In the wedding chamber, candle tears dripped one by one onto the bronze stand, piling into a small puddle that shimmered in the firelight.
Song Ning sat on the edge of the bed, his stomach letting out a growl.
He sighed, let out a yawn, and rubbed his empty, growling belly. He hadn’t eaten much all day.
He had started dressing and grooming since early morning, followed by various rituals—bowing to this person and that—and hadn’t even had a chance to drink water.
He thought he would be able to have a good meal in the evening, but the bride had run out to drink and was still out.
“Why hasn’t she come yet?” he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with helplessness. “I never heard that Qi Chuyao was a drunkard.”
He waited a while longer, but there was still no movement outside.
“Could it be that she isn’t coming at all?”
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. That woman, Qi Chuyao, might really leave him alone in the wedding chamber while she drank until dawn.
Was it really necessary? To not even come back to sleep?
Song Ning felt around him; there was nothing to eat. Xia Ling and Xia Shuang weren’t around, and he couldn’t find anyone to bring him food.
As the groom, being so hungry that his stomach was stuck to his back on his wedding night was truly humiliating.
There might be food in the room, but he couldn’t see anything. If he got off the bed, he might not even be able to find his way back.
He simply collapsed backward, falling onto the bed with a thud. Lying flat on his back, he wailed toward the ceiling, “How can getting married be this hard? Qi Chuyao, are you coming or not?!”
“If you don’t show up on our wedding night, don’t blame me for dealing with you later…”
Just as the words left his mouth, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside. Those steps were unsteady, heavy and light, as if stepping on cotton, occasionally stumbling.
Song Ning’s ears twitched, and he immediately sat up.
He suppressed his impatience, straightened his collar, and hid the complaining expression on his face, returning to his usual gentle and composed appearance.
Judging by the sound, it should be Qi Chuyao returning.
With a bang, the door was pushed open. A strong smell of alcohol wafted in, mixing with the coolness of the night wind and stinging his nose.
Song Ning couldn’t help but frown slightly. “Qi Chuyao?” he asked tentatively.
“Mmh…”
Qi Chuyao’s voice was slurred, as if she were about to pass out at any moment.
She walked in with staggered steps, swaying back and forth, nearly tripping over the threshold several times.
Her red wedding dress was wrinkled, her bun mostly disheveled, and the golden hairpins hung crookedly at her temples.
A few strands of black hair fell over her shoulders, and her face was flushed, with even her neck showing the crimson glow of intoxication.
She stumbled to the wedding table and sat down heavily, slumped over it.
The wedding table was filled with things: a pair of red candles, a jar of wine, two wine cups, and various fruits and snacks.
Beside them lay a Jade Ruyi, meant for lifting the veil. Qi Chuyao lay there, her face pressed against the tabletop, her eyes half-open and half-closed as waves of sleepiness washed over her.
“Why are you so late?” Song Ning asked softly. “Did you drink too much?”
“Do you want to rest?”
Although he couldn’t see, he could tell from the noise that she had consumed quite a bit tonight.
Looking like this, it was unlikely they could fulfill their marital duties with clouds and rain or heavenly thunder and earthly fire.
It would be better to rest early and wait until tomorrow.
Qi Chuyao lay on the table, rubbed her temples, and exhaled a deep breath of alcohol.
She looked up, scanned the table, and casually picked up the Jade Ruyi. Shaking, she stood up and walked over to Song Ning.
The Jade Ruyi lifted the red wedding veil.
The moment his face was revealed, Qi Chuyao was stunned. The light from the red candles fell on his face, casting a soft glow on his handsome features.
His white eyes were slightly cast down. Qi Chuyao stared at him for a long time, a bitter smile touching her lips.
“You really do look good,” she said, her voice slurred and raspy from the alcohol. “Looking at your appearance alone, I might not be worthy of you.”
As the saying goes, the truth comes out after wine. With her consciousness muddled, she spoke a few truths she wouldn’t normally say. Song Ning was slightly taken aback, then shrugged and gave a relaxed smile.
“Do I actually look good?”
“Regardless of whether I’m worthy or not, this face belongs to you now. We are already married.”
Hearing this, Qi Chuyao’s bitter smile deepened. She turned and walked back to the table, slumped over again, buried her face in her arms, and spoke in a muffled voice: “But I didn’t want to marry you. Why do we have to be together?”
“What does it matter to me if this face is good-looking or not? I went to my mother several times to talk about breaking the marriage contract, and every time she beat me until I wailed. She even hit me right in the mouth.”
Recalling the scenes of her trying to call off the wedding, her heart trembled. Her mother was a Second-Rank Martial Artist; a single slap could send her flying thirty feet away.
Song Ning’s lips stiffened slightly. His face, which usually wore a faint smile, turned calm. He sighed deeply in his heart.
Drunken words were true words; she really didn’t like him, did she? Had he been too persistent about the alliance with the Qi Family and his future development? To the point that he married Qi Chuyao like this.
Perhaps taking the initiative to break the marriage contract would have been a better choice? At least for Qi Chuyao, it should have been.
Song Ning shook his head; it was too late for that. Qi Chuyao’s words made him feel a bit disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his state of mind.
Song Ning was an optimistic person; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to face his blindness so calmly for so many years.
Now that things had come to this, he would take it one step at a time.
On the roof, Qin Junyue lay behind the ridge beast, holding her breath and listening to every word of the conversation below.
She lay on the roof, the night wind brushing past her face.
‘Sigh, if you don’t like him, can’t you just give him to me?’
‘If it were me, I would have already been in bed…’
If it were her, the two of them wouldn’t have a single intact piece of clothing on them by now.
Qin Junyue took a deep breath, suppressed her surging emotions, and continued to listen.
Inside the wedding chamber, Qi Chuyao was slumped over the table, her vision starting to blur.
With a bitter smile, she’est muttered, “They all know I married a blind man… Everyone knows, but I feel uncomfortable no matter what.”
“This isn’t my life… This isn’t what I imagined for my partner… I can’t accept this…”
“I don’t want to spend my life with a blin — “
She paused, not finishing the word. She took a deep breath, seeming to recover slightly, and reached out to grab the wine jar on the table.
It was the jar for the nuptial cups, but she had no intention of drinking with Song Ning.
Hearing the sound of wine being poured, Song Ning softly advised, “Alright, stop drinking. I know you didn’t want to get married.”
“But the marriage contract between our families was set when we were children, and now we are married.”
After a moment’s thought, he added, “How about this? I won’t force you into anything after we’re married. I can just stay at the Song Mansion. You can do whatever you want. When the opportunity arises in the future, we can have a He Li, all right?”
On the roof, Qin Junyue’s breathing suddenly quickened. A He Li? There was a possibility of a divorce?
Was there such a thing as a former husband? The fire in her heart burned even brighter.
If he and Qi Chuyao divorced, did that mean she would have a chance?
Qi Chuyao, slumped over the table, gave Song Ning a strange look. She breathed out a scent of alcohol, her face red, and asked dazedly, “He Li? Won’t my mother beat me to death? She would probably break my legs. I know I don’t have much talent. I might not be able to advance to a Second-Rank Martial Artist in this lifetime.”
Song Ning smiled faintly, looking exceptionally gentle under the candlelight. “It doesn’t matter. Martial arts prowess doesn’t mean everything. By then, your mother might not be able to control you anymore. No one can block your lifelong happiness and pursuits. And a He Li shouldn’t affect you much.”
After all, this was a female-dominated world where women were superior. If they divorced, Song Ning would be the one more affected.
Qi Chuyao was stunned, her eyes glazed as she looked at him. “Then what about you? Who would want you?”
Song Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Since we’ll be divorced by then, why do you care if anyone wants me? Don’t worry, someone will take care of me. Come and rest. Don’t think too much.”
He patted the bedsheet.
Qi Chuyao felt a slight stir in her heart and chuckled twice, as if imagining a beautiful future life.
She stared at Song Ning’s white pupils for a moment, then suddenly shook her head and waved her red sleeve.
“No, that won’t work.”
Song Ning was startled. “What’s wrong? Why won’t it work?”
Qi Chuyao stretched while slumped on the table and muttered, “Who would want a blind man who has been married before? Definitely no one. I, Qi Chuyao, am not that kind of person. You only got married because of me. How could I just abandon you? Even if we get a He Li, I’ll still support you. Don’t worry…”
Song Ning shook his head speechlessly and stopped arguing, merely letting out a sigh. Forget it, he would deal with that later.
He wondered if Prince Xin had heard any rumors and was rushing to the Capital City… He also wondered if Wei Yang had taken any action.
Qi Chuyao glanced at Song Ning, seeing his distracted look, and picked up a small fruit from the table, lightly tossing it at his forehead.
“Hiss.” Song Ning covered his forehead and said in annoyance, “What did you hit me for?”
Did this woman have a tendency toward domestic violence?
“Hmph, you don’t actually like me either, do you?” Qi Chuyao crossed her arms, acting out like a petulant drunk. “As a man, how can you suggest a divorce? At least… you shouldn’t say it so easily. Won’t you cry?”
The corner of Song Ning’s mouth twitched. He mostly understood what his bride meant.
Given her usual cold and distant attitude toward him—hardly speaking a word—did she really expect him to be deeply in love with her? Did she expect him to raise a fuss or threaten to hang himself after hearing she didn’t like him?
“You’ve had too much to drink,” he said helplessly. “You should rest.”
“I’m not resting.” Qi Chuyao shook her head, her voice slurred. “There’s still something left to do.”
……
On the roof, Qin Junyue could say nothing and do nothing. She could only lie there like a thief, eavesdropping on someone else’s wedding night.
Suddenly, a strange aura approached rapidly. That aura was deep and restrained, carrying a chilling killing intent—it was at least a Second-Rank Martial Artist.
Qin Junyue’s expression changed abruptly, instantly snapping out of her romantic thoughts.
Her hand quickly moved to her waist, her fingertips touching the hilt of the soft sword on her belt.
It was her personal weapon, usually hidden within her belt and wrapped around her waist, never leaving her side.
Qin Junyue didn’t reveal herself immediately; she instinctively lowered her body, concealing her aura to the extreme.
The night wind brushed across the roof, fluttering the stray hairs on her forehead. She narrowed her eyes, searching the darkness like an alert leopard.
A second-rank expert? Where in the Song Mansion was there a second-rank expert? Xia Shuang? Mother Qi? This aura was so unfamiliar; it clearly didn’t belong to either of those two. Who was it?
Under the moonlight, a gray shadow appeared silently.
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