092 Brother Carries You to the Bridal Sedan Chair

A mouse had appeared in Li Yexuan’s room, and the whole matter was treated as if it were a catastrophe. The servants rushed about from dawn to dusk, cleaning every inch of Baili Manor.

At first, I felt a little guilty toward them. After all, I had once been a servant myself, and I knew how hard and exhausting such work could be. It was nothing more than a lie I had told on a whim; there was no need to make everyone scramble in chaos over it. I was about to speak up and stop them, but to my surprise, not only did they refuse to quit, they only worked even more diligently. They said that to be able to see Prince Xuan in this lifetime, and to live under the same roof as him, was a blessing earned in many past lives, so how could they not clean with all their strength?

And our great Prince Xuan was invited to sit on the stone bench by the little lake, drinking tea for a while, sampling pastries for a while, and not forgetting to glance at the busy servants. Worse still, he would occasionally turn that provoking look on me. With so many servants around, and people constantly passing by, I could not even vent my anger.

As expected, there is no fairness between people. Compare one person to another, and you are certain to be driven mad with envy.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed, and at last the day before Baili Yue’s wedding arrived.

During those half a month, Baili Yue had gone from disbelief at the outset, to a dull acceptance, and now she could even calmly pull me over to help her try on the wedding robes.

When her hand touched the bright red bridal gown, it no longer trembled as it had before.

On the night before the wedding, because Baili Yue had no sisters and no mother, she pulled me to sleep with her. Happily, there was no rule forbidding it, so I stayed.

After the gown had been tried on and put away, the door to Baili Yue’s chamber was suddenly shoved open.

It was Baili Changfeng. His gaze was somewhat dazed, with the smell of wine upon him, though he was not fully drunk.

“Brother.” Baili Yue leaped up in alarm to support his sturdy frame, but the instant Baili Changfeng touched her, he collapsed together with her, falling hard to the floor. He landed on top of her.

I had just started forward to help lift his tall body away, but Baili Yue stopped me. She told me to go quickly and fetch someone. That was true enough; the two of us together probably still could not have lifted Baili Changfeng, especially with one of us pinned underneath him.

I turned and ran. Since the city lord could not be brought into this matter, I could only go find Li Yexuan.

In my panic, I forgot all restraint and kicked open Li Yexuan’s door.

Inside, Li Yexuan was sitting on the bed in nothing but his undergarment, glaring at me furiously.

Er...

“Li Yexuan, Baili Changfeng ran into Baili Yue’s room in a drunken frenzy. I can’t stop him, hurry and come with me.”

After I blurted it out in one breath, I saw Li Yexuan pick up his clothes and stride out.

What on earth was he pouting about?

Yet Li Yexuan did not head toward Baili Yue’s chamber. Instead, he walked in another direction.

“What are you doing? Baili Yue’s room isn’t that way.”

No matter what I said, his pace did not slow. He went straight to the city lord’s quarters.

“Li Yexuan, why are you coming here?”

“Do you think this can still be concealed?” he said, pushing open the city lord’s door. Then the two of them came out together, with not a single servant following behind them.

I grew afraid. Could the marriage still be held tomorrow? Where, exactly, lay Baili Yue’s happiness?

Very soon, we arrived at Baili Yue’s chamber and saw her raise her hand and deliver a sharp, ringing slap across Baili Changfeng’s face.

Their bond ended with those two slaps.

A doomed fate.

“Father...”

“Father...”

The two of them turned at almost the same moment, fear flooding their eyes as they looked at the city lord.

Baili Yue’s lips were a little swollen, while Baili Changfeng’s were not only swollen but carried a trace of blood as well. One glance was enough to tell what had happened between them.

I hurriedly shut the door.

Family disgrace should not be aired before outsiders. Even Li Yexuan and I looked equally grim. Baili Yue had gone to such lengths to advance the wedding, all because she feared the city lord would learn of this matter. Yet Baili Changfeng had ruined everything completely, and on the very night before the wedding.

“Come out.”

The city lord sat down in the outer room.

“This is the city lord’s family affair. There is no need to trouble Your Highness with it,” said Li Yexuan, also sitting down. I stood at his side in good sense.

“My thanks for Your Highness’s consideration.”

Baili Changfeng and Baili Yue both knelt before the city lord.

“Father, this is Changfeng’s fault. It has nothing to do with Yue’er.”

“Father, this is Yue’er’s fault.”

Baili Changfeng looked at Baili Yue, but Baili Yue turned her face away and would not meet his eyes.

“Do you know how intolerable this is to the world?” the city lord asked.

“Father, Changfeng loves Yue’er. I lost control for a moment and nearly caused a grave mistake. Please punish me.”

I had thought that once the city lord learned of this, he would certainly explode in fury. Yet after a brief silence, all that came was a long sigh.

“This is not your fault. You were never truly brother and sister.”

“What?”

Everyone’s eyes flew wide open.

“This matter must begin twenty years ago. At that time, my wife and I had long remained childless. I loved her deeply and refused to take a concubine, and the clan drove me to the brink. In secret, I adopted a child, then let word spread that he had been born to me and an unknown concubine, and later he was formally registered under the mistress’s name. Unexpectedly, not long after that child arrived, she became pregnant. So in the end, I raised the two of them together.”

“Father, which of us is your own child?” Baili Changfeng asked.

Before the city lord could answer, Baili Yue said that she was the biological daughter, and the city lord nodded in silent confirmation.

“Then where did you take me from?”

“When I found you, you were already an orphan.”

Thus, a single question of lineage unraveled everything.

“That’s wonderful. At last they can be together,” I said happily, lowering my head to murmur into Li Yexuan’s ear, not the least aware of how intimate the gesture was.

“Not necessarily,” Li Yexuan replied, and for a moment I could not understand what he meant.

“You are not my own child, and Yue’er is a daughter. The burden of carrying on the Baili family’s name and legacy will still need to rest on your shoulders. Are you willing?”

“I am willing,” Baili Changfeng said, bowing deeply to the city lord.

In an instant, I felt as though the city lord had aged several years all at once. What I admired most was this: even after Baili Yue’s mother had died, he had remained loyal to her alone. Such a faithful man truly grew rarer by the day, so rare that even carrying a lantern by night might not find another like him.

“Tonight I will announce that Yue’er has died suddenly of illness. In a few days, I will arrange another identity for her and let her marry Changfeng.”

The city lord of Mapleleaf City was watched by countless eyes. If this matter were discovered by anyone with ill intent, it would be terribly troublesome. It seemed the city lord had known of Baili Changfeng and Baili Yue’s feelings for a long time; a child’s secret thoughts could hardly escape the eyes of parents who had watched them grow.

“Thank you, Father, for your understanding.”

“I cannot agree.”

Just when I thought the matter would be settled perfectly, Baili Yue’s voice sounded.

“Father, you cannot do this. I am a living, breathing person, not some object to be handed to whomever you please.”

Then she turned to Baili Changfeng and said, “Brother, thank you for your deep affection. It was my own immaturity in the past that caused you to misunderstand me. I apologize to you here.”

“Why? We have finally managed to be together. Are you afraid? It does not matter. Father and I will both see that you are cared for.”

Baili Changfeng gripped her shoulders and demanded an answer.

“Brother and Father can naturally protect me, but I secretly met the second young master of the Wu family long ago, and we have already promised ourselves to one another. I cannot turn back on my word. More than that, only after meeting Master Wu did I understand what love between a man and a woman truly is, and what affection between siblings is. They must not be confused. Brother, though this is cruel, we should not deceive ourselves.”

“Fine. Baili Yue, very well! Excellent!”

He said “excellent” three times in a row before sweeping his sleeves and leaving.

He was truly enraged.

“Since that is so, then prepare yourself in peace for tomorrow,” the city lord said.

“Thank you, Father.”

The city lord and Li Yexuan also left.

I went over to help Baili Yue to her feet.

“Why do this? You have never even met the second young master of the Wu family. You are only harming yourself.”

I helped her sit on the edge of the bed, then fetched water to wash the tears from her face.

“Mufan, I cannot.”

Baili Yue caught my hand, yet tears kept falling from her eyes.

“You...”

“I cannot accept bearing all of this and spending my life with Brother. What I did to Jin Yu in the past has already caused me enough guilt for a lifetime. I also cannot let Father and Brother guard this secret forever, only to have it exposed one day and bring the entire Baili family crashing down.”

“You are a good girl. It will be fine once you think it through. Sleep well and prepare for tomorrow’s marriage.”

That night, neither Baili Yue nor I slept much. She kept speaking of their childhood, tears falling from time to time. It seemed as though she wanted to pour out every memory she had ever kept. I did not stop her; I merely listened, a patient ear to her endless rambling, until at last I grew hazy and no longer knew what she was saying.

Before dawn had fully broken, a knocking at the door woke us both. We could only drag ourselves up, heads hanging low.

After that, there was little for me to do. I merely watched as Baili Yue was dressed in the bridal gown and made ready from head to toe. I grew sleepy just watching from the side, and Baili Yue herself had to struggle to open her eyes even halfway while the hair and makeup were being done.

Not long after, a great beauty stood before me.

Baili Yue wore a brilliant red wedding robe, and a thick layer of powder had been applied to her face. The bridal makeup made her dazzlingly beautiful.

Quite a few aunts and busybodies had gathered outside, only to be dismissed by a few words from Baili Yue.

Soon after, Jin Yu arrived, carrying a gift box in her hands.

“It is only a small token of my regard. I hope the lady will not despise it,” Jin Yu said, her hands trembling slightly around the box.

“Thank you, Sister.”

Baili Yue’s one word of “sister” startled Jin Yu so much that she hurriedly responded.

“From now on, Sister should call me Yue’er. Once Yue’er is married out, I will still need the support of my maternal home.”

“Yue’er, we will certainly never let you suffer any grievance.”

“Sister, from now on, I leave Brother in your care.”

“Alright, alright.”

Baili Yue smiled beautifully. She had truly let go.

Considering that Jin Yu’s pregnancy was still unstable, Baili Yue had someone escort her away.

“כולם go down. I want to speak with Mufan for a while,” she said.

Everyone filed out once more.

“You are so beautiful. Since you have chosen this road, you must walk it well.”

“Alright. After this marriage today, I do not know when we will see each other again, so I have a few things I must tell you as well.”

“Go ahead.”

“It is obvious that His Highness cares about you. If you also have such feelings, then you should seize the chance. Do not end up like me, only learning what kind of husband I had on the very day of my wedding.”

I froze slightly, not knowing what to say, when the matchmaker came swaying in with her broad waist and said the bridal sedan had almost arrived. Without further ado, she covered Baili Yue with the red veil.

I helped Baili Yue out of the chamber and bade farewell to the city lord.

As we were about to cross the threshold of Baili Manor, Baili Yue’s steps grew slower and slower. I knew she was waiting.

Waiting for her elder brother to carry her into the sedan.

We were nearly out of Baili Manor already. Why had he not come yet?

Beneath the red veil, Baili Yue let out a deep sigh. Just as she was about to step forward again after already stopping, a voice came from behind, and her body gave a sharp start.

“Wait.”

It was Baili Changfeng.

“Yue’er, let Brother carry you into the sedan, all right?”

“Alright.”

Baili Changfeng ignored the matchmaker’s chatter and swept Baili Yue up in his arms, carrying her into the sedan chair.

“Promise Brother, you must be happy. Otherwise, even if I must stake everything I have, I will bring you back.”

“Alright. Yue’er remembers...”

I watched Baili Yue be carried into the sedan and taken away, while Baili Changfeng stood there, staring at the road where the sedan had disappeared into the distance without a trace.

That was their ending.