After Transmigrating, I Was Kidnapped By A Scheming Beauty Into The Bridal Chamber - Chapter 3

The crowd of onlookers downstairs had not completely dispersed; many were still craning their necks and waiting. At this moment, the matchmaker came over and asked, “Young lady, have you settled the matter? Can we proceed with the marriage ceremony now?”

“Of course, immediately.” Jiang Chényú replied calmly in a low voice.

“Marriage ceremony?” Shěn Hétáng’s eyes widened.

“Of course. There’s no time like the present. Everything must be done as quickly as possible.” She smiled secretly, looking at the stunned Shěn Hétáng, thinking to herself, ‘Now that you’ve boarded this pirate ship, there’s no getting off.’

The matchmaker, having received the confirmation, immediately started the marriage ceremony. Shěn Hétáng was held by the nannies and was fitted with a large red wedding gown, becoming the groom in a daze.

“This Miss Jiang is truly blessed. To have chosen such a handsome husband, other young ladies must be dying of envy!” Matchmaker Wang said with a smile, looking at the groom in his wedding clothes.

She had been a matchmaker for twenty years and this was the first time she had seen such a well-matched couple. The man was like a jade tree, naturally graceful. The woman was like a blooming peach and plum, shining brightly. They were truly the best she had ever seen in her career.

The matchmaker’s mouth didn’t stop for a moment with compliments, almost making the bewildered Shěn Hétáng get into character.

Looking at the bride opposite, who was also in her wedding clothes, she even felt as if she was acting in a TV show. She thought to herself, the ancient girls truly bloomed early. This sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl was a perfect combination of an unopened bud and a born enchantress. It was a good thing her face was covered by a round fan, otherwise someone might have stolen her right there in the street.

“First bow to heaven and earth, second bow to the parents, and a final bow to each other.” Under the matchmaker’s guidance and the cheers of the crowd, the two completed the marriage ceremony. In Jiang Chényú’s heart, her only parent was her mother. Her supposed biological father and stepfather could all go to hell. She led Shěn Hétáng in a symbolic bow toward the distance.

Now, with just one more step, the deed would be done. With so many people having witnessed her and her husband’s marriage ceremony, even if that man returned tomorrow, he couldn’t do anything to her. Once the rice was cooked, even the King of Heaven would have to accept it.

Thinking of this, Jiang Chényú felt as if a heavy fog had been lifted, and she could finally see the sun. The three years of carefulness, caution, and feigning civility finally had an outlet. She didn’t want to hold back any longer.

Shěn Hétáng actually felt a little guilty. She had no way out and was taking advantage of the situation to find a safe place for herself. Although it could be considered a mutual benefit, she was still hiding the fact that she wasn’t a man.

In the future, it would be impossible for them to be together, and Miss Jiang’s reputation would be damaged for sure. Oh well, she’d have to take it one step at a time. If it came to it, she would just have to take all the blame on herself to preserve her reputation as much as possible.

After returning to the Jiang residence with Miss Jiang, Chūntáo followed her mistress’s orders and arranged a banquet and a bath for Shěn Hétáng. Finally, she returned to the bridal chamber, properly dressed.

An interesting thing was that when Madam Wu heard that the young lady had thrown an embroidered ball at “Jin Xiang Yu” and found a live-in husband, she frantically banged on Jiang Chényú’s door.

“Young lady, have you gone mad? How dare you bring a strange man home? When the master finds out, he’ll give you a good spanking.” Madam Wu continued to roar like a pig being slaughtered.

Shěn Hétáng was about to open the door when Jiang Chényú grabbed her arm.

“Don’t mind her. Tonight is our wedding night. Even if she smashes the door down, she can’t stop us.” Jiang Chényú was only one step away from cementing the matter. No one could disturb her now.

“No, Miss Jiang, you and I are faking this! A moment from now…” She wanted to say that their wedding night would inevitably lead to nothing. It didn’t matter if anyone was outside or not, the result would be the same.

Jiang Chényú didn’t let her finish. She stretched out her soft, smooth palm and placed it over her red lips.

“Shhh! If you don’t say anything, no one will know it’s fake. Chūntáo will be able to get rid of that old woman soon.” Shěn Hétáng was now like a lifeline to her. She didn’t care about the impropriety between a man and a woman. Looking at his face, with his red lips and white teeth under the candlelight, which could make anyone fall for him, she didn’t mind if they turned this fake act into a real one.

It wasn’t that she was promiscuous or had an early spring fever; she was just afraid that she wouldn’t be able to hold on to the thing women valued most, and some jerk would get it for free one day. If that were to happen, it would be better to give it to someone else from the very beginning.

Even with her small bit of cleverness, she was still a helpless young lady living in seclusion, and everything she had was controlled by someone else. If that person really ripped off his mask, she would just have to suffer.

But even if something were to happen, she would never kill herself. This house belonged to her Jiang family, and everything belonged to her, Jiang Chényú. Why should she die? If anyone was going to die, it should be her and that scoundrel together. Now that she had found Young Master Shěn to be her live-in husband, it seemed to be destiny.

Looking at the beauty who had suddenly moved closer, Shěn Hétáng straightened her body, standing rigidly without daring to get closer. Retreating would be too obvious, so she just stood as straight as a sword sheath, her eyes looking at the door.

Sure enough, after a while, she heard the sounds of Chuntáo and Madam Wu grappling. The fight seemed to be intense.

“Is everything alright?” Shěn Hétáng’s phoenix eyes widened, and her dark eyebrows knitted together.

“It’s nothing. They are old rivals. They’ve been fighting for more than a day or two.” As she said this, Jiang Chényú walked to the candlestick and blew out the candle flame. She then turned and led Shěn Hétáng to the pear-blossom canopy bed inside the boudoir.

It was the first time Shěn Hétáng had seen an ancient lady’s bedroom. The room was spacious and tidy, though the dim candlelight didn’t allow her to see clearly. The large carved pear wood bed in the center, however, was vaguely visible with its exquisite craftsmanship and a smooth frame to the touch.

Taking off her shoes, she took two steps to cross the shallow corridor. This was a two-entry canopy bed. As Jiang Chényú lifted the layers of gauze curtains, Shěn Hétáng felt like a scholar whose soul had been stolen by a demoness, silently submitting before suddenly regaining her wits like a hunted prey.

It was a good thing the windows weren’t open. If there had been a gust of cool wind, coupled with the antique setting and a woman who looked like a demoness holding on to her, it would have been an indescribable thrill. Even though this prey was not her type, she could still satisfy her thirst.

“Um… Miss… maybe we should sleep separately!” As they reached the bed, she suddenly spoke up.

“Miss? Shouldn’t you call me ‘wife’? Besides, there’s no other place to sleep. Do you want to sleep on the floor? And since you’ve entered this room, I’m no longer a pure maiden. Young Master Shěn, you shouldn’t deceive yourself.” She let go of Shěn Hétáng’s hand and sat down casually on the bed.

Next to the shallow corridor of the bed was a dressing table with two red dragon and phoenix candles, which Chūntáo had lit before they entered. Behind the double-layered gauze curtains, Shěn Hétáng watched her gently take off her outer garment and then slowly remove the jeweled ornaments from her hair. Her smooth, dark hair fell like a waterfall to her hips, and her scattered strands looked exceptionally beautiful in the hazy candlelight.

Shěn Hétáng was not a man, so she had no habit of avoiding impropriety. As a fellow woman, she looked at the other person’s curvaceous figure and felt a bit embarrassed. The original owner’s body was actually very similar to her own.

With a height of over 175cm, her waist and legs were not very flexible, but they were strong. Her figure, to put it nicely, was tall and straight; to put it bluntly, it was a telephone pole. Her good looks were the only thing that carried her.

Because she had practiced martial arts since she was a child, she had a certain righteousness in her bones and a destined protective instinct for a delicate, soft, and graceful girl like Jiang Chényú.

Although her eyes were practically glued to the other person, she was sure she didn’t like women. It was just an appreciation of beauty, a love of beauty that everyone shares.

Feeling the gaze from behind her, Jiang Chényú, who had been trying to seduce Shen Hetang, was a little flustered. Her cheeks, ears, and even her fair neck all turned a bright red, although it wasn’t easy to see in the dim candlelight.

Shěn Hétáng didn’t realize that it was wrong for her to be looking at a young lady undressing and changing clothes while in the guise of a man.

When she saw Jiang Chényú carrying a makeup box and walking past her, she remembered that she was a man now and that looking at her like this would definitely make her seem like a pervert.

“Um… that… don’t misunderstand. I just haven’t seen this before, that’s why… that’s why…!” She couldn’t even finish her own sentence. What did “haven’t seen this before” mean?

Seeing her incoherent explanation, Jiang Chényú secretly smiled. She had taken a desperate gamble to bring him back, thinking that whether they were a real or fake couple tonight, she had to get through this.

“It’s getting late. My husband, please undress and rest soon!” With that, she lay down on the bed, under a single red quilt. Normally, sleeping next to a beautiful girl was no big deal, but she was a man now, a man! She could only lie down with her clothes on.

Seeing that he didn’t make any further moves, the determined Jiang Chényú secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was ready for anything, it would be better to have some time to get to know each other.

The days of wandering and the sense of strangeness in a different world made Shěn Hétáng sleep exceptionally soundly that night. Insomnia was not a problem at all. The soft bed and the faint floral scent in the air became her soothing agents, allowing her to have a peaceful night.

*******

The next day, she opened her eyes to a bright sky. She turned her head and saw that the space next to her was empty.

“Young Master, you’re awake? Let this servant help you with your wash.” Chūntáo happened to come in with a basin of water.

“No, thank you. I can do it myself.” Shěn Hétáng replied naturally.

“Young Master, this is the new clothes my lady asked me to get for you. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave.” Chūntáo said, about to leave.

“Wait… where is your young lady?” It was so embarrassing that she had overslept on their first day.

“My lady is in the small garden.” Chūntáo didn’t want to say that her mistress had deliberately given her a blood-stained handkerchief. She had pretended to look for a makeup box and, with the handkerchief in hand, had made sure half the women in the Jiang residence had seen it.

Madam Wu was so angry her face turned pale, yelling that she had already sent a message to the master yesterday and that her lady would certainly get what was coming to her today.

Sure enough, when Wú Dàoyuǎn heard that Jiang Chényú had found her own husband and married him yesterday, and to top it all off, he was a live-in husband, he was furious. He felt his blood rush to his head and he hitched up his cart before dawn to rush back to Qīngyuán County.

After changing into her new clothes and washing up, Shěn Hétáng wanted to go to the garden to greet Miss Jiang.

However, as soon as she stepped into the small garden, her breath caught at the sight before her. An old man, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, was grabbing the collar of the Jiang Chenyu’s blossom clothes, and raising his hand high, about to slap her face.

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