Yanwan and the Right Time (The End)

Night fell.

Ji Wang was ordered to stay in his quiet room, where Huai Qing personally watched him change into his wedding attire.

As soon as he finished dressing, Ji Wang became somewhat restless.

He paced back and forth in the room, his eyes frequently drifting towards the closed door, his chest heaving slightly with excitement and a touch of nervousness.

"Huaiqing..." he couldn't help but speak, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency, "I...I want to see Bujiu. Just one look, just one look!"

Huaiqing was slowly organizing the list of ceremonial items in her hands when she heard this and gently retorted, "Nonsense. What kind of etiquette is it for the newlyweds to go and find a match on their own before the ceremony? It's against etiquette and it diminishes the surprise. Just wait patiently."

“Etiquette, etiquette, when have we ever talked about those formalities?” Ji Wang persisted, moving closer to Huai Qing and looking at him expectantly. “Just let me go and see, I promise I won’t make a sound or disturb him, I just want to see if he’s wearing those clothes… I’m not at ease.”

Huaiqing looked up and saw the almost overflowing anticipation and anxiety in Ji Wang's eyes, feeling both amused and helpless.

He knew, of course, that these two had been through life and death and had long since disregarded worldly rules and regulations.

Seeing that Ji Wangzhen couldn't wait a moment longer, he finally shook his head and gave a wink to Xun Jing and Gui Tiao, who were guarding the door.

"Alright, alright." Huaiqing sighed as if giving in. "Xunjing, Guitiao, make way. Your Sect Leader Ji's heart has already flown there."

Xun Jing suppressed a laugh and stepped aside.

Gui Tiao winked and said, "Oh, Sect Leader Ji can't wait any longer?"

Ji Wang didn't care about their teasing anymore. Receiving permission was like receiving a pardon. He lifted his clothes and almost staggered as he rushed out of the room, walking along the corridor towards the room where Bu Jiu was.

Reaching the door, he took a deep breath to calm his rapid breathing before raising his hand and gently pushing open the slightly ajar door.

The room was brightly lit by candles, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Bu Jiu sat in front of the mirror with his back to the door, already wearing the wedding clothes that Ji Wang had sewn for him.

Mi Juan stood behind him, holding a cherry blossom bud in her hand. Her eyes were gentle, and her movements were slow as she tucked the pink and white bud into Bu Jiu's hair, which was tied up at his temple.

Youhang stood to the side, holding Sui'an in his arms, who had changed into new clothes and whose little face was flushed with excitement.

Hearing the door open, everyone inside looked over. When they saw it was Ji Wang, Mi Quan and You Hang showed no surprise, as if they had expected him to come.

Sui An let out a small "Ah!" and covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

Mi Juan's hands did not stop moving; her fingertips deftly and steadily pinned the budding cherry blossom into the hair tied up beside Bu Jiu's temple.

After doing all this, Mi Juan held Bu Jiu's shoulder and slowly turned him around to face the figure who had been frozen since the door was opened: "Come, let someone take a good look—is our bride pleasing to the eye?"

Then, she looked at the other two people in the room and said in a light voice, "Alright, we should go now. There's still a lot of things to take care of in the front hall."

You Hang understood, nodded, took Sui An's hand, who was watching intently, and walked out together.

Mi Quan took one last look at the newlyweds standing opposite each other in the warm light, as if they were in their own little world, and gently closed the door, shutting out the enchanting atmosphere inside.

Ji Wang's breath froze completely at that moment.

In the soft, warm glow of the candlelight, Bu Jiu stood quietly.

The bright red wedding dress that he had personally cut and sewn, with every stitch filled with trepidation and anticipation, was now fitting perfectly on Bu Jiu's body.

The red dress, as fiery as fire, with its satin surface shimmering with a warm luster, accentuated Bu Jiu's slightly slender figure, making him appear exceptionally tall and upright.

What is most captivating is her flowing, ink-black hair. Her long hair is not all tied up; part of it is loosely tied back with a simple red jade hairpin, while the rest cascades down her shoulders and back like a waterfall, with a few strands brushing against her well-defined jawline.

His dark hair and red robes accentuated his jade-like complexion, while a touch of pink and white cherry blossom bud at his temple brightened up all the colors.

Bu Jiu raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Ji Wang's face, taking in his stunned and absent-minded appearance.

That one glance... felt like a lifetime ago, yet also like yesterday.

Ji Wang's mind went blank. In the dark hall, the stunning crimson figure that had captivated him in this life quietly overlapped with the person before him.

But now, Bu Jiu is wearing the wedding dress he gave her, her eyes reflecting his image, standing within his reach.

Ji Wang forgot to speak, forgot to move, and just stared blankly.

Until Bu Jiu seemed unable to bear the overly direct gaze, her eyelashes trembled, her eyes shifted slightly for a moment, and then she looked back firmly at him: "Have you looked enough?"

Ji Wang's chest heaved violently. His eyes instantly burned, his vision blurred, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned upwards, spreading into an extremely bright smile.

He took one step after another until he stood before Bu Jiu. All the words he had been preparing seemed pale at that moment.

A thousand words swirled on my tongue, but what finally came out was just one sentence—"It's very beautiful."

The words spoken at the first meeting in this life, after going through life and death and giving everything, have become the deepest love.

No matter how close Ji Wang got, he closed his eyes just before the other person's lips were about to touch his.

Long, thick eyelashes droop down like butterfly wings, casting a soft shadow under the eyelids.

Two slightly cool lips finally touched gently together.

Bu Jiu tightened her arms around his waist slightly, her fingertips even gripping his clothes a little. Though she didn't respond, her leaning forward was the best answer.

Their breaths were still mingled from the kiss, warm against each other's skin so close together.

Ji Wang gazed into Bu Jiu's eyes, which were filled with tears. The fear and despair, under the backdrop of peace and fulfillment, transformed into a soft whisper with a choked smile, as he gently uttered, "Back then, I really wanted to just go with you."

He felt Bu Jiu's arms around his waist suddenly tighten.

“I don’t want to care about the source of the Dao, the responsibility, or the future…” Ji Wang closed his eyes, as if he had returned to that morning filled with scorched earth and despair. “I just felt that without you, I would have no life on my own.”

"Who knew that Gui Tiao, that kid, was digging around like a groundhog, and in the end he actually pulled a dirty little white fox out from under the scorched earth."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself: "You really are something, such a tiny little thing, barely clinging to life, and you didn't utter a sound, just letting me... cry like an idiot."

Bu Jiu did not refute or try to explain that he was almost completely annihilated at the time and could only maintain his most primitive form to survive.

He simply buried his face deeper into Ji Wang's neck, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a single word: "Ugly."

It's unclear whether she was talking about herself back then or commenting on how Ji Wang cried.

“Ugly? What’s ugly about her?” Ji Wang chimed in. “Back then, I thought she was the most beautiful little fox in the world. Now… she’s the most beautiful bride in the world.”

“You…” Bu Jiu wanted to say “slick-tongued” and “shameless”, but all his words turned into a soft hum.

The noise from the front hall seemed clearer, and Huaiqing's voice came through the door, as if reminding everyone that the auspicious time was approaching.

Bu Jiu lingered in Ji Wang's arms for a few more moments before slowly releasing his grip on Ji Wang's front and instead grabbing his sleeve.

"I'm leaving." He looked away and headed towards the door.

"Okay," Ji Wang replied, taking his hand and their fingers intertwining tightly.

Just as Ji Wang was about to take a step, a ray of moonlight quietly slipped in from outside the window, landing precisely on a half-open sandalwood box next to the dressing table.

The box contained few items, only a few warm-colored gemstones. They were clearly carefully selected and cherished treasures.

Beside the gemstone lay a talisman with slightly worn edges.

Ji Wang recognized it at a glance. It was the first talisman Bu Jiu drew when he first met Bu Jiu in this life, holding his hand.

He never imagined that this photo would be kept here by Bu Jiu and preserved to this day.

Bu Jiu seemed to notice his gaze and also glanced at the box under the moonlight.

As if trying to hide something, he gripped Ji Wang's hand and led him forward, saying, "Don't look..."

Outside the door, Huaiqing's voice rang out again: "Is it not ready yet—the auspicious time is almost here!"

"Here you are."

The End.