Chapter 3: The Blind Groom
Wang Gege closed her eyes and took another deep breath.
"Okay, now, System... show yourself."
She slowly opened her eyes before snapping her fingers confidently.
Nothing happened.
The only response she received was the creaking of the bridal sedan chair as it continued swaying along the uneven road.
Wang Gege waited. Then she waited a little longer.
Still nothing.
"System?"
Silence.
"Dear System?"
Nothing.
"Legendary Golden Finger?"
The bridal sedan chair continued to creak mockingly.
Wang Gege’s expression gradually became complicated.
This wasn’t right.
According to every transmigration novel or short drama she had ever read and watched, this was usually the part where a cheerful mechanical voice appeared and explained everything.
At the very least, she should have received a beginner’s gift package.
Where was her cheat?
Wang Gege frowned, biting her lip as she thought hard.
"Don’t tell me..."
She slowly looked up, "Don’t tell me my only cheat is this face."
The thought seemed ridiculous at first.
Then again...
Wang Gege had never considered herself unattractive. Throughout her life, she had received more than enough confessions to prove that much.
If she had really transmigrated with her original body intact, then at least she wouldn’t have to worry about her appearance.
The more she thought about it, the more curious she became.
She immediately lifted the bridal veil that had been covering her face and began searching the cramped bridal sedan chair, determined to find a mirror or anything reflective.
If beauty was truly her only cheat, she at least deserved to know what she was working with.
She immediately began searching the cramped bridal sedan chair, determined to find a mirror or anything reflective.
If beauty was truly her only cheat, she at least deserved to know what she was working with.
Unfortunately, after searching for quite some time, Wang Gege discovered that the bridal sedan chair contained very few items besides red silk decorations and embroidered cushions.
Just as she was about to give up, her eyes landed on a small wooden box tucked away in the corner.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
"There you are."
Without hesitation, she pulled the box toward her and opened it.
Inside were several pieces of jewelry, along with a small bronze mirror.
Wang Gege quickly picked it up.
The moment she saw the reflection of this Shen Taotoa girl, she froze.
Actually, she genuinely forgot to breathe.
The girl reflected in the mirror looked no older than eighteen. Her skin was fair and smooth, her features delicate and refined, while a pair of naturally pouty lips gave her an innocent appearance that made people instinctively want to protect her.
The bronze mirror was far from clear, yet even through its blurry reflection, Wang Gege could see that this face was unbelievably beautiful. No wonder the maids had been so respectful toward her.
"Wow."
She tilted the mirror slightly and the girl in the reflection tilted her head as well.
Wang Gege stared..
The more she looked, the more stunned she became. This wasn’t the kind of beauty that made people glance twice.
This was the kind of beauty that made people forget what they were about to say halfway through a conversation.
Her confidence instantly rose by several levels.
"Okay, I am sure this is my cheat."
Wang Gege nodded seriously at her reflection, "Actually... with this face, maybe we can negotiate with fate."
The more she looked at the girl in the bronze mirror, the more satisfied she became.
Unable to resist, she adjusted the angle of the mirror again and examined herself from another side.
The reflection immediately followed.
The side profile was beautiful. The front view was beautiful.
Even the naturally pouty lips that had probably earned Shen Taotao her name somehow looked adorable instead of childish.
"I wonder..." She gently touched her lips. "Did they name her Taotao because of these lips?"
Wang Gege pursed them experimentally.
The girl in the mirror immediately looked even more adorable.
"Dangerous."
She stared at her reflection for another moment before clicking her tongue.
"Alright. If this face can’t survive ancient times, then nobody can."
Her gaze drifted toward the tightly closed curtain of the bridal sedan chair.
"Now then..." she muttered and closed back her wedding veil, "Let’s see what this cold Master Xie actually looks like."
The words had barely left her mouth when the bridal sedan chair suddenly lurched forward.
"Ah!"
The bronze mirror nearly slipped from her hands.
Before she could steady herself, the sedan chair shook once more before coming to an abrupt halt.
The sudden stop almost sent her crashing face-first into the wooden wall.
Wang Gege hurriedly grabbed onto the edge of her seat.
"What happened?"
Her first thought was that the wedding procession had finally arrived at the Xie residence.
However, the longer she listened, the stranger things became.
No one was announcing the groom’s arrival and no one was shouting for the bride to prepare herself.
In fact, the festive sounds that had accompanied the procession the entire journey had disappeared completely.
The silence outside was so sudden that it felt unnatural.
Wang Gege instinctively lowered the bronze mirror.
Then she heard the sound of galloping hooves.
One horse.
No—Several.
Their speed was incredibly fast, as though they were charging directly toward the wedding procession.
The noise grew louder and louder.
Soon, even Wang Gege could hear the panicked voices coming from outside.
"Who goes there?!"
"Stop!"
"Protect the bride!"
The moment those words reached her ears, Wang Gege’s heart skipped a beat.
Surely this wasn’t a robbery.
Right?
After all, she had only transmigrated a few hours ago. Wouldn’t it be a little unreasonable if bandits appeared already?
Just then, a sharp scream erupted from outside.
The next second, something heavy crashed against the side of the bridal sedan chair.
The entire carriage tilted violently.
"WHAT THE—"
Wang Gege’s scream was cut short as she tumbled sideways together with her wedding veil, cushions, jewelry box, and what remained of her confidence.
"What should I do?" she muttered while scrambling back to her feet. "Ah... this world really refuses to let me breathe."
She had barely finished speaking when a sharp sound suddenly sliced through the air.
Before she could react, a sword pierced straight through the curtain of the bridal sedan.
The blade shot past her shoulder and buried itself deep into the opposite wall.
The tip stopped mere inches from her neck.
Wang Gege froze and the breath she had just taken instantly lodged itself in her throat.
Her eyes slowly crossed as she stared at the cold steel hovering dangerously close to her skin and her soul? Nearly left her body for the second time that day.
Outside the bridal sedan, an eerie silence settled over everything.
"Dear God..." Wang Gege instantly clasped her hands together and mumbled under her breath. "Can’t You just let me be a salted fish in this world? Why do I have to experience all the exciting parts immediately?"
The sword remained exactly where it was.
"At least let me get familiar with the map first, huh?" She looked up, even though all she could see was the red color of the wedding veil.
Just as the words left her mouth, the curtain was suddenly lifted from the outside.
A man dressed in black stood there.
Through the thin red veil, Wang Gege could only make out vague shapes and colors, but the dark stain splattered across the sleeve of his robe was unmistakably blood.
The second thing she noticed was the sword hanging at his waist. Her soul immediately packed its luggage again.
The man seemed to notice her reaction. He instantly lowered his head slightly and cupped his fist in greeting.
"My apologies for the harsh welcome, Miss Shen."
Wang Gege slowly turned her head toward the sword still embedded in the wall beside her.
Then she slowly turned back to him, taking her time as though moving too quickly might somehow trigger another sword to come flying out of nowhere.
The man followed the direction of her gaze toward the sword and a faint trace of embarrassment surfaced on his otherwise composed face, as though he had finally realized how difficult it was to describe such an incident as a mere misunderstanding.
"That was not intentional."
Wang Gege stared at him for a long moment as the silence stretched between them, it became increasingly obvious that neither of them seemed particularly convinced by his explanation, although for entirely different reasons.
Fortunately, perhaps sensing that continuing to discuss the sword would only make matters worse rather than better, the man chose not to pursue the subject any further.
Instead, he stepped aside and gestured respectfully toward the outside.
"Our Master would like to meet you before proceeding with the wedding ceremony."
Wang Gege blinked.
For a moment, she thought she had misheard him.
"You mean... Master Xie Rong?"
Her question landed in silence.
Then a tall figure appeared beyond the lifted curtain.
A black silk cloth covered his eyes.
The man in black immediately lowered his head.
"Young Master."
Wang Gege froze.
’So this is Xie Rong.’