Qingge had, in fact, anticipated this long ago, and now she was merely confirming her suspicions. A precious boudoir young miss, suffering from an illness that prevented her from marrying, had to use another woman to consummate the marriage in her stead and deceive everyone involved.
So, here was the question—what chronic illness could be so conveniently scheduled to recover in a few months?
Furthermore, which woman would willingly let another woman take her place in marriage rites, going as far as consummating the bridal night with her handsome husband? Would she really not care?
With all the doubts, there was only one answer: the young miss’ heart belonged to another man.
And that’s why she was indifferent towards her husband-to-be; the so-called chronic illness was nothing but a pregnancy. In a few months, after she gave birth and recovered her body, she would return to assume her identity and her handsome husband. In this way, she could not only cover up her loss of virginity but also keep the marriage—a perfect solution.
And the man who would marry the young miss was naturally of a similar noble status. Such a man would not linger around his wife, and their interactions would be limited save for public settings. With the help of close serving maids and momos, perhaps they really could deceive everyone.
To confirm her suspicions, Qingge had deliberately tested Mo Jingxi. It seemed Mo Jingxi too had fallen for his young miss. It was even possible that the child the young miss was carrying was his, which explained his dedication to this matter.
But none of these were relevant to Qingge. She just needed to play her part, ensure she got her payment, and once the time was up, brush her sleeve and make a clean exit.
Once she successfully deceived the groom and obtained the second 30,000 taels of silvers, she would find an opportunity to return to Qianying Pavilion and have a proper discussion with Ye Min. Taking advantage of her current poisoning, she planned to formally quit Qianying Pavilion, and depending on the situation, she would decide whether to continue the arrangement and collect the final 30,000 taels.
—If circumstances changed, she might simply forgo the last payment and flee.
The only regret she might have is this face, which truly belonged to her, could never be shown again after being used in this scheme. She would have to live the rest of her life behind a disguise.
But this was not necessarily a bad thing—she was never comfortable with her real face anyway. Presenting herself with a false face gave her a better sense of security.
…
For seven days, Qingge was kept in the secluded villa at Suiyun Mountain, learning various etiquettes and memorizing the daily routine and habits of the young miss. In fact, she already knew how to present herself—as a secret guard, she had four different faces, each tailored in detail to assume different personas, so it was easy for her to mimic a boudoir young lady. Still, she didn’t slack off and focused on absorbing the lessons.
On the seventh day, Mo Jingxi appeared again. As he observed the current Qingge, a patch of bamboo beside the bamboo hut swayed with the mountain breeze, and she, dressed in a snow-white robe, stood gracefully in front of the wooden gate, smiling.
Carrying the scent of the mountains, the wind stirred the mist and caused her snow-white robe to elegantly flutter, its patterns flowing like water.
Mo Jingxi stared blankly, captivated by the woman before him. A stunning smile adorned her beautiful lips, and her eyes, as clear as a flowing stream, made it impossible for him to avert his gaze.
Gracefully, Qingge raised her hand, now slender and delicate like a piece of pure jade. She held a bright red mountain flower, her long lashes drooping, her lips slightly parted.
The sight was so mesmerizing that Mo Jingxi nearly forgot to breathe, until a voice interrupted: “Ten thousand taels—have you gotten it ready?”
In an instant, the spell broke, and Mo Jingxi was awakened from a shattered fantasy.
…Right, this woman isn’t her.
Mo Jingxi expressionlessly pulled a brown paper envelope from his sleeve and threw it to Qingge, who easily caught it. She opened the envelope and found ten silvernotes from Sihe Money Shop, each worth a thousand taels in silver.
“Good, the next payment, after the bridal night,” she was satisfied.
“Won’t you regret this?” Mo Jingxi suddenly asked, his eyes scrutinizing.
“Why should I regret?” Qingge smiled.
Mo Jingxi stared at Qingge, whose face resembled his young miss closely. Since the young miss was an exceptional beauty, this woman naturally was too.
Back then, when she dressed modestly in plain, rough clothes and wore a simple hairpin, he only noticed her physical resemblance to the young miss but didn’t consider her particularly attractive. But now, after a little dressing up, she seemed like a pearl finally casting its glow—or a jade polished into a shining bright. He could even find an elegant and proud demeanor similar to his young miss in her gesture and expression.
With her beauty, this woman could surely find a good match on her own, and yet here she was, willing to marry someone else in exchange for a sum of silvers.
Gazing pensively, he finally asked, “You never asked who my young miss is, nor did you inquire about the person you will marry. Aren’t you curious?”
In response, Qingge looked confused.
‘Should I be curious?’
‘Maybe I should?’
Thus, she looked at Mo Jingxi and said, “I am curious, very curious, please tell me.”
Mo Jingxi’s forehead twitched, but he still told her, “Young Miss’ surname is Xiahou.”
Qingge appeared very curious, “Hmm?”
Mo Jingxi continued, “The Xiahou clan of Ganliang.”
At this, Qingge finally reacted, “The daughter of the Xiahou clan of Ganliang?”
Mo Jingxi nodded: “Yes.”
“B-but, that clan is…” Qingge was indeed surprised. The Xiahou clan of Ganliang had its roots from the ancient Si surname. It was said that during the Xia dynasty, King Shao Kang appointed his illegitimate son Wuyu to preside over the sacrificial rites of the dynasty founder, Yu The Great, in Ganliang. From then on, Wuyu’s descendants adopted the surname Xiahou and stayed in Ganliang for generations.
It was now the reign of the Great Sheng dynasty. Many dynasties rose and fell, but the Xiahou clan remained entrenched in the Ganliang region, akin to uncrowned kings. Needless to say, their status was extremely high, and even the current emperor had to show courtesy to the head of the Xiahou clan when he met them.
Such was this prestigious clan.
At this moment, Qingge clearly realized—fortunately, it was she who took on this job. Had it been someone else, in five months, they would surely be dead.
Seeing her reaction, Mo Jingxi smiled, “So, Miss Wang, do you have anything to say?”
Qingge looked at the smile on Mo Jingxi’s face and slowly said: “I think—”
“Yes?”
“I think one hundred thousand taels is still too low.”
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If what the FL guessed about the bride is correct then I feel so sad for her, denied her love and even her child. However, not too sad bc it is very clear that her family will try to kill off the FL once the bride is ready to resume her place bc a dead person can’t speak.
LOL I love our protag. And I was off in what I thought was happening last chapter! I think I’ve been reading too many of these at the same time and mixed up a character! HMMMM. Looking forward to the next developments, thank you for translating these and sharing!