Chapter 1

Chapter One: Rebirth of the Ugly Girl, Marital Bliss is a Joke! In the deep winter of December, the ugly woman Jia Qingcheng died in the warm embrace of her husband, Pei Wuliang. Even though her hideous appearance had been criticized by countless people, her husband had never mistreated her in the slightest. They had lived a life of perfect harmony and marital bliss. When she opened her eyes again, Jia Qingcheng found herself back at the Spring Banquet, the very day her husband was set to announce their grand wedding. "Miss, what's wrong? The Eldest Young Master is getting impatient!" Her maid, Chunyan, chattered away, reminding her of the situation. Her words were exactly the same as in her previous life. Jia Qingcheng stared blankly at the ugly face in the mirror. Pockmarks covered her face like a scattered constellation, her dark skin was perpetually gloomy, a large black mole sat upon the bridge of her nose, and her splayed eyebrows completed the look. With features like these, she would be reviled by everyone whenever she stepped onto the street. Yes, she was the most famous ugly woman in the capital. Her family had been physicians for generations, and her grandfather had even served as the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Her appearance was hideous and repulsive, but fortunately, her husband, Pei Wuliang, did not abandon her and loved her for a lifetime. However, no one knew that beneath this ugly mask, a peerless beauty was hidden. Why the disguise? It stemmed from her mother. Her mother was once the most beautiful woman in the world, but after her father married her, he had a change of heart within a few years. Mistresses and concubines were brought into the manor one by one, and her mother personally witnessed her father’s infidelity with a concubine. That night, her mother died of sheer heartbreak. On her deathbed, her mother gripped her hand and told her to hide her face. A beautiful face was a cardinal sin; it would only lead to being deceived by men. Her mother used her own blood and tears to provide her with a refuge, building a wall to block out any rotten peach blossoms. Thus, she had disguised herself as ugly since childhood, and even Father Jia had never noticed. But then she met her husband, Pei Wuliang. He did not despise her ugliness; instead, he treated her with great affection. Although her in-laws were harsh and being a daughter-in-law was difficult, she still exerted all her efforts to plan a bright future for her husband. She brought a declining family to the pinnacle of success. Unfortunately, her life was fleeting, and her body failed her. A single bout of cold left her unable to rise again. As she lay dying, her greatest regret was that she never let her husband see her true face. Having a second chance at life, she did not intend to hide anymore. "Chunyan, go and prepare two eggs for me." Looking at the ugly face in the mirror, she felt it was an eyesore for the first time. "Miss, we are at the Spring Banquet. What do you need eggs for?" Jia Qingcheng smiled faintly. "It’s time for him to see the real me. Go." Just as Chunyan was about to turn around, an urgent voice came from outside. "Miss, the Eldest Young Master, he..." "Is he here?" Jia Qingcheng’s face lit up with joy. She hadn't even washed the grime from her face yet, but her husband was already too impatient to wait for her. What kind of devotion was this? The longing she felt for him at the moment of her death made her desperate to see him again. So, she ignored everything and ran out in joy. The word "husband" was about to leave her lips when she was completely shocked by the scene before her... There stood Pei Wuliang, holding her cousin Song Jiaojiao's hand amidst the crowd. The two were a perfect match of talent and beauty, while she stood there like a clown who had suddenly appeared. She was utterly out of place. Husband... The unspoken word instantly felt like a bone stuck in her throat. "Taking advantage of today's Spring Banquet, I want to announce a joyous occasion. I am going to marry Song Jiaojiao!" Pei Wuliang was high-spirited, his deeply affectionate gaze never once leaving Song Jiaojiao. The crowd was shocked. Wasn't the Eldest Young Master fond of the Eldest Miss? Why the sudden change? "Eldest Young Master, weren't you just admiring the moon with the Eldest Miss a few days ago?" "Yes, Eldest Young Master, shouldn't you be announcing your engagement to the Eldest Miss today?" Pei Wuliang immediately denied it. "Everyone has misunderstood. The Eldest Miss and I are just ordinary friends. The woman I truly love is Song Jiaojiao. She is the one in my heart." After speaking, Pei Wuliang hurriedly turned to look at Father Jia. "Uncle, please grant your blessing to Jiaojiao and me!" Father Jia's expression was complicated. Jia Qingcheng was simply too ugly; even he, as her father, felt nauseated looking at her face, let alone the Eldest Young Master of the Pei family. The Pei family was an aristocratic clan. Although they had lost their former glory, their status remained. If he truly married an ugly woman, he would likely become the laughingstock of the capital. "Wuliang, have you discussed this with Qingcheng?" "Uncle, the Eldest Miss has nothing to do with me. Jiaojiao is my true love." The maid Chunyan couldn't listen anymore. "Miss, didn't the Eldest Young Master always like you? Why does he want to marry the cousin instead?" Chunyan spoke up for her, but the guests at the banquet included noble ladies of the capital and her own friends. Now, everyone looked at her as if she were a joke. "Qingcheng, what did I tell you? I told you not to trust that man too much. Look at you now, just helping others reap the rewards of your hard work." "Exactly, Qingcheng, you're so foolish. Take a look at your face—are you even worthy of Pei Wuliang?" A group of women mocked and ridiculed her. Their words were like thorns stabbing deep into her heart. She refused to believe this was real. After a pause, she slowly walked up to Pei Wuliang. The Shu brocade he was wearing was something she had specifically commissioned a friend to make for him. And now, wearing the clothes she had made, he was saying he loved her cousin? "What did you just say? Say it again." Seeing her question him, Pei Wuliang's expression shifted slightly, but he eventually straightened his back and gave her a look of pity. He had long grown sick of this ugly face. "I’m sorry. I know you’ve done a lot for me over the years, but gratitude is not love. The woman I love is Jiaojiao." Jia Qingcheng froze. How could things have turned out this way? It wasn't like this in her previous life. Pei Wuliang had only ever had one woman—her. Suddenly, a thought struck her. In her previous life, Song Jiaojiao had married the dying Prince Chu, Xiao Zhiheng. She became a widow just a few days after the wedding, after which Song Jiaojiao moved to the mountains for secluded cultivation. From then on, Pei Wuliang had frequently gone up the mountain, claiming he was searching for spiritual herbs to nourish Jia Qingcheng's body. But all he ever brought back were ordinary medicinal ingredients. Could it be that the two of them had already been involved in her previous life? No, she didn't want to believe it. He had been so good to her in her past life. Even before she died, Pei Wuliang had stayed by her side, caring for her without sleep. Could all that kindness have been fake too? "Qingcheng, it's not that your mother wants to criticize you, but if I were a normal man, I would choose Jiaojiao too. Look at how handsome the Eldest Young Master is. He’s highly regarded by the Imperial Academy of Medicine and has a limitless future. How could he possibly be with an ugly woman like you..." "Pei Wuliang!" Jia Qingcheng interrupted her stepmother, her eyes sharp. "You tell me. Have you truly decided?" She knew she had become the laughingstock of the entire event. She had been waiting expectantly for him to announce their wedding date, only for him to choose someone else. She didn't care about the humiliation; she only cared if this man was lying to her, or perhaps, if he had some secret struggle? After all, the love in her previous life couldn't have been fake. Why did everything change after her rebirth? Pei Wuliang pursed his thin lips and didn't spare another glance at her hideous face. "I'm sorry, Jiaojiao is my true love." Fine. Very well. This time, she heard him clearly. There was no secret struggle, only the relief of confession. At this moment, she was glad she hadn't washed the grime from her face. Otherwise, the humiliation would have lasted a lifetime. She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Then I wish you both a long life together." The banquet continued. As the Eldest Miss of the Jia family, she wouldn't make a scene; after all, she had to consider the family's reputation. But soon, Pei Wuliang found her again. "Miss, he's here again." Jia Qingcheng only gave him a fleeting, cold glance. "What are you doing here now?" Seeing the pain in her eyes, Pei Wuliang knew she must be heartbroken. After all, she had loved him to the bone in her previous life. But he truly couldn't stand it anymore. Facing her ugly face every day gave him nightmares. He even had to act magnanimous in front of others, pretending he didn't care about her hideousness. Now that he had obtained the secret formula for infertility, Jiaojiao could bear his children, and he no longer needed to maintain his persona of a devoted man. "Qingcheng, I know you like me, but feelings cannot be forced." Cannot be forced? In her previous life, he was the one who was willing to marry her. Now he was actually turning around and saying it couldn't be forced. How utterly ridiculous. Her lips trembled. Her heart was filled with bitterness. She wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. Pei Wuliang saw her pained expression. "You don't need to be sad. Although I'm marrying Jiaojiao, I won't just ignore you." Seeing that she didn't speak, Pei Wuliang assumed she was still holding onto hope. After all, besides himself, who else would want an ugly woman like her? "Jiaojiao is betrothed to Prince Chu, but since she is going to marry me, you will marry Prince Chu in her place." The current Prince Chu, Xiao Zhiheng, also held the position of Grand Secretary; his power rivaled even the Emperor himself. However, she knew that in her previous life, at this very time, Prince Chu was already on his deathbed. So, was that why Song Jiaojiao didn't want to marry him? Jia Qingcheng almost laughed in anger. "You want me to marry a dying man in Song Jiaojiao's place?" "That's right. You've been truly devoted to me all these years, so I won't just leave you be. I've already made the arrangements. The Prince Chu Manor doesn't have any objections. Prince Chu only has a few days left. If you marry him, it'll only be for a month. Once the mourning period is over, you can remarry. At that time, I will overlook the past and take you as my concubine. As long as you are well-behaved, when Jiaojiao is indisposed during her monthly cycle, I will consider visiting your room to bestow a child upon you to provide for your old age."