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墨書 Inktalez
On the morning of the sixth day of May, I got up without turning on the lights.
It wasn't that I woke up early; rather, I had tossed and turned all night, hardly managing to sleep at all.
Today was the wedding day. If you’re like me and haven’t lived with your boyfriend before marriage, especially if your husband-to-be is your idol, it’s no wonder you can’t sleep.
I got out of bed, turned on the light, and sliced up the leftover fruit from last night, haphazardly sticking the pieces onto my eyes.
How much makeup would I need to cover up these panda eyes caused by my excessive nervousness?
I perked up my ears to listen; it was quiet next door. Perhaps he was still asleep?
Yes, next door lived the groom of today, my idol, Nie Qiuyuan.
After the incident with Ren Pingsheng, things had been chaotic on Wanzi Mountain for a while. Second Mother was frightened and checked me over thoroughly. Only after confirming that not a single hair was missing did she finally relax and hug me while crying.
Now, Nie Qiuyuan had every right to move back to the mountain and had settled into the room next to mine to keep me safe at all times.
Before our joyous occasion, there had been a funeral on the mountain. When Ren Pingsheng invaded Wanzi Mountain, he first cleared a lookout point halfway up the mountain and cruelly killed six brothers from Wanzi Mountain. Nie Qiuyuan discovered this annihilated lookout during his patrol and noticed that the wounds on the victims' necks seemed to have been inflicted by Ren Pingsheng's unique curved blade. This terrified him enough to rush to where I lived on the mountain.
Ren Pingsheng had once disguised himself as Guilin and visited Wanzi Mountain with me. Being as unreliable as I am, I even took him around the mountain, so he was already familiar with its terrain. Logically speaking, it should have been easy for him to infiltrate Wanzi Mountain without needing to eliminate that lookout point. The only explanation for his actions was that he wanted Nie Qiuyuan to discover it and come rushing over.
But what did he intend to do upon arriving? Given his twisted tendencies, he likely hoped that Nie Qiuyuan would witness him humiliating or even killing me—such a blow would be devastating for Qiu. Yet he did nothing at all; it was truly baffling. You can never guess a girl's thoughts, but trying to understand Ren Pingsheng's mind is an exercise in futility; you’ll never figure it out.
The six brothers died because of me, which weighed heavily on my conscience. Qiu took me to the place where their bodies were laid out for mourning; they were still there, awaiting burial after seven days. So after our wedding festivities concluded, we would immediately have to attend to their funeral.
In short, Ren Pingsheng was indeed a cruel person who showed extreme indifference toward life.
Estimating that the chilling effect of the Fruit Slices was about done, I peeled the fruit away, only to suddenly notice someone sitting across from me, grinning widely.
"Why do you always sneak up on me without a sound? You scared me to death!" I scolded the Groom angrily. "And you shouldn't be here right now!"
"But I wanted to see you. I couldn't sleep a wink last night," he replied.
It turned out that even someone as composed as him could be restless and excited on a day like this.
"Zhenzhen, there's no need to worry. Everything is quite simple today. Since you don't care about the formalities, we can skip all the rituals. We just need to pay our respects to our ancestors and have a drink with the brothers to celebrate. There's nothing to be concerned about."
I nodded in agreement.
Autumn had always felt guilty about this situation, but I truly didn't mind. According to Tang Dynasty customs, the six rites of Betrothal, Name Inquiry, Najie, Bride Price, Appointment, and Welcoming were supposed to be followed for a legitimate marriage. However, considering that we were Mountain Bandits, our identity itself was already illegitimate—why bother with rules?
Nie Qiuyuan was about to take up the position of Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple. If he were to formally marry me in that capacity, it would create quite a spectacle. The more complicated the procedures became, the further word would spread, and it would be hard to ensure that Mirror Gate wouldn't come causing trouble, putting us in danger. It was better to quietly get married on the mountain before he took office—just a simple celebration among close brothers.
As a modern girl transported back to ancient times, not being able to follow traditional wedding customs and properly marry Zhenzhen felt like a regret. Yet as long as the groom was him, everything else was secondary; I was at peace with that.
Moreover, getting married simply on the mountain without all those cumbersome rituals made me feel less anxious.
The door creaked open with a soft "creak," and Han Meilan peeked her head in. Upon seeing Nie Qiuyuan in my room, she gasped in shock.
"Nie, Brother Nie! How could you come here now?!"
"I'll leave right away; thank you, Melan." Autumn cast me a lingering glance filled with affection before standing up and smiling as he stepped out the door, as if afraid that being apart for even a moment might cause him to lose me. His gaze made my heart feel sweet and warm.
Melan hurriedly closed the door behind him and let out a long sigh.
"If Second Mother sees us, it would be terrible!"
Han Meilan had recently lost quite a bit of weight; her jaw had become sharp, and her eyes appeared particularly large. At this moment, she wore a light smile that made me feel a twinge of guilt, as I could tell she was genuinely happy for me.
How could there be such a unique woman in the world?
After learning about my situation with Qiu, Han Meilan had cried a few times, but she didn’t hide her feelings from me. I understood her concerns well enough. We had talked several times, and she shared some stories from her past—not about her interactions with Nie Qiuyuan, but rather various things that Qiu had done that lingered in her memory. She spoke with such infatuation, vividly and animatedly, that I found myself captivated as well, drooling over the handsome guy she described in my mind.
It turned out he was just as handsome when I wasn’t around; it was such a pity I hadn’t seen him with my own eyes.
After feeling sad for a while, Melan gradually regained her composure. On one hand, that was just her nature; being upset didn’t stop her from wholeheartedly preparing for my wedding. Engaging in activities was the best way to heal emotional wounds. On the other hand, Lin Jiu, this clever fellow, had quietly stayed by her side during these days, providing her with invisible support.
I had initially thought Lin Jiu was a stickler for rules and rather dull, but I hadn’t expected him to show such excellent potential in this regard. I really had misjudged him before. Who did he learn this from?
"Liuying, the wedding dress made according to your design is simply stunning! The last time you tried it on, it was just too big; now the patterns are embroidered beautifully. Once you wear it, everyone will be unable to take their eyes off you!" Han Meilan exclaimed happily. "Come on, let me help you get ready so you can become the most beautiful new Wife today!"
Yes, since this wedding had no rules to follow, I had secretly made some preparations of my own.
First of all, I had been on a diet for half a month to reach a perfect weight—slim when dressed and curvy when undressed... Oh dear, how embarrassing to boast like this!
Then, since there would be no traditional procession or bowing to the ground, there was no need for an ordinary Wedding Dress. So I decided to design my own outfit for today.
After wavering among various styles of formal dresses for half a day, I settled on a long one-sided fully open Chinese Cheongsam. Since we were still in Chang'an at the time and had access to top-notch fabric stores and tailors nationwide, I sketched a simple design and the tailor immediately understood what I wanted.
As for the fabric, I unexpectedly found a thick satin in the modern color that was trending before I left—Marsala Red. This shade of Marsala Red has a hint of earthiness compared to regular burgundy, making it a more understated, low-key, and rich red. I didn't want to use a bright red for my wedding dress, so I chose this color instead.
I also collaborated with a skilled cobbler to create a pair of simple black high-heeled shoes.
Of course, there were preparations for a wedding gift for my beloved, a sweet and modern present that remained my secret.
After my bath and skincare routine, Melan took out my wedding dress and helped me put it on.
The tailor's craftsmanship was exquisite; the Cheongsam fit me perfectly—neither too tight nor too loose—showcasing the results of my hard work dieting. Although the Tang Dynasty was open-minded, I couldn't wear something too revealing, so the sleeves were three-quarters long, and the slit wasn't too high. In addition to the flawless basic design, the Marsala Red fabric was intricately embroidered with a deeper shade of Burgundy around the waist, hips, and shoulders, creating a low-key yet luxurious look. After slipping into a pair of high-heeled combat boots and tying up my Long Hair with dark gold and red hair accessories, the woman in the mirror was a modern and alluring mature beauty.
Melan excitedly praised how beautiful I looked, her hands trembling slightly as she applied my makeup. I had been a bit worried that my modern appearance might be too shocking, but now it seemed that if someone as conservative as Melan could accept it, there was nothing to worry about.
Once Melan finished my makeup, she painted a golden flower on my forehead. I looked in the mirror and felt almost unrecognizable.
With everything ready, there was a knock at the door just in time. Since I had skipped the traditional ceremony, there was no need for any veil; I just had to wait for the groom to finish getting ready to take me to pay respects to our ancestors at the ancestral hall.
Melan opened the door to reveal my beloved standing outside, along with the dapper Lin Jiu. From a modern perspective, Lin Jiu and Melan could be considered our best man and maid of honor.
Nie Qiuyuan stood at the door with a radiant smile. I had no idea what he would be wearing today, just as he didn’t know what I would wear. To my surprise, we had both chosen the same shade of red for our outfits.
I had never seen him in red before; although he looked stunning in black and Deep Blue, this calm and elegant red highlighted his features beautifully. It was undeniably… enticing!
I restrained myself from drooling but was astonished to see that when his gaze fell on me, his breath seemed to catch in his throat, and his smile froze on his face.
Feeling somewhat anxious, I stepped forward and gently linked my arm with his. The sharp click of my heels seemed to make him even more uneasy.
"What's wrong? Is there something off about me?" I pulled him a few steps away, avoiding Melan and Lin Jiu, and quietly asked.
"Ye Zhenzhen, how am I supposed to bow like this?"
"Huh? I feel like it's all wrapped up pretty well, nothing is showing! Look at how much more revealing many of the women's outfits from the Tang Dynasty are compared to mine!"
"None of them are as revealing as you... but who dresses like this? It's so tight..."
"You just don't get it; clothes need to fit well to look good! What's wrong? Doesn't it look good?"
"Um, it looks good... but it's just too good..." He finally seemed to regain some composure, lowering his voice even further. "I don't want to bow anymore; I want to take you away!"
"That's annoying! What strange thoughts are you having now?"
"Not strange at all. I just wish everything could be simpler today. Or maybe we could just skip it."
"Uh, I don't understand you."
The handsome guy took a deep breath and leaned closer to my ear. "Right now, there's only one thing on my mind: I want to devour you."
Ah, so under this Light Transformation Day, what he was thinking was such wickedness! It was simply mortifying!
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