The bridal canopy was warm, and shadows danced in the soft candlelight.
Jun Chuyue, dressed in a vivid scarlet wedding gown, sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, the weight of her ornaments and the red bridal veil causing her neck and shoulders to ache. After much hesitation, she finally couldn't resist discreetly lifting a corner of her veil. Seeing that there were no one around, she swiftly takes off all the decorations from her head.
Phew!
She couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
She had thought that with the decree from the high priest equivalent to a royal edict, she could proudly marry into the General's mansion and become the authentic wife of Murong Fengyuan. But now it seemed, she was too naive.
Today, was her wedding day.
She had indeed married into the mansion, but the groom, Murong Fengyuan, had not appeared to greet her from the beginning.
Even her bridal sedan hadn't been able to enter from the main gate, said to be by Murong Fengyuan's order. The disdainful eyes of the welcoming women were still vivid in her mind, laughing at her for she deserved it. Saying she knew that the General's heart belonged to another yet recklessly wanting to step into his mansion...
What did she know!
As the Holy Maiden of the Ming Luo Empire's Shrine, she spent nearly every day deep within the shrine, oblivious to worldly affairs. The last time she had left for a mission was six years ago, when there were no concubines in the General's mansion!
But it was true that she loved Murong Fengyuan.
Otherwise, when the High Priest asked her to marry, she would not have agreed without any hesitation.
Rubbing her temples in irritation, Jun Chuyue arose and decided to take the initiative, wanting to see what her nominal husband was up to.
However, the moment she opened the door and before her foot had even taken a step outside, she was stopped by two serving women, "Madam, please refrain from casually wandering about on the night of your wedding."
"Nonsense! Whose groom isn't in the bridal chamber during the wedding?"
Jun Chuyue could certainly figure out the mockery underlying the old woman's tone. Suppressing her anger, she coldly ordered, "Move aside, I am looking for Murong Fengyuan."
"Madam, please don't make things difficult for us servants. The general has already ordered that you should not step out of the room tonight. You should return, madam."
Tonight?
Jun Chuyue looked up at the night sky. The moon was already high, and it wouldn’t be long until daybreak.
"Okay, I'll look for him after tonight." Jun Chuyue retreated and slammed the door hard.
Seeing the door closed, the two old women spat discontentedly, "Hmph, she's really taking herself as the general's wife. What kind of look is that?! Everyone knows how much the general dislikes her. Because of her meddling, Miss Yueying can only be a concubine. I see she will soon be an ousted wife."
The room had poor sound insulation, not a word from the old women was missed by her.
Jun Chuyue’s hand, holding the tea cup, trembled slightly.
Yueying... Yun Yueying.
She knew of this woman-- the woman who Murong Fengyuan loved.
She was a dancer who saved the heavily wounded Murong Fengyuan. They developed feelings during their time together.
Murong Fengyuan then took her into his residence, first arranging for her to live as a concubine. He had planned to select an auspicious day to marry her, but a decree from the high priest of the ceremony hall came down at this time, ordering her to marry Murong Fengyuan.
The High Priest was also Murong Fengyuan's master.
Unable to rebel against his master's commands, he could only agree.
By this time, he had forgotten about her. It was natural for him to feel disgust towards her.
Jun Chuyue gave a bitter smile.
A sleepless night.
Just as dawn was breaking, she left her residence. Everything outside was desolate and deserted. When she had entered the day before in the bridal sedan, she hadn't taken a good look around. Now, she saw that the entire courtyard was in a state of disrepair. There was not even a single servant around, making it clear that she was expected to fend for herself here.
Jun Chuyue went silent for a moment before heading towards the Yun Pavilion.
Yun Pavilion was Yun Yueying's dwelling.
On the night of their marriage, Murong Fengyuan had abandoned her, his official wife. That surely meant he had gone to Yun Yueying.
And the reality did indeed prove her guess was correct.
Through the torn paper of the window, Jun Chuyue watched the figures nestled in sleep indoors. The morning chill swept across, cutting into her bones,
Her heart started to ache. Unconsciously, her eyes moistened with mist. In her daze, she seemed to see a flashback of a beautiful young boy from over a decade ago, who had promised to marry her when he grew up.
Fast forwarding through the years, the one now holding a place in his heart was another woman.
Suddenly, her vision blurred.
A large hand, without any warning, gripped her neck, hoisting her off the ground. The force was so great, it felt like it would strangle her right there and then. Jun Chuyue struggled desperately for breath.
"Speak, who are you? Where did you come from, what are you trying to do?" A freezing cold voice fell upon her ears.
She instantly came to a halt, eyes wide open.
Murong Fengyuan!
She stared blankly at the man in front of her, who happened to be her husband. He had raven hair cascading down his shoulders, phoenix eyes bordered by sword-like brows, and on his right eyebrow bone, a faint upward-sloping scar that not only didn't seem out-of-place but somehow added to his sharp aura of charm.
However, at this very moment, his body exuded a blatant murderous intent.
Huh.
He even didn't realize who she was.
If he hadn't needed to interrogate her further, she guessed the blow he had tried to deal might have already taken her life.
A chill ran down Jun Chuyue's spine, and she unconsciously closed her eyes again.
The grip on her neck tightened harshly, causing her face to turn beet-red. Instinctively her small hands reached up to grasp the ironclad hand choking her neck, attempting to pull it away. However, her efforts were as ineffective as a mantis trying to shake a tree against Murong Fengyuan's strength, instead causing her body to ache with fatigue, and her life seemed to fade away as the stolen breaths diminished.
Was she about to die…
"Speak!”
It came as another fierce rebuke.
Feeling Murong Fengyuan's fingers slightly relax, Jun Chuyue managed to strain out, "I…I am Jun Chuyue, your…wife..."
As soon as she finished, she was roughly shoved to the ground.
As if experiencing life after a disaster, she strove for air rushing into her lungs, coughing desperately with tears streaming down her face.
The man's icy voice echoed above her without any trace of emotions. "Get lost!"
Jun Chuyue laid on the ground, without looking up. She listened to the sound of Murong Fengyuan's footsteps as he turned to leave. The steps sounded a few times, then stopped. Then, a soft female voice asked, "Fengyuan, what happened?"
What was this...
Without thinking, Jun Chuyue followed the voice with her eyes and saw a petite and delicate woman standing in front of Murong Fengyuan. The woman seemed slightly drowsy, as if she just woke from slumber.
"Nothing. Why are you out here? It's cold outside, go back in." She heard Murong Fengyuan speaking; the coldness from his earlier voice was gone as if he was a different person.
At that moment, Yun Yueying noticed Jun Chuyue. "Ah, that lady is..."
Her voice trailed off; then her face brightened with sudden realization. "Fengyuan, she's the woman you married yesterday, right? How can you treat her like this?"
Disapprovingly, she glared at Murong Fengyuan, pushed him away, and rushed to Jun Chuyue, crouching in front of her. "My lady, are you alright? Can you get up? Don't be angry at Fengyuan, he's a good man deep down."
From Murong Fengyuan's perspective, he saw Yun Yueying turned her back to himself, reaching out as if she wanted to help Jun Chuyue. However, in the latter's eyes, a completely different scene unfolded.