The bridal chamber was soaked in ceremonial red.
Red lanterns glowed dimly, their tassels swaying gently in the midnight breeze. The red silk curtains fluttered along the carved windows. The air was thick with incense, which was quite intoxicating to the point Qin Wei felt heat all over his body.
At present, he sat alone on the edge of the bridal bed, dressed in full groom robes. A bottle of untouched wine sat beside him, the two cups beside it still empty. He looked toward the closed door with tired eyes, wondering when his wife would come, not to celebrate the wedding night with her to but finally go to sleep.
He had too much today after all.
Meanwhile, in the outer halls of the Li estate, Li Xue sat on a carved chair, surrounded by women. Elder cousins, chatty aunts, second wives of influential uncles, all giggling, cheering, raising cups.
"One more, Xue'er! Just one more for good luck!"
"Yes! One for your husband's long life!"
"Another for your first night's fireworks!"
"Hey, hey. C'mon, don't be hard on the young lady. What if she breaks the poor boy? I heard that he doesn't even practice martial arts."
"Eyyy, don't be like that. This is their first time. It should be memorable and wild."
*Squeal*
"My husband is a 9th rank alchemist. There's nothing he can't mend or cure."
"I guess you must have a pleasant marriage, aunt."
"Hahaha, you wish. Your uncle is a bookworm, dear. He has zero romance."
"Oh, C'mon, Aunt, you gave birth to seven children. Don't be like that."
"Alright. Alright. Tonight is not about me. It's about Xue'er."
"Ah, right, C'mon, have another sip. You should give us ten grandnephews."
Li Xue, already flushed red from drinking, could barely focus.
"Ten sons? Are you insane?" she slurred, but they laughed louder and poured again.
One hand held a small dish of wine, another supported her wobbling head.
"Ugh, it's burning…" she muttered. "I think I'm going to die…"
By the time she was led, more like pushed, to the bridal chamber, her steps were uneven and her veil was tilted sideways.
The ornate doors creaked open.
Qin Wei stood up instinctively. The door closed behind her with a thunk.
She stood there for a moment, blinking at him. Then, with a strange snort, she pulled the red veil off her head and threw it onto the ground with exaggerated flair.
Her hair, partly undone, framed her reddened cheeks. Her lips curled into a wide, silly grin.
"My… perfectly good-looking but total trash of a husband," she slurred, wobbling slightly as she pointed at him. "Still waiting for me to remove my veil? Sorry, I don't give you that luxury."
Qin Wei stared at her, genuinely taken aback. "Are you drunk?" he asked, blinking his eyes twice.
Li Xue giggled and nodded proudly. "Mhm. They made me drink. Like, a lot. They want me to sleep with you to make this a memorable night? For who? You? Me? Or them? Heh!"
She stumbled forward, arms waving for balance. Qin Wei quickly stepped forward to catch her, steadying her shoulder.
"Careful…"
Smack.
She slapped his hand away, her expression suddenly twisting into something colder.
"Don't touch me with those hands that touched dozens of ladies," she snapped, her voice sharp even through the drunken haze. "Don't… touch… me. Alright?"
Her finger jabbed weakly into his chest as she continued to speak.
"I don't like you," she said clearly, like it had been building in her chest for months. "You're weak. You're a lecher. You steal women from the helpless. You bully the commoners just because you can. You're not a husband, you're a punishment from the Emperor."
Each word was a dagger. But Qin Wei didn't flinch.
He didn't try to explain.
The reason was simple. He agrees with those statements. The body he transmigrated into was indeed a worse person, even by historical standards, let alone modern standards, he had grown up with.
He simply looked at her, if anything, with pity that she was marrying a scoundrel like him. After all, a girl rarely had a second marriage in this world, even after the divorce. He could understand her feelings.
Hence, he kept silent and let her talk about whatever in her mind.
Li Xue blinked at him, confused. "What? Aren't you gonna shout back? Be mad or something?"
But he didn't. He stayed quiet. Li Xue stared at him, swaying slightly.
Though the incense continued to burn and the red lanterns glowed softly, the atmosphere in the bridal chamber was anything but romantic. Li Xue stood swaying, wine-fogged and flushed, glaring at the man she was now bound to by title.
"You know," she slurred, swaying as she pointed a wobbly finger at Qin Wei, "I have dreams."
Qin Wei looked up from the floor where he'd just laid the spare blanket, his expression unreadable.
"I want to be the first ever female grandmaster of the Li Clan. That's my goal since I picked up the sword at the age of 3," she said, her voice rising. "But now? Now they want me to be your wife? Bear your children? Then stay home and raise them while you… What? Who do they think I'm?"
She let out a bitter laugh, staggering a step forward.
"What bullshit. Absolute bullshit."
She motioned between them, back and forth, her finger jabbing the space between their bodies.
"This? You and me? This will never happen. Understand."
Qin Wei remained seated at the edge of the bed, still silent. The words didn't surprise him at all.
"You already have a bunch of tongfang maids, right?" she sneered. "Take more if you want. Sleep with them. Breed them. I don't care. You have my blessings."
Her steps grew less stable. Her vision blurred. But her bitterness didn't falter.
She reached him, leaned in, and grabbed his chin with a roughness that startled him. "But," she whispered, eyes narrowing as if trying to focus through the haze, "I must say…"
"You're handsome. Too handsome. Probably the most handsome bastard I've ever seen."
Qin Wei blinked.
"If… if only you didn't have those stupid, cowardly, trash qualities…" she said, her voice faltering into something softer, sadder. "Even if you were weak… if you weren't such a disgrace… I might've even liked you. It's really a pity."
Her voice broke on that last word.
Then, with no warning, she slumped forward, collapsing against his chest like a marionette with its strings cut.
Qin Wei's breath hitched. "What's this girl saying now?"
He didn't move for a long second. And then he sighed quietly and lifted her gently in his arms. "Ugh… I guess I should be the bigger man. Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge," he murmured.
He laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her carefully. She mumbled incoherently, but her breathing had slowed.
He turned away and went to his corner of the room, laying out the blanket again.
Lying on it, he tried to sleep. But he couldn't.
"Open Character Interface."
No new missions were added.
Only one quest remained active.
[Mission 2: Improve Public Reputation to Positive Status] Reward: 500 Credits
He tapped it.
Current Reputation: -195
Qin Wei stared at it, then sighed.
"Minus one ninety-five… huh."
He closed his eyes for a moment, "I need to do something… something big. Like saving someone in public. Then, bribing a storyteller and exaggerating the event."
He rolled over on his side, facing away from the bed. His fingers slowly curled into fists.
"Whatever Qin Wei has earned so far, I need to change that. Since I got married, even if I develop a new personality, the public will believe that I have become a new person, as I went from a child of the Qin clan to a matrilocal husband in the Li Clan. I also need to find a way to reveal my ocular powers."
Eventually, Qin Wei had drifted into a deep sleep, his body finally surrendering to mental exhaustion after thinking of many things.
Hours into his sleep, past midnight, where the outside world is as silent as a ghost, A sharp, digital chime echoed in his mind like a dagger drawn across glass.
*Beep*
Qin Wei's eyes snapped open. His eyes captured the holographic screen that materialized above him.
Emergency Mission: Assassination Survival
Objective: Stay alive until sunrise.
Time Remaining: 5 hours 18 minutes
Reward: Random
Failure Consequence: Death.
Qin Wei sat up instantly, the blanket falling off his chest. "Uhhh… what?"