CH 39

(Balancing work and summer courses is tough lol)

The sky was heavy with clouds, and soon after, rain began to pour as the Pei family's wedding procession made its way towards Mudan Street.

Inside the Xining mansion, Cui Ti sat in a daze before the dressing table, only to be startled as someone turned her around. A woman with a flattering voice chuckled, making her uncomfortable and she felt uneasy as she complimented her, "Look, just look at you today! The bride is more beautiful than a fairy descending to earth."

The words reverberated all around.

Through the window, the rain intensified, and Cui Ti caught sight of the familiar but unfamiliar scene before her. In a bewildered tone, she asked, "Bride?.”

"Yes, the bride of Scholar Pei!.”

The voices erupted into chatter, filled with envy towards Cui Ti's good fortune in winning the heart of the most sought-after young man in Xijing.

Cui Ti, still in a state of confusion, could make sense of it all, the wedding party arrived at the doorstep, and she was pushed into the sedan chair.

Everything felt discordant.

Why... did she marry Pei Xuan once again?.

Wasn't she already Madam Cui?.

It seemed like a dream, yet it wasn’t one.

As thoughts of Pei Xuan crossed her mind, her mood inexplicably lifted. This was the third time she had married the same person.

A smile graced the corners of her lips, and beneath the veil, her pretty face blushed.

"An obeisance to heaven and earth—"

Cui Ti moved about like a restless deer, her heart racing with anticipation, eager to enter the wedding night and lay eyes on her gentle and elegant 'husband' as soon as possible.

"Second obeisance to the high hall—"

She bowed down, her movements filled with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

In the grand wedding hall, the atmosphere reached its pinnacle, and Xi Po's voice boomed loudly, "Husband and wife worship—"

As she lightly touched the red ribbon in her hand, joy gleamed in Cui Ti's eyes, not wanting to wake up from this dream-like state even for a moment.

It seemed that time in her dream had stretched a little longer.

Now, she was seated on the wedding bed, the veil still covering her face, and by her side was Bai Tang who offered advice.

"Please go down."

"Yes, mistress.”

The footsteps gradually faded away, and Cui Ti remembered that the first thing Pei Xuan had ordered upon entering the room was to prepare a bathtub for her to take a bath later.

Soon, the time for a bath had arrived, so she picked up a mirror and lifted the red veil.

A sudden silence enveloped the world, and the absence of any words hung heavy in the air.

Cui Ti had yet to awaken her spiritual sight, but to her surprise, Pei Xuan, who was supposed to speak, remained silent.

As she waited and time stretched on, confusion clouded her mind.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Pei Xuan would burst into laughter, asking her, "Are you tired of waiting?" And she would playfully reply, "No," setting in motion the customary sequence of events. 

Then they would share wine, their arms intertwined, with careful attention paid to every sip. If one wanted to drink only half, the other would match the gesture, symbolizing their inseparability in this lifetime.

But Cui Ti's thoughts wandered, and the 'Pei Xuan' by her side displayed an indifferent attitude. She perfunctorily handed her a glass of wine, devoid of the tenderness and consideration they once shared. It was a hollow gesture, disregarding her emotions completely.

"Husband, the water is ready."

Pei Xuan merely grunted in response. As she turned to undress behind the curtain, a sense of panic gripped Cui Ti's heart. The weighty phoenix crown atop her head felt like an oppressive mountain, bearing down on her.

She listened to the sound of water trickling in the room, and an overwhelming sense of fear consumed her.

No.

This person wasn't her Pei Xuan.

This is a living nightmare!

Desperate to escape the clutches of the nightmare, Cui Ti hurriedly moved, inadvertently colliding her leg against the sharp edge of the table. A wave of excruciating pain crashed over her, draining the color from her face. She couldn't help but wonder why the fairy riding the plump crane had yet to come down and open her spiritual eyes.

It was all wrong.

Everything was wrong.

"Were you this clumsy?.”

Dressed in a pristine bathrobe, 'Pei Xuan' strolled over with an unhurried gait. "Does it hurt?.”

Her voice was devoid of any pity, being flat and cold.

Why wouldn't this dream come to an end?

It was all so unreal, so dreadful!

Cui Ti gripped her aching heart, her lips stained with blood from biting down hard. Yet, the nightmare continued to unfold relentlessly.

She was powerless, engulfed in the vast sea like a drowning soul, unable to find any means of escape.

There was no sudden surge of piercing pain in her eyes, no fairy riding a crane to awaken her spiritual sight, and no panicked Pei Xuan emerging from the bath with his half-opened undergarments.

There was no tenderness, no bashfulness, no stroke of luck to rely upon.

Only dead ends, from which there was no escape.

Cui Ti found herself ensnared in a net, rendering the sky useless and the earth powerless.

"Husband, Husband!, save me... save me..." Her desperate pleas echoed through the room. Pei Xuan, trembling, gently wiped away the tears streaming down her wife’s cheeks, "Whoever cursed my wife will face my unyielding wrath."

“...”

Immortal Hehuansan, unwilling to prolong the discussion on this perilous topic, continued, "The power of this dream curse is to offer hope while simultaneously severing all hope. At the moment, she may be okay, but soon she won't be able to distinguish between dreams and reality. She'll question whether all the beautiful moments shared with you are mere illusions."

“Her hope of survival is being shattered slowly as the destruction looms ominously. You must make a decision promptly."

"Very well," Pei Xuan resolved firmly. "I will trust you, Senior, just this once."

Observing the unwavering determination emanating from her, Ning Hehuan chuckled. "Never underestimate the strength of one's spirit. The melding of hearts and souls will create the most touching confession in the world."

From that point on, no one bothered Pei Xuan any further.

In the depths of the silent, late-night darkness, Cui Ti submerged herself in the tranquil abyss of her thoughts. She closed her eyes, curled up, and softly sobbed, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Pei Xuan wrestled with guilt as she softly explained, "Titi, I never intended to bully you. My intention was to save you."

“Husband..."

“Husband..."

Each time Cui Ti cried out, it pierced Pei Xuan's heart, causing her internal organs to ache. The matter of casting the curse needed to be considered in the long run, but the immediate priority was to help Titi awaken from the clutches of the nightmare.

Pei Xuan’s flushed face, rapid heart, and complex emotions left her pondering: Why would a gentleman exploit their wife's 'illness' to engage in such madness?.

She continued to berate herself, the heat of shame still radiating from her face.

"Wife..."

With a swallow, she pressed her lips against Cui Ti's ear, offering solace to her trembling being that couldn't find peace.

"Don't be afraid."

"Please, do not be afraid."

The instinctive response of their bodies brought life and fervor to the elegant confines of the room. Pei Xuan felt consumed by shame, her face burning crimson. It seemed as though her very soul had been cleaved in two by a merciless blade, with the left half yearning for love and the right half overwhelmed by sorrow.

(T/L: The method was to whispers words of love and perform intimate actions)

She felt like an unruly scoundrel with no boundaries, the intensity of her actions amplifying the feeling.

Cui Ti's tears trickled down onto her shoulders, tugging at Pei Xuan's heartstrings. She couldn't help but feel distressed and thought, ‘Let's give it a try.’

Pondering for such a long time, and finally gathering courage, the morning light of the sun began to rise.

At the Imperial Academy, Pei Xuan, known for her diligence, took a consecutive seven-day leave. 

Today marked the first day of her vacation.

In the afternoon, Song Zizhen and Zheng Wuzhi had planned to visit her residence to offer their condolences. However, before noon, a servant arrived with a message from the Pei family.

"The master says the family is preoccupied with important tasks and cannot spare time to entertain guests. He invites the two gentlemen to join him for a drink on another day."

"Important task? What could it be?" Song Zizhen pondered, his face reflecting his genuine curiosity.

The servant’s expression remained sincere as he replied, "I don't know."

After delivering the message and leaving, Song Zizhen furrowed his brow, attempting to piece together an unreliable theory: "Could it be an illness? Perhaps he's unwell or frail?.”

"..."

Song Zizhen continued, "Oh, it's not good to have a wife. Even a slight weakness confines him to bed, and we end up being deprived of his company due to it."

Zheng Wuzhi shook his head disapprovingly. "Don't we know how Pei Xuan is? If he can't come, it must be something that's holding him back. As friends, we shouldn't think ill of him or wish for his sickness. Let's be mindful of our words!.”

After being scolded by him, Song Zizhen felt embarrassed and replied, "Of course, I also wish him good fortune. Today, I'm going on a vegetarian diet, which can be seen as accumulating blessings for him."

…

Pei Xuan, unable to extricate herself from her duties, worked tirelessly throughout the night. To her surprise, she discovered that Cui Ti was now in a deep slumber. 

The fever had subsided, and her tears had ceased.

"Senior!.”

Immortal Hehuansan who sat under a pear tree to pass the time, watched Pei Xuan running over from a distance, her eyes were slightly red, and she remarked,”Why did that work?.”

The eighteen-year-old Pei Xuan couldn't contain her curiosity, despite her usual prudence. Her face immediately flushed red.

Such a fascinating sight to behold.

Pei Xuan expressed her sincere gratitude. "Senior, what should I do next? Although my wife's condition has improved, she is still not fully awake.”

“Continue with your efforts," Immortal Hehuansan advised.

"But you need to rest now."

Observing Pei Xuan’s delicate physique, Immortal Hehuansan was amazed. "It's best to have a few more bowls of soup to replenish your energy, so as not to exhaust yourself.”

With every word uttered, Pei Xuan’s fair face turned even redder. Seizing the opportunity, Immortal Hehuansan sought to disrupt the well-mannered gentleman.

"For matters in this world, especially those involving relationships between men and women, if there's a problem, taking action can resolve more than half of the difficulties. And if it can't be solved, then take even more actions.

"She loves you, and you love her. With your mutual willingness to do good, passionate and genuine love can conquer the darkness hiding within. Thus, dream curses are nothing to fear."

Pei Xuan pondered for a moment, bowing respectfully. "I will remember your words, senior."

Then she looked at the fat crane jade with great interest: "Why don't you call yourself an ‘expert’?.”

“I only know how to act like one,” Immortal Hehuasan replied, acknowledging Pei Xuan’s curiosity.

She herself cultivated the Acacia way and became a Taoist and was ranked the highest among the immortals.

Returning to the heavenly palace 800 years ago and encountering the star in the Tiangong, she had been bestowed the title of "Immortal" to honor her status. 

After all, she became the ruler of the world's cultural fortunes. 

In fact, a blade of grass in front of her palace gate holds greater nobility than any other in a fairy’s abode.

“Regardless, thank you,” Pei Xuan expressed her gratitude.

Immortal Hehuansan’s eyes narrowed, a sense of contentment washing over her. 

Finally, things were set right.

She refused to let Cui Ti, who had been reborn under her guidance, to remain like a lifeless block of wood and wouldn't allow the affectionate young couple to miss out on the enchantment of being deeply entwined due to their fragile inhibitions.

With her presence, the curse of the dream would be resolved.

Immortal Hehuasan plucked at the plump body of the Jade Crane, urging, "You mustn't be cowardly, especially in critical moments."

If Pei Xuan had the courage to reveal herself, why couldn't she even utter the word "love" to Cui Ti in their previous life?