Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 566 - 286: Ex-Wife Appears, Wedding Turns Shocking, Qingchen’s Dark Transformation

Chapter 566: Chapter 286: Ex-Wife Appears, Wedding Turns Shocking, Qingchen’s Dark Transformation

Inside the bedroom.

Several experienced nannies were busily and meticulously taking care of the bride’s makeup and attire.

Ran Qingchen at this moment was like a delicate doll, sitting in front of the dressing table, not daring to move, her fingers sometimes clutching her wedding gown, sometimes twisting together, revealing her inner nervousness.

These nannies were specially selected and sent by Noble Consort Lin from within the palace, usually tasked with preparing the empress and other consorts for grand ceremonies, something ordinary people could hardly afford.

Looking at the stunning beauty in the mirror who seemed like a stranger, Ran Qingchen was a bit lost, finding it hard to believe it was herself.

Her skin, meticulously prepped, was smooth as jade.

Using cinnabar to draw the exquisite willow-leaf shaped brows, slim and curved like the silhouette of distant mountains.

Her eyes were gently shaded with indigo eyeshadow, sketching a depth and accented with bright rouge, leaving two faint red clouds on her cheeks, enticing and delicate.

Her lips were adorned with specially made rouge, bright in color yet maintaining dignity, tantalizing like cherries.

Her hair was also carefully combed, filled with hairpins and ornaments made of gold, silver, and jewels. With every movement, the ornaments would sway gently, making a pleasing sound, adding a touch more of a fairy-like aura.

Jinxiu, standing to the side with her hands clasped in front of her chest, looked at her young mistress in the wedding dress, eyes brimming with hearts: "Miss, you look so beautiful, there’s no other woman in the world who can compare to you."

The nanny who was carefully dotting a cinnabar mole between Ran Qingchen’s brows smiled and said:

"Miss Ran is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever dressed up, even without elaborate adornments she is a rare beauty under the sky; your groom is truly fortunate to have such a wife, a blessing from ten lifetimes of good karma."

Ran Qingchen blushed with a shy smile, imagining how Jiang Mo would react upon seeing her, filled with indescribable joy.

Once she was fully dressed, the nanny secured the resplendent phoenix crown firmly on her hair.

Seeing that the hour was upon them, the nannies began to exit the bedroom one by one, giving Jinxiu a few instructions about the details before leaving. The observant girl listened carefully, committing everything to heart.

Jinxiu also smartly went out to send off the nannies, slipping them some money on the sly.

Soon, Ran Qingchen was the only one left in the bedroom.

The woman’s nervous heart settled somewhat; she carefully lifted a corner of the red bridal veil and looked at herself in the mirror, the unparalleled beauty compelled her to reach out almost unconsciously.

"Is this really me?"

Her fingertips lightly traced the cold surface of the mirror, Ran Qingchen felt somewhat bewildered.

Last year at this time, she was still the young mistress of the Ran Family, soon to be draped in a wedding gown.

But back then, she hadn’t been happy at all.

Remembering how she had willfully left her husband alone in the room and walked away, Ran Qingchen felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment; she wanted to travel through time and space to give herself a good slap.

However, fortunately, the heavens had given her a second chance.

Suddenly remembering something, she took out the golden bracelet Jiang Shouzhong once gave her and lightly slipped it onto her delicate wrist.

Ran Qingchen raised her wrist, examining it in front of the mirror.

"Yet, the one my husband gave is prettier."

The woman’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Snap!

A jade hairpin accidentally fell to the floor.

Ran Qingchen was startled and quickly bent down to pick it up.

Right then, a familiar, heart-wrenching pain violently overtook her, like claws from the netherworld silently coiling around her heart, seizing it tightly.

Ran Qingchen clutched her chest with pain evident on her face.

Simultaneously, her reflection in the mirror began to change expressions, from pain to mockery, looking at Ran Qingchen with a taunting gaze.

"Do you really believe you can have happiness?"

The woman in the mirror sneered, "An Asura by nature should be heartless; to feel is to signify death. Ran Qingchen, there is no one in this world worth your love."

"Shut up!"

Ran Qingchen’s pupils reddened.

The other self in the mirror softly caressed her cheek, the corner of her lips lifting into a grim smile: "The human heart is most unreliable, it will always deceive you. In this world, everyone shall betray you... "

Ran Qingchen tried her best to block out the endless cold mocks and jeers in her ears coming from the person in the mirror.

Her fingers trembled as she cautiously tried to insert the jade hairpin back into her carefully arranged hairdo, attempting to steady her disordered thoughts.

However, her arms shook more severely, like uncontrollable falling leaves in the autumn breeze, turning the simple action into an extraordinary struggle, multiple attempts ending in failure.

The jade hairpin weaved through her hair...

Each failed attempt struck heavy blows to her heart.

Ran Qingchen’s heartbeat quickened, like a drum reverberating so violently that her whole body trembled slightly, an unknown fear entwining around her heart like vines.

The tassels dangling from the phoenix crown swayed violently.

The woman in the mirror’s expression became increasingly mocking.

"Jiang Mo isn’t worth your lifelong trust, he’ll surely deceive you..."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Ran Qingchen slammed her hand down on the table; the sharp end of the jade hairpin pierced her palm.

"Miss..."

Hearing the commotion, Jinxiu hurried over.

Ran Qingchen suddenly awakened and saw that her reflection was still helplessly bewildered; the jade hairpin was properly in place in her hair, with no wounds on her palm—everything seemed to be an illusion.

"What’s wrong, miss?"

Jinxiu entered the room, asking anxiously with concern.

Ran Qingchen took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil inside her and shook her head: "It’s nothing."

...

Although the wedding banquet was in Ran’s manor, the process still followed the standard bridal procession.

Dressed in festive groom’s garments, Jiang Shouzhong rode a tall horse and used an elaborately-decorated palanquin to ceremoniously escort the bride Ran Qingchen from her maiden home, parading through the streets with great prestige.