C1 Let's Sleep Together

In May, the city is always shrouded in a persistent drizzle. As night deepened, a thin layer of mist enveloped the outside world. Sitting on her bed, Tang Yan could hear the chatter from the garden gradually fading. Her delicate fingers clenched into fists as she murmured to herself.

"By now, he should be here, right?"

Just as her words faded, a soft noise came from the doorway behind her, causing Tang Yan's heart to race and her voice to fall silent. It was supposed to be her sister, Tang Li, sitting here, marrying the eldest son of the Xi family. But now, it was her. Rumor had it that Xi Yan was ruthless and decisive. If he discovered she wasn't Tang Li, the consequences could be dire.

Tang Yan bit her lip in determination. No matter what happened tonight, she had to insist she was Tang Li. She needed to return to see her mother; nothing could go wrong.

Suddenly, a pair of shoes stopped in front of her. Tang Yan was so tense she barely dared to breathe. Without warning, the delicate veil covering her face was lifted.

The white veil fluttered to the ground, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. Xi Pei was taken aback; he hadn't expected Miss Tang to be so striking.

Feeling sympathy for her as an unwitting victim, Xi Pei's tone softened.

"Have you been waiting long?"

The man stood tall and elegant, his black suit accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His face was strikingly handsome, with features so perfectly sculpted they seemed almost unreal. His refined eyes, calm and deep as a still pond, were fixed on her.

Tang Yan was momentarily stunned.

Was the eldest son of the Xi family really this handsome?

When she first learned she was to marry in place of Tang Li, Tang Yan had braced herself for the worst. She imagined Xi Yan, the eldest son, might be unattractive, physically flawed, or even prone to violence—reasons Tang Li might have refused him.

But here stood a man of such striking, restrained beauty, seemingly without any apparent flaws...

"Not too long," she replied awkwardly, and silence fell between them.

Though they were officially married, this was indeed their first meeting. Moreover, Xi Yan was originally supposed to marry Tang Li, the celebrated second daughter of the Tang family, not Tang Yan, the daughter they had cast aside.

Speaking of Tang Li, she was a household name in the city. As the top socialite, her parents came from a prestigious background, and she herself was engaged to the wealthiest family's heir, Xi Yan, from an early age. There wasn't a woman in the city who didn't envy her.

No one would have guessed that in the end, it was Tang Yan who married into the Xi family.

"Today was exhausting. Let's get some rest. I'm not used to sharing a bed, so you take the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch," the man's cold voice snapped Tang Yan back to reality. She was momentarily stunned.

The couch?

She had assumed that since they were married, they would do what married couples do, and she had prepared herself for the first night. She didn't expect him to refuse.

"Get some sleep."

Xi Pei took off his suit jacket, draping it over his arm, and turned to head for the couch to make do for the night. Suddenly, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.

He turned around to see her delicate and beautiful features illuminated under the crystal chandelier. Her face was both pure and alluring, truly a rare beauty. Her brows quivered slightly, as if she was hesitating, but she finally made up her mind—

"Let's sleep together!"