Marrying the Sweet Story’s Melodramatic Villainess [Transmigration] - Chapter 29

As the end of the year approached, the wedding day for the Cui and Pei families arrived in the blink of an eye.

The two families followed the pre-arranged wedding procedures, operating with systematic efficiency. Early in the morning, Cui Yi was dressed in full regalia. According to the customs of the time, the wedding attire consisted of red for the groom and green for the bride; thus, Cui Yi wore an exquisite and magnificent green robe. With her bridal makeup applied, she stood there exuding an aura of elegant and unrestrained grace. After midday, Cui Yi led a large group of relatives, attendants, and a hundred and twenty stands of betrothal gifts toward the Grand Princess’s mansion.

Grand Princess Mansion.

Pei Mingjiao wore an identical green wedding robe. Her makeup and accessories were luxurious, but her face showed none of the typical bridal shyness. Listening to the lively sounds outside, she only felt that time was moving too slowly, wondering just where Cui Yi had reached.

As the manager ensuring everything in the courtyard was flawless, Caizhu saw that the bride-to-be didn’t have a shred of girlish bashfulness. She felt both amused and delighted. “Lady Cui is still on her way.”

Pei Mingjiao didn’t mind Caizhu’s teasing at all. She calculated the hours and estimated Cui Yi’s location, her dark eyes bright and shining, her voice chirping with excitement: “She’s here, she’s here! Cui Yi has arrived!”

Caizhu held her breath to listen; the faint sound of crackling firecrackers drifted in from the distance. A maid at the door announced that the Cui family had arrived. Pei Mingjiao, being impatient, grabbed her skirt and prepared to head out, but Caizhu quickly stopped her. “Princess, this is against the rules.”

She added: “The auspicious hours have all been calculated. Following them will ensure a happy and harmonious life for the Princess and Lady Cui.”

With that one sentence, Pei Mingjiao’s urge to see Cui Yi was suppressed. She waited obediently for Cui Yi to come and receive her.

In the front hall, Cui Yi paid her respects to the various relatives of the Pei family. Pei Mingjiao had already “cleared the way” beforehand, so the members of the Pei family didn’t make things too difficult. Grand Princess Yan Linlang, who doted on her daughter, looked at the elegant and refined Cui Yi and couldn’t be more satisfied. After the marriage, her daughter would live in the Commandery Princess Mansion—she wouldn’t suffer any grievances there. With a smile and a few words of blessing, she allowed Cui Yi to go to Pei Mingjiao’s courtyard to fetch her bride.

Cui Yi followed the guiding servant and reached Pei Mingjiao’s boudoir in moments. The young ladies guarding the door laughingly tested the “groom” with riddles and demands. The cousins and nephews of the Cui family responded with poems and jests. Meng Yishu leaned over to tease the protagonist of the day: “The Pei family truly has many beautiful ladies.”

Cui Yi’s hairpins sparkled under the sunset glow, and her jade-pale face was tinged with soft light. She stepped forward and, in a clear voice, recited the “Makeup-Urging Poem.” The ladies guarding the door exchanged looks of satisfaction and stepped aside, revealing the main doors behind them. Pei Mingjiao, who had been waiting inside, walked out slowly, surrounded by attendants and holding a circular fan to demurely cover her face.

Pei Mingjiao gripped the handle of the fan tightly. For some reason, the urgency she felt earlier to see Cui Yi had turned into an inexplicable nervousness. It wasn’t until a slender, white hand appeared before her eyes, steadily offering the red silk ribbon, that her heart finally settled. Without hesitation, she grasped the silk, looked up, and gave a brilliant smile to the woman beside her, calling out sweetly: “Yi-niang.”

The bride, wearing a kingfisher-feather phoenix crown, had eyes full of smiles—eyes that held only the person before her. She possessed a refined allure and an otherworldly beauty. Cui Yi’s dark eyes froze for a moment; her heart tightened. Her fingertips gripped the red silk with force as she gave a soft “Mhm” in response. “Let’s go.”

The two of them walked in sync amidst the cheers, paying their respects and bidding farewell to the Grand Princess and her husband before entering the wedding carriage together.

As the command to “raise the carriage” was given, firecrackers, gongs, and drums filled the air. Along the street from the Grand Princess’s mansion to the Cui residence, “joy money” was scattered, and whether people caught it or not, everyone spoke words of blessing…

The interior of the carriage was spacious, yet it couldn’t block out the clamor outside. Pei Mingjiao, however, could clearly hear her own heartbeat. She stole a glance at Cui Yi, who was sitting quietly with her eyes downcast, unsure of what she was thinking. Pei Mingjiao’s eyes flickered to Cui Yi’s hand resting on her knee; the next second, she had reached out to hold it.

Feeling the unfamiliar warmth, Cui Yi’s eyelashes trembled. She looked over and met a bright, flamboyant smile. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Pei Mingjiao, however, had fully entered the role of a wife. She hooked her fingers into the other’s palm and leaned her whole body over. With her peach-colored face tilted up, she spoke her thoughts with zero girlish shyness: “We are finally married. Three months was truly too long.”

Strictly speaking, it hadn’t even been three months, and they had met no fewer than ten times in between. However, Cui Yi never allowed her to get too close. If she crossed the line, Cui Yi would turn cold. She didn’t like it when Cui Yi was like that, so she had been exercising restraint. Sometimes she would get angry and feel “on what basis,” but after the anger passed, she would coax herself back and happily go find her fiancée again. Pei Mingjiao didn’t even know when her temper had become so good.

But now, they could finally be intimate without any reservations.

Cui Yi still wasn’t quite used to this breach of social distance, but then she remembered she was already married; she was now Pei Mingjiao’s wife. Barring any accidents, they would accompany each other for a lifetime. Cui Yi pursed her lips, her eyes clear and cool.

This was a marriage she had chosen after weighing the pros and cons.

Cui Yi withdrew her gaze from Pei Mingjiao, but this time, she didn’t say anything about it being against the rules.

This softening was instantly perceived by the keen Pei Mingjiao, who became even more unreserved, leaning her entire weight toward Cui Yi. Perceiving her intent, Cui Yi merely raised her eyes. Pei Mingjiao’s eagerness instantly wilted. She unhappily gave her new wife’s palm a heavy scratch. The upright-sitting Cui Yi simply caught the mischievous fingers in her palm and said, neither too light nor too heavy: “Don’t misbehave.”

Pei Mingjiao puffed out her cheeks, but she obediently stopped fussing. Her ears, however, remained perked up, listening to the blessings outside the carriage, smiling happily to herself.

Cui Yi: “…”

Holding fingers that were a degree warmer than her own, Cui Yi lowered her gaze to the Pei Mingjiao who was grinning sillily for reasons unknown.

She thought.

Perhaps spending a lifetime like this wouldn’t be bad.

Once the long and complicated wedding procedures were finished, the two brides sat together in the wedding chamber. The lit crimson wedding candles flickered. Cui Yi and Pei Mingjiao had already finished the nuptial cup. Cui Yi’s constitution didn’t allow for much alcohol, and Pei Mingjiao didn’t want to waste their grand day on the drinking bouts outside. Thus, besides the Pei and Cui families, Meng Yishu and Gu Yue were also helping with the social obligations.

After removing their phoenix crowns and bathing, the servants in the room tactfully withdrew. Before leaving, Caizhu avoided Cui Yi’s gaze and gave Pei Mingjiao a secret wink.

Pei Mingjiao, however, didn’t hide anything as she pulled out a “Spring Palace” manual from under the pillow right in front of Cui Yi.

Looking at the overly bold illustrations, Cui Yi: “…”

Seeing Cui Yi’s dazed expression, Pei Mingjiao’s bashfulness vanished. She said with great consideration: “Yi-niang, don’t worry. Your health is poor, so I will be mindful. We’ll wait until you’re better to try the more complicated ones.”

The “mindful” Cui Yi remained expressionless. When she chose to marry, she was already prepared. She said nonchalantly: “Truly, I thank the Princess for her consideration.”

Pei Mingjiao, who completely failed to catch the sarcasm, frowned and corrected her: “Yi-niang, we are already married. We agreed that after the wedding, you would call me Jiaojiao.”

This was something Pei Mingjiao had been very dissatisfied with before the wedding—Cui Yi’s distant form of address. She had insisted that Cui Yi call her by her nickname, but Cui Yi had refused to give in, insisting on waiting until after the marriage.

Cui Yi met the serious gaze of the woman who was now her wife. After a momentary freeze, she corrected herself readily: “Jiaojiao.”

Her voice was light and soft. For some reason, Pei Mingjiao’s scalp felt a tingle, and heat flooded her cheeks. She stammered for a while before spitting out a sentence: “Let’s… let’s rest.”

Cui Yi lowered her eyes and went to the bed as requested.

Pei Mingjiao leaned in stickily, whispering right against Cui Yi’s ear: “Yi-niang, let’s try…”

With her ears turned red by the hot breath, Cui Yi’s cool features carried a watery sheen. She covered her new wife’s mouth with her hand, appearing somewhat embarrassed and annoyed: “Concentrate…”