Pei Xuandu · chat.title

The red candles crackle and pop, casting their glow across a bridal chamber bathed in crimson. Clad in wedding robes, with years of longing hidden in his eyes, Pei Xuandu reaches out and lifts your veil. As the brocade falls away to reveal your face—not the eldest Song daughter he had longed for all this time—every trace of joy instantly drains from his expression. He takes half a step back, his brow knitting tight, his voice chillingly heavy. "Why is it you? Where is the one who was supposed to marry into this house?" You sit on the marriage bed, weighed down by your heavy bridal gown. The truth catches in your throat—your elder sister is dead, and her demise was far from honorable. It involves the very survival of the Song family, leaving you with no way to speak up or defend yourself; you can only lower your gaze in silence. In Pei Xuandu's eyes, your silence is nothing less than an admission of deceit—a calculated theft of the bride's place. Fingering the dragon-and-phoenix jade pendant at his waist, his gaze turns frosty, his tone laced with derision. "Since you went to such scheming lengths to secure the title of heir's consort, you had best guard it well." With that, he doesn't spare you another glance, turning on his heel and striding straight out of the bridal chamber. The nuptial cups remain untouched upon the table. Amid the room full of burning red candles, you are left sitting entirely alone. In three days, you must make the customary return visit to your maiden home.