“Why are you here so early?”
“To bring you your wedding dress.”
Gu Jianli looked at him in surprise. “My family already prepared one for me…”
Ignoring her, Ji Wujing pulled her out of bed, removed her nightclothes, and personally dressed her in the wedding attire, layer by layer.
By the time the intricate wedding dress was fully donned, Gu Jianli’s face was wet with tears. She raised her hands to cover her face.
Every piece of her attire, from the intimate garments to the embroidered shoes, was crafted by Ji Wujing himself. The complex and grand patterns of phoenixes and auspicious clouds on the wedding dress were embroidered by him, and even the pearls and jade stones adorning it were polished by his hands.
He rolled up her sleeve to put on the gold arm bracelet he had crafted.
Piece by piece, he adorned her with jewelry.
Ji Wujing took a rhinoceros horn comb and slowly combed her long hair, speaking leisurely, “I also wanted to give you a coming-of-age ceremony. But I couldn’t find anyone qualified to arrange your hair, so I’ll do it myself.”
With her hair spread across his palms, he recalled the hairstyle he had learned and carefully arranged her hair.
Her hair was styled, her wedding attire was ready, and the city of Yong’an was covered in red. Despite it being the depths of winter, the sun shone warmly, and a gentle breeze blew. Wildflowers peeked through the cracks in the paving stones, opening their buds to witness the grand wedding.
Ji Xuanke stood among the onlookers, silently watching the endless procession, catching only a glimpse of the wedding sedan. He turned away, unable to bear the sight, and returned to his study, dismissing the servants. Alone, he silently reminisced about their past, again and again.
“Brother…” Ji Yuezhen pushed open the door, her face full of concern.
Ji Xuanke composed himself and invited her to sit.
Ji Yuezhen sighed softly. “The past cannot be chased, and what is gone is gone. Mother isn’t forcing you to marry; she’s thinking of your well-being. Miss Jiang is a wonderful girl. Why can’t you let go and try to accept her?”
Ji Xuanke shook his head, his gaze falling on a small redwood box on the desk. “My heart belongs to another. To marry hastily would only create a pair of resentful spouses, which would be unfair to such a good girl.”
“Brother…”
Ji Yuezhen wanted to persuade him further, but Ji Xuanke asked her to leave.
Warm light streamed through the window panes, casting patterns on the table. Ji Xuanke sat motionless until dusk fell. With stiff fingers, he opened the small redwood box. Inside lay the shattered jade button. He had once considered repairing it, but once broken, it would always bear the marks of repair. So, he carefully stored it in the box and tucked it away in his heart.
At the lively wedding banquet, Wen Jingshan personally officiated.
Ji Wujing had not invited anyone from the so-called Guangping Marquis’s family, having Wen Jingshan take on the role of the elder to be bowed to as a sister-in-law.
Ji Wujing provided Gu Jianli with a grand wedding, and Gu Jingyuan supplemented it with an astonishing dowry. Combined, it made all the women in Anjing envious. This wedding became an unparalleled, grand event, so much so that decades later, whenever someone in the capital got married, it was common to hear, “Does she have even an eighth of the Empress Dowager Zhengyi’s dowry?” or “Having even a tenth of the splendor of Empress Dowager Zhengyi’s wedding day would be considered impressive!”
Gu Jingyuan watched Gu Jianli, led by Ji Wujing, step into the main hall. His heart felt both sour and warm. Turning to Madam Tao beside him, he asked, “Was I too hasty in agreeing to this marriage?”
Madam Tao shook her head with a smile. “Your Highness had already accepted this marriage in your heart.”
“Nonsense!” Gu Jingyuan’s face darkened instantly. “Would I agree to marry Jianli to that scoundrel Ji Wujing, that piece of cow dung?”
Gu Zaili laughed. “Father, please don’t argue with Ji Zhao today. Even if you want to write a death pact, do it tomorrow.”
Gu Jingyuan glanced at Gu Zaili and fell silent.
Gu Chuan looked up at his father, saying seriously, “Don’t worry, Father. We’re just temporarily marrying her off to him. If he treats her poorly, we’ll take her back!”
Gu Jingyuan beamed, patting Gu Chuan’s head and praising him. “That’s my boy!”
Someone came over to congratulate Gu Jingyuan, who quickly suppressed his unease and put on a smile, though it strained his aging face.
At the wedding banquet, Gu Jingyuan drank a lot of wine. Despite his high tolerance, he had too much. As night fell, Gu Zaili and Madam Tao helped the giddy Gu Jingyuan onto a carriage.
Gu Zaili shook her head with a smile. “He complains about Ji Zhao all day, yet when drunk, he calls him ‘good son-in-law’ repeatedly.”
Madam Tao patted her shoulder and gestured towards the west. Gu Zaili turned and saw Rong Yuanyou standing in the distance, covered in dust from travel.
Gu Zaili was taken aback, approaching him. “Why have you come again?”
Rong Yuanyou smiled. “Still not giving up.”
The night breeze was warm, warming her heart. Gu Zaili’s lips curved into a smile.
As the guests dispersed and the maids retreated from the bedchamber, the bride and groom drank their nuptial wine, each cutting a lock of their hair to bind together and place in a brocade box.
Gu Jianli gently stroked the brocade box engraved with their names, her eyes soft. Even the box for their bound hair had been meticulously carved by Ji Wujing.
Ji Wujing stood by the bedside, slightly bent over, picking up the peanuts, melon seeds, longans, and lotus seeds scattered across the bed.
Gu Jianli watched him tenderly.
Ji Wujing peeled a peanut and placed it in Gu Jianli’s mouth.
Gu Jianli bit into the peanut, unexpectedly tasting its sweetness. She smiled softly, her eyes curving, and said, “It’s rare, Uncle. Today you’ve been very proper, not a single mischievous word or strange act.”
Ji Wujing sat down beside her, peeling another peanut to eat. “I wanted to kiss you during the ceremony, but I thought you’d blush, and I didn’t want others to see you like that, so I held back.”
He lazily leaned back, lying on the red bedspread, resting his head on his arms.
Gu Jianli lay down as well, snuggling close to his side.
The room was quiet. They lay silently together, gazing at the red canopy overhead, then turned towards each other at the same time, embracing and kissing.
The wedding dress that Ji Wujing had meticulously dressed Gu Jianli in was now being removed piece by piece by him. The dress, which had taken him a year of effort and endless dedication, lay discarded on the floor.
In the heat of the moment, Ji Wujing’s hands moved over Gu Jianli’s waist, exploring her hip and pubic bones.
When Ji Wujing suddenly stopped, Gu Jianli was truly frightened, worried he might have some mischievous idea. But then she saw him sitting by the bed, putting on a contraceptive sheath.
Gu Jianli stared at him, her eyes filled with confusion.
Ji Wujing leaned down to kiss her eyes, saying, “Uncle’s little Lili hasn’t fully grown yet.”
“But… I’ll be seventeen after today…”
“Even so, you haven’t grown enough to handle too much.”
Ji Wujing kissed her gently, insistently using the sheath.
The entrance, which had been explored countless times by his tongue and fingers, was finally stretched open, causing Gu Jianli to bite down on his shoulder in pain. After the initial discomfort, it wasn’t the tearing pain she had feared but a journey into an intoxicating dreamland.
The night deepened, but they did not rest.
A few days later, Ji Jingyi arrived, bringing the antidote for the mysterious Xuanyan powder.
Xuanyan powder was initially developed by a certain organization for research. Though not harmful, once ingested, it left traces that could be detected through a pulse reading at any time throughout a person’s life. Despite its strange properties and the lack of a known antidote, Ji Jingyi, an expert in developing antidotes for various poisons, had managed to create one for Xuanyan powder as well.
Despite its harmless nature, Ji Jingyi still brought the antidote for Ji Wujing to take.
Ji Jingyi, after suffering severe punishment in the palace and barely surviving, had returned to his benevolent appearance after a year of recovery.
“Mr. Ji,” Ji Wujing leaned forward, “do you plan to take on another apprentice?”
Ji Jingyi didn’t understand his intent.
Ji Wujing’s sly fox-like eyes gleamed with a smile.
From that day on, he began studying medicine under Ji Jingyi, specializing in gynecology.
One day, Ji Jingyi visited the residence again to teach Ji Wujing medical knowledge.
Hearing the maids whispering, Gu Jianli smiled, already guessing Ji Wujing’s intention.
She personally welcomed Ji Jingyi inside and casually asked, “Mr. Ji, you’re a bit late today.”
“Yes, His Majesty summoned me to the palace early this morning.”
Gu Jianli quickly asked, “Is His Majesty unwell?”
“No.” Ji Jingyi shook his head hastily, “His Majesty inquired if there was a way to treat a limp and a hoarse voice.”
Gu Jianli was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood that Ji Xinglou was seeking treatment for Wen Jingshan. Her heart warmed with appreciation and she felt deeply touched.
She also asked, “In Mr. Ji’s opinion, can it be treated?”
Ji Jingyi sighed and said, “The Empress Dowager Zhengxian’s voice was deliberately damaged, so it cannot be fully restored, but it can be improved. As for her leg, it’s been a problem for many years and can’t be completely cured, but the pain on rainy days can be alleviated.”
Gu Jianli nodded gently. Even this was a blessing amidst misfortune.
Another year passed.
Changsheng and Jixia’s son could already talk, and Changfeng had successfully married Yuanshun.
On Gu Jianli’s birthday that year, Ji Wujing’s hand slipped into her nightgown, touching her hip and pubic bones. He smiled as he did so.
“Why are you smiling?” Gu Jianli asked lazily, yawning. She had just woken up and was still a bit groggy.
Ji Wujing lowered his head, gently resting his forehead against hers. “Our little baby can come now.”
Two months later, Gu Jianli started to feel drowsy and craved sweets.
Ji Wujing checked her pulse, his face expressionless.
Gu Jianli anxiously asked, “Is she here?”
Ji Wujing withdrew his hand, cupped her face, and gently kissed her forehead. “She’s here.”
Gu Jianli became dependent on sweets, with a constant supply from the Shijin Pavilion.
Ji Wujing bought the entire street of houses and shops, converting them into candy stores and employing all the candy makers in Anjing. They created various sweets daily, ensuring Gu Jianli had different ones to enjoy each day.
Knowing that too much sugar was unhealthy, Ji Wujing had the candy makers put extra effort into the ingredients, making the sweets beneficial and not harmful to her health.
Since becoming pregnant, Gu Jianli became sleepy and craved sweets but had no other pregnancy symptoms.
On a scorching summer day, sunlight streamed gently through the small lattice window, bathing her in warmth. She cut the thread and ran her hand over the red fabric.
Gu Jianli had long promised Ji Wujing that she would make him a dress that fit him perfectly. Yet, as the years slipped by, he had learned the art of embroidery for her, crafting her a one-of-a-kind wedding dress, while she had not yet completed his dress. Now, pregnant and finding herself with more time, she finally finished the red dress for Ji Wujing.
Looking out at the bright sunlight, Gu Jianli said, “I want to go for a walk.”
“Call me ‘Good Uncle,’ and I’ll accompany you,” Ji Wujing said, lazily playing with her hair.
Gu Jianli glared at him.
Ji Wujing laughed, getting off the luohan bed and kneeling before her to put on her shoes.
Gu Jianli stood up, holding onto Ji Wujing’s hand, and looked down at her swollen belly. She was seven months pregnant now.
“Not very pretty,” Gu Jianli complained, frowning.
“One beauty in the family is enough,” Ji Wujing said. “You were never as good-looking as me anyway.”
To prove he was more beautiful than Gu Jianli and to make her happy—or perhaps because he finally received the dress she had owed him for years—Ji Wujing wore the red dress Gu Jianli had made for him when they went out.
This drew astonished stares from everyone on the streets, but his appearance carried the dress perfectly, exuding an ethereal beauty without seeming feminine.
Walking hand-in-hand through the candy street, they attracted everyone’s attention, becoming a living legend in Anjing.
On the second day of the tenth month, Gu Jianli went into labor. The labor pains lasted barely half an hour before she gave birth.
Perhaps due to Ji Wujing’s careful care during her pregnancy, she didn’t suffer much at all.
Hearing the baby’s cries, Ji Wujing eagerly asked, “Is it a girl?”
“Yes, it’s a girl!” The midwife, aware of Ji Wujing’s obsession with having a daughter, reported the news with a wide smile.
Ji Wujing smiled. He entered the room, bent down, kissed Gu Jianli’s forehead, and looked into her eyes. “I hear we have a little girl.”
Gu Jianli nodded gently, her eyes smiling.
Ji Wujing then looked at their daughter lying beside Gu Jianli. The little one was wrinkled and her features hadn’t developed yet, making it hard to discern her looks. As he stared at her face, Ji Wujing imagined a tiny version of Gu Jianli toddling towards him, arms outstretched for a hug.
On the day their daughter turned a month old, the entire court came to celebrate.
Ji Wujing happened to glance at their daughter and froze, retreating two steps in shock. “Who is this?”
Gu Jianli glared at him. “Don’t scare her!”
“Why doesn’t she look like you at all? She’s so ugly!” Ji Wujing panicked.
Gu Jianli kissed her daughter’s cheek, saying softly, “She’s not ugly. My little girl is the most beautiful in the world.”
Ji Wujing’s lips trembled, and he stood there, stunned.
Their daughter didn’t resemble Gu Jianli at all; she had entirely inherited Ji Wujing’s features and contours.
The little girl in Gu Jianli’s arms looked at Ji Wujing.
For some reason, Ji Wujing found this gaze familiar.
Later, when the little girl stumbled while walking and fell, she got up and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
Ji Wujing felt a chill in his heart, suddenly realizing why the gaze was familiar.
The little one before him was practically a miniature version of himself. (TL: Ah, daughters being karmas of their fathers)
The future where a sweet, soft little girl would cuddle up to him and act coy was clearly not going to happen.
Ji Wujing sighed, went back inside to find Gu Jianli, and insisted that Gu Jianli act coy with him instead.
—
Main story completed, with extras to follow.
Thank you to everyone who followed along!