C9 Chapter 8

Cai Ruolan climbed down the staircase carefully, she held the front of her dress so she wouldn’t fall, her golden phoenix hairpins swayed and dangled as she walked.

Cai Ruolan could see only males, they were all men of nobility and were also dressed in expensive silk robes just like emperor Cai Huateng.

They were no maid servants escorting her, because they actually thought that she deserves to die alone, no one would follow her to her place of death right?

She stood on the last stairs and lowered her head. It was such a relief that empress Hu Melien and her spoilt children weren’t present. She could only see Cai Yichen who sat with his arms folded across his chest and his face frowned, and Cai Daoming, he sat without any expression on his face.

Cai Ruolan never knew when a man in red robes walked towards her, she only raised her head and their eyes met.

He was stretching out his right hand for her to take.

Cai Ruolan immediately lowered her gaze when she saw him, it was clear that this was him. Her husband!

And he appeared to be a blue blood with his appearance, but she doesn’t like how he looks.

Though she could admit that she had never seen such a handsome person before, but she cared less about his looks.

She didn’t want him to touch her hand, she also believed that handsome men hurt ladies the most, just like her father.

To avoid suspense from the guests present, she slowly took his hand, it was a good thing she was wearing a veil, it had actually hidded her frown and gritted teeth.

She thought he would die from touching her, she thought he would stop breathing that minute he took her hands, but she was wrong. He walked towards the chair with her.

Emperor Cai Huateng was bewildered, but two men died three days ago instantly after touching Cai Ruolan. Was the crown prince unaffected by the curse?

Emperor Cai Huateng sent for his daughters and wives, he ordered the guard to explain everything to the empress and she should come with others immediately.

Cai Ruolan sat on a red colored chair beside the crown prince. She couldn’t figure out why he seems to be looking at her, and whenever she looked at him, he would turn away.

Cai Ruolan remembered what the harsh maid servant told her.

‘You must remove a hairpin from your hair and give it to your husband, he would fix it back in your hair once you both returned home’

She didn’t felt like taking one hairpin from her hair and giving it to this man beside her.

Cai Ruolan felt that he was just pretending and he would turn her to a slave once they arrived at his house.

She concluded that the man got concubines and slaves in his home, and was only marrying her for the political purpose only.

Little did she know that the crown prince loved her just when he saw her standing on the stair.

“But mother, won’t we die?” she heard Cai Qiaohui’s voice and their footsteps, they were all walking towards the palace hall.

Seems like the empress whispered her response to her daughters that was why no one heard them the next moment they spoke.

Cai Tianai felt bitter, her countenance changed when she saw Cai Ruolan seating beside the most handsome prince she had ever set her eyes on. She felt that her father had betrayed her by telling them false things about the crown prince. She hated her father that instant.

She watched as Cai Ruolan removed one of her hairpin and handed it over to the crown prince who collected it with a small smile.

‘Perhaps he likes her! Father what have you done? I never knew that you hated me this much’

She exchanged an angry look with Cai Qiaohui, they appeared looking very crestfallen and angry.

Empress Hu Melien on the other hand, never blamed her husband, the rumor was popular and everyone knew about it. However, she felt sorry for her daughters. Especially Cai Tianai who had once told her that she liked the crown prince of Huexiang. Empress Hu Melien had berated Cai Tianai and told her about the curse on the crown prince.

“Do you want to die? Please say not such a thing again. If a Cai should get married to that prince of darkness, then it must be Ruolan. They will both die in the dark together”

And it’s true, the rumor appeared false, and Cai Ruolan was getting married to him.

When it was time to exchange the wedding vows, Cai Ruolan was surprised, how could an arrange marriage have such procedures.

She doubt if they was even a matchmaker who confirmed the marriage since it was arranged in a hurry.

They both stood up and walked towards the man dressed in white robe, he got long grey beard and lot’s of gray hairs.

There was no time to waste so he quickly proceeded.

“Do you crown prince Xie Yuxuan of Huexiang take princess Cai Ruolan of Zhangqian as your legally married wife and forever be with her whether she has sickness or health, wealth or poverty, beauty or plain, in good and bad times, you’re willing to love and comfort her?”

There was silence as everyone awaited the crown prince’s answer.

This marriage was arranged for god’s sake! Why was wedding vow necessary?

“I do”

The man turned to Cai Ruolan whose head was lowered, he asked her the same question.

Cai Ruolan’s heart were pounding in her chest.

How was she going to say yes?

‘I hate you crown prince, just say you don’t want this marriage’ she thought within her.

She wasn’t trying to be an ingrate, she was finally leaving her father’s hell and she should be grateful. But she didn’t like the idea of starting a new life with this mischievous looking man.

“Princess Cai Ruolan, do you accept…”

“Of course she does” Xie Yuxuan answered hastily making everyone speechless.

‘Does he loved her this much?’

“But your majesty, she needs to…”

“If she hesitated then that shows that she accepts it” emperor Cai Huateng said grumpily, he casted a displeased look at Cai Ruolan.

The message was clear.

‘Don’t act like a fool here, or I’ll give you what you want’

Xie Yuxuan looked at her. “Do you accept it or not?” he asked her calmly, though he was a little bit pissed off, but what more could he expect, it was an arranged marriage and they knew nothing about each other. So he wouldn’t blame Cai Ruolan for hesitating.

She nodded reluctantly, her lips parting to say the word. ‘I do’ but tears welled up in her eyes even after trying to restrain them, they fell.

Cai Tianai hissed inwardly. “Such an incompetent fool!” she said in annoyance.

Cai Ruolan wiped her tears with her palm and stood beside the crown prince.

She never heard when the man in white robe announced them as husband and wife.

She wished she could see Wang Eumeh.

Did she suddenly forget about the tea party?

Another tradition which must be strictly adhered to.

The guests stood up and walked out of the palace hall to the garden where the tea party would take place.

Cai Tianai and her sisters left with gritted teeth.

Only Cai Ruolan and the crown prince were left in the hall, they were also a few guards present.

Cai Ruolan lowered her head as usual, she wanted to avoid looking at his eyes.

He walked towards her, the sound of his footstep made shivers chilled down her spines.

It was such an irony, she hated him at first sight, while he loved her at first sight.

As if he could tell what was in her mind, he asked her.

“You don’t want to marry me?”

Cai Ruolan was shocked by his question, yet she chose to answer him truthfully. She nodded.

Surprisingly, he hugged her tightly, Cai Ruolan felt warm in his embrace, but she also felt like pushing him, yet she remained calm.

‘Shouldn’t he die yet?’ she wondered.

He released her, then looked into her eyes in a smile before leaving.

“I’ll see you at the garden little wife”