Chapter 3: The Wedding Night (1)
Chu Lian frowned and stared at He Changdi’s tall figure. Her brows were furrowed as her gaze took on a tinge of a probing glint when she looked at him.
She was very confused. The He Changdi in the novel was supposed to be easygoing and open-hearted. He was a rare stalwart gentleman. However, the person before her had nothing in common with the male lead who had been described in the novel. Apart from his looks, his personality was completely different.
If the He Changdi in the novel was like a noble, unsullied bright moon, then the He Changdi before her was like a cold wind cutting through the night, bringing chills wherever he went!
How had this happened?
Chu Lian thought long and hard, but she still couldn’t understand. Everything had gone exactly like the novel had described, except when it came to He Changdi!
As for the newlywed groom standing with his hands behind his back, he tossed his sleeves and heartlessly walked right out of the bridal chamber. It was as if gazing upon his pretty bride for a moment longer would make him blind, so the only answer left was to leave!
After He Changdi had left, Senior Servant Gui and Chu Lian’s personal maidservants rushed in.
When they saw Chu Lian sprawled on the ground, eyes blank and hair a mess, the phoenix crown unceremoniously lying on the floor, Senior Servant Gui’s eyes reddened as her mind filled in the details of the events that had just occurred in the bridal chamber.
“Sixth Miss, please stand up. The floor is cold; you have to take care of your body.”
Senior Servant Gui discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes and pulled Chu Lian up with the help of Jingyan, letting her rest on the bed.
After sending Xiyan to the bathroom for hot water, Senior Servant Gui gently asked, “Sixth Miss, what happened with Young Master just now? Did Sixth Miss suffer any grievances?”
Chu Lian finally regained her senses. She still couldn’t wrap her head around how He Changdi’s personality had changed so much.
Raising her head, she took a look at the nursemaid and maidservants who had accompanied ‘Chu Lian’ when she had left her maiden home. Chu Lian bore with the pain in her neck and the doubts in her heart to smile at them, trying not to look so pitiful. She knew that these servants cared for ‘Chu Lian’ wholeheartedly.
“It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it, momo. 1 Let Xiyan and the others prepare some hot water. I want to bathe and get out of this cumbersome bridal dress.”
It seemed like she wanted to hide what just happened by changing the topic, so Senior Servant Gui felt that she shouldn’t continue pursuing her line of questioning.
However, she couldn’t stop worrying and urged, “Sixth Miss, don’t forget. You have this servant and these few girls by your side!”
Chu Lian nodded absentmindedly, making Senior Servant Gui anxious.
While Fuyan was helping Chu Lian wash in the bath, she discovered the bruises ringing her fair neck. Fuyan jumped in shock, but with a quick turn of wit, she didn’t ask Chu Lian how she had gotten those bruises. Instead, she went to report this matter to Senior Servant Gui without Chu Lian’s knowledge.
After having a hot bath and changing into a thin, red nightgown, the lighter weight on her body finally helped dispel the rest of the fright He Changdi had given her.
When she came out of the bathroom, Mingyan had already tidied up the conjugal bed. Fuyan supported her as she walked to the dressing table and helped her remove her makeup. By the time Chu Lian finished drinking a small cup of fragrant tea, it was already 9pm.
The groom should have returned to the bridal chamber by now.
Although Chu Lian didn’t understand why He Changdi’s personality had changed so much, she still waited patiently.
Finally, a maidservant dressed in green came…
The maidservant passed on a message: “Third Young Madam, Third Young Master drank too much at the banquet just now because he was receiving toasts from a few princes and close friends. He was afraid of disturbing Young Madam with the smell of alcohol, so he’s already settled in the study. He says to let Young Madam rest earlier.”
When Senior Servant Gui and the other maidservants heard the green-clad maidservant’s words, all of their expressions turned blank in shock!
He Sanlang wasn’t going to enter the bridal chamber!?
If this were to spread out of the estate, how would their young miss be able to raise her head outside?!
“Sixth Miss, how could this be? Why don’t you let this old servant send someone to invite Third Young Master over?” Senior Servant Gui couldn’t understand why He Changdi had refused to even enter the bridal chamber. There were no grudges between the two families, and Sixth Miss hadn’t offended anyone in the House of Count Jing’an 2 either, let alone He Sanlang. The two of them had not even met before the wedding, so how could there be any resentment between them?
However, Chu Lian shook her head and sent the green-clad maidservant away.
“There’s no need for that. Momo, why don’t you all go to bed? There’s no need for us to invite him; He Sanlang will return to the bridal chamber by himself.”
As for why Chu Lian would say something like that, it was purely because of what she had just experienced. He Changdi had nearly strangled her to death, but he had left her hanging by a thread in the end: frightened, but alive. Combined with the mysterious things that she couldn’t make head nor tails of, it was highly unlikely that He Changdi was avoiding the bridal chamber because he was drunk. Besides, when he had come in just now, she hadn’t smelled a trace of alcohol on him.
He was clearly doing this on purpose to humiliate her!
Since he was doing this on purpose, why would she try to invite him back? Wasn’t that just asking to be humiliated?
Furthermore, when had a bride ever needed to beg for her husband to enter the bridal chamber?!
“Sixth Miss!” Fuyan stubbornly refused to go to sleep. How could Third Young Master act like this? Sixth Miss was his formal and legal wife!
“Alright, alright. Go wash up and go to bed. We still have to get up early tomorrow. Nothing will change even if you fuss around here.”
Senior Servant Gui could only bring the other maidservants out with her as she left, leaving Chu Lian alone in the bridal chamber.
1. ‘Momo‘ means ‘senior servant’, referring to an older, married female servant. Chu Lian is speaking in a more casual tone, so having ‘senior servant’ in the dialogue didn’t quite fit. I’ll be using momo in dialogue and Senior Servant as the full title in narration from now on!
2. The House of Count Jing’an refers to the He Family. Jing’an doesn’t refer to the family’s surname, but is more of a title bestowed along with the peerage.
