Chapter 76 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (17)
Wei Yuyan was initially confined to the ancestral hall, but under pressure from the clan elders, her place of reflection was moved to the family temple. Given the Prime Minister’s temperament and the customs of the Jin Kingdom, Wei Yuyan was doomed to spend the rest of her life in the temple, eating vegetarian meals, chanting scriptures, and ultimately dying in seclusion.
Since she didn’t want to marry the Third Prince, she wouldn’t be marrying anyone at all. In the end, she had brought this fate upon herself.
With the troublesome female lead no longer around, even the air felt fresher. Xiao Bobao was quite satisfied.
The Emperor was even more pleased. The Prime Minister, having lost face, called in sick and refrained from appearing at court. With no opposition, the Emperor even reclaimed part of the Prime Minister’s power. Morning court sessions became far less irritating, and even those ministers who had sided with the Prime Minister seemed more agreeable.
The next time Bai Mo heard news of Wei Yuyan was on the eve of his wedding with Yu Chenyi. At the time, Xiao Bobai was completely engrossed in selecting wedding attire for the little snow ferret and studying intricate embroidery techniques. The profound and exquisite craftsmanship of ancient culture was so captivating that she failed to notice Wei Yuyan’s escape from the temple until it was already too late. By the time she paid attention, the Wei family’s temple was already deserted.
“It was the Prime Minister’s wife who helped her.” Xiao Bobao deduced after investigating.
Ever since Wei Yuyan’s confinement, the Prime Minister’s wife had been tirelessly pleading for her release. However, the Prime Minister was a pragmatic man, valuing power and reputation above all else. His once-prized daughter had repeatedly brought disgrace upon him, even causing him to lose political influence.
The fact that he hadn’t executed her was purely out of familial obligation. Letting her out to cause more trouble? Absolutely out of the question.
The Prime Minister saw the truth of the situation clearly, but unfortunately, he had a foolish wife as his ally. The Prime Minister’s wife frequently sent supplies to the temple, witnessed her daughter’s deteriorating state, and kept it in her heart. Unable to convince her husband to relent, she fell ill from stress.
Determined not to let her daughter waste away in the temple for life, she hatched a desperate plan. Feigning illness, she dragged her weakened body to visit Wei Yuyan, only to collapse dramatically inside the temple.
Unlike the Prime Minister’s estate, the family temple did not have a resident physician. In the ensuing panic, servants rushed to fetch a doctor and move the Prime Minister’s wife to the finest guest room. Taking advantage of the chaos, Wei Yuyan successfully escaped, relocating to a private estate owned by her mother.
Xiao Bobao displayed a recent image of Wei Yuyan—once a stunning beauty, she now appeared haggard and aged. Having ruined the marriage prospects of the other girls in her clan, she was hated by the Wei family elders, who secretly tormented her. She had suffered so severely that she looked ten years older, avoided mirrors, and dared not show her face in public.
“She should settle down now, right?”
It was a classic case of reaping what she sowed. Bai Mo felt no sympathy for someone like her. After glancing at the image twice, he lost interest and moved on to reviewing the wedding procedures. After all, tomorrow was his big day with Brother Chenyi, and he was so nervous.
Xiao Bobao, however, couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling upon noticing the malicious glint in Wei Yuyan’s eyes in the image. Something felt off—but upon seeing Mo Mo fully immersed in wedding preparations, she swallowed her concerns.
Forget it. She would just keep a closer watch on the female lead. If anything went wrong, she could deal with it then.
As for the grand wedding of House Yu and House Bai—while many celebrated, some harbored resentment.
Third Prince Lan Gaoyi first saw Bai Mo at the Flower Viewing Banquet, and ever since, he has been unable to forget him. After learning of Bai Mo’s wedding date with Yu Chenyi, the anger in his heart not only failed to subside but instead burned even more fiercely.
Things should not have turned out this way—Bai Mo should have married him.
Lan Gaoyi’s inner voice was silently screaming; he couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but one thing was certain: from the moment the Lantern Festival began, something had been off.
After finally finding the one he’d been searching for, less than a day later, that person was granted in marriage by the Empress Dowager. It was as if someone had knocked over a container of five flavors—there was sour, bitter, spicy, and salty, but not a trace of sweetness.
As the wedding day drew nearer, Lan Gaoyi finally resolved to follow his heart—he would steal the wedding.
Once the rice is cooked into a meal, and if he offers sufficient benefits, whether Yu Chenyi is bound by pride or practical concerns, he would force him to bow. In the future, he would be the new ruler; if the Yu family wished to avoid disaster befalling the entire clan, submission would be the best option.
It’s no wonder Lan Gaoyi harbored such thoughts—his life had been extraordinarily smooth from the start. Protected by the Empress Dowager since childhood, he had even secured a marriage contract with the Prime Minister’s daughter, and won the support of the Prime Minister’s faction. Both inside and out, obstacles had been cleared for him, and he had grown exceedingly arrogant.
On the day of the wedding, the drums roared. Yu Chenyi’s dream had come true—his handsome face carried a hint of silliness as he smiled at everyone, and the aloof gentleman seemed to have taken on a more down-to-earth quality.
Bai Mo, too, experiencing his first ancient wedding, spent the night repeatedly recalling the intricate ceremonial procedures before finally dozing off around the third watch.
Before dawn, he was dragged from his bed by Jin Xin and a matchmaker, taken to the bathhouse where attendants helped him bathe and wash his hair. Just as his long hair was half-dry, sleepiness overtook him again, and when he began to drift off once more, he was pressed against a mirror to have his makeup applied.
Throughout the entire process, Bai Mo looked completely bewildered and was extremely sleepy; every time his head drooped, Jin Xin would call him back up, urging him to sit up straight, making him appear in obvious “pain.”
“Big Sister Jin Xin, I want to sleep—can’t I just not get married?” the little snow ferret pleaded, his eyes nearly closing.
Jin Xin teased, “Then Young Master Yu would be heartbroken. Would you really want that? What if he ends up marrying someone else…”
Yu Chenyi’s name was precisely Bai Mo’s weakness; as long as Bai Mo misbehaved, invoking Yu Chenyì’s name would undoubtedly make him obedient.
Yu Chenyi’s reputation for effectiveness was legendary. Suddenly, the young man snapped awake—this was the very strong man he had so painstakingly defended against the female lead.
“He dares!” His round eyes widened, his pink lips pressed tightly together, and his soft, delicate voice trembled with anger, “I’m still going to remarry!”
The servants assigned by Yu Chenyi to attend to Bai Mo were instantly horrified—this was their master’s most cherished treasure! If he were to remarry… they didn’t even dare to imagine the consequences. It would be nothing short of a living nightmare.
“Jin Xin girl, watch your words! This is a joyous occasion—mind your tongue.” An elderly maid by Madam Bai’s side scolded her with a stern face.
Jin Xin merely smiled, bowed respectfully to the maid, and humbly accepted the reprimand. “This servant misspoke. Allow me to correct myself—if young master cooperates well, he will surely captivate the young master-in-law so much that he won’t be able to take his eyes off him.”
Inside the bridal chamber, laughter and light conversation filled the air as Bai Mo’s makeup was carefully perfected, and his wedding attire was put on. By the time everything was set, the sky had just begun to brighten.
There was still quite some time before the groom’s arrival, so the young man, feeling drowsy, leaned against the bedpost and dozed off once again. He skillfully avoided smudging his makeup by resting the side of his head against the post.
Originally, they had worried about running out of time, but now it seemed there was plenty left—enough for Bai Mo to get some extra rest.
The elderly maid, feeling sorry for the young master who had been woken up in the middle of the night, discussed with the wedding attendants and decided to let Jin Xin stay behind to care for Bai Mo while he slept a little longer. When the auspicious hour drew near, they would wake him.
Bai Mo faintly heard voices around him, likely Jinxin’s, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. Only one phrase reached his heart—”Young Master, sleep a little longer.”
“Big Sister Jin Xin, make sure to wake me up on time,” Bai Mo murmured sleepily, giving her repeated reminders before drifting off completely.
He had originally wanted to ask the Xiao Bobao to wake him, but it had already run off for its own nap the moment he was dragged off for his bath. The little panda clutched its bamboo and snored away, completely enjoying itself.
As everyone exited Bai Mo’s room, the wedding attendants and elderly maids were summoned away by the people Madam Bai had sent, saying that she had some final instructions for them.
Jin Xin stood guard at the doorway, instructing a maidservant to bring up some of Bai Mo’s favorite snacks.
However, after the girl got his preferences wrong for the third time—going so far as to bring something he was allergic to—even the most good-natured person would have lost their temper.
Furious, Jin Xin grabbed the maidservant and dragged her a short distance away, making sure they wouldn’t disturb Bai Mo inside before giving the girl a harsh scolding. Yet, she had barely spoken a few sentences when the maid started crying, trying to shift the blame onto the kitchen.
Jin Xin found her wailing on such a joyous occasion extremely inauspicious. Seeing that the girl refused to admit her mistake, she decided to take her to the kitchen in person to determine whether she had truly been wronged or if the issue lay with the kitchen staff.
And so, the people in Bai Mo’s courtyard gradually dispersed. Not long after, Lan Gaoyi slipped into the courtyard unnoticed. He stood before the grand red wedding decorations and the tightly shut chamber doors, his expression unreadable. Then, in an instant, his face broke into a smile.
Today was not Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi’s special day—it was his and the young man’s.
Creak—
The man stealthily snuck into the bridal chamber. In the inner room, the dim light revealed the vague outline of a figure.
Faint sounds of servants working in the front courtyard drifted through the still air, while those outside the residence had been lured away by Lan Gaoyi’s scheme. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and strode forward.
The youth he had been longing for lay sound asleep on the bed, wrapped in a thin blanket.
His makeup-enhanced face was soft and luminous, a natural flush blooming against his fair complexion.
His delicate features looked even more refined, and his slightly parted lips moved subtly with each breath.
The loose collar of his robe, a result of his restless sleeping posture, revealed a glimpse of his elegant collarbones…
Such an alluring sight—one that could tempt even a saint.
Lan Gaoyi was no saint. He possessed neither the abilities nor the restraint of one. The seed buried deep within his heart finally broke through the soil—once he obtained the young man, everything would return to its rightful course.
The man lunged toward the youth. But just as he was about to pin him down, the supposedly sleeping boy suddenly opened his eyes—his watery, dazed apricot gaze filled with innocent confusion. Lan Gaoyi froze for a split second, caught in the act. That moment of hesitation was all Bai Mo needed.
“AHH! PERVERT—”
A disheveled, unfamiliar man in his room? If that wasn’t a pervert, what was?
The youth instinctively kicked straight at the man’s most vulnerable spot. Lan Gaoyi’s handsome face twisted in pain, but before he could subdue the boy and stop him from screaming, a sharp uppercut landed on his jaw, followed by a fierce kick to his stomach.
Pain—searing pain from head to toe. Lan Gaoyi curled up on the ground like a boiled shrimp, unable to straighten his body.
A pair of small, fair feet appeared in his blurred vision—feet belonging to the very youth he had coveted. Yet, at this moment, all thoughts of desire were gone, replaced by sheer terror.
The only thing on his mind was survival: Stay away from the boy and live to see another day.
Xiao Bobao was pleased that Lan Gaoyi had finally developed some self-preservation instincts. Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Bai Mo stood over him, looking down coldly while discussing with Xiao Bobao how this fool had even managed to sneak in. Thank goodness I woke up in time, or my innocence would’ve been ruined!
On Xiao Bobao’s map, several more figures were approaching Bai Mo’s courtyard, their malicious intent barely concealed. They were the same people who, in the original storyline, had been sent by Wei Yuyan to abduct Black Moonlight and throw him into a beggars’ den.
It was hard to say whether Wei Yuyan simply never learned her lesson—despite her own miserable downfall, she was still hell-bent on harming others—or if the original plot was just that powerful.
Bai Mo glanced at Lan Gaoyi lying on the floor, then back at the dark markers inching closer on the map. A brilliant idea took shape in his mind.
“Xiao Bobao, hurry and exchange for a Memory-Erasing Potion,” Bai Mo commanded.
Under Lan Gaoyi’s horrified gaze, Bai Mo grabbed his jaw, forced the potion down his throat, and knocked him out cold. Then, he dressed him in a red wedding robe, covered his face with a bridal veil, and tossed him onto the bed.
Before long, the disguised servants arrived at Bai Mo’s room.
Spotting the “groom” fast asleep on the bed, they didn’t bother lifting the veil to check his identity. Instead, they delivered a swift karate chop to the “bridegroom’s” neck, knocking him out further before carrying him away.