The Villainess's Maniacal Aesthetics - Chapter 13
The wedding was hastily arranged.
Everyone knew what this marriage was really about.
The wedding dress was even a size too big, hanging loosely on my frame.
“Sister, you’ve lost weight,” Jiang Huaning said, appearing behind me. Her voice still had a slight lisp from her missing tooth.
I noticed her gaze linger on my wedding dress for a few seconds. The jealousy in her eyes was obvious, though she quickly masked it. She reached out to adjust my veil, but I sidestepped her.
Jiang Huaning’s eyes immediately reddened. “Are you still angry with me, Sister? There’s really nothing between me and Brother Zichen…” Her voice cracked. “He was the one pursuing me, but I rejected him every time!” She held up three fingers. “Really! I can swear on it!”
I calmly smoothed out my dress. “Then why were you at the hotel that night?”
Jiang Huaning’s fingers twisted the fabric of her own dress. “You hadn’t come home so late… I-I was worried about you…”
“Were you?” I turned to look her directly in the eye. “Then dare to swear that you have never, not even once, had feelings for Lu Zichen.”
“Of course!” she replied instantly, her pupils dilating unnaturally.
I smirked. “Then make a truly damning oath right now.”
“Huh?” Jiang Huaning was clearly flustered.
“What’s the matter? Scared?”
Jiang Huaning bit her lip, her eyes darting around. “I… I swear… If I like…”
“Wait-” I interrupted her.
Her eyes lit up, thinking I was about to believe her. “Sister, you finally…”
I pulled out my phone and started recording, aiming the camera at her face. “Forgot to record. Let’s start over.”
Jiang Huaning’s face went pale. In front of the camera, she stammered, “I… Jiang Huaning… have never…”
“Louder. I can’t hear you.” I moved the phone closer.
“I! JIANG HUANING! HAVE NEVER LIKED LU ZICHEN!” she practically screamed.
“And if I’m lying, then I’ll…”
I kindly helped her finish. “…be poor for the rest of my life, be bald for the rest of my life, and give birth to eight sons in one year, all named Yaozu1.”
The makeup artists in the room couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.
Jiang Huaning’s face turned from white to green, but she forced herself to repeat the ridiculous oath.
I put my phone away, satisfied. I switched to a gentle expression. “Huaning, it seems I really did misunderstand you.”
Only then did Jiang Huaning dare to throw herself into my arms, crying dramatically. I could feel her body trembling.
With rage.
Footnote:
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- Yaozu(耀祖):A Chinese name meaning “to glorify ancestors” or “to bring honor to one’s forefathers.” It’s a common name given to sons, reflecting the traditional expectation for male heirs to elevate the family’s standing. In this context, having eight sons all named Yaozu is an ironic and humorous exaggeration, turning a traditionally auspicious name into a symbol of an overwhelming and perhaps comically repetitive burden.
