Chapter 31: Fetching the Bride

Chapter 31: Fetching the Bride

The auspicious hour arrived.

The vermilion gates of the Marquis's residence swung open wide.

Dressed in resplendent red wedding attire, Cheng Yi stood upon the jade steps of the marquis's mansion, his expression calm and composed, strikingly handsome.

His black hair was tied high on top of his head, and his already tall and powerful frame appeared even more imposing.

Behind him, Liu Siming and the others stood ready in their festive best.

Today, each of them was dressed in bright, cheerful colors. Even Fang Qingbai's face showed a hint of joy, with no trace of his usual illness.

Cheng Yi glanced at the vermilion gates, a flicker of regret in his heart.

His elder brother still hadn't made it back in time.

"Let's move out!"

Cheng Yi gripped the saddle with one hand, touched the stirrup with his toe, and gracefully swung onto his horse.

His crimson wedding robes fluttered as he sat upright, back straight, his handsome features sharp and commanding. The crowd at the gate burst into admiring gasps.

The older folks among them couldn't help but remark that he had just as much presence as Cheng Er in his prime.

What a shame—what a shame for both father and son...

At Cheng Yi's command, the wedding procession headed toward the Minister's residence.

To everyone's surprise, the procession was extraordinarily long—a grand, awe-inspiring sight.

Fang Qingbai and the other brothers rode leisurely behind Cheng Yi, each on a tall horse, looking handsome and refined.

It was actually a pretty nice sight, to say the least.

But what puzzled people was that there was no bridal sedan chair or carriage.

What...

What kind of wedding procession was this?

They wouldn't make the couple walk back on their own, would they?

Excitement sparkled in people's eyes as they pushed and jostled, all following along.

The marriage between the two families had long been a spectacle for all to see. Many had gathered early along the roadside, waiting for a show. Now, the crowd of onlookers grew bigger and bigger, and the procession grew more and more massive.

By the end, the line behind Cheng Yi stretched for dozens of li.

Even Cheng Yi hadn't expected such an unprecedented sight.

On the other side.

Compared to the festive Marquis Zhongyong mansion, the Minister's residence seemed much quieter.

No special decorations, no lively atmosphere. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even know the Minister's eldest son was getting married today.

Only in Shen Yichen's courtyard had Chuliu bought red silk and red lanterns with his own money, and even cut red paper into "double happiness" characters.

With those decorations, it finally looked a bit like a wedding.

Wang Shuci had completely given up, not even bothering to keep up appearances. Of course, a large part of this was out of consideration for Shen Qinglan—he refused to give the situation even a shred of dignity.

Minister Shen, however, put on a show of propriety, summoning Shen Yichen to lecture him: "Once you're married, you can't act willfully anymore," "A married person must be content with their lot and treat their husband as their heaven"...

And so on.

He even said things he himself couldn't believe, such as: "Your father passed away early, and I've neglected your upbringing all these years—I feel guilty toward you," "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come back to me—the Minister's residence will always be your home"...

Disgusting words like that.

Maybe Minister Shen himself found his own words too fake and sickening, so he quickly dismissed Shen Yichen.

But before that, he surprisingly showed a bit of generosity, pressing a thousand taels of silver into Shen Yichen's hand, calling it his dowry.

That should have been given by his father personally, but whose fault was it that his father was gone?

Wang Shuci had completely burned his bridges this time, not even bothering to pretend. Minister Shen had no choice but to give it himself, all while forcing a loving-father act.

Shen Yichen took it without the slightest hesitation.

At that moment, all he wanted was to escape this vile place. But now that the moment had actually arrived, he couldn't help feeling nervous.

There was anticipation, uncertainty, and a little panic.

Luckily, there was someone even more restless beside him, which made him look much calmer by comparison.

In the days leading up to the wedding, Chuliu grew increasingly flustered—one moment joyful, the next worried, one moment silent, the next chattering endlessly.

Finally, the day had arrived.

"Time passes so slowly—why hasn't the young master arrived yet?"

"Oh, my young master, how handsome you look! I'm not exaggerating—in all of the capital, I've never seen a young man more handsome than you. Do you think the young master will be stunned speechless when he sees you?"

"..."

"My young master, why do you seem so unconcerned? No, no, I need to check everything one more time—we can't leave anything behind."

Shen Yichen thought to himself that there was hardly anything to leave behind, but Chuliu had already bustled off on his own.

Watching Chuliu's busy figure, Shen Yichen couldn't help but wonder—if his father and elder brother were still alive, would they fuss over him just like Chuliu, both hoping he'd marry a good husband and worrying he might entrust himself to the wrong person?

At the thought, his heart ached with bitterness.

Just then, an unpleasant voice came from the doorway.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought that madman of yours was so impressive, but it turns out you're just hiding away crying every time."

Shen Qinglan sneered, striding in with an air of arrogance.

Shen Yuzhu followed alongside him.

Behind them, two young servants each carried a large wooden chest, seemingly bringing wedding gifts for Shen Yichen.

Shen Yichen's eyes were still red, but he let out a derisive laugh:

"And how do you know I'm not crying tears of joy?"

"Finally, I can leave the Shangshu Mansion and never see those disgusting and foolish things again. I couldn't be happier."

"You!"

Shen Qinglan was instantly speechless.

"Ha, don't celebrate too soon. Your hard times are just beginning."

Shen Yuzhu's face darkened as well.

"Eldest Brother, don't say such heartless words. We're family by blood, but once you enter the Marquis's household, you'll be the outsider there. You might still need the Shangshu Mansion to have your back someday."

Shen Yichen sneered outright. "Do you even believe that?"

Shen Yuzhu's face turned ugly, and he was about to retort when Shen Qinglan cut him off impatiently.

"Enough. Why bother wasting your breath on him?"

He motioned for the servants to put the things on the table.

"This is a little something for your dowry. Take it, so you don't bring shame to the Shen family later."

With that, Shen Qinglan turned and walked off, looking disgusted.

This yard was small and run-down, nowhere near as comfortable as his own.

Only after the two left did Chuliu creep closer.

"What's all this?"

On the table sat two wooden boxes—one exquisite and ornate, the other plain and elegant—both looking like they might contain something nice.

Though those two young masters weren't exactly good people, if they actually gave his master something decent, he'd still be happy.

But just as he reached out to open them, Shen Yichen stopped him.

"Be careful."

He'd been extra careful lately, checking all his food and clothes before trusting them, and anything delivered like this, he wouldn't touch at all.

Chuliu quickly pulled his master back a few steps, then carefully opened both boxes.

The result was a huge letdown.

"Such a big, fancy wooden box, and it only has a jade hairpin inside? And such a... ordinary one at that."

Chuliu was dumbfounded. Then he looked at what Shen Yuzhu gave.

"Is this... a comb?"

A big, elegant wooden box with just a handmade comb inside—no wonder Chuliu looked like he'd eaten something bitter.

Did Shen Yuzhu really think he'd be dumb enough to believe he'd made him a comb himself?

Shen Yichen couldn't help but laugh.

"The Second and Third Young Masters are just humiliating us."

Chuliu's face fell, utterly disappointed.

But then Shen Yichen suddenly got it.

There were still guests at the Shangshu Mansion today, so they had to put on a front.

No doubt plenty of people, inside and out, were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

But the more they wanted that, the more Shen Yichen would hold his head high and prove them wrong.

With that thought, all his earlier nervousness and unease vanished.

"The groom's here!"

"The groom's here!"

Finally... the moment had arrived.

Shen Yichen didn't hurry out. He knelt before the spirit tablets of his father and older brother, saying goodbye to them, and silently swore he'd one day take them away from this filthy place.

After paying his respects, he walked out of the courtyard he'd lived in for over ten years without looking back.

By now, the entrance to the Shangshu Mansion was packed with people. Cheng Yi was waiting with the wedding party, and behind them, crowds had gathered three deep to watch the show.

Shen Yunhe watched Shen Yichen walk over in his flowing red wedding robes, and for some reason, a memory from years ago suddenly surfaced.

That person had been just as dazzling back in his day, and only now did he realize how much this defiant son looked like him.

The two faces seemed to merge in that moment—back then, he too had walked toward him in red robes, head high, so radiant that Shen Yunhe didn't dare meet his eyes, afraid he might see the dirty secrets hidden in his heart.

"Shen Yichen, saying goodbye to Father."

Shen Yichen clearly hated him.

His life was given by his father, so Shen Yunhe had neither given him life nor raised him. That he'd survived at all was entirely due to his own desperate struggle.

So he owed Shen Yunhe nothing.

With this kowtow, they'd be strangers from now on.

Of course, if he ever found out Shen Yunhe had anything to do with his father's or brother's deaths, they'd be more than strangers—they'd be enemies, mortal enemies.

Shen Yunhe was still lost in his daze when Shen Yichen got up and walked toward the door without looking back.

Wang Shuci gritted his teeth in rage at Shen Yunhe's reaction, especially since he'd brought a bunch of friends to watch the show, only to end up being the show himself.

What a shame, what a shame—that little bastard was celebrating way too early. Did he really think he'd live a good life once he left the Shangshu Mansion?

What a pipe dream.

No matter how much he gnashed his teeth, Shen Yichen had already reached the gate.

The moment he appeared, the crowd around him erupted in gasps of awe.

The world had heard plenty about his sharp tongue and wicked ways, his defiance and unfilial behavior, but no one knew Young Master Shen was so breathtakingly beautiful.

Especially today—dressed in bright red wedding robes, with no fancy or heavy hair ornaments, he was stunning beyond words.

People had always known Young Master Shen was good-looking, but they never imagined he could be this breathtaking in wedding robes.

The noise of the crowd died the instant their eyes landed on him. All talk stopped as eyes locked on him, gasps caught in throats, and for a moment, everyone forgot how to speak.

Cheng Yi had always known the man was stunningly handsome, but at this moment, he still found himself frozen, a little dazed.

The moment their eyes met, it was as if the noise of the world had been muted entirely.

Their hearts raced in perfect sync, as if by some unspoken accord.

This man, from this day forward, would be his husband.

And this man, from this day forward, would be his partner.

They would walk hand in hand for the rest of their lives.

==========Author's Note:==========

Wait, this ending—why does it feel like the series is over already?

?