Xie Linheng ignored the gazes of everyone in the hall.
He cupped his hands in salute.
Bowing to the elders present.
Pei Shuyi caught a glimpse of her parents’ bewildered looks from the corner of her eye.
She forced a guilty smile, tugging at the corners of her lips.
Attempting to rise by supporting herself on the armrest of the chair.
But a hand with slender, elegant fingers pressed down on her shoulder.
The man’s cool voice broke the dead silence in the room.
“Madam, with a sprained ankle, you shouldn’t move recklessly.”
Everyone turned their eyes to Pei Shuyi.
Her face mirrored their own confusion and bewilderment, unable to comprehend what Xie Linheng was mistakenly calling out.
Old Madam was the first to break the silence: “Linheng, you’ve mistaken your wife. Your wife is not Pei Shuyi, but Pei Muyin.”
Madam Pei tried to smooth things over: “This is the youngest legitimate daughter of the Pei Family, the Third Miss. Logically, you should recognize her.”
As her words fell, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
The beaded curtain was lifted aside.
Two people walked in.
Pei Muyin was dressed in red today, her hair styled in a cloud-like bun, adorned with a carved jade hairpin. Her appearance was as radiant as spring blossoms, serene and elegant.
Xie Chiyu wore a crimson robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, the weariness between his brows unmistakably evident.
Looking at them, the crowd felt an eerie sense of compatibility.
Xie Chiyu casually took a seat in an empty spot, glanced around, and looked at Xie Linheng, raising an eyebrow:
“Elder Brother, why aren’t you sitting?”
He had learned upon waking this morning that the bridal sedan chairs had been mistakenly switched yesterday and had hurriedly prepared himself to come here.
Pei Muyin sat down beside him. “Elder Brother’s affairs are not for my husband to comment on.”
The teacup in Pei Laoye’s hand trembled violently, his lips quivering.
“Yin Yin, you’ve addressed them wrongly. The elder brother you mentioned is your husband, and the husband you mentioned is your younger brother-in-law.”
Pei Furen’s heart raced: “Shuyi, Yin Yin, what on earth is going on with you two?!”
Pei Shuyi cleared her throat. “My elder sister and I boarded the wrong bridal sedan chairs on the way to the Duke’s Mansion.”
“I was taken to Yunheju, and my elder sister was sent to Ruyi Pavilion.”
Her words exploded like thunder.
Stunning everyone present, their minds buzzing.
“Switch back immediately!” Old Madam exclaimed, leaning back in shock. “Hurry and switch back!”
Pei Shuyi lowered her gaze. “Elder Brother Xie and I have already consummated the marriage.”
Pei Muyin looked up. “Younger Brother Xie and I have also performed the marital rites.”
Everyone was horrified, glancing left and right in disbelief.
A powerful minister paired with a useless girl, a noble lady matched with a playboy—no matter how one looked at it, it was a mismatch!
Xie Linheng lifted the hem of his robe and settled into the official’s armchair beside Pei Shuyi, gently stroking the armrest as he spoke with a steady, firm voice.
“Given the circumstances, the only solution is for my younger brother and me to exchange marriages.”
Two voices immediately rang out.
Pei Shuyi shrank her neck. “What is exchanging marriages? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Xie Chiyu was so startled he straightened his posture. “That’s completely unnecessary!”
The two of them looked up and exchanged a glance.
Strangely, they shared a sense of desolation, as if they were both lost souls in the same world.
Pei Shuyi pursed her lips in a bitter smile.
Xie Chiyu sighed, lifting his lips.
Suddenly, two icy glares fell upon them simultaneously!
Uneasy, they averted their gazes.
Pei Shuyi lowered her head, her raven-feather-like long lashes trembling slightly as she stared at the tips of her shoes.
Xie Chiyu raised his chin, looking up at the floating dust particles in the air.
Having accepted the reality, Pei Laoye calmed down considerably and asked:
“What exactly are your thoughts on this? How do you plan to resolve this matter?”
“If we rashly switch back, it might breed resentment among siblings in the future, which would be far from ideal.”
The First Madam’s gaze was gentle. “Although the matter of exchanging marriages is unheard of, if the four of you have no objections…”
“We elders will not stand in your way.”
The outside world only knew of the marriage alliance between the Xie and Pei families.
But they did not know which two individuals were to become husband and wife.
It was widely speculated that the second daughter of the Pei family, Pei Muyin, was betrothed to the eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Linheng, while the third daughter, Pei Shuyi, was promised to the second son of the Xie family, Xie Chiyu.
Pei Muyin glanced at the scratches on the neck of the person beside her, recalling the marks on his skin, and her brow furrowed slightly with concern.
“My husband and I agree to exchange marriages.”
Xie Linheng’s gaze swept over the young girl who was lowering her head. He leisurely toyed with the jade pendant on his gilded belt, his voice calm and unhurried.
“My wife and I have no objections either.”
Pei Shuyi had no other choice but to nod in agreement.
Xie Chiyu pondered for a moment before finally giving a slight nod.
However, the Old Madam felt that Pei Shuyi was a spoiled and incompetent girl, unworthy of her exceptionally talented eldest grandson?!
“Linheng, think carefully. Do you like Shuyi?”
“Are you willing to have Shuyi as your bride?”
Xie Linheng was willing to marry Pei Shuyi because they had been intimate, unrelated to any feelings of affection.
“Grandmother, my brother and I should thank you for the nuptial wine you sent.”
He glanced sideways. “If not for your encouragement, how could we have reached this point?”
Everyone looked puzzled.
What nuptial wine needed to be delivered by the Old Madam? That wine should have been prepared long ago!
The Old Madam’s eyes shifted slightly as she forced a smile.
“Look at you all. Your grandmother was just trying to liven things up for you brothers. How can you blame her? If you wish to exchange marriages, then so be it.”
“After all, both Muyin and Shuyi are granddaughters-in-law of the Yingguo Duke’s Mansion.”
“I am old and cannot manage so much.”
The First Madam nodded and instructed the servants, “They have been through much today. Please escort the Marquis and Marchioness home.”
It was improper etiquette to invite the in-laws on the first day of the wedding. Now that the matter was resolved, it was time for them to return.
The Marquis and Marchioness rose to leave.
As they reached the doorway,
the Marchioness looked back at Pei Shuyi, tightened her grip on her handkerchief, and suddenly burst into tears. She rushed forward and grasped her youngest daughter’s hands.
“Shuyi, from now on in the Xie Family, listen to your elder sister more. You must not be willful, frivolous, or behave improperly…”
She had never imagined that her youngest daughter would become the matriarch of a prominent family, nor had she taught Pei Shuyi how to be the mistress of a noble household.
The Marquis walked over and, looking at Xie Linheng’s impassive face, asked in a slightly trembling, tentative tone:
“Linheng, since you have no affection for my daughter, why not let her return to the Marquis’s residence with me today?”
Xie Linheng noticed Pei Shuyi biting her lip, her eager almond-shaped eyes blinking rapidly.
His gaze gradually hardened. He firmly grasped her wrist and, without a word, intertwined his fingers with hers.
His tone deepened.
“Is entering my Xie Family’s door and becoming Xie Linheng’s wife such a disgraceful thing?”
“Of course not,” the Marquis said. “Whoever becomes your wife is blessed by fortune from her past life.”
The Marchioness coughed lightly, finding it inappropriate to say more.
“Children have their own destinies. As long as Shuyi and Muyin are well, we as parents can rest easier.”
Pei Shuyi watched blankly as her parents departed.
Xie Lin obviously despised her, so why wouldn’t he let her go?
The man’s cold, deep voice sounded beside her ear.
“Your father and mother haven’t gone far yet. If you follow them now, you might still make it home.”
“Madam, do you wish to leave?”
“Leaving already?”