On the Wedding Night, Ms. Cui Realized

Waiting

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Xijing City, Furong Street stood still under the scorching sun at noon. The street was barren of people, until a white horse galloped through, its hooves kicking up dust as it raced by.

"Who could that be?" an onlooker questioned, squinting their eyes as they tried to make out the rider.

"I think it's the city's youngest and most talented scholar, if I'm not mistaken," another chimed in.

The man gasped in surprise, "You mean the Pei family's son, the number one scholar in the city?! What could he be doing out here at this hour? It's nearly time for dinner!."

A third person spoke up, "By the way, have you heard? The Sun family is going to propose marriage to the Xining Mansion."

Suddenly, the topic of conversation shifted to the Sun family's recent marriage proposal.

"Who are they proposing to?," someone asked.

But when a man covered his eyes, everyone knew the answer.

The shopkeepers began discussing the gossip, asking why the proposal wasn't being made to Cui Dai.

One shopkeeper chimed in, "Mr. Sun is young and has a bad reputation. He's still one-eyed and lustful, perhaps that is the reason why."

...

In the secluded Xining Mansion, Cui Ti felt a cool wind blowing across her cheeks. She turned to her servant, Bai Ge, and asked, "Bai Ge, is it going to rain again?."

Bai Ge kept scratching her head anxiously: "What terrible weather! The sun was still high just now!."

Cui Ti's heart was racing with fear. The thought of rain made her anxious. She knew that the rain would prevent her from flying her kite.

Pei Xuan rode her horse down the straight Furong Street, her hair fluttering in the wind, and her robes billowing behind her.

The road was long and wide, but there were few people as it was about to rain.

The horse continued to gallop.

As Pei Xuan continued down the road, she turned left onto Peony Street.

A widow, who lived on the street, quickly shut her window, only catching a glimpse of a white figure flash by. To her surprise, she saw a foot wrapped in white socks, but no boots. She thought to herself, 'How strange, who would walk around in the middle of the day without wearing boots?.'

Pei Xuan was now close to the Xining Mansion and she sat on her horse, looking south.

She spotted a kite flying alone in the sky and felt a mix of joy, worry, and anxiety. Her emotions reached a peak when she saw the Sun family's carriage parked in front of the Xining Mansion.

Each carriage belonging to a family in Xijing had its own logo hanging from it, to prevent any confusion when they were out. The Sun family's carriage had a copper bell hanging from one corner, and a small flag with the word "Sun" inserted on the side of the bell.

Pei Xuan dismounted from her horse and approached the gates of the Xining Mansion.

The guard, upon noticing her disheveled and dust-covered appearance, as well as the dark stains on her white socks, shot her a disdainful look.

"This is the Xining Mansion, unauthorized individuals must leave," he declared.

But Pei Xuan was not to be deterred and stormed past the guard, brandishing her horse whip, and shouting, "I am the Emperor's Number One Scholar. Can you stop me? If not, step aside!."