My Dearest Sister-In-Law, I've Been Waiting For You To Get A Divorce For A Long Time - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“My Lady, what’s happening at this Marquis Gu’s Estate is just too ridiculous. It’s one thing for them to have the sister stand in for the groom during the twilight wedding ceremony when the light was poor, but now, on this magnificent wedding night, the groom is nowhere to be seen, leaving you alone in the bridal chamber. Is this appropriate?”

The accompanying maid-in-charge grumbled in the room.

In the crimson room, a dragon and phoenix wedding candle was lit, and a cup of ceremonial wine was placed on a table covered with red silk. Even a fool would know this was the wedding night.

The most absurd thing on the wedding day was not the groom’s absence on the wedding night, but the fact that he was nowhere to be found when the sedan chair arrived at the entrance in the afternoon and he was supposed to welcome the bride!

Afraid of missing the auspicious hour, they could only have the groom’s sister, Gu Wenyue, temporarily stand in to welcome the bride.

When it was time for the ceremony, the groom finally showed up, only to be said to be so drunk he couldn’t even stand up. His ceremonial robe had just been put on when he threw up all over it. Forget the ceremony and rituals, he couldn’t even stand steady.

What could be done?

—Have Gu Wenyue stand in.

—Have Gu Wenyue stand in for the welcoming of the bride.

—Have Gu Wenyue stand in for the ceremony.

So, should Gu Wenyue also stand in for the wedding night?

Was the groom Gu Shufeng or Gu Wenyue?

If a stranger who didn’t know the situation were to see this, they would think that the Mo family’s daughter was incredibly brave, breaking with convention to marry the Gu family’s eldest daughter, Gu Wenyue.

This Gu family was simply too much.

This Marquis Gu’s Estate had a useless and cowardly legal wife, a Marquis who was a pushover, a completely worthless little Marquis, and a supposedly kind but actually unruly eldest daughter, Gu Wenyue. Among all the noble families in the capital, the Gu family was the most eccentric, acting with such impropriety.

Mo Shuqing, dressed in her wedding robe, sat upright by the bed, her hands on her knees. Hearing this, the tassels on her headdress didn’t even tremble. “Mother, why don’t you complain a little louder so everyone can hear about this glorious affair.”

It was not a glorious thing for a bride to not see her groom on her wedding day, with even the ceremony being conducted by his sister. If this got out, people would at most say that the little Marquis was a ridiculous good-for-nothing, and then their main focus would be on pointing fingers at Mo Shuqing, the bride.

Mother Liu immediately shut her mouth, not daring to yell as she had before.

Now that they were in the Marquis’s Estate, even if they were full of grievances, they shouldn’t be shouting so loudly.

The Mo family had been away from the capital for many years and was no longer as prestigious as before. It was better to be discreet in their words and actions.

“So, what should we do now?” the maid Qinglu asked in a low voice.

Mo Shuqing’s tone was flat. “Wait.”

If the groom didn’t show up in another half an hour, she would wash up and go to sleep herself. It would be both in accordance with the rules and wouldn’t be unfair to herself.

“How can we just wait like this?” Mother Liu straightened her back again. “The little Marquis must be sober by now after getting drunk this afternoon… I’ll go and ask the legal wife of the Marquis’s Estate when the little Marquis will sober up.”

As an experienced matron, she knew that if her young lady were left alone in the bridal chamber tonight, people would have all kinds of rumors to spread tomorrow.

She couldn’t make the decision herself, but she could go to the Marquis’s legal wife, Madam Yu.

Mo Shuqing saw that she couldn’t stop Mother Liu, so she let her go out. This way, it would be quieter for her.

When Madam Yu heard Mother Liu’s inquiry about the little Marquis’s whereabouts, her heart began to pound.

She said that she would give Mother Liu and the new bride Mo Shuqing an explanation, but in reality, after Mother Liu left, she paced anxiously in a circle.

“Did he go to that little slut Chunshui’s room again?” Madam Yu asked her maid.

Chunshui was Gu Shufeng’s concubine.

The maid nodded but didn’t dare to speak.

“How ridiculous!” Madam Yu stomped her foot. In a fit of rage, she raged for a moment, and then there were no other actions.

“…” Everyone in the room fell silent, already accustomed to Madam Yu’s timid and incompetent personality.

Madam Yu wrung her hands and could only sheepishly turn her head to look at the person sitting in the armchair. “Wenyue, what do you think we should do?”

The girl she called Wenyue was born to Madam Ming, the Marquis’s second wife. After her birth mother died in childbirth, she was raised by Madam Yu as if she were her own.

Madam Yu also trusted Gu Wenyue immensely and would always consult her on indecisive matters. Therefore, the servants of the Marquis Gu’s Estate knew that the one who truly had a say and could make decisions in the back of the house was not the legal wife, Madam Yu, but the second daughter, Gu Wenyue.

“Do you think we should have the servants carry your brother back?” Madam Yu sighed. “It’s one thing for him to act ridiculously on normal days, but today is his wedding night.”

Even though he knew he was getting married today, he still drank with his dissolute friends last night and only dispersed the party this morning. He was so drunk that he almost threw up his bile.

Now that he was a little more sober, Chunshui lured him to her courtyard with a few words, and he completely forgot that he was the groom tonight.

Although the Mo family was not as powerful as the Gu family, they were still a respected family of scholars. Their eldest daughter, Mo Shuqing, was even more well-versed, graceful, and proper. Even if Gu Shufeng didn’t like Mo Shuqing, he shouldn’t disrespect her and the Mo family on a night like this.

If this got out, the Gu family would be in the wrong.

“Brother’s actions have always been unrestrained, and it’s not a new thing,” Gu Wenyue said, holding a white porcelain teacup. Her slender fingers were even more lustrous than the porcelain. “I’m sure sister-in-law knew a thing or two before she married in. She definitely won’t blame brother in her heart.”

Madam Yu loved her only son the most. Upon hearing this, the person who had been standing and talking now leaned on the chair and sat down again, slowly nodding. “Wenyue, you’re right.”

She was right, but Madam Yu knew she was in the wrong. “But today is his wedding day, your brother…”

“Brother is drunk and uncomfortable. He must want to find a quiet place to recover. Although Chunshui’s actions are against the rules, it’s ultimately for brother’s own good,” Gu Wenyue said softly. “If Mother has the servants carry him back now, he will definitely be unhappy.”

In this world, was there anything more important to Madam Yu than Gu Shufeng’s happiness?

Apparently not.

“But what Mother said is also right,” Gu Wenyue put down the good green tea in her hand. “If no one goes to comfort sister-in-law tonight, it would truly be too disrespectful to the Mo family. It would also be bad for brother’s and the Gu family’s reputation.”

This was exactly what Madam Yu meant!

She looked at Gu Wenyue and asked eagerly, “Then what do you think we should do?”

“As for sister-in-law’s side,” Gu Wenyue slowly blinked, took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, concealing the upward curve of her lips. She said softly, “It seems I’ll have to make a trip to explain things to sister-in-law myself.”

Madam Yu’s expression instantly became relieved. She reached out and held Gu Wenyue’s hand, patting the back of her hand with emotion. “It’s a good thing I have you. Today, no one saw your brother’s disgrace.”

She was referring to the matter of Gu Wenyue standing in for her brother at the ceremony.

Gu Wenyue smiled gently, her hand on the back of Madam Yu’s hand, looking obedient and thoughtful. “Mother, what are you saying? This is what I should do.”

“Then Mother can rest. Leave sister-in-law’s side to me.” Gu Wenyue and her maid got up and left.

After leaving the main courtyard, the light from the lanterns behind them grew dimmer and dimmer. The smile that was usually on Gu Wenyue’s face also slowly faded with the shadows, finally becoming an expressionless face.

“My Lady, Chunshui’s side gave the master another two pots of wine. I’m afraid the master won’t be able to get up tonight,” Yi Yun said in a low voice.

Without Gu Wenyue’s command, how would Chunshui, a concubine with no family background or foundation, dare to take the groom away from the legal wife’s side on the wedding night?

She only felt sorry for her brother. He hadn’t sobered up from last night’s hangover, and tonight, he had to get drunk again.

But if he didn’t get drunk, how would Gu Wenyue have the chance to stand in for him and perform the ceremony with Mo Shuqing?

The scene from their childhood games had finally become a reality on this early summer day.

She and Mo Shuqing held a red silk ribbon, stepped over a fire basin, and bowed three times in the hall. Something she could only dream of had come true just like that.

“My Lady, weren’t you and Miss Mo good friends since you were little?” Yi Yun was a little confused. Since they had a childhood bond, why was she showing such disrespect to Miss Mo today?

“Yes, we were so close when we were little,” Gu Wenyue looked up at the sky. There was no moon or stars tonight, much like her heart, which no longer had any light. “But after being apart for several years, she never replied to a single one of my letters.”

And every letter she sent to Mo Shuqing was like a stone sinking into the sea without a reply, ultimately making her feel pathetic, like a joke.

She was like a stray dog without an owner, hoping every day for Mo Shuqing to come back and pick her up…

She had been waiting for eight years.

Gu Wenyue chuckled softly, looked away, and raised her hand to straighten her sleeve. Her tone was innocent and joyful. “See, after all this, she’s still back by my side.”

Not by your side, but by your brother’s side. Yi Yun looked at Gu Wenyue in her red robe, but in the end, she didn’t dare to say it.

The Gu Marquis’s Estate was holding a wedding. The person marrying was the little Marquis, Gu Shufeng, but his sister, Gu Wenyue, was wearing a red robe similar to the groom’s ceremonial robe. When she stood in the hall, who could tell the difference between her and the groom?

Especially since the groom wasn’t present today, others could only ask her to temporarily stand in for the groom. After all, she was already wearing a ready-made outfit and didn’t need to go change and waste time.

The mistress and her servant walked toward the bridal chamber.

The closer they got, the brighter Gu Wenyue’s eyes became, and a hint of a sickly blush appeared on her fair face.

She smiled, imagining Mo Shuqing’s expression when she saw her. The whole person became even more excited.

The gentler her smile, the more dangerous she was. Yi Yun quietly slowed her pace by half a step…

Gu Wenyue stood at the tightly closed door of the room, raised her hand, and lightly knocked.

Hearing faint footsteps outside, Mother Liu’s eyes immediately lit up. She turned to Mo Shuqing and said happily, “He’s here, he’s here! The little Marquis is here!”

She knew it. How could the Marquis’s Estate not send someone to consummate the marriage? Otherwise, it would be too disrespectful to the Mo family.

Mother Liu walked forward happily to open the door, but before her hand could even pull the door open, she heard a pleasant female voice from outside.

“Sister-in-law, open the door. It’s me, your brother.”

Mother Liu, “…”