Marry the fool

Xie Bian followed along with the steps of the choreography He Ming was teaching him and Fan Wujiu in a daze. Repeating what he was seeing without putting much thought behind his movements.

The name 'Tao Yuanming' kept rattling inside his mind like a bell chime. How had he gone from Xin Rufei's shixiong to Jade Dragon Manor sect leader?

How long ago had that happened? It struck him that he didn't know anything solid about Fu Shulin. He assumed he was dead. Seeing as the book with his life story was given to him by Yanluo in the Underworld, it made sense.

Maybe he should start asking questions?

He cast Fan Wujiu a sidelong glance. Unlike him, he was moving with grace and confidence. The collar of his robes gaped open around his neck and showed Xie Bian a peek of his defined chest. He averted his eyes, remembering the previous night and the ambiguous atmosphere.

He couldn't ask Fan Wujiu, as per Yanluo's orders. But Tao Yuanming was someone from the book who he knew was alive -- and who he was going to see soon. It wasn't a good idea to ask about the missing souls directly, but perhaps he could refer to Fu Shulin as a relative.

He could gleam some useful information from Tao Yuanming's answer.

The trouble would be finding him alone to ask. Maybe Xin Rufei would be there as well, but Xie Bian wasn't sure he would recognize him from a book's description of when he was a child.

He Ming stopped suddenly and turned to Xie Bian with a glare. "Please pay attention, if you're out of step with the rest of us, the audience will be able to tell."

Xie Bian whispered some vague excuses and focused on what he was doing. The wedding was happening the next day, and he would need to come to a decision by then.

---

Wei Meiqi sat next to her new husband in the place of honour in his family's ancestral hall, feeling not much of anything. They had performed the three bows, received warm congratulations from their families and soon a series of musical numbers and dances would take place to honour and entertain them and all their guests.

No expenses had been spared. Wei Meiqi would leave to wait in the nuptial chamber before the banquet started, but she would be served her own portion of the exquisite wedding food. Many of the dishes had been selected according to her personal tastes. The hall was decorated in the lively red finery she had personally handpicked.

She had been waiting for this day for so long, anticipating it with almost religious fervour, and now that it had arrived she didn't feel a thing.

Not even a sense of accomplishment.

She cast a sideways glance at Yu Tianyu, who for once looked dashing in his wedding robes. Happy as a pig in shit, he accepted every toast with a dopey grin. He was very simple-minded, something that always bothered her about him, even if it did make it easier to convince him her feelings were genuine.

She supposed all the elders in Jade Dragon Manor were happy to have found anyone willing to marry him at all. In a way, Wei Meiqi was the one doing them a favour. Being admitted into Jade Dragon Manor was her consolation prize for marrying a fool.

She was not an inner disciple, as someone who had joined through marriage, but she had a foot in the doorway now. Everything else would fall into place, she was nothing if not resourceful.

"Meiqi, look, sword dancers," Yu Tianyu said, touching her wrist with his hand. "I love sword dances."

She smiled at him. "Dear, this wife especially instructed father to hire them for you."

His besotted smile might have moved her if he were a man worthy of her respect.

Wei Meiqi had no interest in sword dances, or opinion on their technical prowess, so she watched the performance steeped in boredom. She supposed there was something to be said for all the scantly clad men waving swords in the air as if they could decapitate one another at any moment.

But even that barely stirred her interest.

The performance came to an end, and the hall rose in cheers. A melodious voice pierced through Wei Meiqi's apathy.

"A wonderful performance. Did Lady Wei choose them herself?"

If there was anything that could make her blood run hot then Tao Yuanming's handsome, elegant, face was it.

The sect leader of Jade Dragon Manor was peerlessly gorgeous. His eyes were like limpid, clear pools, and the curve of his eloquent mouth was often curled in a pleasant, welcoming smile. His beauty was made more stunning by his quiet authority. Tao Yuanming didn't need to raise his voice to command anyone's attention.

Wei Meiqi lowered her head modestly. "They came highly recommended."

"Tianyu likes them so much, we should reward them," Tao Yuanming said, raising to his feet.

Yu Tianyu, the buffoon, pulled him down by the sleeve, chuckling inelegantly and making Wei Meiqi colour with embarrassment. "No need, sect leader Tao honors me too much. I'm unworthy, unworthy."

On that, Wei Meiqi agreed with him.

But since Tao Yuanming had already said so, who was Yu Tianyu to contradict him?

Wei Meiqi rose to her feet and addressed the crowd. "All the performers, please stay behind, sect leader Tao would like to reward you for brightening our evening."

The troupe formed an orderly line in front of the dais. Wei Meiqi remained standing next to the nuptial tables as Tao Yuanming went down the stairs to award each performer a piece of silver. All of them were appropriately grateful and obsequious until it came to a tall man with a stoic handsome face who accepted his piece of silver as if it was dirt Tao Yunaming was dropping on his palm.

That vexed Wei Meiqi. Who was that nameless performer to look down his nose at Tao Yuanming's generosity?

She might have married a fool, but that didn't make her one. She wasn't going to accept any disrespect to the leader of her new sect on her wedding day.

"Wait a moment," she called, drawing everyone's attention before that arrogant man could move down the line.