CH 16

As Pei Xuan tenderly slipped the red robe off Cui Ti's delicate shoulders, she was captivated by the sight, feeling as if all the beauty of nature paled in comparison to this moment.

Cui Ti's upbringing was a difficult one, raised by heartless parents and living in a dilapidated home in the southern courtyard with only a young maid for company.

Despite her small stature and tough upbringing, Pei Xuan found Cui Ti's quiet demeanor reminiscent of a cat seeking shelter from the rain

Her love for her only intensified with each passing moment, and she was determined to show her just how much she meant to her.

Why does it matter if she is blind? No one could stop Pei Xuan from showering Cui Ti with all the tenderness and affection she deserved.

With a red shirt in her arms, Pei Xuan focused intently on dressing her beloved, trying her best to avoid staring at Cui Ti's chest. 

Hoarsely, she whispered, "My wife..." and Cui Ti's fingertips trembled at the sound of her voice, but she obediently extended her hand. 

Pei Xuan's expression was serious, completely absorbed in dressing Cui Ti without any distractions.

With a bright smile, Cui Ti gazed at Pei Xuan's stunning appearance. 

Her straight nose, red lips, and porcelain skin were like something out of a painting, and she exuded a gentle and refreshing aura that captivated Cui Ti's heart.

Yet why isn't Pei Xuan also shy?.

Cui Ti's heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. Initially, it seemed Pei Xuan was a bit flustered when she was dressing her, but as time passed, her trembling hands steadied, and she didn't even feel embarrassed to glance at her.

As she calmed down, Cui Ti placed her arm on Pei Xuan's shoulder, and started to play with her long, silky black hair.

Pei Xuan was startled, her eyes darting to the side, not daring to offend her, "What's wrong?.”

"Nothing,” Cui Ti replied in a soft voice, as if she was holding back a great deal of grievances in her heart. But even when she quarreled, her voice was gentle and soothing.

Because it was the day after the wedding night, Pei Xuan didn't know what would offend her, and endured the restlessness but sharpening her resolve, she finally faced Cui Ti- her cheeks were dyed thin red, her hair was slightly messed up, her lips were beautiful and round.

Her heart skipped a beat. Pei Xuan immediately lowered her head hastily, and inadvertently bumped into the raised hills of the bride, embroidered with a mighty lotus on the golden thread of her dress. The golden lotus bloomed on her chest, capturing the beauty of the spring scenery, and was full of charm.

Pei Xuan, who had always been composed and self-assured, blushed at the sight of her curves, feeling helpless. She stared blankly for a moment, completely obsessed with her.

Cui Ti appreciated her kindness.

"That would be a sin, a sin! Do not do evil…,” Pei Xuan murmured, trying to resist the temptation.

Pei Xuan muttered vaguely, and when Cui Ti heard her say “sin” in front of her clearly, her eyes fluttered with faint doubts, why is it a sin? Is it a crime just to look at her?.

Then why did Pei Xuan marry her?

Cui Ti tilted her head, watching Pei Xuan fumble with the hem of her clothes, looking like a lost chicken.

She found this side of Pei Xuan quite endearing, like a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. 

She blinked, and before she knew it, Pei Xuan took a deep breath, her slender hands reaching for Cui Ti's waist and gestured that she was going to remove her snow-white undergarments. 

Cui Ti was unsure of what to do, holding onto her trousers tightly, her face reddening. 

Then she placed her soft palm against Pei Xuan's warm and sturdy back, "I'll do it myself," she said.

"..."

With a loud bang, passion surged between them, and Pei Xuan blushed, thankful that her wife couldn't see her embarrassment. 

However, Cui Ti not only sensed it but also witnessed it. Watching her turn neck red, rubbing her face and earlobe, she did many interesting little tricks relying on Cui Ti's blindness, all of which Cui Ti caught.

After changing her trousers, Cui Ti poked her round head out from under the brocade quilt, "Husband...my clothes."

Pei Xuan handed her the clothes dazedly, accidentally brushing against the golden lotus on her chest, causing her heart to race.

In a single room, a wedding bed filled with romance and anticipation, Cui Ti's heart was pounding like a drum while Pei Xuan was restless like a deer, leaving Bai Ge who was guarding outside the door to shiver in fear.

She was dying of anxiety.

Since it was almost time to offer tea to the elders, and the bride and groom had yet to emerge from the room, Bai Ge’s ears were as long as a rabbit's, straining to hear any sound from inside the room, as the guests were waiting patiently in the hallway.

If the bride failed to serve tea on time, it would be a big shame for her and her family. Moreover, Cui Ti was blind and moved slowly, so they needed extra time.

Bai Ge’s heart was pounding with anxiety, and she knocked hard on the door, urging them, “Mistress, please wake up!.”

Under the quilt, Pei Xuan tried hard to suppress her laughter, while Cui Ti cursed herself for not fully adapting to her husband's personality after three years of marriage in her previous life.

What’s more, how can a woman's feet be easily shown to a man? Even for a husband, they can only see them on their wedding night.

(T/L: In Ancient China, feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of feminine beauty.)

She bit her lip, annoyed that Pei Xuan, a real girl, dressing up as a man, and had good eyesight, stared at her feet.

When her anger subsided, Pei Xuan got out of bed gracefully and changed her clothes.

As she walked around, her clothes revealed her ankles, and her skin was as white as jade, making Cui Ti feel a little impetuous. She quickly closed her eyes when Pei Xuan suddenly turned around, revealing her soft white waist.

Pei Xuan slipped into a fresh robe and gracefully lifted the fabric to kneel beside the bed. As her duty as a husband, Pei Xuan was determined to dress Cui Ti completely from head to toe.

She cradled Cui Ti's delicate feet with care, sending shivers down her spine.

Pei Xuan gave her a reassuring smile. Cui Ti could hear the honesty in her voice as she sat obediently, and watched Pei Xuan's hair in silence.

The feeling of her fingertips brushing her feet was overwhelming, she resisted making a sound, but as if there was a little angel in her heart who had a pair of wings and was bouncing around, shouting, ‘Good! She likes you! She really likes you!.’

Her neck turned red and her heart pounded, as she kicked away the little angel in her head that was disturbing her heart. Unexpectedly, the little angel persisted, ‘You are shy! You are so dishonest! Such a selfish woman!.’

"You're talking nonsense!.”

Pei Xuan got shouted at for no reason: "I, I'm not talking nonsense."

Hearing a familiar voice, Cui Ti immediately shook her head, feeling secretly ashamed, and her toes curled up slightly: "Husband, I didn't mean to say that.”

Pei Xuan didn't understand what she meant, and replied sincerely: "Wife, you are indeed the most beautiful in my heart."

It turned out that Pei Xuan was praising her beauty.

Seeing that was the case, Cui Ti was ashamed.

After a minute, Pei Xuan hugged Cui Ti who sat on the edge of the bed and said, "You stay here and don't move.”

She instructed before turning towards the door and leaving to wash up.

Cui Ti listened to her footsteps and then heard the sound of the door opening. The servants came in, and Bai Ge rushed in, with both hands crossed and asked, "How are you, mistress?.”

"How am I in what way?," Cui Ti asked.

"Of course, I'm asking about the wedding night!" Bai Ge nervously glanced at Pei Xuan, who was busy washing up in the bathroom. "Did your husband mistreat you?.”

"Of course it's the bridal chamber!" Bai Ge nervously glanced at Pei Xuan who was busy washing her face, "The husband didn't bully you, right?.”

Realizing what she had said, Bai Ge immediately corrected herself, "No, it should be Master Pei. Did he mistreat you?.”

Bai Ge spoke incoherently and then simply put her feet up on the bed and looked around. 

Cui Ti knew that she was looking for maiden blood on the bed, but when she turned to look at Bai Ge, all she saw was a thick white fog.

Except for Pei Xuan, she still couldn't see anyone else.

In a dream before she passed away in her past life, a fairy came down from the heavens to open her eyes riding a crane, and it seems she was given these “spiritual eyes”.

At that time, what she longed for the most was to see her gentle and elegant husband in her previous life. Now that she saw Pei Xuan, she unconsciously searched for her through this thick fog.

But this time, even the previously colorless fog seemed to have a vibrant hue.

Cui Ti tilted her head and whispered to Bai Ge: "He didn't bully me, but I, I was dishonest and bullied him."

Bai Ge's eyes widened, and the word "remarkable" came to her mind, but she retracted that thought.

Cui Ti enjoyed the thought that others might assume her relationship with Pei Xuan was closer than it really was, like blood relatives or inseparable companions. The more they misunderstood, the better it was for her.

"Excellent!. The mistress is amazing," Bai Ge whispered back.

Pei Xuan had finished  washing up while the master and servant were chatting, and was now looking refreshed and handsome, with clear water droplets glistening on her chin. 

Her neck was graceful, and her skin was smooth as porcelain. "Where would you like to go? I'll take you there," she said.

"Don't call me mistress in the future." Cui Ti said, then thought for a while before continuing: "Call me Young Madam."

"Oh! Young Madam then!" Bai Ge noticed Cui Ti was settling down on her title, and her face was a little red, and she couldn't help thinking how the Young Madam bullied Pei Xuan at night. Besides, who would believe that?

Well, Bai Ge certainly did. Still, wouldn’t it hurt the man’s pride if the woman took the dominant role for the first time on their wedding night?.

Bai Ge looked at Cui Ti's walking posture, and no matter where she looked, she didn't look like she was penetrated.

Pei Xuan who came in said, "This is the manpower arranged by your mother. The one on the left is called Nu Bai and the one on the right is called Ru Ming. From now on, they will serve you together with Bai Ge.”

“Nu Bai is happy to see the Young Madam.”

"Ru Ming as well.”

Seeing them calmly introduce themselves, Pei Xuan's smile never faded from her lips.

Nu Bai and Ru Ming are both famous names for servants, but Cui Ti wanted to change Bai Ge's name to something more respectful and fitting. She believed that changing one's name could change one's destiny

Bai Ge suffered a lot with her in her previous life, and when she left to marry someone, unfortunately she had married someone who can not be considered human.

The man in question is called Mr. Shao, and kept the whereabouts of Bai Ge hidden from her, saying that Bai Ge was doing well, and Cui Ti sent someone to check, only to find out that Bai Ge had passed away. 

Cui Ti carried the regrets of her past life and wanted to give Bai Ge a proper name as a gift. However, the urgent matter at hand was to pack up and go see her in-laws as soon as possible.

Pei Xuan pulled a chair and sat down, keeping an eye on Cui Ti and admiring her beauty while instructing the new maids, Nu Bai and Ru Ming, to clean the bedroom.

The maid in charge of Cui Ti's makeup and hair was amazed by the young lady's blushing face and noticed the lingering gaze of the gentleman in the bronze mirror, feeling as though she had stumbled into a honeypot of romance.

These two people…

Cui Ti couldn't remember when Pei Xuan began to develop feelings for her.

Lost in thought, Cui Ti reminisced about the time when Pei Xuan touched her while she was drunk in her previous life. What were her intentions towards her back then?.

Her mind was like a calm lake, until a stone was thrown in, causing ripples and chaos within her heart.