I'm competing with the male lead for a woman (GL) - Chapter 2.2

At the Prince of Yan’s Palace.

Xiao Jin ordered the servant of the palace yesterday to buy the most expensive coffin. Although the servant was sweating profusely, he didn’t dare to disobey.

Today, the servant hired a few strong men and watched as they carried the coffin made of golden nanmu wood across the threshold, feeling a sense of relief.

At long last, I managed to live up to my mission.

The strong men had just set down the coffin painted with the golden crow when they saw a wedding procession, full of joy and festivity, passing by the palace, with drums and gongs resounding ahead.

The servant wiped his sweat, knowing that today was the Fourth Prince’s wedding day. So he stood on tiptoe, wanting to catch a glimpse and share in the joy.

With this glance, the servant almost stumbled down the steps.

Because just ahead, eight guards from the royal palace were unsteadily carrying the bridal sedan chair.

Although his face was bruised, he looked quite pleased.

What made the servant even more suspicious was that the eunuchs, who were ordered to escort the bride, were lined up on both sides of the procession, their faces ashen as they struck the gongs.

And at the front of the line, a maid was pushing a wheelchair, on which sat Xiao Jin, whose expression was hard to discern.

Yes, Xiao Jin not only snatched the bride but also conveniently took away the second male lead’s escort.

The procession quickly made its way to the entrance of the royal palace.

Xiao Jin saw the coffin placed in the courtyard and highly praised the servant of the palace.

What kind of virtue and ability did the original owner possess to have such efficient employees?

Xiao Jin turned to look at the servant, just about to praise him, when the servant suddenly knelt down with a thud, trembling all over, “This old servant will take the coffin away right now!”

“……”

Xiao Jin swallowed the words of praise and said thoughtfully, “No rush, let’s keep it for now. It might come in handy later.”

The servant kowtowed in gratitude, repeatedly responding affirmatively.

Xiao Jin looked at the servant with a complex expression, always feeling that this person seemed to have some misunderstanding about her.

It turns out that the servant of the Prince of Yan’s Palace is indeed very efficient.

Just a few hours had passed, and they had already replaced the purchased mourning banners and funeral clothes with festive attire. Lanterns hung from the eaves, and the table was adorned with dragon and phoenix wedding candles, creating a very celebratory atmosphere.

The system sent a congratulatory message: “Congratulations, host, on completing the task. Your lifespan has been extended to 24 hours. Please patiently wait for the next task.”

“Just a friendly reminder, host, you only need to spend a year with the female lead. Once she ascends to the throne and kills you, you can return to your original world.”

Xiao Jin chuckled, “It’s easy to talk when you’re standing.”

Then she had the maid push her to the bridal chamber.

Although the happy room was set up by the servant on short notice, I have to say, it looks quite impressive.

As soon as she pushed the door open, Xiao Jin was dazzled by the sea of red, and amidst the blazing crimson, the shoes under the female lead’s feet stood out strikingly.

The maid saw the white shoes under the bride’s feet, and her face turned pale as well, causing her hand that was pushing the wheelchair to tremble involuntarily.

The wheelchair moved to the bedside, and Xiao Jin looked at the woman sitting by the curtain, lowering her eyes and fixing her gaze on those few slender, fair fingers.

The bridal chamber was lit with candles, filling the room with brilliance.

The bride’s hands were beautiful and slender, like warm white jade, hands intertwined, quietly resting on her wedding robe.

Xiao Jin noticed that the bride was wearing white shoes, and after staring for a while, she discovered that there were several silver-blue patterns embroidered on them.

Seeing this, she didn’t make a fuss, just asked softly, “What is embroidered on the shoes?”

The bride replied, “It’s the Ice Lotus from the Yao Kingdom.”

Xiao Jin slightly frowned.

In the original story, on the day of her wedding, the female lead, Chu Shao, wasn’t bold enough to wear white shoes.

After all, she is a deposed princess. Knowing that the original owner and the Fourth Prince are not good people, if she dares to wear white on such a joyous day, isn’t she just seeking her own death?

Through the veil, the bride’s voice sounded like it was muffled by a layer of gauze—clear and pleasant, yet somewhat hazy.

“Ice Lotus is the most beautiful flower in Yao Kingdom, blooming in December when heavy snow falls, as splendid as silver, but it can only bloom for an hour.”

Xiao Jin reasonably raised a question: “The night-blooming cereus blooms once a year and can last for two hours. Can this flower wilt faster than the night-blooming cereus?”

The bride replied, “Because the national master said that the ice lotus symbolizes auspiciousness, it is picked as soon as it blooms and stored under a glass dome.”

Xiao Jin always reads at a glance, so naturally, she wouldn’t remember the meaning of a flower.

But listening to the heroine’s gentle and soft voice, I felt inexplicably strange and found it hard to imagine what kind of expression and appearance lay beneath the veil.

Xiao Jin coughed lightly a few times and looked at Chu Shao.

Her voice was indifferent, yet carried a hint of oppression: “Princess, tonight is the night you marry me. Do you dare wear white shoes, not afraid that I might kill you?”

Xiao Jin originally intended to test the female lead, but what she didn’t expect was that the female lead was completely unfazed.

Chu Shao’s tone was light and cheerful, seemingly with a hint of confusion: “Your Highness, why should I be afraid?”

“Ice Lotus is a symbol of good fortune in Yao Kingdom. In Yao Kingdom, when women get married, they all wear shoes embroidered with Ice Lotus.”

It sounds like a well-rehearsed act, as if it were all part of a script.

Xiao Jin’s face showed no expression, and her mind had only one thought.

Nonsense.

If the Yao Kingdom really had this custom, how could she, as a reader, possibly forget such a crucial plot point?

Xiao Jin didn’t take Chu Shao’s words seriously.

Reaching out, she grasped the wedding scale placed on the table, deciding to see the true face of the female lead.

So she picked up the wedding scale and lifted the red cloth.

She didn’t use much force, and the bridal veil was lifted by the wedding scale, gently falling to the side of the bed.

Although Xiao Jin knew that the female lead, Chu Shao, was depicted as the most beautiful woman in the Yao Kingdom in the original story, she was still stunned the moment she saw that face.

In the candlelight, the beauty slightly raised her gaze and looked at her with a smile.

All the splendor is captured in a single glance.

By the time Xiao Jin came to her senses, what she saw was no longer just those captivating eyes.

She discovered that the beauty had a small crimson mole under her eye.

Thick yet not gaudy, an intensely striking beauty mark.

Chu Shao’s features were exceptionally beautiful, like the sun breaking through the mist, a striking brilliance amidst the coolness.

Makes one admire from afar, almost not daring to meet its gaze.

Of course, Xiao Jin didn’t have such feelings.

Because she has been single for over 20 years.

Even the most beautiful two-dimensional character can’t shake Xiao Jin’s calm and solitary heart.

She, the widow one, only allows emotions to affect her task speed.

Anyway, at least for now, Xiao Jin is clear-headed and unwavering.

Immediately after, Xiao Jin saw the beautiful paper figure smile at her and start speaking: “It’s a pity, the fabric of this veil was originally very good, but it got dirty when it fell on the ground, so it can’t be used anymore.”

Xiao Jin looked at the smile on Chu Shao’s lips and inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine.

Staring for a long time, she finally realized why she was feeling this strange sensation.

Because, the female lead’s focus is just too off, right?

Chu Shao’s fingers were still resting on her knees, and her good-looking brows held a gentle expression.

The next moment, however, it seemed like she thought of something.

The corners of her lips slightly curved, and her expression faintly revealed a hint of anticipation: “This is also my first marriage, so I am really very curious. Let me think…”

“What’s next?”

T/N: In traditional Chinese culture, white is often associated with mourning and funerals, so Chu Shao’s behavior is quite unusual. (I’m not Chinese, so if I’m wrong, please correct me QAQ.)