After a long and exhausting day, it was finally time for the bridal chamber ritual.
Caiyu secretly brought some food to Ruan Xinchen and took the opportunity to tell her about Chu Xuance.
“Miss, I saw the heir apparent. He has sharp brows and bright eyes, an air of nobility, he looks like an immortal! I think you and he are a perfect match. Maybe we don’t have to run away after all.”
Ruan Xinchen silently filled her stomach and did not answer her.
She thought to herself, this is what he looks like when he hasn't gone crazy, of course, he is good.
If you haven't seen it with your own eyes, it's useless for me to explain it to you.
When you see him go crazy later, you will want to run away without me having to persuade you.
There was a commotion outside, and Caiyu whispered, "Here they come, Miss, quickly give me what you haven't finished eating."
Ruan Xinchen gave the remaining half of the cake to Caiyu. Caiyu took it, hid it in her sleeve, and quickly stood aside.
After a while, Chu Xuanche came in.
“Leave us.”
Huh? Just like that?
He was alone, with no attendants following behind. Caiyu found it odd. She was certain there were still many wedding rites left unfinished. The palace was strict about traditions, surely it wouldn’t just end like this?
But as she watched the heir apparent walk straight to the bridal bed and prepare to lift the veil, the words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.
This new groom was really something, so impatient. Oh well, as long as they could live a good life together, that was all that mattered.
Ruan Xinchen sensed someone approaching her, blocking the candlelight and casting a shadow over her surroundings.
Then, beneath her bridal veil, a slender yet distinctively pale hand appeared.
Long fingers hooked onto the edge of the veil but didn’t immediately lift it.
Ruan Xinchen was a little nervous, and her breath stopped for a moment.
The hand just stayed there.
After a few breaths, as if making up his mind, the knuckles tightened, and he gently lifted the veil.
Ruan Xinchen's vision also gradually moved up with the veil.
Chu Xuanche's figure was even taller than she expected, and she craned her neck to see his face clearly.
He was only eighteen or nineteen, his features as luminous as the bright moon. Tall and slender, he was born to wear fine robes.
The vibrant red of his wedding robes made his complexion seem even paler.
There was even a bit of coldness in that paleness
Under the reflection of the wedding candles, it added a bit of weirdness.
The two stood and sat, looking at each other.
Ruan Xinchen knew that there was something wrong with his head, and she didn't dare to speak.
After a long while, Chu Xuanche finally moved.
He extended his fair hand and lifted her chin.
Ruan Xinchen was bewildered and quite nervous.
What was he doing?
"Your Highness?"
Chu Xuance scrutinized her for a long moment before slowly speaking, "I have seen you before."
Huh?
When?
In Ruan Xinchen's memory, she hadn't met him in this life, let alone her previous one.
She had been kept hidden by Ruan Hong and Cui Yun, rarely seeing anyone.
Women after marriage are even more forbidden to casually meet other men.
To conceal the fact that the Young Master of the Duke of Gong's household had a mental problem, he was also rarely seen in public, so Ruan Xinchen had never had the chance to meet Chu Xuance in her past life.
However, after Ruan Yihe died that year, the matter caused quite a stir, and everyone then knew that the Young Master of Duke of Gong was a madman.
Later, she heard that the Duke of Gong and his wife had left the capital with their son, saying they were going to find a miracle doctor to treat his illness.
Until her death, they never returned.
Therefore, she shouldn't have met Chu Xuance in either of her two lives.
Yet, Chu Xuance said he had seen her.
"When?" she subconsciously asked.
Chu Xuanche withdrew his hand, took a step back and said, "The year we talked about marriage, I went to find you. You agreed, and then we got engaged."
What?
There was such a thing?
Why did she have no memory of it at all?
“Where did we meet?”
“In a small courtyard filled with melons and fruits.”
My courtyard?
The moment he said that, Ruan Xinchen suddenly remembered.
Her little courtyard rarely had visitors, let alone strangers.
Thinking back, when she was very young, a half-grown boy had indeed barged into her courtyard.
That year, her grandmother was already gravely ill, yet Cui Yun still hosted a birthday banquet for her, inviting many guests.
The boy had accidentally wandered into her courtyard. She had assumed he had simply lost his way and kindly told him how to get to the front hall.
But unexpectedly, the boy picked up her hoe and asked her a baffling question.
He asked if she was willing to be his wife.
He raised her small hoe and swung it a few times. She thought he was just a mischievous child about to throw her hoe over the courtyard wall.
Beyond that wall was a place she was not allowed to step into, if he really threw it over, it would be a big problem.
So she blurted out, “I’m willing, I’m willing! Just give me back my hoe, and I’ll be willing.”
He actually handed the hoe back to her—and then left.
Just one brief encounter, just two sentences exchanged, and she hadn’t given it a second thought.
So now…
“The one who took my hoe back then was you?”
“Mm.” He admitted it.
“But you didn’t even know me. Why would you ask me… ask me something like that?”
Chu Xuance looked at her as if she were the one being unreasonable. “Wasn’t it your grandmother who brought it up first?”
Ruan Xinchen: “…”
So it was her grandmother who had first suggested a marriage between the two families, and upon hearing about it, he had come to ask for her opinion?
How perfunctory—oh no, how serious of him
"I thought they would send Ruan Yihe over, considering they knew what was good for them."
This... who could have imagined that Chu Xuance would recognize her?
Ruan Hong and his wife certainly didn't know, because Ruan Xinchen herself was completely bewildered.
Ruan Xinchen thought of the events of her previous life and asked him again, "What if they had sent Ruan Yihe over instead?"
Chu Xuance let out a light hum, a cold smile curving at the corner of his lips, "Then I would have made her death very miserable."
So... this was the truth behind Ruan Yihe being tormented to death?
Ruan Xinchen felt like she had learned a tremendous secret.
Wait, how did he know that the Ruan family had two daughters? Even his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Gong, didn't know.
And why didn't he say anything before?
Thinking this, Ruan Xinchen asked, "If they had sent Ruan Yihe, you could have told your parents that they had made a mistake with the person."
"Why would I say that?"
Huh?
This...
If they got the wrong person, shouldn't he point it out?
Ruan Xinchen looked at him in confusion.
"If someone is seeking death, if I don't fulfill their wish, wouldn't I be letting down their good intentions?"
For a brief moment, Ruan Xinchen’s mind completely froze.
A second later, she snapped back to her senses.
Even in the chilly autumn night, cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
So the rumors about the Prince of Gong’s heir being a madman weren’t exaggerated after all.
How hateful that she had just thought that the Young Master of Duke of Gong was satisfied with her and was only going to take revenge on Ruan Yihe after realizing he had been deceived.
He hadn't said anything in her previous life because she had become the Princess of Zhan, and they couldn't switch back.
Now it seemed she had overthought it.
He was probably just simply angry that Ruan Yihe had tricked him.
And whether it was her who married him or not, he didn't care at all.
Then, what does a wife mean to him?
Just as she was lost in her wild thoughts, a handful of dried fruits and coins were scattered all over her body, and then landed on the red wedding dress.
Ruan Xinchen knew that they had reached the step of scattering the wedding tokens, but it was the first time she had ever seen a groom personally perform this action.
Moreover, even during such a joyous occasion, his face remained stern.
After scattering the tokens, she saw him approaching her with a cup of wine.
"Come, drink the nuptial wine."
Ruan Xinchen didn't dare to object, and accepted the gourd ladle he offered.
Then, this highly significant and meaningful nuptial wine was drunk with absolutely no expression on his face.
Was he satisfied with this marriage, or was he not?
He went through every step of the ceremony, yet not once did he show a pleasant expression.
Then, without any change in expression, he began removing his wedding robes.
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