[Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst]

[Host: justreads.net]

[August 14th, 2018]

The young man at the doorway dressed in a crimson festive robe had a beautiful countenance with ruby lips and pearly white teeth. His inky black hair fluttered around him, toyed by the cool breeze. Although it was tied back with a red ribbon several strands still managed to float in front to caress his rosy cheeks, bringing attention to his sharp eyes and enticingly kissable lips.

Xiao Wan gazed at him in a daze. She tried to reconcile the image of the him in front of her with the image of the crazed emaciated him she remembered at the execution grounds. She was shocked at the difference a year made. The Xie Chuchen in front of her now would make anyone’s heart speed up. The orange light of the setting Sun reflected off his smooth hair giving it a l.u.s.trous sheen. The warm light gave his cheeks a becoming rosy glow and accentuated his smooth ivory and jade like complexion. He looked like a flower in full bloom, an incomparable beauty.

The Xie Chuchen in her memory was sickly, with dry short hair and a pale haggard appearance. His eyes were deep pool of melancholy and the air around him always seemed stagnant.

My goodness! What did I do to him to make such a fine man turn into such a ghost?! Xiao Wan silently cursed herself out in her heart: Weren’t you the Young Miss who encouraged everyone to treat him poorly, to deliberately make things hard for him, to humiliate him at every turn, to annoy him so much he would be forced to leave? Who else do I have to blame but myself?

She glanced at the guards by the back door with savage eyes, scaring them s.h.i.+tless. In a panic they went to remove the fire pan.

Before the guards could do so a flicker of red flashed across Xiao Wan’s field of vision. Xie Chuchen had leapt like a b.u.t.terfly over the pan despite the roaring fire. He was like a moth to a flame, knowing full well the danger but refusing to let it stop him. He wanted to start off on the right foot even if it meant putting himself in harm’s way.[notes] The image of Xie Chuchen’s fluttering sleeves pa.s.sing over the fire would engrave itself in Xiao Wan’s mind forever. It was a beautiful gesture and it showed his dedication.

Just then Xie Chuchen fell down and the hem of his robe smouldered catching on fire. Xiao Wan was shocked. She rushed forward and stamped desperately on the hem trying to put out the fire. After extinguis.h.i.+ng it Xiao Wan gave Xie Chuchen a once over, checking to make sure he was OK.

She became angry when she saw the calmness that was reflected on his face. After taking a deep breath to unsuccessfully sooth her anger she yelled at him. “Why did you jump over the fire?! The guards were about to move it out of your way. Fortunately the flame that caught on your robe was tiny, had it been bigger…”

Xiao Wan fell back several steps at the realization of what could have happened. It had truly caused her heart to panic. The memories came back to her and she remembered.

It was the day before her marriage to Ji Shumo and she had been over the moon making final preparations. Xie Chuchen had shown up that day wearing the Xiao House’s jade pendant. This was problematic for Xiao Wan as the Xiao House would not recognize Ji Shumo’s status as her main husband without it.

The pendant was an heirloom piece pa.s.sed on to the first born daughter of the main wife. The daughter would hold on to it until the day she found the man she wanted to take as her main husband, at which time she would have the jade piece delivered to him. He would then return the jade when he formally entered the House.

The heirloom served to represent a promise: that she would take him and him alone as her main husband. It was a custom a previous Head of House set up ages ago in order to guard against a future Xiao House female from being careless and breaking faith.

Xiao Wan had actually dropped the jade somewhere and lost it some time ago. She looked everywhere but couldn’t find it. In the end she gave up and secretly had a duplicate of it made hoping that when the time came it would fool everyone.

But unfortunately for her right before she was to marry Ji Shumo, Xie Chuchen appeared with the jade! He used it to claim his rights to marry her. Xiao Wan was determined to marry Ji Shumo first so she refused. Xie Chuchen compromised and was willing to marry Xiao Wan on the same day instead. He promised to return the jade and not to tell anyone of the marriage between them. He only hoped that he could stay by her side and accompany her, to live their lives like a genuine husband and wife.

If Xiao Wan refused then he would appeal the matter to Chen Laotaigong[notes] and ask him to mediate. The jade pendant was a representative symbol carried by the main husband, if her great-grandfather found out that Xie Chuchen had it then he would never accept Ji Shumo as her main husband. How could she allow her sweetheart to be wronged like that?

She was shocked he would threaten Ji Shumo in that way. Left with no other choice Xiao Wan agreed to his plan, but not without making some excessive demands of her own. First, he was not allowed to tell anyone that he had the jade pendant as it would threaten Ji Shumo’s position. Second, he could not do anything to cause alarm on her wedding day with Ji Shumo. If Xie Chuchen wanted to get married he had to find his own way through the back door. Third, after marrying into the Xiao House he had to abide by her arrangements without objections.

Firmly believing that Xie Chuchen wanted to get into the Xiao House for the sake of privilege and fortune she ordered everyone to humiliate and hara.s.s him whenever they could. She thought he was despicable and she despised him for it.

Xie Chuchen agreed despite the unfair compromise. He dressed up carefully in a festive wedding robe on the day of Xiao Wan’s wedding to Ji Shumo. Using his own small sedan he brought an attendant with him and headed over to the Xiao House for marriage.

At the doorway he tried to cross over the roaring fire pan but his robe got caught and the fire that lit up travelled all the way up his body and burned his hair. Xiao Wan had pa.s.sed by the back doorway at that time and upon witnessing the scene had screamed out in disgust, “Ugly people sure are strange!” then promptly grabbed Ji Shumo’s hand and went to the front hall to perform the customary baitang.

At that time Xie Chuchen had been seriously injured by the fire. Aside from his hair his leg was also severely burned. The event had naturally shocked Xiao Yurong and Great-Grandfather Chen. Ultimately the two elders found out the truth about the jade pendant and gave Xiao Wan a severe scolding. They also chose to recognize Xie Chuchen as her main husband.

That was the beginning of the grudge Xiao Wan bore against Xie Chuchen. In her eyes he became an extremely shrewd scheming man. She decided it would be best to never touch him. Even if the elders didn’t acknowledge it, in her heart Ji Shumo would always be her main husband and that was all that mattered. She would take care to always pamper and spoil him!