The palaces I remember are all dominated by red.

Bright red "double happiness" characters were pasted on the windows, and magnificent dragon and phoenix candles burned quietly on the table. Even the curtains had been changed to red. As night fell, the entire palace still appeared somewhat dim.

The door creaked shut at some point.

Yun Qing was stunned and came to her senses when she heard the voice: "This is what you... kept from me?"

Xie Rang embraced her, his voice carrying a light laugh: "More than that."

If it were just these things, it wouldn't take that long.

He and Yunqing may not have a formal title, but they must have everything that is due.

Xie Rang led her behind the screen, and Yun Qing then noticed two large boxes behind it. She had a rather unspoken premonition, until Xie Rang said, "Would you like to open them and take a look?"

Yun Qing nodded and stepped forward to open the boxes. One box contained a phoenix crown and jewelry, while the other box contained two neatly arranged wedding dresses with gold-embroidered trim, intricately folded inside. On top of them was a marriage certificate.

She lowered her eyes and picked it up to read.

"...We will share the same fur coat in life and the same grave in death, and we will never be apart in life or death."

It wasn't until the last sentence that Yun Qing noticed it was Xie Rang who read it aloud.

He seemed to particularly like this sentence, holding Yun Qing's wrist, his fingertips gently caressing her delicate skin, very tenderly and carefully.

His voice was low and slow, earnest: "Grand Tutor, this is my wish."

"—And what about you?"

To be honest, Yun Qing found it hard to describe how she felt seeing all of this. She and Xie Rang were different from ordinary people. When they chose this path, it meant that they also had to give up some things.

She thought she didn't care, but when she saw these things, she realized that she did care.

Yun Qing smiled and said, "Me too."

In the past, she never imagined that she would be with a boy younger than herself, but perhaps imagination is meant to be shattered, and these things happened unexpectedly, far exceeding her expectations back then.

Yun Qing knew what Xie Rang wanted to do, but she didn't resist. Instead, she turned to him and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like to see me dressed?"

Her eyes, once bright and vibrant, were softened by her gentle aura, and she looked at Xie Rang with a brightness greater than ever before.

Xie Rang heard his own voice: "...I want to."

Yun Qing smiled and said, "Alright. Then Your Majesty, please change into it and let me see."

Presumably, Xie Rang had already sent everyone away, so the entire Taihe Hall was very quiet at this moment. Xie Rang was holding his own wedding dress, and he was only a screen away from Yun Qing. If he held his breath, he could hear everything clearly.

But there was really no need for that now, so he quickly changed into his wedding attire and waited quietly for Yun Qing.

It wasn't until he saw the person emerge from behind the screen that Xie Rang was completely certain that his previous judgment was correct.

When Yun Qing wore the red official robes, she was already stunningly beautiful. In the red wedding dress, she would be even more beautiful. Her black hair was like clouds, her eyes were clear and bright, and in her gaze, there was only her, completely and utterly alone.

An indescribable thirst welled up in Xie Rang's throat.

"The Grand Tutor is very handsome... extremely handsome."

Unlike the red official robes, the red wedding dress was something that could only be worn by the bride herself.

Yun Qing looked up at Xie Rang.

She had never seen Xie Rang in red before; the first time was in his wedding attire. The young man was tall and slender, possessing an air of nobility and handsome features. He usually smiled in front of her, and this moment of stunned silence was unusual, which unexpectedly highlighted his innocence.

"Qi An is also very beautiful."

Xie Rang's expression changed, but he remained composed. He stepped forward, took Yun Qing's hand, and led her slowly to the couch to sit down.

Yunqing had heard that weddings usually involve scattering peanuts, longans, and other random things on the bed, but since they were probably unconventional, Xie Rang didn't do that.

However, the bed seemed to have been padded thicker, making it very soft to sit on.

Perhaps knowing exactly what was about to happen, Yun Qing's heart skipped a beat. Even though it was the dead of winter, her palms were sweating. Xie Rang noticed this and chuckled, "Yun Qing, shall we drink the nuptial wine?"

Yun Qing pursed her lips nervously and said, "Mm."

The wine and glasses were on the side. Xie Rang poured the wine, but didn't rush to bring it over. Instead, he considerately said, "If you're nervous, how about we wait a little longer?"

Xie Rang knew what kind of child Yun Qing liked, so when he was still young, he subconsciously put on a facade in front of her, successfully putting on a docile shell and deceiving Yun Qing for so many years.

He'd already endured the long wait of being boiled like a frog in lukewarm water, so he didn't mind this little bit of waiting.

Ambitious wolves are never satisfied until they get what they want completely intact.

Although Xie Rang in front of her was exactly the same as she usually saw, Yun Qing still sensed a faint but not obvious danger emanating from him, but this was not enough for her to back down.

"No need, just bring the wine over."

Xie Rang stared at her for a moment: "Okay."

He leaned over, took the wine cups, handed one to Yun Qing, and kept the other for himself. He intertwined his arms with hers and then drank the wine.

This was new wine, and Yun Qing almost choked on it when she wasn't careful. But the next moment, she was embraced and gently patted on the back.

The strong effects of the alcohol surged up instantly, making Yun Qing's eyes redden slightly. Xie Rang raised his hand and gently traced her cheek. In the dim, flickering candlelight, his eyes saw only her reflection.

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