Have You Written Your Will Today?-Chapter 508 - 500: Then Be Gentle—and Quick About It
Soon after, Shen Hua was led out by him, reluctant to leave the house. As the carriage wheels rolled, her expression beneath the veil was downcast.
What others would consider an auspicious moment, she, a bride, still had to step out. Who would believe if it were told?
Her makeup had long been washed away, revealing her pale face, red lips, and white teeth. Radiant yet tender, both qualities didn’t conflict.
The blue under her eyes was strikingly evident.
His fingertips grazed over it.
"Rong is asleep, how come you’re not?"
Shen Hua: "Aunt You... Aunt You came, I had a talk with her."
"She’s six months pregnant."
She softly said: "I’m truly happy for her. Even though I’ve laid everything out and can’t return to our former closeness, seeing her now, our relationship is only a bit more than with strangers, yet less than with acquaintances. It seems my heart is too narrow, lacking generosity. She matters a lot to me, but that’s just it. I know she had her reasons for not coming to fetch me and couldn’t even if she wanted to. Yet, I still can’t help but care."
In this life, she could finally find fulfillment.
But what about the previous one?
Until her death, she yearned to see You Qing, just once. To ask her if Yangyang, having lost everything, could stay by being obedient.
It became her final obsession.
"I respect her, but I also... resent her."
Cui Yun lifted an arm, embracing the wilted figure in his arms: "It’s a common sentiment among people. Why blame yourself for it?"
"Your relationship with her as it stands today isn’t bad either, keeping in touch without being too frequent. She cares for you, and you’re grateful to her. Meeting during holidays and festivals is enough. Interacting with others is an art. If irreconcilable differences can’t be eliminated, it’s still better than being too close and pricking others, or too distant and hurting others."
Things were, indeed, different now.
Now she had to reason with her.
"Sleep now, there’s still a way to go. I’ll wake you when we arrive."
Persuaded by him, Shen Hua felt much more at ease: "If you really know what’s good for you, then change course back to the mansion!"
Cui Yun kissed her forehead.
In the next moment, the carriage sped up.
Shen Hua: ...
A man’s damned pride indeed.
Little did they know, as soon as the two of them left, Ji Huo incited Ji Ge to go to Sui Courtyard.
"I’m not going. Corner eavesdropping and courting death?"
Ji Huo: "What eavesdropping? I don’t have such a hobby. Just seeing how self-satisfied Cui Yun was earlier makes me uncomfortable. I need to give him some trouble."
Ji Ge still refused.
"I was willing to mess around before, but I’m not joining you in courting death instead of accompanying Le Jia at this hour. Am I sick? Not to look down on you, but I fear you wouldn’t even make it into Sui Courtyard before being thrown out."
So, he went to Wei Yingying instead.
Wei Yingying looked at him as if he were a fool.
"I will not partake in such a despicable act."
"Fine, if I get married and Shen Hua asks you to do something despicable, would you agree?"
"Of course."
Wei Yingying: "I advise you not to delude yourself into comparing with her."
The carriage traveled steadily, finally stopping outside a small alley.
"It’s dark already, we’re being rude showing up and disturbing others. Better to come another day."
Cui Yun, holding a lantern, led her inside without allowing for objections.
Shen Hua pursed her lips, wanting to say more, when from the direction of the twisted neck ahead, voices carried over.
"Today’s wedding procession was indeed grand. It’s a pity the mother-in-law injured her leg, I had to stay home to take care of her, and couldn’t go have a look."
"I went, but the street was so crowded that it was terribly congested. I saw nothing, but the procession took over the whole street, so long you couldn’t see the end."
"It’s said the Cui family prepared 120 loads of gifts, the official added another 120 because of Prince Huai’an, and the Duke Mansion prepared a hundred loads for the dowry. The bride had already entered the Marquis Yangling Mansion to perform the rituals, and yet the procession was still out on the street. Seems these three families restrained themselves; I fear there would’ve been more chaos otherwise."
It was like the aunts, kindred spirits with the girl, never tired of gossip even under the cover of darkness.
While they talked, Cui Yun had already brought Shen Hua to their presence.
Recognizing Shen Hua, Aunt Zhang’s joy was apparent.
Then she saw Cui Yun by her side.
Aunt Zhang felt somewhat uneasy.
How did the two of you get mixed up together again?
The former husband of Miss Shen, truly in deep love.
"Is this... a reconciliation?"
Yangyang looked at her warmly, as if returning to the past, where words slipped out without thought.
"I won’t lie, our visit in the dead of night like this, we’re having a secret affair."
With a gentle tap on the head, Cui Yun’s index finger curled and knocked.
"Speak nicely."
Shen Hua took a deep breath and, under the apprehensive gaze of the others, begrudgingly complied.
"We are married."
Once reminded by Aunt Liu, they discerned in the dim light that the two were in wedding attire.
"This is good news."
Clinging to Shen Hua, she spoke earnestly: "If Mr. Cui has not taken the past to heart, you should not be foolish again."
"In all my years, I have never seen such a lovesick fool."
Shen Hua: "Isn’t that the truth!"
Cui Yun continued to tap her head: "Keep going."
The girl clearly needed a nudge before she would step forward. She bit her lip: "It was brother who came to fetch me earlier."
The group was taken aback.
Ji Qing began to hand out wedding sweets and fruits.
"Our lord and madam were betrothed the year before last, and only today has the ceremony been completed. Let the sisters-in-law share in this joy."
Aunt Zhang was shocked: "But that’s not right, Miss Shen was already with child when she first moved here..."
Cui Yun bowed in greeting, courteously and properly stating: "My wife loves to frolic, and I have not explained in time, making you all laugh."
————
By the time they returned to Sui Courtyard, it was already very late.
Cui Yun smelled faintly of alcohol, which wasn’t exactly unpleasant. He released his tightly interlocked fingers and touched Shen Hua’s face: "I will go and take a bath first."
Seeing her barely able to keep her eyes open, he ultimately couldn’t bear it.
"Go to sleep."
Shen Hua nodded randomly.
Once he left, she climbed onto the bed and cleared away all the scattered peanuts and longans. She then covered herself with the blanket as if she were at home.
The wedding candles in the room crackled and popped, meant to burn throughout the night.
In the weather of March, it was still very cold at night. Cui Yun, dressed only in a thin inner garment, left the washroom and walked over slowly.
He got into bed, enfolding her in his arms, his eyes brimming with endless tenderness. Seeing Shen Hua impatiently open her eyes, she reproached him.
"You’re too slow."
Cui Yun’s throat tightened.
"Why are you still awake?"
Shen Hua was puzzled: "Waiting for you."
No sooner had she spoken than Cui Yun’s gaze changed. It became intense.
He seized her lips: "If you’re not sleeping, then let’s not sleep."
The girl, rebellious yet obedient, indeed was dressed in her bridal gown, waiting for him to undress her by hand.
Outside the window, the moonlight was cold and clear. Frost covered the ground.
Layered bridal clothes were tossed outside the curtains.
The bedding was red, the pillows were red, even the canopy was red. Only she beneath him was so white it made the heart tremble.
Brilliant red against the extreme white of her skin.
After baring themselves to each other.
The girl couldn’t stop trembling, her eyes finally hinting at shyness and unfamiliar panic. All she could do was helplessly cling to his waist.
Handing herself over to him.
"It will hurt a bit," he murmured huskily.
She gasped in small breaths, her eyes reddening, legs shaking and toes curling, yet she didn’t forget to instruct him: "Then you should be gentle, and better be quick about it."
Shen Hua: "I’m getting sleepy."
No sooner had she spoken than her face turned ghostly pale, pain wrinkling her small face.
The girl became uncooperative. Sobbing, she pushed against him.
"Get... get out."
He too was in agony.
Unable to move any further.
But at this critical moment, him withdrawing was naturally impossible.
Cui Yun’s eyes held a lazy, romantic charm.
He tenderly nipped at her lips, occasionally delivering a light bite.
"That won’t do, after all I’ve entered here on my own merit."
