[GL]Whose Wife Is Always Acting Pitiful? Oh, It Turns Out It’s Mine 6

T/N: Fixed chapter 4 (repeated chapter 3)

Chapter 6: A Boundary Between Us

“Bridal chamber pranks! Bridal chamber pranks!”

Xue Mu used to love watching the fun, especially watching people play pranks in the bridal chamber. Things like throwing a handful of peanuts and dates to wish the couple early children, teasing the groom about lifting the veil too quickly and making him do it again, or egging the couple on to have another cup when they drank the cross-cupped wine…

She never expected that today would be the day she, Xue Mu, would be on the receiving end of these pranks.

Holding the long, snowy jade ruyi scepter in her hand, she looked at the woman already sitting by the bed, waiting for the veil to be lifted. Her hands trembled slightly, and her heart thumped in her chest.

Once the veil was lifted, the bride before her eyes would truly be her wife.

At this moment, Xue Mu forgot that the moment she bowed to Heaven and Earth with Dugu Yuan’an, the marriage was already set in stone. Lifting the veil was just a procedure after the ceremony, a formality that had to be followed.

She took several deep breaths before extending the jade ruyi under the veil, then slowly lifted it up. A snowy-white, movingly beautiful face was revealed from beneath the veil. Her lips, touched with rouge, were even more rosy, and a pair of watery eyes that moved with light made Xue Mu’s heart skip a beat.

She stared blankly at the woman in front of her, the veil pausing halfway up. It wasn’t until someone started urging her that she used the jade ruyi to completely lift the veil off. The guests in the room laughed and jeered: “Cross-cupped wine! Cross-cupped wine!”

Dugu Yuan’an’s servant, Zi’ang, brought the cross-cupped wine. Xue Mu lowered her eyes to look at the wine in the jade cups, which emitted a faint fragrance. She reached out and took one cup, handing it to Dugu Yuan’an, then took another cup and held it in her hand.

Under the candlelight, Dugu Yuan’an’s face radiated a hazy glow. She smiled faintly, waiting for Xue Mu to sit beside her.

Xue Mu stood by the bed for a long time before slowly sitting down. She thought to herself, Even if you are so beautiful that it moves my heart, I cannot just willingly become your wife like this. If the Dugu Manor and you treat me badly, I will naturally tear down this Dugu Manor and then divorce you.

Her wrist slowly touched Dugu Yuan’an’s wrist. Leaning her body forward, she lowered her head to drink the wine in the jade cup.

Xue Mu lowered her eyes while drinking, while Dugu Yuan’an raised her eyes to stare into hers, her gaze instantly deepening.

When the wine entered her mouth, it was slightly sweet, flowing down her throat with a bit of spice. For Xue Mu, it was too mild. Presumably, the person who prepared the wine had taken Dugu Yuan’an’s health into consideration.

When the two of them drank the cross-cupped wine, the laughter and applause in the room instantly became more enthusiastic. According to the rules, the newlyweds then had to go and toast the guests. Xue Mu was naturally no stranger to these social niceties, so she moved to help Dugu Yuan’an into the wheelchair to push her out.

The moment she held Dugu Yuan’an’s right hand, she felt only coldness between her palm and fingertips. She was startled inwardly: Do people who practice the Soul Cold technique all have bodies this cold? It’s even a bit scary cold. Fortunately, her hand is still soft, otherwise I really would have felt a chill down my spine.

Then she thought again. Dugu Yuan’an’s hand was icy cold, her fingers slender and long, fair and smooth, but she couldn’t underestimate her—remembering their first meeting when she was secretly plotted against by Dugu Yuan’an’s finger strength and made to kneel. After marriage, she couldn’t judge by appearances again and think the other party was truly a sickly invalid.

“…Maiden Yuan’an,” Xue Mu said in a low voice. “If you don’t like meeting the guests, you can stay here and wait for me.”

Dugu Yuan’an just smiled and tightened her grip on Xue Mu’s hand: “Are you still calling me ‘Maiden’? You should call me Madam.”

Xue Mu’s face instantly heated up. Feeling uncomfortable, she hurriedly looked away.

“Let’s go,” she said. “I’ll help you into the wheelchair.”

Dugu Yuan’an wanted to stand up just like that, but she didn’t reach for the cane leaning by the bed. She seemed to want to lean on Xue Mu’s body to stand up, but just as she was about to stand, her legs sank down—

Xue Mu, with quick eyes and hands, supported her waist, feeling even more how soft and slender the body under the wedding dress was. She couldn’t help but say, “Don’t force yourself.”

On the day of the wedding, every woman wanted to show her best side. It seemed that although Dugu Yuan’an didn’t go out on ordinary days, she had the same thoughts and expectations as ordinary women. Thinking this, she supported Dugu Yuan’an and helped her sit in the wheelchair.

A faint look of regret seemed to appear on Dugu Yuan’an’s face. Xue Mu didn’t think much of it and just pushed her out the door.

The guests were already chatting and laughing at the tables. Seeing the newlyweds arrive, they all raised their glasses and cheered loudly with blessings.

Xue Mu first pushed Dugu Yuan’an to the main table to toast her own parents and the Dugu couple. Dugu Yuan’an wanted to take wine again, but Xue Mu said, “Replace the wine with tea!”

Dugu Yuan’an sighed, and was scolded by Madam Dugu: “Yuan’er, on such a joyous day, you cannot sigh.”

Xue Mu didn’t even blink and said directly, “Then I alone will toast on behalf of both of us, Madam Dugu.”

Madam Dugu looked at her with a beaming smile: “Still calling me ‘Madam Dugu’?” Her tone and intonation were exactly the same as Dugu Yuan’an’s.

Xue Mu stammered, and finally blushed as she called out, “Mother.”

Madam Dugu was happy and pulled her to talk about Dugu Yuan’an, mentioning things like how Dugu Yuan’an liked basking in the sun, loved sweets, had a very good memory and never forgot what she saw… Xue Mu listened quietly, marveling inwardly.

Although Dugu Yuan’an didn’t come from Madam Dugu’s womb, she could rattle off what Dugu Yuan’an liked and what her strengths were as if enumerating her own family treasures. No wonder when Dugu Yuan’an said she wanted to marry her, Madam Dugu fully supported it and even came to the Xue Manor with her husband to propose and back her up.

“Tower Master Xue, in marrying into the Dugu Manor today, did you do so willingly?” Someone teased half-truthfully.

Actually, this question was a confusion hidden in the hearts of most people present. After all, the Dugu Manor proposing marriage was something no one had expected.

If Xue Mu were marrying the legitimate second daughter of the Dugu family, Dugu Yunuo, it would be a beautiful story. But unfortunately, it wasn’t Dugu Yunuo, but Dugu Yuan’an marrying her. Naturally, many people in the Jianghu were deeply puzzled and full of doubts.

Xue Mu just raised her wine cup and said with radiant spirits, “Is my wife beautiful?”

The guests said: “Beautiful!”

Xue Mu said: “Am I beautiful today?”

The guests said: “Beautiful!”

Xue Mu laughed loudly and said, “Two beauties getting married today is pleasing to the eye, isn’t it?”

The guests said: “Yes!”

Xue Mu snapped her fingers and said cheerfully, “Starting from tomorrow, for thirty-six hours (72 hours), guests patronizing Xue Star Tower will have half off on fine wine and food!”

The guests raised their cups and shouted “Good!” Xue Mu drank the fine wine in one gulp, lowered her head to look at Dugu Yuan’an, and the latter smiled faintly, her voice clear and gentle: “Drink a little less, don’t get drunk.”

“I won’t get drunk.” As Xue Mu spoke, she poured another cup of wine.

An hour later, Xue Mu and Dugu Yuan’an were finally escorted back to the bridal chamber by the throng of guests.

…

The noise of the banquet was shut out of the new room. Xue Mu felt that the surroundings were so quiet it was as if this was the last room left in the world.

She hadn’t realized it while toasting at the banquet just now, but at this moment, she felt unbearably hot wearing this wedding outfit. She took it off directly, then looked at Dugu Yuan’an and said, “You take yours off too!”

Dugu Yuan’an gazed at her calmly, her hands unmoving.

Xue Mu felt strange: “Aren’t you hot?”

Dugu Yuan’an said: “I only feel cold.”

Xue Mu didn’t think much of it and said, “Then take off your clothes and sleep under the covers.”

Dugu Yuan’an smiled faintly. Xue Mu thought for a moment, went to the bed, looked at the bright red brocade cotton quilt, turned the horizontal quilt vertical, and placed it in the middle.

“I don’t need a quilt when I sleep at night. If you’re afraid of the cold, you can cover yourself with all of it.” She pointed to the side where Dugu Yuan’an was sitting, then pointed to the side where she was standing. “You sleep there, I sleep here.”

Dugu Yuan’an’s smile didn’t diminish but increased, only her eyes became increasingly dark and deep.

“Is Madam… trying to draw a Chu River and Han Boundary* between us?”

(TN: A reference to the boundary between the Chu and Han armies in Chinese history, meaning a clear dividing line.)