Chapter 58 - A Sense of Familiarity
On October 25th, Song Zizhen married Miss Dou of the Dou family, and the wedding feast was flawlessly executed.
Pei Xuan, as the 'cousin' and close friend of the groom, dutifully drank most of the wine on behalf of the friend.
She could hold her liquor well. No matter how much she drank, she never got drunk. It wasn't until most of the guests at the table had passed out that she wobbly stood up, her eyes glistening with moisture: "Home... Let's go home!"
A young servant tried to assist her, but she brushed him off. Pei Xuan stood in the cold wind to sober up a bit. After adjusting her clothes and declining the Song family's hospitable request for her to stay, she and Cui Ti returned to Su Shui Villa that very night.
The famed 'Sick Beauty of Xi Jing' had finally married and become a wife. Yet, Cui Ti still found it strange. It was as if something had changed, making this person seem different.
Becoming kinder and more approachable.
Totally different from the Dou Qingyue she knew before.
The carriage rumbled down the smooth, long street. Pei Xuan genuinely felt happy for her friend's union. Such happiness, combined with the alcohol she consumed, made her cheeks rosy. With the preconceptions of others and Pei Xuan's own graceful and upright demeanor, coupled with her prominent family background, her slightly tipsy girlish demeanor went unnoticed.
She didn't show off in front of strangers. But in front of Cui Ti, Pei Xuan relaxed, leaning into her embrace. Even while dressed in her broad-sleeved scholar's robe, it was clear at a glance that she was a genuine young woman.
Cui Ti softly caressed her heated face, asking, "Do you want to rest for a bit?"
Pei Xuan, who was known to never get drunk, was indeed inebriated tonight. Her eyes were misty, her words slurred. "I asked Zizhen, what exactly he likes about my cousin. Can you guess what he said?"
Each person has their own taste. Cui Ti never really found Dou Qingyue appealing, but since someone did, she was curious. "What did he say?"
Lazily soaking in the warmth of Cui Ti's embrace, Pei Xuan replied, "He said at first sight, he was captivated by Miss Dou's face. But as they got to know each other, he fell for her gentle and calm demeanor."
"Gentle and calm?"
Cui Ti was shocked.
As far as she knew, Dou Qingyue's gentleness was all reserved for Xing Guang. Had the lady really changed her nature?
"My wife," Pei Xuan gazed at her lovingly, "My cousin's heart isn't with me anymore. You can put your worries to rest."
"Which eye of yours saw me fretting over that?"
Pei Xuan chuckled softly against Cui Ti's chest, making Cui Ti blush. Somewhat flustered, she responded more generously, "Alright, I understand."
The past is past, whether good or bad. If Dou Qingyue chooses to lead a decent life and cherish what she has now, Cui Ti would choose not to oppose her for the sake of the Pei family.
The more she was with Pei Xuan, the more love she received and the broader her perspective grew.
As long as Dou Qingyue didn't provoke her.
Even a rabbit would bite when cornered, let alone a human.
Lost in her thoughts, Cui Ti didn't notice Pei Xuan drifting to sleep in her arms. She softly kissed Pei Xuan's forehead and gently instructed the coachman to drive more steadily.
"Missus."
"Greetings, Missus."
Upon entering the gates of the villa, the maids greeted them with respect.
No sooner had they arrived home than a heavy downpour began. The raindrops, large as beans, pattered down, filling the air with a slight scent of damp earth.
"Be quiet. Don't wake her," Cui Ti instructed with concern.
Seeing the deep affection between her and M'lord, the maids covered their mouths, suppressing their giggles.
They laughed among themselves, but Cui Ti was good-natured. She never mistreated her servants, nor did she act high and mighty without cause. As a result, she was well-respected in Su Shui Villa.
Hao Zhong and Rao Liang carefully helped Pei Xuan back to her room while Bai Tang guarded Cui Ti. Outside, the rain was torrential, as if the sky had torn open, pouring water down in cascades.
"You can leave now."
"Yes, Missus."
Cui Ti tilted her head, "Tang Tang, you should leave as well."
Bai Tang handed Cui Ti a damp cloth she had wrung out, knowing that the young missus didn't want others to see her drunk husband too much.
She found Cui Ti's possessiveness and intense jealousy quite amusing and comforting.
How Cui Ti was before, and how she is now, can be attributed to her encounter with Pei Xuan. Only after meeting him did the girl, who was once resigned to her fate in the dilapidated room of the south courtyard, truly start living.
She wasn't just the submissive girl who went with the flow anymore.
She now had treasures and dreams she cherished and wanted to possess forever.
Bai Tang gracefully exited the room, ensuring to close the door securely behind her.
The raging storm was kept outside by that door, while inside, the atmosphere was warm and tranquil. Cui Ti wiped Pei Xuan's face with the damp cloth, her fingertips lingering on his soft cheeks, slightly lost in thought.
"Xing Guang..."
Pei Xuan was in a daze, roused by the fierce storm outside. His clothes had been removed, his long hair spread out, with the collar of his inner garment slightly open, revealing a delicate collarbone.
With his black hair and flawless skin, he looked utterly bewitching. He instinctively grabbed Cui Ti's wrist, so pale that the blue veins were visible.
Cui Ti blinked, her heart pounding so loudly it almost rivaled the storm outside.
"You're awake?" she whispered.
Pei Xuan, slower to react than usual in his drunken state, looked adorably vulnerable. Suppressing her feelings, Cui Ti said, "Xing Guang, let me help you clean up."
He understood her intentions.
The elegant drunk on the bed obediently let go of her hand and closed his eyes. Perhaps feeling a bit hot, he tugged at his loose collar.
A large expanse of skin came into Cui Ti's view, making her silently relieved that she was his wife. Otherwise, witnessing this scene, she might have felt like she was taking advantage of him.
The temperature in the room slowly rose, and wisps of fragrant mist emanated from the purple-gold furnace. Cui Ti, with trembling hands, carefully tended to the person beside her pillow.
The drunkard comfortably drifted into sleep.
She turned him over, fumbling around for about a quarter of an hour. Sweat dripped from Cui Ti's neck, but she let it bead and slide, all the while admiring Pei Xuan's handsome features.
Lately, for reasons unknown, the more she looked at Pei Xuan, the stronger the poignant sense of familiarity grew.
The familiarity itself wasn't the problem, but the urge to cry that accompanied it was something she couldn't fend off.
"Did I owe you something in the past?" she murmured to herself. Raising her hand to touch her head, she only felt the jade hairpin and the soft strands of her hair.
That odd sense of incongruity struck again.
Cui Ti didn't know how to put it into words.
She wasn't sure if it was because there were more rabbits in the rabbit room, but she often had a bizarre intuition.
This intuition told her that she should have two long, soft rabbit ears, but...
How could a perfectly normal person grow a pair of rabbit ears?
That would be terrifying!
She worried about frightening her "husband", who disguised himself as a woman. As her fingers scratched her head and found no rabbit ears, she found herself with nothing to do but to pinch Pei Xuan's soft, tender face.
At eighteen, his skin was as fresh as dew.
Cui Ti was completely captivated and could never tire of it.
As the saying goes, after an autumn rain, it gets colder, and Xi Jing grew colder day by day.
Three months later, it was winter.
On a snowy day, with the snow deep enough to cover one's ankles, Song Zizhen, flamboyantly dressed, arrived in a gaudy cloak.
Upon seeing him, Pei Xuan put his hand to his forehead, feeling the kind of headache one might experience upon seeing a familiar face in an unexpected setting.
The compassionate Ning Hehuan had helped Cui Ti, and as per the celestial rules, she might be facing some punishment now. Out of humanitarian concern, Pei Xuan was slightly less annoyed with the sudden visit from his friend Song.
Song Zizhen's face was lit up with joy, "Xing Guang, guess what good news I have?"
"..."
Wenqu, the deity from the past eight reincarnations, teased with a raise of his eyebrows, "Are you getting married again?"
Song Zizhen's face turned blank, then he spat out, "What nonsense! Why do you have the same reaction as that bastard Zheng Wuji? Are you doing this on purpose?"
He clenched his fist, ready to punch the reincarnated deity. But upon meeting Pei Xuan's mischievous eyes, he found he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Damn it!
He said exasperatedly, "Why do you, a man, have such dazzling looks?"
Pei Xuan feigned innocence, "You can ask my parents. Or better yet, look to the heavens and ask the gods."
Hiss!
Catching the playful glint in her eyes, Song Zizhen's eyes sparkled, "There you go! Have you finally found some youthfulness? Now you look more like someone of your age!"
What did youth look like?
Certainly, not as stern and grave as the scholars in the academy.
While he was happy for Pei Xuan's change, there was more joy to come. Eyes nearly closed in delight, he sipped his tea, "No distractions. Come on, take a guess!"
Mr. Song puffed up his chest, proud as a rooster.
Pei Xuan pondered, "Is it that Qingyue is pregnant?"
Song Zizhen's face broke into a wide grin, "You're so smart! Truly worthy of being the cousin of Qingyue and me!"
To announce such joyous news so soon after their marriage showed how blissful his life with Dou Qingyue had been.
"My mother told me to keep it a secret for now. But I'm too impatient, so I've only told you and that Zheng fellow. Xing Guang, be prepared to be a godfather. From now on, my child will be your child!"
Before Pei Xuan could say another word, Song, as if with wheels on his feet, was gone without a trace.
Upon returning home, Song Zizhen affectionately patted my wife's belly, earnestly saying, "Little one, your father has already found a strong backing for you. You mustn't cause any trouble for your mother, alright?"
His behavior was childlike. Dou Qingyue just smiled without saying a word.
Amidst the vast snowfall, few birds are seen in Xi Jing. On the outskirts, red plums blossom abundantly, their cold fragrance permeating the air. Young scions of noble families, restless at home this season, eagerly venture out.
Walking in the snow to admire plum blossoms, making snowmen, having snowball fights, enjoying the splendid winter views---even if they do nothing more than chase each other in the snow, getting sweaty in the process, it remains a unique pleasure.
As the end of the year approaches, the emperor and the courtiers in the palace are on leave. The ministers brew wine at home, and every now and then, they organize literary gatherings.
There's no shortage of people eager to display their cultural refinement.
With Pei Xuan having the emperor's favor and a promising future, there's always someone seeking her out whenever she has free time. Cui Ti doesn't constrain her too much but has one rule for her: she shouldn't drink excessively when outside.
Cui Ti really dislikes the idea of someone seeing Pei Xuan in a drunken state. Every extra look from outsiders feels worse to Cui Ti than missing out on a pound of meat.
One day, Cui Ti was lost in thought again, this time in the rabbit room.
The manager of the rabbit room approached her respectfully, holding out a fluffy item and said, "M'lady, the item you requested is ready."
"So soon?"
The manager replied with a genuine smile, "I wouldn't dare to keep M'lady waiting."
Cui Ti didn't let people work for free, rewarding each with five taels of silver.
It turned out that the "fluffy" item she had specially instructed everyone to make was an incredibly cute hat, equipped with two long, soft rabbit ears, looking so genuine one could mistake it for the real thing.
While her request might seem odd, she was very beloved, and the servants in Su Shui Villa, regardless of gender, held her in high regard.
Besides, it was just a peculiar-looking hat. Given her current standing in the household, not only a hat with rabbit ears but even one with donkey ears would be acceptable!
Cui Ti was blind, but with just her hands, she could tell that the hat was exactly what she had envisioned.
She felt slightly embarrassed for others to see her wear such a hat, so she only wore it secretly in her private chamber.
"Bai Tang, how do I look?"
Bai Tang, with her face blushing, responded, "M'lady looks beautiful in this hat!"
Hao Zhong and Rao Liang both echoed in agreement about how good she looked.
Upon receiving the hat, Cui Ti was quite enamored, often fondling the drooping faux rabbit ears when she had some idle moments. However, she didn't dare let Pei Xuan see, fearing she might think Cui Ti had some strange fetish.
"Has she left?"
"She has!"
Before she could say anything else, Bai Tang thoughtfully offered a brand-new rabbit fur hat.
It's said that as Pei Xuan stepped out of Su Shui Villa, she had already noticed that her bedmate had been acting strangely lately. Compared to before, it seemed like she was more eager for Pei Xuan to leave for social engagements.
Something was amiss.
This troubled Pei Xuan to the point where she couldn't sleep.
Imagine, after chasing the love of your life for eight lifetimes, getting married, and then, in less than a year, feeling a growing coldness from her. Even a reincarnated deity couldn't bear such profound melancholy.
She turned around, wanting to find out the reason.
The gatekeeper, seeing her leave and then return, was puzzled.
As she walked, the servants, catching her eye, remained silent.
Before she even reached their bedroom, she could hear laughter and cheerful conversation through the door. Pei Xuan's eyes dimmed, a tinge of bitterness rising in her heart.
Seeing this, even when she was not at home, her wife seemed so joyous.
Biting her teeth and suppressing her feelings of hurt, which she didn't want to share with others, she quietly pushed open the door.