It Was A Fake Marriage, but Jiu Qian Sui Took It Seriously. - Chapter 1

The Truth

At the break of dawn, the pale blue sky was adorned with a few sparse, remaining stars.

The morning fog had yet to dissipate as a swift figure wielded a soft whip, weaving through the specially crafted plum blossom array in the bamboo forest, the green bamboo leaves swirling like butterflies.

“Thud!” The whip slipped from her hand, and Shen Qingli fell from the plum blossom array once again, the sharp pain spreading from her left palm.

The jade bracelet on her wrist shattered into several pieces upon hitting the array, with a pointed fragment piercing her palm.

Bl00d stained the area.

Sitting nearby, Chunhua immediately sprang up, covering Shen Qingli’s palm with a cloth.

“Miss, you said you wouldn’t practice recently and would take good care of yourself until the wedding next month. How did you end up practicing again today and getting hurt?”

Shen Qingli stared blankly at the broken jade without speaking.

Returning to the room, Chunhua skillfully took out things needed to treat the wound. Fortunately, the injury was not deep, and there was no need to call the doctor.

Having followed Shen Qingli since childhood, Chunhua believed there was no one in the world more beautiful than her mistress.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her almond eyes, like the sky after rain, were clear yet somewhat distant. The perfectly placed mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure to her purity.

Holding a piece of cotton cloth, Chunhua carefully wiped the bl00d off the whip. Shen Qingli softly said, “Go tell Mother that I have something to do today and won’t be joining her for breakfast.”

Chunhua was a bit surprised. In the six years since their return to Shengjing, this was the first time the young mistress wouldn’t be having breakfast with her mother.

Shen Qingli was born in the borderlands. Her father, originally a merchant’s son, joined the military due to the low status of merchants. Her father, Shen Zhong, rose from an unknown soldier to the position of general, dying in battle six years ago.

Her mother, weak and ill, had to return to Shengjing to seek refuge with her maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Yongwang.

As a married daughter, her grandmother gave her and her mother the most secluded small courtyard in the residence. The two lived quietly, relying on each other, and rarely left the house except for the monthly shop inspections.

Now was not the time for shop inspections.

Chunhua asked in confusion, “Miss, are you leaving the residence? Where are you going? I will instruct someone to prepare the carriage.”

“To Yumanlou.” Shen Qingli changed into a light pink wide-sleeved brocade dress, her voice soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the agile woman in the forest earlier.

A smile appeared in Chunhua’s eyes. So, the young mistress wanted to check if the jewelry for her upcoming wedding was ready. It was understandable to be anxious.

The sky was somewhat gloomy, and Chunhua took a parasol with her.

They left the small gate of the secluded courtyard and boarded the carriage without alerting anyone.

The wooden wheels rolling over the ground made a “rumbling” sound, stirring up Shen Qingli’s anxiety, her brows furrowing more deeply as time passed.

“It’s nothing.” She took a deep breath, suppressing the unease rising in her heart. The Jiang family treated her and her mother well, and Jiang Zhili had always been considerate. He wouldn’t do anything inappropriate.

Yet she couldn’t understand why her mind had been filled with inexplicable visions lately.

This morning, the broken jade bracelet Jiang Zhili had given her had already come true, piercing her palm.

Could those… be real too?

After marrying Jiang Zhili, they soon had a son. However, the son she raised single-handedly was not close to her and instead preferred to stick to Jiang Zhili’s cousin, Lu Ci.

On her son’s fifth birthday, Shen Qingli went to the kitchen to make longevity noodles herself. Suddenly, she overheard the servants gossiping, “The madam is so pitiful… her own daughter is almost dead, yet she’s celebrating someone else’s son’s birthday.”

“Bang!” Shen Qingli kicked the door open, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at the two cooking maids. Under interrogation, she learned that Jiang Zhili had long established a home with his cousin outside, and they even had a child.

Furious, she rode through the night to confront them. Not only was Jiang Zhili there, but her mother-in-law, Madam Lu, was also present. The courtyard was brightly lit, and Lu Ci was kneeling before Madam Lu, crying. A large yellow dog was digging a hole under the osmanthus tree.

Upon seeing Shen Qingli, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Jiang Zhili instinctively took half a step closer to Lu Ci, shielding her.

Madam Lu’s expression changed several times before she finally said sternly, “Liar, it’s good that you know. This way, Zhili won’t have to run back and forth. When you return, arrange for Ci’er to become a concubine.”

Shen Qingli had never imagined she would witness such a scene. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react. She just stared at Jiang Zhili and murmured, “Why? Why did you deceive me?”

Jiang Zhili, however, looked indifferent and said, “Why are you so ungrateful? How many men in Shengjing are as virtuous as I am, with only you in the household?”

“Go ask around how many women envy you for marrying me. To accommodate you, Ci’er has endured so much suffering outside.”

So it was all her fault.

She bit her lip hard to hold back her tears and asked, trembling, “Did I give birth to a daughter back then? Where is my daughter?”

Lu Ci’s eyes widened in shock, and no one answered.

The large yellow dog under the osmanthus tree seemed to have dug something up and suddenly barked excitedly, pulling out a buried object.

It was… a baby girl!

Jiang Zhili’s eyes flashed with guilt. “She had a short life. You should be grateful to Ci’er for giving you a legitimate son.”

Shen Qingli trembled, unable to look at the mutilated remains. She couldn’t believe that human hearts could be so wicked… This was his own daughter!

She swung her fists indiscriminately at everyone, the courtyard filled with shouts and curses from Madam Lu, calling her a madwoman.

Suddenly, Shen Qingli’s eyes froze, and she looked down to see a knife tip piercing from her chest. Her heart felt cold, and the strength in her fingers quickly faded.

That knife? It was a gift she had given Jiang Zhili for self-defense.

Bought for ten thousand taels of silver… It was indeed incredibly sharp.

The scenes in Shen Qingli’s mind connected. She couldn’t believe it, but the pain… was all too real.

The wedding jewelry should have been ready two months ago, but Jiang Zhili said the shop had made some mistakes, delaying it until now.

Today, they had originally planned to pick up the jewelry together and stroll around the city. However, after she finished dressing up, only Jiang Zhili’s servant came to inform her that Jiang Zhili had been ordered to leave the capital for a few days and would accompany her to the city upon his return.

Shen Qingli nodded in agreement, but the jade bracelet that pierced her palm made her even more uneasy.

A few days ago, when they had made the appointment, she had foreseen that Jiang Zhili would not keep his promise. To celebrate Lu Ci’s birthday, he would use the excuse of leaving the capital for business but would actually be mingling in a small courtyard behind Yumanlou.

Shen Qingli got off the carriage at the back street of Yumanlou and asked the driver to find a place to wait for her. She and Chunhua searched room by room but did not find the house she had seen in her dreams.

They walked the entire street from end to end, but there was no household with the surname Jiang or Lu.

The cool wind began to rise, and raindrops started to mix in.

Shen Qingli breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she had been a bit dazed lately, perhaps suffering from pre-wedding anxiety. She smiled to herself and turned to take a shortcut through an alley to the main street, intending to buy some jewelry she liked.

Two entangled figures suddenly appeared before her; the man wore a green bamboo-colored long robe, his hair tied with a white jade orchid hairpin, and a warm jade thumb ring caressed the waist of the woman in pink.

The man’s attire was all made by her own hands, and he was none other than Jiang Zhili.