Chapter 130: Do I Look Like a Good-for-Nothing to You?

If Chu Ge were to walk around the streets looking the way she did now, not a soul would be seen for a hundred miles. Anyone with a fastidious taste for beauty might even foam at the mouth from the sheer sight of her. Fortunately, the two matchmakers had at least a shred of conscience and covered her with a bridal veil before she left.

Chu Ge feigned awkwardness, resting a hand on the little maid’s wrist, her swaying gait nothing short of "unique."

"Off we go! Time to get in the palanquin!"

As expected, it was a modest little sedan chair. Once outside the Marquis’s estate, Little Jianjian provided a bird's-eye view: ahead was a grand, scarlet palanquin surrounded by over twenty people—musicians playing suonas and gongs, flower-scatterers, and bearers. Everything was in order.

Meanwhile, she was clearly being led in the opposite direction.

[Master, your treatment is a bit on the frugal side, isn't it?] Even Little Jianjian couldn't help but express its disdain; the disparity in treatment was glaring.

With only four bearers and not even a single gong-player, the maid and the matchmakers vanished the moment she was settled. They were undoubtedly all gathered inside the Marquis’s estate, seeing off Chu You.

[Isn't that the truth? Chu You’s room is packed with people, all those sycophants...] Little Jianjian set aside its gambling games to vent a little. It had never understood why mortals were so fond of fawning over power and wealth, or why they were so prone to favoritism.

Chu Ge had told it that humans were simply like that—possessing seven emotions and six desires, and their pursuit of status and bias was merely a way to satisfy their own greed. Little Jianjian had been somewhat puzzled at the time, but Lian had only smiled; she hadn't mentioned that it was precisely these things that gave rise to the Abyss of Resentful Souls.

"Well, once I leave this estate today, I won't be coming back. Once I'm married into the Prince Qi residence, I’ll at least be a Princess. If that Prince really is a cripple, it’ll be convenient for getting things done."

Little Jianjian chuckled eerily. [Heh, don't worry, Master. He’s no cripple—he’s perfectly capable!]

Chu Ge, feeling drowsy, didn't hear the remark.

They passed one street, two streets, three streets... *Clang*, they had arrived.

Chu Ge stretched her elbows and ankles; her entire body felt stiff from the ride. There was no movement outside the palanquin. This "useless" Prince really was incompetent. After waiting for a long while with no one to greet her, Chu Ge decided to just head in herself.

She stepped out of the palanquin. The residence was truly desolate. While it had been decorated for the occasion, there were very few servants—or rather, there were no servants at all. Chu Ge briefly wondered if the bearers had dropped her off at the wrong place, but Little Jianjian looked at the plaque hanging above—*Prince Qi Residence*—everything seemed correct.

The bridal veil was truly obstructing her view. Just as Chu Ge was about to rip it off, someone emerged from the residence.

"Is this the bride?"

Chu Ge felt like spitting blood. If she wasn't the bride, was she the "old" bride? The person clearly had something wrong with them. Feeling someone support her, she followed their lead and walked forward.

[Master, Prince Qi is truly out of favor. This residence is so far from the city center and incredibly desolate. There are only two or three servants, and the maid helping you is actually an illusion cast by Lord Chongli. How pathetic...]

Chu Ge caught the key detail. "Chongli? He cast an illusion?"

[Did you not sense Lord Chongli’s aura, Master?]

Hearing it was Chongli, Chu Ge ripped off the veil, and her vision cleared instantly. With a flick of spiritual energy, the two maids dissolved into mist. Chu Ge suddenly felt a surge of irritation—she didn't know why she was angry, she was just being unreasonable.

"Why are you dressed like this?"

The person speaking had a gentle, smiling voice. He stood with one hand behind his back. "Did someone bully you?"

Chu Ge pouted. "Yes, lots of people bullied me, but I beat them back..."

Her voice carried a hint of a sob. If Chongli hadn't known better, he might have summoned his jade flute to go pick a fight with someone. Chongli opened his arms, and Chu Ge naturally collapsed into his embrace, rubbing her face against his bright red wedding robe.

A large patch of colorful, powdery makeup smeared onto the fabric. Chu Ge burst into laughter through her tears. "Your clothes are dirty, heh."

Chongli, who had always been a severe germaphobe, ignored the robe. He only cared that he was welcoming his bride. He swept Chu Ge up into his arms. "You little kitten, come, let’s go wash your face."

The first time Chongli had done this, she had been shy, but it had happened so many times now that Chu Ge felt perfectly at ease in his arms, breathing in the sandalwood scent on his robe—the fragrance that always brought her peace.

After washing her face, Chu Ge regained her original appearance. Her current vessel wasn't particularly stunning or seductive, but she looked cute, with a touch of baby fat. Ever since Lian had entered the shell, her expression had subtly begun to resemble Lian’s own.

Though the residence was dilapidated, it had everything one needed, most importantly, a private hot spring. Upon hearing this, Chu Ge immediately abandoned Chongli and dashed toward the spring; after shaking about in the palanquin all morning, it was just the thing to ease her fatigue.

"Chongli! Bring me some clean clothes!"

There was only a screen painted with birds and mountains separating her from the hot spring. Through the barrier, one could vaguely see Chu Ge’s graceful silhouette, but Chongli looked away—that body was not his Lian’s.

"Very well."

Chongli went to the bedroom to fetch one of his own garments. He had checked; there were no women's clothes in the Prince Qi residence. Channeling his spiritual energy, he placed the clothes on the dry bank within her reach.

Chu Ge hummed a tune, her mood sounding quite good.

[Master, Lord Chongli has such self-control! Calm under pressure! He’s even a bit too composed. Do you think he doesn't like—oh!]

Before Little Jianjian could finish, it received two punches to the head from across the void. The other spirit beasts watched with glee, none daring to step in to help. The Eight-Tailed Fox and the other little spirits thought: *Are you kidding? Who wants to get punched like that? It’ll knock your brains out!*

[Master, waah... don't hit my head, I’ll get stupid, waah...]

"Was it that hard?"

Little Jianjian nodded and shook its head simultaneously, instantly making Chu Ge laugh.

"You, oh you. It’s not that Chongli lacks desire; he’s just upholding his 'husbandly virtues,' alright? Look at the body I'm using right now; I wouldn't want him looking at any other woman."

Little Jianjian clutched its head, testing its luck once more. [But last time, when you used Yun Ranyan’s body—the Princess of the Underworld—you and Lord Chongli kissed... Master, don't hit me!]

Chu Ge rolled her eyes. "And you call yourself a Mouse God? Can’t you tell that Yun Ranyan’s body was crafted from medicinal herbs? There is a soil in the Underworld called 'Breath of the Earth'; with some rare heavenly treasures as an aid, restoring flesh and bone is no problem at all. Come to think of it, if I ever need to reshape my divine body, I’ll probably need some of that soil..."

[Aw, Master, are you still mad at me?]

Little Jianjian looked at her with its round, bean-like eyes. If Chu Ge answered that she was, it would probably start crying the next second. "No, I'm not mad anymore."

[Heh, you’re the best, Master.]

The other beasts: *Ugh.*

"Don't soak for too long, watch out for the cold," Chongli reminded her. His handsome silhouette was reflected on the screen, and the more Chu Ge looked at it, the more she loved it.