Yun Shimo and the others exchanged glances. Ji Feng chuckled and said, “Young Master Huangfu, you are drunk!”

Huangfu Xuan gave a cold snort and continued to rave, “She… she was mine. I… I broke off the engagement out of my arrogance. Every time I see her, my heart aches… Hua Qiyue, why can’t you love me? I’m your fiancé…”

As Huangfu Xuan stood up, he pointed at Yun Shimo and said aloud and indignantly, “It is all about you… Yun Shimo… If it weren’t for you, she… how could she not love me? I remember… she looked at me with great shyness and admiration before. You…”

Yun Shimo waved his hand and said, “Young Master Huangfu is drunk. Someone, send him home.”

Bingyi stepped out from one side in a flash and pulled Huangfu Xuan away, who was still trying to make trouble.

Ji Feng sighed gently. “The knot in Brother Huangfu’s heart is right about this. Given his original temperament, he would never leave the capital with Qiyue, but he followed her to the Yuewu Kingdom… It’s a pity there’s only one Hua Qiyue.”

A light smile crept over Yun Shimo’s face. “Yes, and I’m the luckiest one.”

They looked at each other, feeling relieved, and drank together under the moon. Except for this place, everywhere was bustling.

——————————

After Hua Qiyue came out of the green jade gourd, Lv Xin came to report that Old Madame Hua and Hua Liting were waiting for her in the hall of the little courtyard.

Hua Qiyue glanced at the servants who were busy decorating the room. Red paper cuttings were affixed to the lattice windows, and the room was permeated with a jubilant atmosphere.

Hua Qiyue came into the hall. Accompanied by Nanny Wang, Old Madame Hua was sampling the dessert brought by a maidservant and lauding it.

“Qiyue, you are finally out. Just now, Lv Xin said you were resting in your room. Are you feeling better now?”

When Old Madame Hua saw Hua Qiyue, her eyes lit up. She took her hand and made her sit down quickly.

Hua Liting showed a caring look. “Qiyue, if you are too tired, you should rest early tonight. Mother, let’s not disturb her too long.”

Old Madame had brought with her some matrons of honor to dress Hua Qiyue tomorrow. They were responsible for Hua Qiyue’s apparel and so on.

“Yes, Qiyue, you should rest early tonight. I just came here to visit you and teach you some important etiquette. For example, do not lift the phoenix coronet after you sit on the bridal sedan chair. That’s very ominous.” Old Madame believed in the oldest conventions, and Hua Qiyue agreed.

“Mother, these are the basics, and the matrons of honor will tell Qiyue to pay heed to them. We’d better go home early,” Hua Liting said softly.

Old Madame rose reluctantly. She walked up to Hua Qiyue and took her hands in a firm clasp. “Qiyue, you must often come back to visit me, for I’m really not willing to part with you.”

Hua Qiyue replied with a smile, “Grandmother, if you are not willing to part with me, I won’t marry.”

“Bah, bah! How can you say such ominous words? Qiyue, take a rest first, and I’ll let the matrons of honor tell you all about it tomorrow,” Old Madame said smilingly, with care and love in her eyes.

“Mother, you go first. I have something to say to Qiyue,” Hua Liting said with a faint smile.

As a father, he was genuinely delighted that his eldest daughter was going to get married. But he could not help worrying when he thought of the missing Hua Mengshi.

When Old Madame was gone, Hua Liting asked softly, “Qiyue, you have been out for so many years. Have you found out the whereabouts of your second sister?”

Hua Qiyue shook her head slightly. In fact, she had already known what Hua Liting wanted to ask about this. Hua Mengshi had given Hua Liting so much hope since childhood.

“Dad, I haven’t heard of Mengshi, though I’ve been out for years… Don’t worry, dad. My second sister is so smart…”

“Forget it, Qiyue. Tomorrow is your wedding date, a big day in your life. I wish you both live happily to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss. Mengshi has always been a woman of unkindness, and what happens to her depends on her fate. I won’t think about… her life or death. Qiyue, take a good rest…” Hua Liting said melancholy.

Originally, Hua Mengshi was the most outstanding daughter in Hua’s Mansion. He had not expected Hua Qiyue to be the best in the end.

Looking at Hua Liting’s back, Hua Qiyue lightly pressed her lips. Hua Mengshi? How could the woman who kept trying to kill her survive?

As she thought this, she suddenly felt fits of heat from the Spirit-summoning Mirror she was carrying.

Aye? Could Hua Mengshi in the mirror hear the conversation outside? Impossible. It was clear to Hua Qiyue that only when she took the Spirit-summoning Mirror out of the pouch could she see Hua Mengshi’s soul.

Of course, even if someone else got the Spirit-summoning Mirror, he wouldn’t be able to see the souls inside.

When she got back to the wing, Hua Qiyue took out the Spirit-summoning Mirror, only to find that the surface of the mirror glistened faintly.

Both the green jade gourd on her waist and the Jade of Blood on her neck were of premium quality. The Jade of Blood was the family treasure that Hua Liting gave Hua Qiyue. These two kinds of jade also exuded delicate warmth.

Hua Qiyue took the Jade of Blood from her neck. Its surface was suffused with a layer of subtle holy light as well.

In the mirror came the plaintive cry of a woman. As she saw Hua Qiyue, the woman’s voice turned shrill and harsh.

“Eldest sister, please, let me out… Boohoo, I know that I am wrong. Eldest sister… I will never try to kill you again. I will take good care of you. Please let me out!”

Hua Mengshi’s pleading face appeared in the mirror. As a soul, she could not weep, but she knew that her condition was getting weaker…

If Hua Qiyue didn’t let her out, her days would be numbered.

Hua Qiyue looked indifferently at that hypocritical face. “Hua Mengshi, I have given you many chances, but you never cherish them. Hua Mengshi, life cannot be started again. Not everyone is as lucky as I am. I’m getting married tomorrow, sister. Congratulate me.”

Hearing that, Hua Mengshi looked at Hua Qiyue blankly. “Eldest sister, do you really want me to go up in smoke?”

Hua Qiyue raised her eyebrows indifferently. “How could you have the heart when you and Second Madame set me up? You asked maidservants to bully me and beat me black and blue since childhood, leading me to live a life worse off than that of a dog or a pig. How could you have the heart to treat me like that?”

Hua Mengshi gasped, her eyes still pleading. She knew she had no way out if she infuriated Hua Qiyue now.

“I know I was wrong. Just forgive me, eldest sister…”

“You have a month left. Cherish it. There are so many men’s souls in it, and it would be nice if you could find one to keep each other warm. Farewell, sister.” Hua Qiyue sneered. Amid Hua Mengshi’s screams of fear, she put the mirror back into the pouch.

Then she put the pouch in her treasure chest. She was getting married tomorrow, so she’d better let the mirror stay here.

The maids had decorated the wing room with an air of joy. As Hua Qiyue lay on the warm bed, she thought of Xuanji’s face and closed her eyes tightly.

The next day.

Both Hua’s Mansion and Prince Nan’s Mansion were lively.

Even the Emperor himself attended the wedding ceremony. Huangfu Shenglin arrived early, several hours before the bride left the mansion.

Ministers from various countries came to congratulate the couple and sent them various rare treasures.

Hua Qiyue was sitting in front of a bronze mirror, and two matrons of honor were combing her black hair. If the hair were combed to the end of it in one breath, the couple would not be separated until death…

In the mirror, her forehead was dyed light yellow. Wearing a fiery-red wedding gown with a phoenix pattern, she looked even more stunning.

Lv Xin and Youshui looked at each other smilingly. “How beautiful you are, miss! After the matrons of honor rouge your cheeks, no one can shift their gaze from you.”

“Yes, our miss is the most beautiful in the whole world!”

Youshui echoed Lv Xin’s words. One of the matrons of honor laughed happily and said, “That’s true. I have been a matron of honor for so many years, and now I am fifty years old. I cannot count the brides I have seen, but our Princess is the most beautiful.”

The room was filled with laughter. Hua Qiyue said blandly with a smile, “You’re honey-tongued. But you won’t suffer any loss by following me. I’ll reward you after you rouge my cheeks.”

The crowd cheered again. The two matrons of honor looked at each other. They had already known that Hua Qiyue was loaded and that following her would do them no harm, so they became more careful when coiling her hair.

After two hours of labor of the matrons of honor, Hua Qiyue was exhausted. She said with a bitter smile, “Getting married is tiring. When will the wedding ceremony be over? This phoenix coronet.. hmm, is so heavy!”

The ornate coronet was adorned with hundreds of gems, thousands of pearls, and some other accessories. It was so heavy that Hua Qiyue’s neck would break.

“Bear it, miss. After all, you only get married once in your life. What does it matter if you are tired? What’s more, you are going to marry Prince Nan, a peerless nice bloke. Think about it, which man of the royal family in the capital doesn’t have several concubines? Prince Nan, however, only have you!” Youshui said with a smile. The two matrons of honor agreed.

Hua Qiyue smiled. Youshui was right. It was because Yun Shimo was so single-minded to her that she loved him.

If he were a man who had several concubines, she would look down on him.

“Well, you can take a break and go out when the time is right,” one matron of honor said, smiling. She took the coronet off Hua Qiyue’s head and would put it on again when she went out.

Hua Qiyue heaved a deep sigh of relief.

She felt that being a bride was more difficult than practice.

Nevertheless, the thought of consummating the marriage with Yun Shimo made Hua Qiyue laugh. She had been born twice, and during the first lifetime, her chastity had been given to a detestable man whom she had never seen. Then Zhou Zhicheng never touched her again.

During this lifetime, she vowed that she would forget the past and spend the rest of her life with Yun Shimo.

————————

Prince Nan’s Mansion was bustling around. The guests came round after round, eating, drinking, and doing the finger-guessing game. Yun Shimo appeared for the first time to drink at random with his guests.

If it had not been for his wedding day, he would not have cared to appear at the banquet and proposed toasts to his guests, given his indifferent temperament.

The Hare was lying prone on a little table. There were ten dishes on that table for it to glut itself with delicacies.

The guests had long known that Yun Shimo was a Qi Artist at the great completeness of Great Deity. It was no surprise to them that he had a spiritual pet that ate meat.