He had finally married this woman.
He had married a noble lady from a prestigious family.
But what was the use? In his current situation, marrying the daughter of a princess or even true royalty held no meaning.
The bridal veil remained unlifted for a long time.
Since Zhu Ziyu was no longer part of the Zhu family, not a single person from the groom’s side attended this wedding. Even the wedding officiator was sent from the palace.
The officiator hid her impatience and urged formally, “Master Zhu, please lift the veil soon. You still need to drink the nuptial wine with your bride.”
“Get out.”
The officiator was stunned, meeting Zhu Ziyu’s bottomless dark eyes.
Under the veil, Cui Mingyue clutched her wedding dress tightly.
“Please leave. We’ll handle the rest ourselves.”
After a brief hesitation, the officiator complied with Zhu Ziyu’s request.
This was the madman who had snatched a bride from a prince. She was just an officiator; it wasn’t worth risking her life…
After a quick assessment, the officiator hurriedly retreated with two maids.
Only the newlyweds remained in the room. The dragon and phoenix wedding candles burned silently, suddenly sparking.
Zhu Ziyu gazed at the bright red candles.
A spark is a good omen… he thought absently, then turned to look at the person sitting on the bed. He walked over step by step.
Cui Mingyue sat motionlessly at the edge of the bed. Unable to see anything through the veil, she heard the approaching footsteps and her expression grew colder.
Suddenly, light flooded her vision as the veil was lifted and tossed aside. Before she appeared the expressionless face of a man.
Thin, pale, with a pitiful handsomeness.
Cui Mingyue felt nothing.
She admired men who were like fierce eagles or lone wolves, not weaklings like Zhu Ziyu.
The very thought of being this man’s wife, even in name only, made her sick to her stomach!
Zhu Ziyu looked down at the girl as beautiful as a flower, feeling no joy.
“Wife, let’s drink the nuptial wine.” After a moment of silence, Zhu Ziyu picked up the wine cups placed nearby and handed one to Cui Mingyue.
Cui Mingyue didn’t move.
Zhu Ziyu raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to drink?”
Cui Mingyue glanced up at Zhu Ziyu, kicking off her red embroidered shoes. “I know you harbor resentment. Why bother with these empty rituals? Let’s just go to sleep.”
Zhu Ziyu grabbed Cui Mingyue’s wrist.
Cui Mingyue’s eyebrows shot up as she scolded, “What are you doing?”
Zhu Ziyu pressed close to her, his tone cold: “What am I doing? You marry a rooster, you follow the rooster. You marry a dog, you follow the dog. Cui Mingyue, do you think you’re still the high and mighty Miss Cui?”
As he spoke, one hand gripped Cui Mingyue’s pointed chin tightly, while the other forcefully poured wine into her mouth.
“Mmph… you bastard…” Cui Mingyue struggled violently as the burning liquid was forced down her throat, coughing violently.
Physically, men always have the advantage.
After emptying one cup, Zhu Ziyu drank the other in one gulp, wiping his mouth forcefully.
His lips were slightly reddened from the harsh gesture, but not as red as the girl’s flower-like face.
Breaking free from the cage of civility and releasing the beast within seemed to happen in an instant.
Zhu Ziyu picked up Cui Mingyue and threw her onto the wedding bed. Not even bothering to lower the bed curtains, he climbed on top of her and began kissing her frantically.
His kisses held no affection, only the vengeful eruption of long-suppressed emotions.
Cui Mingyue’s lips were soon bitten and bleeding, filling her mouth with the taste of blood.
Her fierce struggles gradually ceased, and a cold smile curved her lips.
This bastard Zhu Ziyu thought that just because they were married, she would be like a fish on a chopping board, ready to be sliced up.
He had used such despicable methods to ruin her engagement to Prince Xiang, and he thought she would just accept her fate.
He was dreaming! Truly, heaven’s road was open but he wouldn’t take it; hell had no door yet he barged right in!
The cold smile in Cui Mingyue’s eyes turned to murderous intent. Her snow-white hand slowly caressed the red “hundred sons, thousand grandsons” brocade quilt, drawing out a dagger from the most convenient spot.
The dagger had no sheath, glinting coldly in the flickering candlelight.
The man on top of her hadn’t noticed the approaching danger at all. He roughly tore open the collar of her red wedding dress, his hand exploring freely.
“Miss Cui, tell me, how exactly did I, Zhu Ziyu, deceive you?” Zhu Ziyu bit down on the girl’s exposed collarbone, his tone fierce with anger and grievance. “Didn’t you know I had a wife when we first met? You lying bitch—”
The rest of his words were cut off abruptly.
Zhu Ziyu’s expression twisted in sudden, intense pain.
Cui Mingyue firmly covered Zhu Ziyu’s mouth, trapping his screams in his throat.
Or rather, because the knife had found such an accurate spot, he no longer had the strength to scream.
Muffled sounds emerged from Zhu Ziyu’s throat.
Cui Mingyue stared unblinkingly until he collapsed motionlessly on top of her. Only then did she release her hand, pushing the body aside as she sat up.
The man who had been about to violate her moments ago was now a still-warm corpse.
Cui Mingyue breathed heavily, recovering her strength.
Faced with the person she had just killed, she felt no fear. Instead, she felt excitement.
Killing a person was indeed more satisfying than killing a deer.
Cui Mingyue sat on the wedding bed covered in various shades of red, watching as blood flowed from beneath Zhu Ziyu’s body, gradually intermingling with the other reds.
The color was truly beautiful.
Cui Mingyue couldn’t help but reach out to touch a bit of the blood, bringing it to her lips to taste.
The arm-thick dragon and phoenix candles continued to burn, while outside the window all was silent.
In a few days, it would be the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Families reuniting, thousands of households rejoicing.
Cui Mingyue sighed and got off the bed, avoiding the bloodstains.
She hadn’t wanted things to come to this. If it weren’t for Zhu Ziyu’s interference, allowing her to become Prince Xiang’s consort, wouldn’t everyone have been happy?
Cui Mingyue sighed again, feeling some regret.
Unfortunately, she was alone and powerless, unable to deal with that Jiang bitch.
If there was anyone she hated most now, it was Jiang Si.
Zhu Ziyu’s actions must have been arranged by Jiang Si!
She had no proof, but she trusted her instincts.
Perhaps it was because in her dozen or so years of life, among all the noble girls, this was the first time she had sensed an equally matched opponent.
A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. As long as she lived, there would come a day to settle accounts.
Cui Mingyue rested a while longer, then quickly removed her cumbersome wedding dress. She bent down to retrieve a small bundle from under the bed and gently opened the window.
The August night was a bit chilly, the wind making her even more alert.
Standing beside a clump of banana leaves outside the window, Cui Mingyue glanced back inside.
On the wedding bed, the man lay on his side, appearing as if he were asleep.
Her expression is unchanged, she carefully closed the window and melted into the night.
Cui Mingyue knew some martial arts, so she felt no fear even alone. She left the small residence quite smoothly.
The street was empty, with only the large red lanterns in front of the house emitting a hazy light.
Cui Mingyue gathered her hair and walked determinedly in one direction.
Ahead was a corner. As she passed by, a hand quietly reached out.