Chunqiao stood guard outside the bridal chamber.
She had been worried the entire time—her mistress hadn’t eaten anything today.
She had already mentally prepared herself, expecting that her mistress would soon ask her to fetch some food.
But half an hour passed, and there was no sound from inside the room.
“Could it be that Miss has fallen asleep?”
Several times Chunqiao reached out to knock on the door but hesitated, afraid of disturbing her mistress’s rest.
“Chunlan, come keep watch here. I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare some food.”
Chunqiao waved to a young maid about her age a little further away.
The girl came over respectfully, “Sister Chunqiao, don’t worry and go ahead. If Miss has any orders, I’ll obey immediately.”
“You’re in charge here for now.”
Chunqiao glanced toward the distance, lifted her skirts, and hurried away.
Chunqiao wasn’t the only person caring for Sixia Xinyan nearby.
A little farther off, many skilled guards discreetly controlled the entrances and exits.
However, only Chunqiao, as the senior maid, was allowed close to attend personally.
The other undercover guards’ main task was to prevent any unruly people from barging into the bridal chamber.
Inside the bridal chamber, I slept with a pounding headache, as if a blender were churning wildly inside my brain.
The headpiece I wore was heavy, and sleeping with my head tilted to one side was hardly comfortable.
As expected, less than two hours passed before I shook my heavy head and painfully woke up.
When I first woke, my mind was blank.
After a moment, I remembered—it was my wedding night.
Where was Su Liumeng?
Why hadn’t she returned yet?
I tried to retrieve the time-recording talisman but realized I hadn’t brought it with me.
So I called out to the door, “Chunqiao—come in, bring me a cup of water…”
I barely opened my mouth when I realized my throat was hoarse.
Touching my forehead, I found it burning hot.
Damn it.
I can’t be running a fever on my wedding night.
I temporarily lifted my red bridal veil and knelt on the bed, sitting completely still like a silent statue.
The scattered wedding gown resembled a bleeding sunset, while my finely made-up face carried a faint fragility that was breathtakingly beautiful…
After knocking, Chunqiao tiptoed inside.
“Miss, water.”
I took the warm water, lifted my snow-white neck, and gulped it down.
“What time is it now?”
I accepted a handkerchief, gently wiping the water from the corner of my mouth and asked Chunqiao.
“In about half an hour, it will be the Hai hour.”
Hai hour? Hearing this, I froze for a second.
What time was that exactly?
Chunqiao immediately noticed my confusion and corrected herself, “It’s eight thirty now.”
I remained silent for a moment.
Living near the Su family without a cellphone felt like being imprisoned for me, a college freshman.
I’d gotten used to the dull, uneventful life of quietly nurturing my pregnancy at home.
“Hmm.” I hadn’t moved my legs in a long time.
Wearing such a long dress, the hem needed a place to rest, and since I’d been on the bed all this time, my activity was limited.
Also, kneeling for so long had left my knees stiff and numb.
“Chunqiao, help me rub my legs.”
I said this, then quickly added, “Wait, you can’t come onto the bridal bed. I’ll do it myself. Go to the kitchen and get me some food. I’ve been up since five in the morning and have been fussing around all day. This is the first sip of water I’ve had… I’m starving.”
I bent slightly to massage the stiffest spots on my legs.
When I felt some sensation return, I forced myself to adjust my posture, enduring the numb pain to gradually regain feeling.
Chunqiao looked concerned and softly said, “The food’s been prepared for a while. I’ll bring it to you right away.”
While Miss was still asleep, Chunqiao had already prepared the food four or five times.
If it got even a little cold, she immediately ordered the kitchen to discard it and cook fresh.
As the personal senior maid, she ensured perfection in every detail without Miss’s knowledge.
That was why, whenever Sixia Xinyan called for water, warm water was promptly brought.
Chunqiao called out to the outside, and Chunlan immediately appeared with several servants, neatly arranging the food on a small table.
Chunlan lowered her eyes, avoiding direct gaze at the figure on the bed.
Watching Chunqiao instruct others to move the table closer, admiration shone clearly in her eyes.
Sister Chunqiao, as the senior maid attending closely, was truly different from us little maids.
There was so much to learn from her.
After eating a little appetizer, I felt much better.
My foggy brain stopped aching.
Tilting my head, I said to Chunqiao, who was setting the dishes aside, “What’s the situation outside now? The wedding must be nearly over, right?”
It was just past eight—still not too late.
I wasn’t worried Su Liumeng had lost track of time.
I guessed the banquet would end around nine, so now was a good time to eat.
Chunqiao hesitated several times but didn’t say anything.
I furrowed my brow.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Why hide anything from me? Did something happen with Su Liumeng’s side?”
Chunqiao was so frightened she almost knelt, bowing her head and stammering, “Miss, today at the banquet, you almost came to blows with Su Luo—Su Miss.”
Su Luo? I frowned again.
Wasn’t she my little rival?
How did she end up fighting with Su Liumeng?
Could it be that seeing her beloved marry someone else, she simply couldn’t accept it and lost control in public?
I chuckled softly.
Good, lose control…
Hearing Su Liumeng had been in a fight, my first reaction was actually happiness.
Serves you right for stealing my girlfriend.
You deserve to taste loneliness forever.
I coughed to suppress the unworthy smile.
After all, this was the Su family’s territory.
Making fun of another heir wasn’t a good idea.
I forced my lips into a serious expression and asked, “How did the fight start? Who won? Was Su Liumeng bullied?”
Knowing Su Liumeng’s personality, I was the first to believe she wouldn’t lose a fight.
So, I hadn’t worried much about her safety from the start.
Then my eyes shifted, and before Chunqiao could answer, I cut in with a more interesting guess.
“Don’t tell me yet. Let me guess… Did these two meet at the banquet and Su Luo’s eyes turn red seeing Su Liumeng wearing the red wedding dress? Did she confront her, asking what she had that I, the little green tea, didn’t? Then, seeing Su Liumeng ignore her, Su Luo lost control and they fought?”
I pictured an epic wedding day drama.
I just wished I had some sunflower seeds to snack on.
Chunqiao looked at me, her expression complicated.
“Not at all.”
“Not at all? Wait…” My face blanked. “You’re saying none of that happened?”
“That’s impossible! Didn’t Su Luo like Su Liumeng? On such a big day, they’d surely fight. Where did my reasoning go wrong?”
Listening to my description, Chunqiao’s expression grew difficult to explain.
“Miss, you didn’t get any part right.”
“Su Luo Miss doesn’t seem to like you.”
“Because, at the banquet, she publicly gave a century-old spear as a gift.
Then they whispered something no one else heard.
Afterward, Miss suddenly became furious and nearly strangled Su Luo.
Usually gentle and mild, Su Luo was also unlike herself today, confronting Miss openly.
It was only because the Elder Long was nearby watching that the two heirs didn’t make a scene on such a joyous day and disgrace the family.”
A spear?
Was there some deeper meaning behind that?
What did they say in private…?
My curiosity burned fiercely.
I wished I could immediately drag Su Liumeng back and question her face to face.
After Chunqiao’s vivid description, I was stunned and sighed at how absurd reality was.
My rival fighting Su Liumeng?
This ridiculous, unbelievable story sounded so unreal.
Just then—
Chunlan hurriedly burst in, shouting, “Miss is back!”
I looked at the food I’d just eaten.
“Alright, take the table out.
Nothing else for tonight.
Stand far away and don’t disturb my rest.”
Chunqiao kept her head lowered.
When told to stand farther away, the fifteen-year-old girl’s cheeks flushed bright red.
Who knew what little girl thoughts had her blushing under the covers?
The room had not only one table but also a larger square one, filled with red candles and a cup and wine jar for the union wine.
Creak—
As the door quietly closed, I grabbed my red veil and covered my head again, adjusting my posture into a more coquettish pose.
After a moment, I heard the door open again.
The figure standing before me was blurry.
I smelled the familiar scent that eased my nerves.
I had really feared someone unknown entering while I was blindfolded.
“Baby.”
Su Liumeng swallowed with a gulp.
At this moment—
She had waited too long.
The girl she yearned for was right in front of her on the bridal bed, patiently waiting for her to lift the red veil.
Su Liumeng felt a surreal daze.
Her arm, raised slowly, trembled with nervousness.
My own heart tensed slightly, especially when she sat close, barely a hand’s length away.
My heart suddenly pounded uncontrollably.
Her slender, pale hand twitched faintly.
“Mm…” My softening voice responded to her call.
“Baby, I like you.”
She gently lifted a corner of the veil that blocked my eyes.
The girl’s affectionate and shy gaze met mine, sparkling like countless stars.
Staring at my beloved, her face blooming like a peach blossom, her breath like fragrant orchids, Su Liumeng admitted she was momentarily stunned.
She had never seen Sixia Xinyan so exquisitely beautiful and captivating.
All the words to describe her paled in comparison.
It was as if, just by slowly lifting her delicate lashes, all the colors in the world faded away.
True love between two people—even a single glance—was like endless, tender entanglement.
My sight cleared, and seeing Su Liumeng’s awestruck eyes, I suddenly burst out laughing.
“What? Haven’t seen your wife before?”
Su Liumeng snapped back to reality and grabbed the girl’s hand covering her smile.
“Yes, I’ve never seen such a beautiful baby. Let me see which family you’re from.”
Caught off guard, I blushed and kept my head down, unable to look at the equally breathtaking face in front of me.
“What’s the next step?”
Su Liumeng experienced the dry-mouth nervousness of a novice.
Usually decisive and ruthless, tonight she was like a child, stammering unlike herself.
“What else is there to do? Of course, drink the union wine.”
My light laughter was like a tinkling bell.
Her slight eye roll was adorable beyond measure.
“Okay, I’ll go get it now.”
Su Liumeng fetched the wine jar prepared earlier.
I poured a cup for myself; she did the same.
Two pale, slender arms intertwined like twin snakes, the stunning scene frozen in the most visually striking moment.
I watched the cup in Su Liumeng’s hand, then tilted my head and drank it all.
Pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol, so the cup was filled with juice.
Anything a mother consumes might pass through the placenta to the fetus.
That was why Sixia Zhiruo fussed over wanting this and that—because she truly could taste it.
On our wedding night, the little one just craned her neck to peek outside a few times.
After the wine drinking, her face flushed slightly as she looked away.
Her spiritual sense was instantly severed.
The little one felt her mother’s happiness and sincerely sent her blessings.
“Mommy.”
“You must be happy.”
After drinking the union wine, I stared unblinkingly, my eyes shining brighter, watching the girl before me, lost in thought.
Su Liumeng noticed the water marks by my mouth and instinctively reached out to wipe my lips.
I didn’t resist, letting her become more and more intimate.
“Baby, what should we do now?”
Su Liumeng swallowed nervously and reached behind me to the strings of my dress.
My face reddened and heart pounded.
I lowered my head and pushed her gently.
“Light the candles. Light the candles first.
Why are you already taking off your clothes?”
Su Liumeng giggled foolishly.
Watching her slightly scatterbrained behavior, affection brimmed in my eyes.
Being a little clueless was good.
It showed Su Liumeng hadn’t experienced anything before.
I watched her get off the bed to light the candles, my gaze drifting away.
Lighting candles had its own etiquette—both number and placement strictly regulated.
When Su Liumeng turned off the light, only a silhouette bathed in red light remained behind the curtains.
Her graceful figure flickered in the candlelight.
Su Liumeng’s sudden rush of emotion sent blood rushing to her head.
Her slightly stiff legs betrayed the thrill she was experiencing.
She quickly returned to the bed.
I, already weak in the knees, slipped into her arms and rested my head against her chest.
“Time for the wedding night.”