li Yuhu thought, feeling slightly better. She didn’t wish death upon him!

A slick and disrespectful whisper came from behind her, “It’s a pity for you, a great beauty. If you married me, I guarantee you’d have a child every year, but he… Haha, this guy is really wishing him dead.”

Li Yuhu quickly turned around and saw a lecherous face looking her up and down without fear of being noticed, making clicking noises with his tongue. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was worried about the third young master Qi, no one would discover him. His shifty eyes conveyed even more despicable thoughts.

Heavens! Who was this person?

“Alright! Alright!” the middle-aged woman called authoritatively, “Let the third young master and the young mistress rest well. No one is allowed to disturb them tonight! Everyone to the front yard for the wedding feast!”

“No way! At least let us see the bride and groom drink their nuptial wine!” the slick man shouted again, his face full of ill intentions!

A young girl quickly interjected, “Cousin, you know the third young master can’t drink alcohol.”

“Tonight is not your wedding night, Chun Ya. If it were your wedding night with the third young master, I wouldn’t insist! This nuptial wine is reserved for the first wife!”

The girl named Chun Ya bit her lip and stepped aside, her eyes filled with grievance.

“Bring it! I’ll drink,” the weak third young master on the bed whispered.

Li Yuhu was pushed to sit on the bed’s edge, still a bit confused about the situation. The relationships among these people seemed very complicated; at least she understood that the slick man had to call her cousin-in-law, indicating they were relatives. How unfortunate!

“Here, the best daughter’s red wine, drink it quickly! Once you do, we’ll leave and not disturb you anymore!”

The wine smelled delicious, and although Li Yuhu had never had alcohol before, she was curious. Holding it in her right hand, she hooked arms with him, nearly losing her grip. The reduced distance required them to drink closely, their foreheads touching lightly, their eyes meeting for a moment before averting. Her heart pounded, and the wine slid down her throat, warming her stomach. She felt dizzy and didn’t even notice when the crowd left.

Shaking her head, she only realized everyone was gone. She whispered, “I’m so hungry!” and tried to get out of bed to find food. Someone beside her supported her, and she looked at the handsome face in front of her in confusion. “Sick people should lie down, or are you hungry too?”

Qi Tianlei raised an eyebrow and still helped her to the eight-immortal table.

“I’m not hungry, you eat.”

“Your voice is different from before. Are you better now?” She giggled, putting a small hand on his head and realizing her temperature was higher than his. She seemed a bit tipsy!

“Oh! You’re better, but now I’m sick. I have a hunger illness.” She started wolfing down the food, compensating for her hunger from the whole day.

She was drunk! Her flushed face made it obvious. Qi Tianlei removed her bridal crown, his curiosity growing, unable to forget the shock he felt at first sight. She was indeed a great beauty, even more beautiful than he imagined. Moreover, she had a pair of straightforward eyes, fresh and delightful, deeply imprinting on his heart. She neither avoided his gaze nor feigned shyness. He had never seen a girl look at someone so directly!

In an instant, he forgot all his previous complaints and reluctance about marriage, smiling at his new bride. What kind of woman would she be?

After finishing all the food, she poured herself another cup of wine, carefully drinking it, and gradually saw the man in front of her splitting into three or four. She didn’t like it! Dropping the cup, she held his face, “Don’t split into so many, I can’t see clearly!”

“You’re drunk, Bingyan.” Was that the right name?

She frowned, grabbing his collar with one hand and pointing at herself with the other. “I’m Yuhu! Li Yuhu! Ugh, you’re sick and dying! Go lie down, or you’ll die!” She quickly dragged him to the bed, but he was much heavier than she expected, causing her to fall on him, pinning him to the bed.

“Do you want me to die?” He removed her hairpins, letting her hair cascade down, and asked softly.

“Ugh.” She propped her elbows on his chest, resting her chin on her hands. “You’re very handsome! It’d be a pity if you died. Don’t die— but—also, no, if you don’t die, I can’t leave—I—have to go back to Yangzhou.”

“You married me, why do you want to go back to Yangzhou?”

“I don’t want to be Du Bingyan forever! I’m Li Yuhu. I’m not a noble lady; I have to go back to Yangzhou. Ah! You should die quickly so I can go home! Matchmaker Lin said you’re going to die soon and won’t consummate the marriage, so I can return safely…” She giggled, drawing circles on his face with a finger.

Something seemed off! Qi Tianlei thought deeply but didn’t rush to understand. Instead, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him, and looked at her beautiful, drunken eyes with a wicked smile. “I can’t consummate the marriage? Do you know what that means?”

She nodded like a good student, her almond eyes wide.

“It means pulling down the bed curtains and locking a man and woman inside. Then we both take off our shoes and let a child crawl into our bellies from our feet, and ten months later, there’s a baby!”

“Not just that!” He couldn’t help but lightly kiss her small mouth, enjoying her adorable expression.

“Are you saying I’m wrong?” She poked his chest with her finger, grumbling unhappily. “Do you believe I’ll throw you out the door?”

He laughed, lifting her threatening little hand above her head, and slowly untied her collar, surprised to see her beautiful, well-proportioned figure!

Li Yuhu began to struggle.

“I don’t want to take off my shoes! You can’t put a baby into my feet! I don’t want to consummate the marriage!”

“Alright! Alright! We won’t take off our shoes!” Qi Tianlei struggled to hold back his laughter. He believed he had married a treasure! With such a beautiful body, he was willing to have children with her! Heaven! He probably looked like a lecherous wolf taking advantage of her! However, on the wedding night, this was forgivable; any man was allowed to be a lecherous wolf today!

So, Qi Tianlei pulled down the bed curtains, locking them inside, determined not to let the night go to waste.

Of course, occasional sounds came from inside, “Ah! Your body is so flat!” exclaimed Li Yuhu in surprise.

“Yes, because I’m a man.”

“You can’t secretly put a baby in my feet.”

“I don’t have a baby on me.”

After a while of silence, “I thought only puppies liked to kiss people…” Her voice was very confused, but she didn’t struggle much.

“Husbands kiss their wives too.” His voice was muffled.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

After that, there was no more conversation, and the third young master Qi happily spent his wedding night, making the newly appointed young mistress a genuine one.

Come dawn, she would realize: the third young master Qi didn’t seem easy to kill. Li Yuhu’s plan had backfired!