A Quiet Homecoming

The faint crackle of burning red candles filled her ears, yet in the silence of the room, even that soft sound seemed extraordinarily loud.

After the long, elaborate sequence of ancient wedding rituals, Chen Yao was both exhausted and famished. She felt nothing but relief that things had finally come to a pause.

"This is killing me," she grumbled to System 04.

System 04 ignored her complaint and instead drawled, "Host, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

"The bad news is that I failed my mission," Chen Yao replied, her voice drained of energy.

"Bingo! You guessed right." System 04's tone was flat.

Then, deciding not to drag it out, it said directly, "The good news is that your characterization score barely passed."

"Wait." Chen Yao nearly jumped to her feet, firing off a rapid string of questions. "Why just barely passed? I thought I'd get full marks! Did I not play the part well enough?"

"What do you think?" System 04 countered. "In the eyes of the male and female leads, do you come across as the vicious supporting female character?"

"Is that my fault?" Chen Yao refused to accept it, planting her hands on her hips in indignation. "I followed the plot line exactly. If the leads themselves went off course, how can you blame me?"

System 04 clicked its tongue. "I knew you'd say that, so I already reported it to the higher-ups."

Chen Yao beamed. "My system, you're the best!"

System 04 waved its cyber hand with feigned modesty. "Just average."

Because she was so focused on bickering with System 04, when Xie Qingyan stepped slowly into the bridal chamber, he was surprised to see that the bride sitting at the edge of the bed wasn't making a fuss about anything.

But he had just heard Ying Qi's private report that Jiang Chenyao had tried to escape the marriage several times at the mansion, and a heavy knot of resentment weighed on his heart.

Still, Xie Qingyan had always been skilled at managing his emotions, so his expression betrayed nothing—he remained the same gentle, refined gentleman as ever.

"Young Master Xie, you may lift the veil now," the matchmaker reminded him.

Xie Qingyan took the scales she offered, and gently lifted the red veil from the bride's head.

In the bright candlelight, the young woman before him was a vision in her beautiful red wedding dress, with fair skin and delicate features—lips red, teeth white, as lovely as a peony, as captivating as moonlight.

When those shimmering, watery eyes lifted and met his gaze directly, it was stunningly breathtaking.

For a moment, Xie Qingyan was lost in a daze.

He looked at her, and it seemed even the lingering resentment in his heart from her attempted escape quietly drifted away with the wind.

The matchmaker watched the newlyweds gazing at each other, unable to help covering her smile with her handkerchief, but she spoke up nonetheless. "Young Master, Young Madam, it's time for the nuptial wine."

Chen Yao looked curiously at the jade gourd-shaped nuptial cup in her hand. Her wine cup was tied to Xie Qingyan's with a fine red string, their connection close.

So he sat down beside her on the edge of the bed as well.

The distance allowed by the red string was very short; they had to sit face to face, nearly touching noses, before each lowered their head to take a sip of the wine in their own cup.

"Please exchange cups and drink once more," the matchmaker said with a smile.

Chen Yao blinked, then silently exchanged cups with him and took a small sip.

"That's not right—that's not how they do it on TV," she thought, a little disgusted at sharing the cup. She muttered inwardly, "Can't we just cross arms and take a sip?"

System 04 was speechless. "You've already kissed the male lead—you're at the point of swapping spit. This cup is nothing."

Chen Yao: "..."

"I was forced into that!" she fumed. "You wicked system, no talking from now on!"

System 04 snorted lightly. It knew full well what would happen on the wedding night, and it would be shut in a dark corner anyway—sooner or later made no difference.

The main rituals were all completed, and the matchmaker, who had remained in the room, naturally knew when to take her leave, quietly slipping away.

Now, only the newlyweds remained in the room.

Chen Yao looked directly at the man before her, lifting her chin slightly, her pretty face showing clear displeasure. "Xie Qingyan, I'm hungry."

The girl's tone was willful and blunt, carrying the habit of a spoiled little temper, which made one unconsciously want to dote on her.

Xie Qingyan stared at her lips as they moved when she spoke. A trace of wine still clung to them, making that touch of red all the more luscious and enticing.

"Alright," he heard himself say, his voice slightly husky. "But first, you need to be punished."