When Cui Wan suddenly seized that hand, it seemed to pause for a moment before immediately closing around hers, offering warm reassurance. The footsteps stopped as well.
"Don't be afraid." That gentle voice sounded again, closer than before, right in front of her. "Your name is... Cui Wan, isn't it?"
Cui Wan nodded hard, her bridal veil swaying gently with the movement. Her throat tightened, and only after a long while did she squeeze out a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "You... who are you?"
"I..." The voice paused, seemingly weighing its words, then gave a soft laugh. It was very quiet, yet to Cui Wan's ears, it sounded like a mountain spring striking jade, clear and lovely. Only at the end did it seem tinged with a barely perceptible loneliness. "I'm... A-Lei's wife, Tang Xiang."
She paused, her tone growing gentler still, as though speaking to a frightened little sister. "From now on, you'll have to follow A-Qi and call me 'Sister-in-law.'"
That answer made Cui Wan's heart abruptly falter.
Tang Xiang...
In an instant, that name overlapped with the bustle and envy on Vermilion Bird Avenue buried deep in her memories from when she was ten.
Those excited remarks still echoed in her ears-"Eldest Son Chu is so handsome! No wonder Grand Secretary Tang's eldest legitimate granddaughter disregarded their difference in standing to marry beneath her!" "A talented groom and a beautiful bride. There couldn't be a better match!"
So... it was her.
The wife of Chu Moqi's elder brother, Chu Molei. The grand secretary's legitimate granddaughter whom the whole capital praised, a noble-born lady who had married into a military family.
Cui Wan could almost imagine how beautiful this sister-in-law must be. Her looks and bearing must be just as Cui Wan imagined, those of a true immortal descended to the mortal world. Yet this woman who stood above the clouds had just held her hand and protected her all the way through that humiliation and fear.
"S-Sister-in-law," Cui Wan called softly and timidly, with gratitude and a barely perceptible trace of closeness.
"Yes." Tang Xiang answered quickly, a hint of warmth in her voice, yet it also seemed to carry a little more barely perceptible heaviness and a catch in her throat. "Dear Wanwan..."
She seemed to draw a breath before continuing, her voice lowered further, filled with deep apology and helplessness. "A-Qi... he's still being a little temperamental and won't come over. Our marquis's household has wronged you today and made you suffer. Please, Wanwan... don't hold it against us, all right?"
He wouldn't come over...
Cui Wan's heart ached and swelled. Overwhelming disappointment and shame surged up again, almost drowning her. Yet as she listened to Tang Xiang's voice, so full of apology and even a hint of pleading, she could not muster the slightest resentment.
She knew that this sister-in-law coming in person to take her hand and rescue her from her predicament was already an act of great kindness and consideration.
"Be good and wait a little longer, all right?" Tang Xiang gently patted the back of her hand, as though coaxing a child. "The guests outside still need attending to. Once we're finished, I... Mother-in-law and I will certainly try to persuade A-Qi to come over. He... there are just a few hurdles in his heart he hasn't managed to cross yet. Wanwan, give... give him a little more time, all right?"
Tang Xiang's voice was audibly choked and strained, as though saying those words had exhausted all her strength. She had to soothe her newly arrived sister-in-law while also protecting that temperamental younger brother-in-law. Even at her young age, Cui Wan could dimly sense the difficulty and heartache in that.
Cui Wan only felt as though something had lodged in her throat, hot and painful. She wanted to cry, wanted to return to her mother's side at once, but in the end, with tears filling her eyes beneath the heavy veil, she merely nodded hard.
Other than nodding, other than waiting, what else could she do?
Tang Xiang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She gently squeezed her hand again and said softly, "Dear Wanwan, then... I'll go out first. A-Qi will be here soon. Don't be afraid. From now on, this is your home."
With that, the warm hand finally withdrew slowly.
Then came faint footsteps, and the door was gently opened and gently closed.
Cui Wan was left utterly alone in the room.
She sat blankly on the edge of the bed, listening to her own lonely heartbeat. Tears streamed down silently and fiercely, dripping onto her tightly clasped hands and onto her splendid but cold bridal gown, which symbolized joy and a promise.
"A-Qi... he's still being a little temperamental and won't come over..."
Being temperamental...
Was it really because he had been injured, as everyone said, and was in a bad mood and unwilling to see anyone? Or... did he simply not want to marry her?
The moment that thought emerged, it drove viciously into Cui Wan's heart like an icy thorn.
Yes, what did she amount to? The daughter of a disgraced official, from the Cui Family's second branch, of lowly standing. Someone like Second Young Master Chu, even... even if he was facing difficulties now, surely remained proud at heart? How could he be willing to marry a little girl like her?
She was so sad. Not because of her uncle and aunt's deception, nor because of outsiders' gossip, but because... Second Young Master Chu might truly not want her at all.
The young hero who had shone so brilliantly in her memories, the figure she had secretly gazed up at for four years, was actually so close to her and yet so far away. Close enough to have become her husband, far enough... that he would not even see her once.
What if... what if he truly hated her that much and wanted to drive her away?
At the thought of that possibility, all the blood in Cui Wan's body ran cold. If she was sent back, her uncle and aunt would certainly fly into a rage. Forget continuing to pay for her mother's treatment-they would probably throw mother and daughter out at once. Then her mother's illness...
No! She couldn't! She absolutely couldn't go back!
Cui Wan clenched her fists hard, her nails digging deep into her palms. If Second Young Master Chu wanted to drive her away, she would beg him. She would kneel and beg, tell him about her mother's illness, tell him she could do anything, and ask only for a place to stay.
Second Young Master Chu... surely... was a kind, softhearted person? Hadn't he helped her when she was little?
If that still didn't work... if that still didn't work, she would beg Sister-in-law Tang Xiang. Her sister-in-law was so gentle and so kind. She would surely help her...
Time slipped by amid her tangled thoughts and silent tears. The room remained quiet, with only an occasional faint crackle as a red candle flared into a blossom of flame.
Cui Wan did not know how long she had been sitting there. She only felt that the heavy phoenix crown and veil were pressing down on her neck until it ached as though it might snap. It was the turn of summer and autumn, and her wedding clothes were thick and stifling, constricting her until she could barely breathe. She had eaten almost nothing since morning. Her stomach had long been utterly empty, and waves of hunger came over her, churning into a dull ache.
Just then, hurried footsteps and an anxious male voice drifted faintly in from outside. The voice was lowered, but its urgency made it distinct:
"...The young master is missing! Quickly! Get more people and split up to search! The garden, the stables, and the hill out back... search them all carefully!"
Immediately afterward, someone who seemed to be a maid stationed outside Cui Wan's door answered timidly, "But... the eldest madam ordered us to stay here and not leave..."
"Is the new madam going to run away?!" The male voice grew more urgent, its commanding tone brooking no argument. "If anything happens to the young master, who can bear the responsibility?! All of you, go look! Hurry!"
A jumble of footsteps quickly receded. The doorway seemed to fall silent in an instant; even the faint breathing from before had vanished.
Cui Wan's heart sank.
The young master was missing? Second Young Master Chu... had he run away? On his wedding night?
Was it because... he truly couldn't bear to see her?
That realization left her even more ashamed and hopeless than her earlier guesses. Like a discarded object, she had been left all alone in this splendid bridal chamber. Even her husband could not get away from her fast enough.
Another unknown stretch of time passed, perhaps two hours, perhaps longer. The quiet outside became a deathly stillness. The red candles had burned more than halfway down, their wax tears piling up like little mountains. Cui Wan was hungry and exhausted, her neck and shoulders aching almost to the point of numbness, while the weight on her head made her dizzy.
At last, she could bear it no longer.
There really seemed to be no one around. Her sister-in-law had told her to be good and wait, but... she was so hungry, and so uncomfortable.
After hesitating for a long time, Cui Wan raised trembling hands and, little by little, carefully pulled the heavy red veil from her head. At last, the suffocating red no longer filled her vision. Though the candlelight was dim, she could at least make out the furnishings. Next, she laboriously removed the heavy phoenix crown and the few jeweled hairpins that dug into her most, setting them casually on the low table beside the bed. Finally, she stood and took off the extremely heavy outer wedding robe embroidered with intricate dragons and phoenixes, leaving only the red inner robe beneath.
After all that, she felt much more at ease, but the hunger struck all the more distinctly. Her stomach felt hollow in waves, leaving her somewhat shaky.
She wanted to call someone, even if they could only bring her a cup of water or a piece of pastry.
"Is... is anyone there?" she called timidly toward the door.
No one answered.
"Excuse me... is anyone outside?" She raised her voice a little, with cautious hope.
There was still only deathly silence.
Cui Wan bit her lip, gathered her courage, and tiptoed to the door. She pulled it open a narrow crack and peered outside.
The veranda was empty. The maids and older serving women who should have been stationed there were indeed all gone. Only a few red lanterns hung beneath the eaves, swaying gently in the night breeze and casting shifting light and shadow. The entire courtyard was frighteningly silent.
Everyone had been called away to look for Chu Moqi, hadn't they? Who still remembered that a hungry, frightened bride was waiting in the bridal chamber?
Cui Wan retreated into the room, shut the door, and leaned against its cold panels. An indescribable sense of hurt and desolation welled up in her.
She was so hungry.
That was right. The marquis's household was holding a wedding feast today and entertaining guests. There must be plenty of good food in the kitchen. Even a few leftover pastries would do, so long as they filled her stomach.
But... what if someone caught her going out to find food? Her sister-in-law had told her to stay obediently in the room. If word got out that the bride had gone looking for food herself, people would certainly laugh. It might even anger Second Young Master Chu and her mother-in-law.
Cui Wan twisted her fingers in indecision, but her stomach gave an ill-timed growl.
In the end, hunger and a secret impulse to escape this suffocating room overcame her timidity.
I'll only go out for a little while, she told herself. I'll sneak to the kitchen and come straight back once I find something to eat. As long as I'm careful, no one will notice. She was simply... too hungry.
Having made up her mind, Cui Wan hastily stuffed the discarded outer wedding robe and veil into the innermost part of the bed, then faced the mirror and roughly straightened her loose hair and inner robe. Fortunately, it was red. Though less formal than her bridal gown, in the darkness of night, perhaps no one would notice anything unless they looked closely.
She drew a deep breath, gently opened the door again, and swiftly slipped out of the bridal chamber on tiptoe, silently melting into the dim light and shadows beneath the veranda.
Cui Wan's heart pounded. She took every step carefully, terrified of making the slightest sound. The marquis's residence was truly enormous, its corridors winding and its courtyards deep. It was several times larger than the Cui Family residence where she had grown up, and far quieter and emptier. The night was deep, with only scattered lanterns in the distance and the occasional lit window tracing indistinct outlines.
She dared not take the main paths, only moving through the shadows along the walls. Whenever she heard distant footsteps or saw shifting light, she immediately hid behind a pillar or beside an ornamental rockery, holding her breath. Only after the sounds and light had receded did she dare continue feeling her way forward.
But... where exactly was the kitchen?
Cui Wan was lost. She knew nothing of the residence's layout. Before her lay only unfamiliar, endless darkness and looming tree shadows. She strayed farther and farther from the center. The buildings around her gradually grew sparse, and the smooth flagstones beneath her feet gave way to a gravel path, flanked by pitch-black grass and shrubs.
Almost all the light around her had vanished. Only the wan moonlight barely traced vague shadows. The night wind rustled through the vegetation, as though countless unseen ghosts lurked within.
Cui Wan stopped, utterly panicked.
She had lost her way...
A whole day's hurt, fear, and helplessness surged like floodwaters bursting through a dam, impossible to contain any longer. She could walk no farther. Leaning against a cold old tree, she slowly slid to the ground, wrapped her arms around her knees, and buried her face deep between them.
Her small shoulders began shaking violently. The sobs she had suppressed all day finally escaped in soft, broken bursts in this deserted, dark corner.
"Wah... Mother... Wanwan is so scared..."
She missed her mother, missed that little courtyard that had been poor but warm, missed Aunt Yue's simple meals, missed her mother's warm embrace and gentle comfort. Everything here was so unfamiliar, so cold, so frightening. No one cared whether she was hungry. No one told her where she should go...
If the people of the marquis's household discovered that the bride was missing too, would they think she had also run away? What would they do to her then? Would they punish her with even harsher methods, like her uncle and aunt, and even drag her mother into it?
The more Cui Wan thought, the more frightened she became. Her tears fell like pearls from a broken string, impossible to stop. In the silent night, her crying sounded especially clear and pitiful.
After crying for a while, Cui Wan wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve and stood up, sniffling. She could not stay here forever. She had to find a way back, or at least find somewhere with people. Forcing herself to rally, she followed a vague sense of direction and continued groping forward with stumbling steps.
The darkness seemed endless. The gravel path beneath her feet seemed to have reached its end. Ahead lay an even denser mass of shadow, perhaps a rockery or a grove. Cui Wan grew increasingly frightened. Just as she was about to turn back, something suddenly caught her foot!
No, she had not tripped over a stone or a branch!
That feeling... it was unmistakably an icy hand suddenly seizing her ankle!
"Ah-!"
Cui Wan let out a short scream, her voice distorted by extreme terror. Scared out of her wits, she lurched backward, nearly falling outright. Her heart hammered wildly, almost leaping out of her throat.
Who was it?! Why was there a hand here?!
She was nearly frightened to death, her whole body rigid, her blood seemingly frozen. Fortunately, the hand had only grabbed her once before immediately releasing her. Its grip had not been strong, and had even seemed a little... weak?
Trembling all over, Cui Wan stared fixedly at the place where she had just stumbled. The moonlight stingily shed a faint glimmer. She strained her eyes wide, but tears blurred her vision. She blinked hard, again and again, and by that dim light, finally made it out-
There on the ground, indistinctly, there seemed to be... a person lying facedown!
The person did not move. Half their body was hidden in deeper shadow, making their face impossible to see clearly. She could only make out a rough human outline. They seemed to be wearing dark clothes, almost blending into the night.
Just now... was this the person who had grabbed her ankle?
Cui Wan backed away repeatedly in fright. Was it a dead person? Or... someone injured?
She dared neither approach nor run-the fright had left her legs weak. She could only stare wide-eyed at the indistinct figure on the ground, even holding her breath, tears still clinging to her lashes, poised to fall.
The night wind keened, blowing through the grass and trees and through the loose strands of the person's hair. All around was the silence of death, broken only by Cui Wan's own uncontrollable, faint gasps.