[ The following chapters contain explicit sexual content involving actions taken against the female lead's will. These scenes depict coercion, emotional manipulation, and lack of genuine consent. Reader discretion is strongly advised due to the disturbing and non-consensual nature of the content. ]
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When they came outside, a bright and fancy wedding sedan chair was waiting in the courtyard. There were more than ten men dressed in festive servant outfits, standing in two neat rows.
When they saw the two of them coming out, all of them lowered their heads.
Pearl Su's face turned gloomy at the sight, but she had no choice. She let Servant Xin help her into the sedan chair.
Before the curtain was lowered, Servant Xin picked up a piece of red silk and covered her head.
The sedan swayed along the road for a long time before finally coming to a stop. The curtain was lifted, and Servant Xin's voice came, "Miss Su, it's time to get out."
Servant Xin reached out to help Pearl Su step down. The sound of loud firecrackers exploded in her ears, and something soft was placed in her hand.
"Miss Su, hold this," Servant Xin said.
Through the fabric, Pearl Su saw it was a strip of red silk. She let out a cold smile.
With Servant Xin's help, she stepped over the fire basin and crossed the threshold, entering the house.
Inside, someone began chanting:
On this day the peach blossoms shine bright,
A fine match is made,
Poems praise the lovebirds,
Songs bless harmony and good fortune,
Prosperity for generations,
Kindness and unity,
A joyful household,
Love without doubt,
A bond like fish in water,
Sincere cooperation,
An oath of eternal love.
While the chanting continued, Pearl Su stepped over a golden saddle and a jade ruyi, then stopped at a certain spot. The chanting ended.
A loud male voice rang out:
Thank you all for coming to our Marquis Manor wedding. The ceremony officially begins now. Groom and bride, prepare to bow.
Groom and bride, first bow to the heavens and earth.
As the joyful voice echoed, Pearl Su stood still, not moving, a cold smile on her lips.
If they dared to force this marriage, then they should be ready for the consequences. After all, it wasn't her reputation at stake.
Whispers began to rise around her. Pearl Su's smile deepened, filled with coldness.
Servant Xin whispered by her ear, "Miss Su, we should finish the ceremony. Once we get through this part, we'll have chances to deal with everything later."
Pearl Su paused for a moment, thinking.
If she refused to bow, would they deal with her for it?
Right now her body was weak, and her situation was dangerous. It might be better not to push too hard.
If she played along for now, she might get better treatment. Once she recovered, she could take her revenge.
Besides, it was just a wedding ceremony. If she never admitted to it, it meant nothing. When the time came, she could leave this place far behind.
The loud voice rang out again.
Groom and bride, first bow to the heavens and earth.
With Servant Xin's help, Pearl Su gave a slight bow. Then came the second and third chants: bow to the parents, bow to each other as husband and wife. She bowed again twice. Finally, the announcer declared the ceremony complete.
Servant Xin helped her into the bridal room, where she sat on the bed.
After all that, it was already noon. Pearl Su felt hungry. She said to Servant Xin, "Xin, I'm hungry. Can you get me something to eat?"
"What would you like, Miss Su?" Servant Xin asked quickly.
"Some wontons would be fine," Pearl Su replied.
"Alright. I'll go give the order now."
When Servant Xin came back, she asked with curiosity, "Miss Su, why don't you like getting married?"
How was she supposed to answer that? She didn't even know anyone here. There was no one she liked. And she had never even wanted to get married.
"I didn't," Pearl Su replied calmly. "You're overthinking."
Servant Xin said, "Miss Su, I think… people all have to get married. Doesn't matter who it is, since in this world, men take multiple wives anyway. As long as there's someone you like among them, it's enough. Of course, if every one you marry is someone you like, that's even better."
Pearl Su didn't want to explain further. She just replied lightly, "Yes, I'm sure you'll marry someone you like one day, Servant Xin."
"So you don't need to be afraid, Miss Su. Even if the one you marry now isn't the one you like, you'll find someone you like in the future," Servant Xin kept persuading her.
…Could she even say she didn't want to marry anyone at all?
"Servant Xin, help me take off the headdress. It's too heavy. I feel awful."
"That's not allowed, Miss. You can't take off your headdress on your wedding night. It's bad luck," Servant Xin quickly refused.
"But I can help you take off the red veil, so you can eat. After that, I'll put it back on."
"After I eat, I want to rest. There's no need to put the veil back on," Pearl Su said softly.
"No, Miss Su, if the groom comes in and sees you like that, it wouldn't be good." Servant Xin had already lifted the red veil, but after hearing her say that, she hurriedly refused again.
The groom? Pearl Su paused, then asked, "Do you know who I did the wedding ceremony with?"
Servant Xin shook her head. "I didn't see him before. I don't know him. But he was really good-looking. Really, really good-looking."
Her face went dreamy as she continued in a daze, "I almost got lost staring at him… Hmm… Not just good-looking, but handsome. Yes, very handsome."
Pearl Su thought for a moment. Handsome? Who could it be…
Sigh. She shouldn't have asked. Servant Xin barely knew anyone here anyway. She'd meet him eventually. No need to rush.
Knock knock. There was a knock at the door. Servant Xin snapped out of her daze and ran over.
Pearl Su took the chance to look around the room. There was a faint scent of sandalwood in the air.
The furniture was made of dark wood, with a classical design. It felt elegant and dignified. The bright red decorations added a festive mood, softening the solemn atmosphere. This must be a man's bedroom.
Servant Xin came back carrying a food box. She smiled at Pearl Su, "Miss Su, there are wontons. Two kinds. One has shrimp and fish roe, and the other has lamb. Which one do you want?"
"Either is fine," Pearl Su replied casually.
"Then I'll give you some of both," said Servant Xin, and without waiting for a reply, she started preparing the food.
She quickly picked out the wontons and began feeding them to Pearl Su.
After eating, Pearl Su felt tired. "Servant Xin, help me lie down. I want to rest a little."
"Yes, Miss Su." Servant Xin agreed, but hesitated a little. Then she asked softly, "Miss Su… can I eat your leftover wontons?"
Pearl Su looked at her, confused.
Servant Xin looked pitiful and explained, "I'm not allowed to leave your side… so… so I…"
Pearl Su understood. "Go ahead and eat. Don't go hungry."
Servant Xin immediately smiled with gratitude. "Thank you, Miss Su."
After helping Pearl Su lie down, Servant Xin went to the side and began eating.
Pearl Su fell asleep and didn't wake until evening. When she opened her eyes, she still felt weak and tired.
A wave of frustration rose in her chest. She clearly knew something wasn't right. Something must have happened to cause this… But for now, there was nothing she could do. She could only wait.