Madness
The room was deathly silent. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes stared fixedly at the ground, as if she was holding back tears. When she looked up again, her eyes were bloodshot.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” The Second King’s words carried a tone of grievance. He pulled a chair over and sat opposite Ci Ke. “From now on, since you’ll be living in the stronghold, you’ll have to get used to it.”
Ci Ke still glared at him. Despite her stunning beauty, she could not hide the hatred and malice in her eyes.
The Second King felt somewhat sober under her gaze. He touched the back of his neck, his expression changed. “What do you mean by this? Could it be that there really is something between you and those two pretty boys?”
The beauty in front of him suddenly sneered, her lips curved like a blazing fire, and two rare shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
She suddenly laughed uncontrollably, bending over and burying her face in her palms, her shoulders shaking.
The Second King was truly taken aback. He stood up dumbfounded, looking down, not knowing whether to help her or not.
“What are you…” He had just spoken when he saw Ci Ke slowly sit up straight. Her eyes seemed to be brimming with tears, or perhaps it was laughter. Sparkling and translucent, beneath the tears was an expression he could not understand.
“Is there any wine?” The woman suddenly spoke. Her voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens, the trailing tone lingering in one’s heart, deeply stirring.
The Second King turned around and gestured. Someone handed him a jar of wine. He took it and said, “This wine is strong, we haven’t even performed the marriage ceremony yet…”
Before he could finish, the wine jar was snatched by Ci Ke. She forcefully pulled out the cork and poured it into her mouth.
Her slender neck arched, her throat moved up and down, and some of the clear wine spilled down her jade-like neck, seeping into her collar.
The Second King was mesmerized.
Ci Ke only drank a few mouthfuls before letting go of the jar. It fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. The aroma of the wine quickly filled the room, intoxicating everyone.
“When is the wedding ceremony?” Ci Ke asked again. She now looked completely different from her usual silent self. The ends of her eyes were extended with black eyeliner, her eyelids were tinged with red rouge, and her lips were like red cherries, extraordinarily beautiful.
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The beauty was slightly drunk, her face a little flushed.
“Anytime,” the Second King said hurriedly. He glanced at the not-so-clear sky outside the window, then at the almost burned-out candles. “Why not take advantage of the moment and have the ceremony now?”
Ci Ke stood up, leaving only a silver hairpin in her hair, abandoning the phoenix coronet.
“This…” The Second King pointed at the coronet, about to say something, but was interrupted by Ci Ke.
“I don’t like it,” Ci Ke said.
“No matter, once the ceremony is done, you’ll be my wife, who cares about these customs!” The Second King laughed and reached out to take Ci Ke’s hand, but she dodged him and walked out alone.
The cool night breeze gently brushed her cheeks. Ci Ke looked at the distant mountains, empty and desolate, with nothing there.
She hadn’t had the ceremony yet, she would come back. Ci Ke thought.
She would never let her suffer; she would definitely come back. Ci Ke walked straight across the red cloth, stopping in front of the open space. The people who had been drinking and chatting fell silent upon seeing her in red attire.
The wedding dress embroidered with gold thread fluttered in the wind. A few loose strands of hair were blown onto her forehead, sticking to her lips, then falling away.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Many were seeing Ci Ke’s appearance for the first time, finally understanding why this woman from outside the mountains could captivate the Second King so deeply.
Drums sounded, cheers echoed around. Ci Ke was led across the red cloth, walking along the lantern-lit path. The dim red light fell on her, like a layer of thin gauze.
“Here, this way.” The Second King pointed to a large wooden house, the one they had their first meal in, now decorated festively with a few unknown tablets set up, turned into an ancestral hall.
Ci Ke suddenly smiled disdainfully and stepped inside. The people of the stronghold couldn’t follow, gathering noisily outside.
“This is our great king’s tablet. He was the head of this stronghold,” The Second King wiped his eyes as if crying, turned to Ci Ke, and looked at her joyfully, unable to hide his happiness.
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Ci Ke, however, looked outside.
So much time had passed, and still, nothing happened. Her eyes grew increasingly desperate.
“Don’t be like this, it’s a joyous day, smile a bit.” The Second King said, reaching out to pinch Ci Ke’s chin. His rough fingers touched her lips.
Ci Ke looked at him and suddenly smiled.
The Second King was frightened by this smile, his hair standing on end. He quickly let go, wondering how he, a seasoned fighter, could be scared by a little girl.
“How do we perform the ceremony again?” The Second King asked, confused.
“Close the door, I have something to tell you.” Ci Ke’s red lips moved slightly, her finger pointed to the door.
The Second King laughed, “That’s easy, I’ll listen to anything the beauty says.”
He waved his hand, and someone closed the door.
Only the two of them were left in the room. Whether it was an illusion or not, he saw the woman’s lips growing redder, exceedingly alluring, and his thoughts turned sordid. He laughed, “Since we’re not following the formalities, let’s skip the ceremony too.”
As he spoke, he took a step forward.
Ci Ke did not retreat, but continued to look at him with that same gaze. Although shorter, she seemed to look down on him, making the Second King a bit uneasy.
The lanterns flickered, the incense was heady, causing his vision to blur. The Second King pounced forward, trying to embrace the beauty.
But instead of the expected soft embrace, he felt a cold pain in his chest. A piercing pain spread from his chest throughout his body. The Second King roared, pushing away the red figure in front of him. In his blurred vision, the red figure approached again, stabbing his chest once more.
“Ahhh!” The Second King screamed, swinging his arms. He managed to knock Ci Ke to the ground.
“Help, help!” Blood gushed from his chest. the Second King, already weakened by alcohol, had no strength. Now, with two wounds in his chest, he forgot all his martial arts, only crying for help.
Outside, something seemed to be happening, but no one entered. Ci Ke slowly got up, staggered to the door, and bolted it.
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The Second King was completely panicked, retreating until his back hit the table. He clutched his wounds, cursing, “You, you poisonous woman! How dare you commit murder in my place, you…”
He reluctantly grabbed the tablet from the table and threw it at Ci Ke. She didn’t dodge, staring at him with tears streaming down her face. She picked up the blood-stained hairpin from the ground.
One by one, the lights went out. Her tears fell like a stream, her eyes filled with malice. She stabbed towards the man’s leg. The Second King’s screams filled the room, shrill and terrible.
At the same time, the door was kicked open. Someone rushed in, desperately restraining Ci Ke. She didn’t care if she got hurt, struggling to tear at the person, as if determined to kill the man.
“Ci Ke! Ci Ke!” Someone called her name. Ci Ke couldn’t hear clearly, still struggling silently, until the person lifted their scratched arm and held her tightly.
“Ci Ke, I’m sorry, it’s me, Ci Ke…” The voice of a woman, now calm and cold, was hoarse. She stroked the back of Ci Ke’s head repeatedly.
