Blossom

Dou Zhao struggled to sit up.

Su Xin swiftly stepped forward to support her, deftly placing a large bolster behind her back.

Leaning against the headboard, Dou Zhao realized Sixth Aunt was not in the room.

Had Sixth Aunt discovered this matter was related to the Ji family?

Was she too ashamed to face her?

As Dou Zhao pondered, Aunt approached with tears in her eyes, sitting by the bed and tucking the thin quilt around her. Softly, she asked, "You fainted earlier. Are you feeling better now? Would you like something to eat?" Meanwhile, Zhao Zhangru took a cup of hot tea from a maid and handed it to Aunt, who passed it to Su Xin, saying, "Have some warm tea to soothe your throat."

Dou Zhao nodded.

Su Xin helped her take a few sips.

Dou Zhao felt much better.

The room fell silent. Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions varied but all equally at a loss for words.

Dou Zhao wasn’t sure how she should react either.

She finally asked, "Why did I faint?"

Aunt’s tears spilled over, but she quickly turned away to wipe them with a handkerchief.

Zhao Zhangru and the others lowered their eyes.

Fifth Madam, observing this, forced a laugh and stepped forward placatingly. "It’s nothing, nothing! You’ve been under so much stress lately—you must have dozed off accidentally—"

"Enough!" Father, usually so gentle, suddenly roared, cutting her off. Pointing at the door, he said sharply, "Out, all of you, get out now!"

Dou Zhao stared at him in shock.

Fifth Madam, flustered, murmured, "Seventh Uncle," and tried to explain, "This is all just a misunderstanding—"

Father closed his eyes briefly, as if suppressing fury, his voice dropping lower. "Don’t force me to say something unpleasant."

Fifth Madam, humiliated, opened her mouth to speak again, but Father abruptly stood, veins bulging on his forehead as he shouted at the door, "Are you all deaf? I said, get out—" Before he could finish, he suddenly collapsed backward.

"Father!" Dou Zhao cried out in alarm, leaping from the bed to his side.

Aunt panicked, disregarding propriety, pressing on Dou Shiying’s philtrum while shouting to Zhao Zhangru, "Quick, go fetch help!"

Zhao Zhangru gasped and dashed out in a fluster.

Fifth Madam and the others crowded around, some calling "Seventh Master," others asking "What happened?" while someone else yelled, "Hurry, carry Seventh Master to bed!" The room descended into chaos.

※※※※※

Firecrackers popped and drums thundered.

Song Mo, who had taken leave from the summer palace to return, sat absently in the hall sipping tea. Though he listened to Gu Yu and Wang Qinghuai’s chatter, his gaze kept drifting toward the entrance.

"They’re here, they’re here!" someone shouted. "The bridal sedan has arrived!"

Half the hall emptied in an instant.

Song Mo remained seated but couldn’t resist looking out.

Gu Yu, mid-sentence, noticed Song Mo wasn’t paying attention and waved a hand in front of his face, complaining, "Tianci-ge!"

Song Mo turned to him with a smile. "Let’s go see the bride.""What's so interesting about it?" Gu Yu grumbled. "With the veil covering her head, you can't see anything. If you really want to look, just wait a few days and have the Marquis of Jining invite us over for drinks." As Wei Tingyu's close friends, they could ask the bride to come out and greet them. Gu Yu continued his earlier topic, "...I think it's best to drag Shen Qing into this. But lately, he's been getting close to Dong Qi, and that guy’s no good. It might alert them, and Dong Qi could egg Shen Qing into cutting in midway. Tianci-ge, you're out of mourning now, so even if people find out you're in business with us, it shouldn’t matter, right? If Dong Qi knows you’re involved, he wouldn’t dare make trouble..."

Song Mo had no patience to listen to this now. He stood up abruptly. "Are you coming to see the excitement or not? If not, I’ll go alone."

Wang Qinghuai, though partnered with Song Mo in business, spent most of his time dealing with Gu Yu and had little direct contact with Song Mo. Thinking that Song Mo was just a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, it was natural for him to be curious. He laughed and slung an arm around Gu Yu’s shoulders. "I’d like to see it too. Let’s find a quiet time later to discuss this properly."

Two votes against one.

Grumbling, Gu Yu followed them to the hall.

The brightly lit hall was packed with onlookers.

Wei Tingyu, his face glowing with happiness, gazed at the bride in her grand red phoenix crown and Rosy Cape, his eyes brimming with unconcealed joy.

Following the master of ceremonies’ calls, he bowed once to heaven and earth, bowed again to his parents, and finally bowed to his bride.

Standing on the outskirts of the crowd, Song Mo watched the bride being supported by the woman of complete blessings, his expression turning to shock.

Dou Zhao... seemed shorter than usual.

Moreover, her movements were stiff, lacking her usual vigor.

He recalled the earlier rumors that Dou Zhao was unwilling to marry Wei Tingyu... and how the wedding date had been hastily decided. Could she have been forced?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it as overthinking.

Dou Zhao had both strategists and warriors at her side. If she had been coerced, others might not know, but with his intelligence network, he would have heard something.

Maybe she was just nervous as a bride?

Song Mo pondered, but as he observed the bride’s actions, his unease only grew stronger.

Why was he feeling this way?

Frowning, Song Mo fixed his gaze intently on the bride.

Suddenly, his expression tightened.

Every time the bride knelt, she had to grip the woman of complete blessings’ hand to stand up, as if her legs were unsteady.

Song Mo snatched the scented sachet from Gu Yu’s waist and hurled it at the bride.

"Hey!" Gu Yu clutched his waist.

The sachet struck the bride’s grand red embroidered Horse-face skirt.

A glimpse of her thick-soled shoes flashed by.

Song Mo’s face darkened instantly.

She... wasn’t Dou Zhao.

Then where was Dou Zhao?

Where had she gone?

Song Mo’s heart pounded like a drum.

She had Chen Qushui and Duan Gongyi by her side. Who could possibly harm her?

He couldn’t stay a moment longer.

Pushing past the people in front of him, he tried to rush forward, but Gu Yu grabbed him. "Tianci-ge, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much?"

Song Mo wiped his forehead unconsciously, then looked at his hand—it was drenched.

The moisture felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.Who Wei Tingyu married was none of his damn business.

Why did he rush in like that?

Song Mo kept telling himself not to panic, not to act rashly—everything could wait until he found Dou Zhao.

He smiled faintly and stepped out of the main hall of the Marquis of Jining's Mansion. "It's nothing. I just felt a bit stuffy."

On a cool autumn night, with the air crisp and refreshing, Tianci actually felt stuffy?

If that was the case, why had he barged in earlier?

Gu Yu muttered to himself.

Song Mo chuckled. "You stay here and enjoy the festivities. I'll take a stroll outside to get some air and come back soon."

※※※※※

In Jing'an Temple Alley, the Dou family residence was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, with red "double happiness" characters everywhere.

Dou Zhao sat by the bedside, gazing quietly at her unconscious father. She asked Su Xin in a low voice, "Does my father know that Dou Ming's substitution in the wedding is related to Yushu Alley?"

After her persuasion, Aunt had been escorted back to the guest quarters by Cousin to rest, while Fifth Madam and the others had been left waiting in the reception hall. Only she and Su Xin remained in the inner chamber.

"Yes," Su Xin nodded softly. "After you fainted from the lotus seed and lily soup, the Wei family's bridal sedan arrived shortly after. Fifth Madam came in and dragged Aunt and Cousin out to watch the excitement. Then Seventh Madam brought Fifth Young Miss in through the back door, and Madam Cai helped her change into the wedding dress and put on the bridal crown. It wasn’t until the wedding party shouted, 'If we don’t leave now, we’ll miss the auspicious hour,' that Madam Cai finally allowed the Wei family’s woman of complete blessings to enter and witness the ceremony.

"Fifth Young Miss kept her head down as Madam Cai supported her, hurrying to the reception hall.

"When Seventh Master saw that the one in the bridal gown was actually Fifth Young Miss, he was both shocked and horrified. It took him a while to react. But Madam Cai kept urging, 'Hurry, hurry, hurry! We’ll miss the wedding ceremony if we delay any longer!' Fifth Young Miss barely managed to give Seventh Master a curtsy before Madam Cai and the others hustled her out of the reception hall. Seventh Master chased after them but was stopped by Seventh Madam. Outside, a deafening burst of firecrackers drowned out his voice.

"By the time Seventh Master caught up, the bridal sedan had already left Jing'an Temple Alley.

"Seventh Master immediately lost his temper. In front of everyone, he slapped Seventh Madam and demanded to know what Fifth Madam was trying to do.

"Fifth Madam quickly defended herself and called for the eldest young master, ordering him to rush to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion at once to stop Fifth Young Miss from completing the wedding ceremony with the Marquis.

"Seventh Master grew even angrier upon hearing this. He said that without Fifth Madam’s help, Fifth Young Miss would never have been able to take Fourth Young Miss’s place in the wedding. Did she think everyone else was a fool? He demanded to know whether this was Fifth Master’s idea or her own.

"Aunt and Cousin had initially been seated in a small chamber behind the reception hall, waiting with Seventh Madam for you to bid farewell. When 'you' left in such a hurry, they even chided Madam Cai for her lack of consideration. It wasn’t until they heard the commotion and rushed out that they realized Fifth Young Miss had taken your place in the bridal sedan... Aunt grabbed Seventh Madam, insisting on confronting the Wang family. If Cousin hadn’t suddenly cried out, 'Where’s Shou Gu?' everyone might still be arguing in the reception hall."

No wonder Father was so furious with Fifth Aunt.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

As for the eldest cousin—he had grown up under Fifth Uncle’s influence. Of course, he would follow Huai Village Alley’s orders without question.

Most likely, Fifth Aunt had sent him to the Marquis’s mansion not to stand up for her but to solidify the fact that the brides had been switched.

After a moment of silence, Dou Zhao asked, "Did you see Sixth Aunt?""No," Su Xin shook her head. "Sixth Madam hasn't appeared since she was summoned by the Eleventh Young Madam."

It seemed they had used the Ji family to keep Sixth Aunt occupied.

Whether Dou Ming would ultimately succeed in marrying Wei Tingyu in her stead depended on whether the Wei Family would acknowledge Dou Ming tomorrow.

But no matter what happened, she now had an excuse to never marry again.