Chapter 3130

Jin Chen had promised the amnesiac Chenshu that he'd go to the front yard to attend the wedding banquet, but then he turned a corner and sneaked toward the bridal chamber.

He wound his way through the corridor, dodging a few maidservants carrying trays, and ended up in a secluded little courtyard where the window paper bore a big red 'double happiness' character and two red lanterns hung at the gate—needless to say, this was the bridal chamber.

Given the situation of this illusion, the so-called bride is very likely the corpse ghost of the illusion's master. Even if she isn't, could Jin Chen really let Chenshu marry someone else right under his nose?

The more Jin Chen thought about it, the angrier he got. He strode to the window sill, climbed in through the window, and before entering he remembered to blindfold himself with a cloth strip, lest he see something he shouldn't—like the bride changing clothes—which would be a huge loss.

After landing, he listened closely; the interior was eerily silent, not even a breath could be heard. Jin Chen puzzledly took off the blindfold—the dressing table was empty. His gaze swept from the dressing table around the room, then he lifted his head.

A white silk cord hung from the beam, at its end dangling a girl in her undergarments. Her neck was looped in the cord, her toes about a palm's length above the ground, her whole body suspended in midair, swaying slightly.

Jin Chen studied her for a moment, confirming the girl was indeed dead—her complexion pallid, eyes half-open, expression not painful, her body swaying gently with the wind blowing in through the window.

Jin Chen took the girl suspected to be the bride down from the beam, laid her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, straightened her limbs, closed her eyes, and before he could think what to do next, he heard footsteps outside.

Jin Chen swiftly lowered the bed curtains, sat on the bedside, and propped up the bride's stiff corpse with his hands so she remained in a sitting pose. From outside, only a blurry silhouette of a woman seated behind the bed gauze could be seen.

The door was pushed open, and a young man entered, standing at the threshold. He said from a few steps away, 'Bride, it's time to do your makeup—the auspicious moment is near, the guests are already seated, and they're waiting for you.'

Jin Chen made the bride's corpse nod slightly.

The elder brother suspected nothing, gave a few more reminders not to miss the auspicious time, then turned and left; the door was shut again, and his footsteps faded away.

Jin Chen got off the bed, glanced at the bride on the bed, then at the unused cosmetics on the dressing table, lost in thought. Before he could work out any clue, a rustling sound came from outside the window.

Jin Chen turned his head alertly and saw seven heads popping up from the windowsill.

Jin Chen's mouth twitched: '... When did you guys get here?'

Zhao Wugou stared sternly: 'Since you put that girl on the bed.'

'That's called tossing,' Jin Chen corrected, 'I tossed her, not held her.'

Qian Duoduo leaned on the window frame, eyes bright, and peered inside: 'Hey, we've already seen Chenshu senior brother as the groom! How about you sacrifice a bit, Chen'er, and take the bride's place? That way the illusion can keep going.'

Feng Yao nodded with a dignified smile: 'Exactly, only then can we find the illusion's flaw and the corpse ghost's true form. The illusion must follow its script; if the wedding is interrupted, it might go berserk, making it hard to control.'

Zhao Tiezhu clung to the window sill, chuckling: 'I can braid your hair, Chen'er—I guarantee it'll look better than what Chenshu does.'

Ye Xiaoman and Su Wan Zhao: 'We'll do your makeup!'

Several people chattered away, going from 'You'll definitely look good in the wedding dress' to 'Anyway, Chenshu senior brother doesn't even remember you now—perfect chance to prank him,' then to 'Don't worry, we'll definitely help you keep this secret,' getting more and more excited, as if Jin Chen had already agreed.

Finally, Senior Senior Brother Shen Guiyan slammed the table: 'An emergency has arisen, Chen'er—it's up to you.'

Jin Chen: '... What?'

He looked reluctant, but his body was honest; under the urging of his senior brothers and sisters, he half‑pushed, half‑yielded and sat down before the dressing table. Su Wan Zhao immediately picked up a comb and began to comb his hair, while Ye Xiao Man rummaged through boxes and cabinets to find Huan Niang's jewelry box.

Zhao Wu Gu stood at the doorway keeping watch, occasionally glancing back to check the progress, then turned back with a blank expression.

In a short while, the bronze mirror reflected the figure of someone dressed in a large red wedding robe.

His eyebrows were drawn out thin and long, the corners of his eyes brushed with a faint rouge blush, his lips painted twice; then downwards, the wedding robe's collar snugged around his Adam's apple, the wide sleeves covered his shoulders, and the waist cinched his figure just right. The person seated in the mirror lowered his eyes, fine pearl powder clung to his lashes, and by candlelight he looked dazed.

Su Wan Zhao stepped back half a pace, surveyed him up and down, then took out the last bit of rouge from her sleeve and lightly dabbed it beneath Jin Chen's eyelids. Only then did she lower her hand; the person in the bronze mirror was already stunning beyond words—gorgeous, magnificent, capable of stealing one's soul.

Qian Duoduo unconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth, saw that he wasn't drooling, and then said reassuringly, "Be good, it's fortunate that Chen'er isn't a maiden; otherwise, no one in this sect would be able to cultivate in peace."

Jin Chen lowered his eyes, reached out to loosen the somewhat tight collar of the wedding robe—this robe had been made according to Huan Niang's measurements, and wearing it his chest felt a bit constricted, almost making it hard to breathe; just as he was about to loosen it further, Ye Xiao Man slapped his hand away.

"You can't undo it! Otherwise your figure won't look like a maiden's!"

Jin Chen resignedly lowered his hands, letting them finish placing the last few pieces of jewelry, then they placed the red veil over him; his view was instantly blocked by a expanse of red, and he could see only the area three feet below his feet.

From outside the door came an urging voice: "Miss, the auspicious time has arrived; it's time to go out."

Several senior brothers and sisters escorted Jin Chen to the doorway, giving him instructions in turn.

"We must definitely wake Chenshu up at night!"

"This corpse ghost is very strange; we estimate that it will take nine people working together to subdue it."

"You hold the situation steady; we'll look for an opportunity outside."

"If it really doesn't work out, then… well, just improvise as needed."

Jin Chen let out two disgruntled hums beneath the veil, then, supported by the maidservant, he stepped out of the courtyard step by step.