Chapter 51

Chapter 51: My Lady Is an Ugly Woman—Who Are You? Chunyan knew that her lady hadn't had a drop of water since before leaving the house. Because the wedding dress was elaborate and difficult to put on, and to avoid needing to use the restroom after drinking too much water, her lady had been holding it in without drinking anything at all. She felt deeply sorry for her. Although the wedding ceremony was tedious, the Noble Consort had already ordered many rules to be waived—even the bowing ceremony between husband and wife was skipped. She knew this meant Prince Chu was on his last legs. It was truly a grievance for her young lady. After they married into the Jia family, how would they ever get by? Just thinking about it was pitiful. "Miss, would you like some water?" Chunyan gently lifted Jia Qingcheng's veil, but the moment she lifted it, she stumbled backward in fright. "Y-you, who are you? You're not my miss. Who are you?" Chunyan's first thought was that she had entered the wrong room—this wasn't her miss's bridal chamber. After all, what had she just seen? Beneath the veil was a face of breathtaking beauty... And she knew better than anyone what her miss looked like. "Someone, come! It's wrong, it's all wrong! Where did you take my miss? She's not—" "Chunyan, don't be afraid. It's me!" Jia Qingcheng knew Chunyan was terrified, so she quickly pulled the veil away from her own face. As the bright red veil fell, a stunningly beautiful face suddenly appeared before Chunyan's eyes. "Y-you, you're not—" "I am. Chunyan, don't be afraid. Actually, this is the real Jia Qingcheng." What? The real Jia Qingcheng? Chunyan's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing. She had been by her miss's side for years—how could she not know what her miss looked like? But this beautiful woman before her claimed to be her miss. How was that possible? Her miss was famously the ugliest woman in the capital, scorned by everyone. How could she suddenly become a great beauty? "Y-you, don't deceive me. My miss doesn't look like you." Jia Qingcheng knew Chunyan didn't believe her. She gently shook her head, then stood up and walked slowly to the bronze mirror in the bridal chamber, sitting down before it. "Chunyan, close the door." It was strange. This woman looked different from her miss, yet she spoke exactly like her miss, and even her mannerisms were similar. In the past, her miss would often lower her eyes out of inferiority, and now, this beauty also unconsciously made the same gesture. Could it be... Chunyan hurried to close the door. She wanted to know how her miss had become so beautiful. "Miss, you..." "Actually, I deliberately made myself ugly. This is my true appearance." What? Deliberately made herself ugly? Chunyan's eyes widened, wanting to confirm this wasn't real, but reality was right before her. She went from shock to surprise. "Miss, so you were never ugly—you're as beautiful as a celestial being! Why would you do such a thing? Do you know how many cold stares and taunts we endured all these years because of that face? Why did you—" "Prince Chu has arrived!" Suddenly, a respectful voice came from outside. Prince Chu was here? Prince Chu! Jia Qingcheng quickly pulled the red veil back over her head. Both mistress and maid turned in unison to look toward the door... ... Dusk deepened, and a bright moon hung high. Inside the Pei residence, lanterns and decorations made for a lively scene. After several rounds of wine, a half-drunk Pei Wuliang slowly made his way to the entrance of his bridal chamber. Seeing that he had drunk too much, Hu Ba quickly stepped forward to support him. "Young Master, please be careful." "Get away! Today is the happiest day of my life—of course I must drink well!" He was going to consummate the marriage with Song Jiaojiao. After that, he would find a way to visit Chu Wangfu to see what Jia Qingcheng was up to, and also remind her to prepare all those dowry gifts meant for Chu Wangfu. Those were all supposed to come to the Pei residence—he absolutely couldn't let her keep them at Chu Wangfu and let outsiders benefit from them. "Young Master, you've had too much to drink." Bang! Pei Wuliang kicked open the bridal chamber door. Inside, Song Jiaojiao sat demurely on the bed in her wedding dress, waiting for him. Hearing his footsteps, she immediately sat up straight. Pei Wuliang had married the woman he loved, so his mood was naturally excellent. "Jiaojiao, your husband is here." "Husband, have you drunk too much?" Song Jiaojiao was not in a good mood. Why? Because half of Jia Qingcheng's dowry had not yet been delivered to her. She had confidently promised Mother Pei that the dowry would come with her, but she still hadn't received it. She worried that tomorrow she would be questioned by her mother-in-law. If that dowry didn't arrive, she would be in trouble. That damned ugly thing—what was she playing at? "Jiaojiao, in this life, I have finally fulfilled my wish to marry you." As he spoke, Pei Wuliang lifted the veil covering Song Jiaojiao's head. When it came off, her face was full of smiles. She was beautiful, but there was a certain affected quality to her beauty. Compared to ordinary women, her face was outstanding—but compared to the stunning beauty he had seen today... Song Jiaojiao seemed far too common in comparison, lacking that natural, effortless quality. That kind of beauty—cold, proud, aloof—was something innate. Not something that could be faked later. For some reason, ever since he had seen that stunningly beautiful woman's face, that unforgettable visage kept flashing through his mind and thoughts. Especially when he heard passersby say she was Jia Qingcheng, he really wanted to laugh. If Jia Qingcheng looked like that, why would he have abandoned her to marry Jiaojiao as his principal wife? In his previous life, he and Jia Qingcheng had faced each other day after day. How ugly she was—how could he, as her husband, not know? How could such a beautiful woman possibly be the ugly Jia Qingcheng? What a bunch of ignorant commoners. "Husband, why are you looking at me like that?" Song Jiaojiao thought he was captivated by her beauty. And if he was, that was only natural—she had hired the finest makeup artist in the capital to adorn her today. How could she not be beautiful? "Is it because I'm so beautiful that my husband is stunned speechless?" Pei Wuliang: "..." Beautiful she may be, but not breathtaking enough! Of course, he wouldn't say such things. He let out a light chuckle. "Jiaojiao, tonight you are the most beautiful bride. Let us drink this nuptial cup, and from this day forward, we shall never part." With that, he hurriedly had Hu Ba prepare the nuptial wine, while Song Jiaojiao gazed at him with a face full of sweetness. "Husband, marrying you makes me truly happy. It's just that I wonder about Sister..." The moment Jia Qingcheng was mentioned, Pei Wuliang lost all interest in drinking. He frowned at Song Jiaojiao. "Why do you suddenly bring up Qingcheng?" "Husband, I just heard that Prince Chu's household also took in a stunning beauty as a bride. Is this true? If so, then my sister's days in the manor will be terribly difficult. She's ugly and can't speak well—she surely can't compete with this beauty." "Jiaojiao, how can you be so kind-hearted? Have you forgotten how she caused you to fall?" Song Jiaojiao feigned magnanimity. "We are sisters who grew up together, after all. I'm still very worried about her. I wonder how she's doing now?" "Why worry? No matter how many women Prince Chu takes into his household, can a woman on the verge of death even enjoy such favors?" Song Jiaojiao: "..." "Come, let's drink the nuptial cup." Pei Wuliang was just about to enjoy the pleasures of the bridal chamber with Song Jiaojiao. He had even stripped off his clothes, leaving only the final step of baring themselves to each other, kindling ready to ignite—when suddenly someone ruined the mood... "Master, something terrible has happened! A creditor has come to the door causing trouble!"