CH 17

At noon, the newlywed couple walked out of the wedding chamber, hand in hand, ready to offer tea to their elders in the main hall.

Truthly speaking, whenever Pei Xuan is present, Cui Ti would be able to see their silhouettes but she still pretended to be blind. Fortunately, she has been blind for her whole life, so there didn’t need to be much effort in pretending.

Pei Xuan supported Cui Ti's arm with utmost care and tenderness as they made their way, ensuring her safety with every step. He spoke softly, "Wife, take your time," his words and actions filled with so much tenderness that it enraptured her heart.

As the noon bell rang, the sound of their footsteps echoed around them, and Bai Ge stood behind Cui Ti, appearing taller than usual.

The entire Pei family, from the prime minister and his wife to the lowest maid, treated Cui Ti with respect. Bai Ge, who saw the bright and warm side of the Pei family, felt disgusted with Mr. and Mrs. Xining, sighing at the sight of Pei Xuan and Cui Ti walking side by side as their shoulders touched each other.

From the bottom of her heart, she felt extremely happy for her mistress.

Pei Xuan was dressed in a magnificent crimson robe, and Cui Ti's attire matched his, showing off their couple status. 

When the morning light shone through the large glass of the hall, the servants of the inner courtyard were surprised to see their newly young Madam, with her well-defined eyebrows and serene demeanor that looked like a beautiful flowing ink painting.

Gazing at Pei Xuan's unwavering attention and affection towards her beloved wife, the onlookers in the main hall were awestruck. Known for her gentle nature and seldom displaying anger, her sincere and devoted attitude towards her wife was a rarity that deeply touched everyone's hearts.

Recalling the day when Pei Xuan had kneeled before them, begging for Cui Ti’s hand in marriage, the crowd’s perception of the blind woman underwent a complete transformation. 

As the only ‘son’ of the Pei family, Pei Xuan's attitude reflected the family's attitude and reputation. Therefore, the official wife would not only be the upright young wife of the Pei family but also their future matriarch.

Although Cui Ti couldn't see the servants who had their heads and eyes lowered, she could sense the change in their gazes. 

From this day onwards, people would refer to her first as Ms. Cui, rather than a blind woman from the Xining family, for her worth was no longer determined by her disability, but by her character and deeds.

The saying "respect a person for who they are, not for how they are" held true even in her past life. Despite being looked down upon and pitied by many, Pei Xuan held her in the highest regard and treated her with the utmost tenderness.

As they walked, the couple used their wide sleeves to shield their eyes from onlookers, which Bai Ge found amusing. 

Nevertheless, Pei Xuan loved how they looked together, their matching clothes intertwined intimately with each other. Cui Ti's hair and clothes fluttered in the wind as Pei Xuan took a few minutes to describe the surrounding scenery, and her face was filled with joy.

Pei Xuan’s scholarly talent was undeniable, as her descriptions of flowers and trees were like no other. Her words painted a vivid picture of beauty that could not be appreciated by anyone else but Cui Ti.

At first, Cui Ti was nervous about meeting her in-laws, but she was gradually drawn in by Pei Xuan’s literate and descriptive words, and before she knew it, her feet had already carried her over the threshold of the main hall.

The Prime Minister Pei knew that after his wife gave birth to a daughter, he needed her to pretend to be a man in order to pursue an official career. Thus, he knew this marriage was the only thing he could truly give her after all these years of hiding her identity.

Today, he and his wife dressed up early and sat in the main seat waiting for their new daughter-in-law to pour their tea.

Hearing the movement outside the main hall’s door, Mr. Pei raised his eyes, and Mrs. Pei saw a pair of hands intertwined, belonging to a couple who were smiling brightly, and her eyes brightened slightly.

If Pei Xuan were really a man, the two would be considered a perfect match. Such thoughts surfaced in the hearts of the couple at the same time. 

Pei Xuan, unaware of her parents' thoughts, led Cui Ti to approach them step by step.

"This child pays respects to Father and Mother.”

"This Daughter-in-law pays homage to Father." Cui Ti bent over and kowtowed, and then was led by Pei Xuan to kowtow to Mrs. Pei: "Greetings, Mother.”

Daughter-in-law tea, also called Chang Kou tea, when poured and drank signified Cui Ti's welcoming into the Pei family, where they would advance and retreat together, sharing honor and disgrace

Cui Ti had a pleasant soft voice and a beautiful appearance, and the prime minister and his wife's hearts skipped a beat when she called out "Father and Mother."

The Pei Couple didn't expect their daughter to marry a girl, but seeing Pei Xuan's unconcealable joy, they couldn't help but smile.

After drinking the tea offered by the daughter-in-law, Prime Minister Pei presented Cui Ti with a big red envelope, a traditional gift for new family members. Despite his reluctance to get too close to his daughter-in-law, he did not hesitate to bestow this token of welcome upon her.

Mrs. Pei, with her easy-going nature, took out the heirlooms that had been prepared in advance.

The heart nourishing jade was handed over to Cui Ti, and she gave her a conspiratorial wink, as Pei Xuan helped her wife get up from kowtowing.

Her mother-in-law also gave her the heart nourishing Jade in her previous life, but she gifted it with an awkward attitude, probably because she thought she was unlucky at that time, as Pei Xuan fell off the wall when she first met her, and lost the No. 1 scholar position in Xijing.

Since such a thing did not happen in this life, Mrs. Pei treated her closer than before.

The heart-nourishing jade was a precious family treasure passed down through generations. It consisted of a pair of jade bits with lifelike fish patterns engraved on them. Pei Xuan hung one around her own neck, and Cui Ti wore the other, even till her death in her previous life.

As she gently rubbed the jade's surface, she wondered if it held some sort of power that was responsible for her transmigration.

After the tea ceremony ended, Prime Minister Pei excused himself to attend to his other duties, leaving Cui Ti to bask in the warmth of her new family.

Mrs. Pei spent a restless night prior to the tea ceremony, her mind troubled by her daughter’s secrecy regarding her gender. Hearing that her daughter avoided Cui Ti's question about consummating the marriage, she was dissatisfied when she heard the answer.

"Why won’t it work out? Don't you like her very much?.”

"I do like her." Pei Xuan spoke honestly, with no lies hidden in her words, “Maybe because I like her too much, I don't want to tarnish or lie to her.”

"..."

If her daughter hadn’t said such a response with sincere emotions, Mrs. Pei would have stuck a big "stupid" label on her forehead no matter what.

She hesitated to speak for a while, and said in a patronizing tone,"She doesn't know your true identity, so why did you marry her? Just for show? You're clearly a man, why didn't you take the initiative? Xuan'er, you will break the girl's heart if you keep this up."

Pei Xuan was taken aback by her mother's sudden change of tone, "What should I do?.”

Then, Mrs. Pei let out a deep sigh and continued, "The marriage must be consummated, Xuan'er. Don't blame me for being cruel. Cui Ti hasn't fully settled into becoming a Pei family member yet, and this will always be a potential threat."

…

"Husband? Husband!?.”

Cui Ti called out twice, but no one answered, so she reached out and grabbed Pei Xuan's sleeve.

It was May, and the warm sun shone down on the back garden, which was full of colorful flowers. Cui Ti couldn't see them, so she turned her gaze back to Pei Xuan and noticed that her previously dazed expression had cleared up.

"Did I do something wrong to make mother worried?,” Cui Ti asked, her voice filled with concern.

Pei Xuan was taken aback by her sensitivity. She turned to her attendants and instructed them not to follow before taking Cui Ti's hand and leading her away. 

Bai Ge hesitated for a while, and stayed where she was, watching her take the mistress away.

Apart from the fact that she disguised herself as a man, Pei Xuan didn't want to hide anything from Cui Ti.

Along the way, she noticed the blooming flowers and casually plucked one, which she then tied Cui Ti's hair with.

Soon after, Pei Xuan slowly opened her lips, "Mother asked me if we had consummate the marriage.” 

Cui Ti's face turned red, and her ears felt like they were on fire. 

She lowered her head in shame and looked at Pei Xuan, realizing that the situation had changed. The direction of their relationship had shifted and she felt unsure of what to do.

In this newfound life, the friendliness her mother-in-law treated her with, and Pei Xuan’s attitude changed.

Cui Ti asked, "What did you say?.”

"I said no. How can I lie to my mother?,” Pei Xuan declared firmly.

In a sense, Pei Xuan held gentlemanly values. She didn't believe in deceiving a girl's heart.

Pei Xuan raised her eyes to gaze at Cui Ti, who looked down with a shy expression and her chin almost touching her chest

Suddenly, a gentle finger lifted her chin, causing Cui Ti to obediently raise her head.

Pei Xuan's heart was racing as she held Cui Ti's chin. 

Her touch was warm and inviting, and she looked into Cui Ti's clear eyes, followed by a careful question, "Wife, are you content with our marriage?."

"I…"

Cui Ti's chest was full of unspeakable feelings, and she struggled to find the right words to express herself. She didn't want to scare Pei Xuan away by being too honest or lowering her posture too much. 

She hesitated a bit before asking, "You love me, so you wanted to marry me, right?.”

"What?.”

"I said you fell in love with me, and that's why you thought about marrying me?.”

In Xijing, etiquette was of utmost importance, and marriage was determined by the parents and the matchmaker. Meeting each other before marriage without parental permission was acceptable for men, but not for women. 

Women faced the most suffering in this patriarchal society, and their purity was held to a higher standard than men. The concept of innocence was like a sharp sword hanging over a woman's head, and being wrongfully accused could be fatal.

Thanks to the fact that the course in this life has changed, Cui Ti dared to muster up the courage to ask Pei Xuan a question that had been weighing on her mind. Little did they know, this courage was built up over two lifetimes and surpassed the fear of life and death.

Pei Xuan stared at her and said nothing.

Before, Cui Ti was blind to Pei Xuan's expressions, unable to read what was on her face. But now, she could see clearly, and Pei Xuan was unaware of it. 

Pei Xuan's gentle and pitiful gaze towards her only served to fuel the fire.

Cui Ti took a step back, startled by the frivolity in Pei Xuan's eyes, and Pei Xuan quickly grasped her hand to prevent her from running away.

Holding her slender wrist with her palm, the touch of their skin felt like fire.

Pei Xuan was willing to use the word "like" in front of her parents, Song Zizhen, and Zheng Wujii, but in front of her newlywed wife, she was much more cautious. It took her a while to choose her words, leaving Cui Ti's heart burning with anticipation. 

Cui Ti thought Pei Xuan turned into a mute, and attempted to break free from her grasp, but Pei Xuan was still contemplating her response and afraid of Cui Ti running away, she held her wrist tightly, “Wife, don’t move.”

She had waited her entire life for this confession. She expected to be overjoyed, but when she heard Pei Xuan say “don’t move" tears welled up in her eyes, and she became angry, raising her leg to step on Pei Xuan's exquisite boots in frustration.

Bai Ge was anxious and cautiously approached, only to witness her mistress, Cui Ti, committing an act of "domestic violence" against Pei Xuan.

She was tempted to intervene, but decided against it and instead pondered over what the future held for the two of them.

As Cui Ti's tears threatened to continue spilling, Pei Xuan bravely confessed her true feelings: "Please don't move. I...I truly love you."