Because of Shen Er's blindness, he was excused from drinking with the guests.
We sat together on the wedding bed, listening to the matchmaker rattle off endless auspicious words. I forced myself to stay alert, but Shen Er remained silent the entire time. When the matchmaker tried to guide him to lift my veil, he said flatly: "No need. Everyone, leave."
Even through the thick veil, I could sense the reluctance of the matchmaker and servant girls as they filed out.
When only the two of us remained in the room, I quietly lifted a corner of the veil—only to see his hand slowly approaching it.
I quickly lowered the veil and sat properly.
Strangely, after waiting for a long time, he still didn't lift the veil. I turned my eyes, peeking through the veil gap. His fingers gently caressed the small corner of the hanging veil, but there was no further movement.
"Husband..." I heard my own slightly trembling voice: "Why don't you lift it?"
Shen Er quickly pulled his hand back. After a long silence, he lowered his voice: "I'm afraid I'll scare you."
I was slightly startled. Shen Er is famously the son of Old Master Shen, but because he was born blind and kept away from outsiders, not many people have ever seen him. Could it be that he's so ugly he'd scare people?
I hesitated slightly and said: "I'm not afraid. I'm just a bit tired and want to sleep."
Finally, Shen Er lifted my veil.
What an exquisitely handsome face! Black hair fell down, making his snow-white skin stand out even more. He had a tall, straight nose, lips red and teeth white—a young nobleman of extraordinary beauty! His eyes were loosely wrapped with white silk, adding a mysterious, breathtaking charm.
I was completely captivated by his looks. This is literally terrifyingly handsome!
Perhaps seeing me stare in silence for so long, Shen Er's uneasiness grew more obvious. He lowered his head, using his falling hair to cover his cheeks.
I felt slightly strange but assumed he must be shy. I quickly said: "Husband, it's late. Yuan'er will help you wash up and rest."
"Yuan'er?" Shen Er murmured softly, confused: "Isn't it Yuan Yuan?"
My heart trembled. Could it be he has someone else in his heart—a girl named Yuan Yuan?
Thinking of this, I quickly answered: "I have the surname Zhu, named Yuan'er. You can call me Yuan Yuan too, though everyone just calls me Yuan'er."
I suddenly stopped—as if someone had called me Yuan Yuan before.
Shen Er's expression darkened slightly. "I'll do it myself."
Shen Er had extremely strong self-care abilities. Though he couldn't see, he knew every arrangement in this room like the back of his hand. He definitely didn't need anyone to serve him.
He came out from the adjoining bathroom wearing only a set of moonlight-colored sleepwear. After the warm steam, his skin was pink and delicate, very enticing. Wet hair was still dripping water.
I quickly stepped forward: "Let me dry your hair for you."
Before he could refuse, I quickly rose on my toes to grasp a small bunch of his hair.
"From now on, leave these small matters to me."
Shen Er sat stiffly, letting me play with his hair. Hearing my words, he was silent for a moment, then said softly: "I married a wife, not a servant. You don't have to do this."
I lay side by side with him on the wide, soft wedding bed—so much space between us that another pig could sleep there.
Even so, a unfamiliar, fresh fragrance lingered around my nose. I turned my head, freely gazing at my husband.
Even when sleeping, he wouldn't remove the silk blindfold covering his eyes.
I was very curious—what kind of eyes would such a handsome face have?
"You... why did you marry me?" Shen Er suddenly asked quietly.
What for? For money, of course. I didn't know how to answer. Didn't he know how much silver his family paid as a betrothal gift? It even set a new record for daughter's weddings in our Yunzhou!
Looking at his expression, it seemed he really didn't know about this transaction.
"Parents' order, matchmaker's words," I answered tactfully.
He didn't speak again. The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
I thought about him mentioning "marrying a wife" and felt like laughing. If it weren't for his blindness, the suitors would have trampled the Shen family's threshold—how could it possibly be my turn?