Hearing the creaking sound of the door closing, Yi Zhici knew that Zhong Qing and Zhong Yi had come. She quickly took off the bridal veil and was finally able to see the light of day again. "Oh, I can finally stretch my body. I'm so exhausted!"
Zhong Qing came over to rub her shoulders, while Zhong Yi told her about the situation outside. "My lady, you don't know. The scale outside is huge. They've arranged a continuous banquet that even the common people on the street can enjoy. I heard from the servant of the Lin Mansion that this banquet will last for three days. I've never seen such extravagance!"
"What a waste of money," Yi Zhici said, stretching her back. "I have to talk to Lin Yuan about this. How can we live a thrifty life like this?"
After having some snacks to fill her stomach, Yi Zhici looked around the room. It was elegant and simple. Due to the wedding, there was a touch of bright red, but upon closer inspection, it was still overly plain.
Just thinking that dressing up Lin Yuan and the Lin Mansion would soon become her daily task, Yi Zhici couldn't help but feel excited.
Yi Zhici ran to the door and peeked through the crack at the bustling scene outside. There were so many people that it was an understatement to say it was crowded. You couldn't see the end of them at a glance.
Because it was a joyous occasion, Yi Zhici wore so many hairpins on her head for the first time. She found them too heavy and simply supported her hair with her hand as she paced back and forth.
There was a commotion outside. Yi Zhici quickly sat back on the bed and covered herself with the bridal veil.
Making a rumpus in the bridal chamber is a necessary part of a wedding. It's usually done by the friends of the bride and groom to celebrate the occasion. There's even a saying that the more lively the rumpus, the longer the couple's relationship will last.
So when Lin Yuan staggered in drunkenly, there was a large group of people following behind him, shouting and making a racket, eager to lift the bridal veil.
Lin Yuan's drunken voice came, "My bride. Why are you guys trying to lift her veil?"
This voice made Yi Zhici feel dizzy. It was hoarse, deep, and had an indescribable sexy charm. Yi Zhici nervously clasped her hands together.
Wei Xing's voice came from the front, "Third sister-in-law, you don't know. Third brother has such a low alcohol tolerance today. He got drunk after just two cups. It's just like when he was the Marquis's heir! But I didn't dare to make a rumpus like that with the Marquis's heir. Here, I'm not afraid. Hehe..."
With a rustling sound, Yi Zhici's bridal veil was lifted. What came into view was Lin Yuan's handsome and sharp face. He didn't look this sharp before, but he had lost a lot of weight in the past month. However, he still looked energetic and gentle, with bright and deep eyes.
There was an exclamation from the crowd, marveling at Yi Zhici's appearance. She used to look young, but with the makeup on, she was extremely charming.
Wei Xing's mouth dropped open in an "O" shape. "Wow, third sister-in-law, you're so beautiful!"
Gu Jing also exclaimed, "Does love really make people more beautiful? Why is Yuyang so...?" Before he could finish his sentence, he was pinched by Wei Zhu.
Ye Cong'an followed suit, "Wow, my lady, you're at the peak of your beauty today!"
Lin Yuan seemed to have finally reached his limit. He drove all these people out in one go. To be on the safe side, he even bolted the door from the inside.
Yi Zhici couldn't help but laugh. "Weren't you supposed to accompany the guests and drink? Why did you come back so soon?"
Lin Yuan came over and hugged Yi Zhici. "I'm drunk."
Yi Zhici nodded understandingly. "Hmm, the way you drove them out just now didn't look like you were drunk at all."
"I can't see you unless I'm drunk, so of course I have to get drunk." Lin Yuan's eyes were clear. "My lady, you're my wife now."
Yi Zhici felt completely content. "Yes, I'm your wife."
Lin Yuan picked up Yi Zhici and sat down at the table. He picked up the wine cups on the table. "Then let's drink the nuptial wine."
This silly look of his made Yi Zhici feel a surge of maternal love. She couldn't help but touch his head.
"I drove the wedding attendant away. Since there's no one to give the blessings, I'll make it up for my lady." Lin Yuan thought seriously for a while and said, "Let us drink and be happy together. Let us grow old together. May our lives be as harmonious as the sounds of the zither and the lute. This is our lifelong vow. Let us be united in love forever."
This earnest and somewhat silly look of his made Yi Zhici's heart melt completely. She was completely smitten.
Lin Yuan rummaged through and found a small pair of scissors. Yi Zhici was curious. "Why do you have so many strange little things in your room?"
"To tie the hair of the husband and wife together is an essential part of the wedding. It can't be missed," Lin Yuan said. He cut off a lock of his own hair and carefully cut a lock of Yi Zhici's hair. Then he tied them together with a golden thread. "Now it's complete. A Ci is my wife from now on."
Yi Zhici's eyes curved into a crescent. "I've been your wife since we bowed in the wedding ceremony."
Lin Yuan kissed Yi Zhici's forehead and carried her to the bed.
"Wait wait wait. You have to answer me a question first," Yi Zhici said. She was completely nestled in Lin Yuan's arms, looking at him with bright eyes. "When did you start liking me?"
Lin Yuan pretended to sigh. "If I don't answer, I can't go to bed?"
Yi Zhici nodded "firmly". "Yes. If you don't answer, you can't."
"A Ci may not remember that time," Lin Yuan said. He shifted his body and lay down with Yi Zhici in his arms. "I first saw A Ci in the Southern Border. But at that time, we were both very young."
"But I don't remember going to the Southern Border when I was a child."
"You were probably seven or eight years old. It's normal that you don't remember."
"But how can you fall in love with someone at the age of seven or eight?"
"I can't really tell if it was love. If I have to distinguish, the young A Ci was like the bright moon in my heart, and the current A Ci is the blood in my heart."
Lin Yuan didn't often say sweet words, but whenever he did, they were always too sweet for Yi Zhici to bear. Every time, she would blush and feel dizzy.
After being in a daze for a long time, Yi Zhici came to her senses and felt unwilling. After all, it was a past event that she couldn't remember. "So, do you like the young me or the current me?"
Lin Yuan rubbed Yi Zhici's head and laughed. "There's no such thing as liking one more than the other. They're both A Ci. Because of the young A Ci, I was willing to get to know the current A Ci. And because I got to know the current A Ci, I like A Ci very much."
"But how do you know that I'm the same person from back then? What if I'm not?" She didn't want to be picky, but Yi Zhici racked her brains and still couldn't remember having any intersection with Lin Yuan when she was a child. This strange sense of crisis was like having a rival in love out of nowhere. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because of the birthmark on your shoulder. I saw it in the Flower Tower," Lin Yuan's eyes were far - reaching. "No two people have birthmarks in the same position and with the same shape. It's a heart, right?"
Yi Zhici was completely deflated. There was indeed a small birthmark on her shoulder, in the shape of a very regular heart.
"Then, I waited for you in the temple for so long. Why didn't you come to find me?"
Lin Yuan chuckled. "So A Ci had feelings for me so early?"
"Answer my question!"
"Because there was a military drill in the palace that day. I went to the temple right after I finished my duties in the court, but A Ci wasn't there."
Yi Zhici vaguely remembered that her father also came back from the court very late that day. He even mentioned the military drill in the palace to her. It was a pity that she didn't pay much attention at that time...
Lin Yuan rolled over and pressed on top of Yi Zhici. "My lady, you've asked your questions. Isn't it time for the wedding night?"
Yi Zhici smiled sweetly, showing two small dimples. Lin Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and lowered his head to kiss her.
Outside the room, the people who had been eavesdropping heard nothing after listening for a long time. Mu Feng didn't know when he had stood behind them. "Gentlemen, stop listening. The young general has already replaced the door. It has excellent sound insulation."
Wei Xing sighed dejectedly. "Alas, I can't even make a rumpus in the bridal chamber, and I can't even eavesdrop on their wedding night. What's the fun in life!"
Wu Ya shook his folding fan and regained his composure. "Let's go. Drinking is a more reliable option."
Wei Xing shook his head firmly. "No. I'm going to climb onto the roof. I must..."
Ye Cong'an said, "Better not. If the young general and the lady finish their intimate moment, then you're done for. Do you think it's less scary when the young general gets angry or when the lady gets angry?"
Wei Xing wilted and lost his enthusiasm.
Back at the banquet, everyone was drunk and the feast was in full swing.
This grand wedding was talked about for a long time. People discussed how luxurious every aspect was, how carefully every decoration was arranged, and how deeply the young general was in love with his wife. It became the talk of the town in the capital for a while.