Chapter 26 Fallen Petal Kiss
Once, twice.
The footsteps grew closer until they stopped right in front of her.
Liu Jiao's heart was in her throat, her hands were clenched into a braid, and she felt lightheaded all over.
With a "whoosh," the golden-red veil was swiftly lifted off the head. Her eyelashes trembled as she looked up in response—
The young man, with a detached expression, put down his red-pole carrying pole and placed it next to his official tablet. His hands had distinct knuckles and were covered with thin calluses.
Today he wore a red, round-necked, fitted blouse over a round-necked robe, black boots, and a turban. A pomegranate-red flower adorned his ear, highlighting the striking beauty of his sharp features.
It is Sang Ji, today's groom.
Wow, wow... Liu Jiao's eyes widened, and all that remained in her heart was admiration.
Sang Ji was actually very beautiful.
She always wore all black, which somehow suppressed her alluring charm and gave her a cold and austere appearance.
She was now dressed in a striking red dress, her hair tied up high, revealing her pale skin.
A single red pomegranate flower adorned the scene, leaving Liu Jiao completely mesmerized.
Sang Ji happened to turn around and saw Liu Jiao's stunned expression.
He frowned, a hint of menace in his eyes: "What's wrong?"
Liu Jiao quickly snapped out of her daze, smiled knowingly, and forced a calm demeanor, saying, "Nothing, nothing! It's just that you're so beautiful..."
"Sang Ji, you're so handsome."
Liu Jiao couldn't help but sigh.
She was innocent and praised him sincerely.
Sang Ji, whose face was flushed from drunkenness, was startled, and raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this.
He seemed a little awkward, but only for a moment.
His beautiful eyes also stared back at Liu Jiao, and Liu Jiao's face turned as red as Sang Ji's, even though she hadn't drunk any alcohol.
Sang Ji also said earnestly, "Thank you."
"You are very beautiful too."
Sang Ji's gaze was direct and his tone was calm and straightforward.
And then... and then, Liu Jiao, who had just been in the mood to praise others, was turned on her own and her face turned bright red.
He praised...her??
Ahhh...
"Really...? Thanks...thank you..." She didn't know how to reply, so she just laughed haphazardly twice, her eyes unconsciously avoiding his, completely drifting away. Then, she frantically fanned her flushed and burning face with her hands.
For a moment, the bridal chamber, which was as hot as an oven, fell into an impasse.
Sang Ji was cold-hearted, while Liu Jiao was passionate, but she was too busy blushing to think about the next step.
In this situation, the two people who were hastily betrothed were at a loss for words.
After a long while, Liu Jiao realized that Sang Ji had been standing stiffly in the bridal chamber for a while, like a guard.
She quickly thought about what to do next.
"Oh, right! The nanny said it's time for the first menstrual period."
Liu Jiao had an idea, clapped her hands, and looked at Sang Ji.
"Fallen petals?" Sang Ji seemed completely taken aback by Liu Jiao's bluntness in uttering those two words. His usually cold demeanor froze.
"Yes." After her mother's extensive pre-wedding instruction, Liu Jiao already understood what she should do in the bridal chamber.
I now understand what "fallen blood" and "sexual intercourse" mean.
Although she now understands some things about human relationships and is a little embarrassed about matters of love and sex, Sang Ji seems to be even more embarrassed than her.
Liu Jiao felt it was essential for her to take on the important responsibility of "controlling the overall situation" and "guiding Sang Ji".
Seeing Sang Ji's blank expression, Liu Jiao assumed he didn't understand.
So, he bravely offered to explain to Sang Ji.
He immediately extended his finger and opened his mouth—
The words were stuck in his throat.
Liu Jiao's slightly parted lips suddenly felt a soft, bouncy texture, carrying a hint of plum wine's fruity aroma. Even though Liu Jiao was afraid of bitterness, the fragrance of plum wine lingered on her lips and teeth.
Sang Ji kissed her.
Before Liu Jiao could explain to him what "blood loss" and "sexual intercourse" meant.
? ? ?
Sang Ji... kissed her?!
It was soft, itchy, and numb all at once, leaving Liu Jiao's mind blank.
Her heart reacted before her mind, pounding wildly, making Liu Jiao's chest tremble.
Ah, ahhhhhh?!
So next... next...
want……
Liu Jiao's pupils shrank sharply, making her look like a dazed little yellow chick as she met Sang Ji's narrow phoenix eyes.
If she hadn't been kissed, she felt her mouth would have stretched all the way to her ears.
She was so excited that she closed her eyes and thought about what she was going to do. She then secretly put her hand on Sang Ji's chest for support.
Who knew that it had only been placed on the shelf for a short time, and hadn't even warmed up yet...
The kiss was abruptly ended.
?
The soft, fragrant kisses from the beautiful woman are gone?
Liu Jiao was stunned and immediately opened her tightly closed eyes.
Are you not going to continue?
Her bewildered eyes clearly reflected Sang Ji's indifferent face and his upright posture devoid of any romantic feelings.
Sang Ji simply said, "It's getting late, you should rest early."
After saying this, he turned around, walked away, and left without lingering.
Liu Jiao tried hard to catch up with him. With her head full of jingling jewels, she stumbled and staggered to the door of the bridal chamber.
All they got was a remnant of a robe in the corner of the wall.
Fleeting.
The bridal chamber fell silent once again.
Only the flickering light of the dragon and phoenix red candles remained, a testament to the fact that two people had once lived in the bridal chamber, and that Sang Ji had once been there.
Liu Jiao looked around blankly.
No one passed by.
The nights in Huajing City do seem much colder than those in Caocun Village in Jiangnan.
After the person left, Liu Jiao slunk back onto the wedding bed and sighed.
He idly swung his legs, watching the little pearls on his shoes tremble.
It was as if the kiss just now was fake.
But the feel is real.
She wondered why Sang Ji had pulled away after kissing her.
That makes sense... Sang Ji, the great hero, is such a refined and noble young man, it's natural that he would dislike such a vulgar person as her, and it's understandable that he couldn't bring himself to eat her.
She felt she had discovered the truth.
The saying goes, "One kiss and you'll feel nauseous for three days," so it's normal.
Okay, okay, she understands.
Thinking this to herself, Liu Jiao lowered her head even further.
"Hey, poor thing, it's your wedding night, why are you all alone?"
A lazy, teasing remark from a young man suddenly came from above Liu Jiao's head.
Who trespassed on private property?! Breaking into someone's wedding room—could it be someone from the Jianghu Chronicles seeking revenge against the Sang family?!
Liu Jiao was startled, her mind racing with a series of thoughts. She immediately looked up warily towards the window where the source of the noise was coming from.
But then she saw a tall, slender, familiar boy sitting by the window, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. His casual gaze met Liu Jiao's eyes as he waved at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Liu Jiao's surprise turned to delight: "Brother! What brings you here?"
Li Du's smile froze.
He chose to ignore the "brother" address.
He didn't answer directly: "I snuck in. It's your wedding, how could I not come and see?"
"Who would have thought that as soon as I came in, I saw a poor little thing and I almost cried."
Li Du and Liu Jiao got married on the same day, but married different people.
At this hour, Li Du should have been consummating his marriage with Princess Xinyuehu.
Although he disliked the new royal family, he still respected people.
Even if I don't like it, I still want to give Crescent Fox a decent t.
But when he finished drinking and entertaining those old folks outside, and was about to lift the veil from Xinyuehu's head, he looked up and saw Sang Jishi guarding the dark corner of Xinyuehu's bridal chamber.
Li Fu frowned, and his expression immediately changed.
He immediately understood—
Sang Ji has abandoned that silly girl and come to protect the Crescent Moon Fox.
Li Du, who was about to push open the door to the bridal chamber, paused, then rolled his eyes and changed course, heading towards Liu Jiao's bridal chamber.
He found it truly laughable—
On their wedding night, two couples got married on the same day, but they swapped brides and grooms.
What a pity.
"Am I ugly?" Liu Jiao pointed to her face and tugged at the hem of her skirt.
From childhood to adulthood, no one has ever given her a second glance; it's normal that she's considered ugly and lonely.
When she saw her younger brother arrive, all the grievances and confusion she had been suppressing welled up inside her.
"Let me see." Li Du knew what Liu Jiao looked like. He jumped down from the windowsill, wondering how to protect Liu Jiao's fragile heart...
The words of comfort he wanted to say died in his throat the moment he turned around the screen and saw Liu Jiao's full face.
The girl before me was fifteen on the first day of the lunar new year. She wore only a light layer of powder, yet she was already radiant and captivating. Her eyes were clear and pure, yet her lips were perfectly complemented by her beauty.
They looked up at him expectantly, hoping for his response that would captivate their souls.
The younger sister no longer had the thick bangs that Li Du remembered from all those years, revealing her complete forehead and delicate face.
Li Du touched Liu Jiao's face.
"Waaaaah, am I really that ugly..." Seeing that she didn't get a reply for a long time, Liu Jiao thought that she really was ugly, and her eyes suddenly became sore.
Tears quickly fell from her eyes into Li Du's large palm, sliding down his long, clean fingers.
Li Du hurriedly wiped away her tears with his fingertips, "Ugly?! Not ugly, not ugly at all!"
He cradled Liu Jiao's small, delicate face in his hands and said earnestly, "She is no exaggeration to be called a peerless beauty."
"Don't cry, don't cry."
"Waaah..." Liu Jiao cried even louder.
As long as it's not ugly... but being comforted makes me feel even more wronged.
To ease her sadness, Li Du pondered for a moment and said to her:
"Actually, I brought someone with me this time..."
Liu Jiao's sobbing stopped abruptly. "Huh?! Who!"
He climbed out of the window again.
Before long, he threw in a small, thin man with large, monkey-like ears.
"Ah Huang?" Liu Jiao was shocked. Forgetting about crying, she went forward to see him.
As he walked, he found the headdress too cumbersome and tossed it aside. "How did you end up in Beijing?"
Ah Huang dusted himself off, and Li Du followed him in, saying, "Hehe, Jiao Jiao!"
Li Du: "He came to wish you a happy marriage."
“I didn’t want him to disturb your wedding, so I arranged for him to stay in the stable and told him to pay his respects tomorrow.”
"But since you seem to have a lot of free time, I've brought you here."
After Liu Jiao greeted them, she remembered that A Huang had given the princess a lotus hairpin and a wilted lotus flower.
He turned his head away and ignored him completely.
Ah Huang leaned closer and pulled out a set of exquisitely crafted lotus embroidery needles: "Jiaojiao, congratulations on your marriage!"
Liu Jiao declined, somewhat awkwardly: "I'm not even bringing you chickens anymore, why are you pretending?"
Ahuang explained, "I did something wrong that day. I'm sorry, Jiaojiao. I didn't consider your feelings."
"I gave the lotus hairpin to the princess because I had never seen anyone like her before and found it very novel. Giving you a wilted lotus was my intention; I subconsciously picked out a wilted one from the pile of lotuses, thinking I should get rid of it quickly."
"When I saw you so heartbroken that day, running away crying, I realized what I had done."
"I went to apologize to you a few days later, but you wouldn't see me. Then it was your wedding, and you stayed home even more."
"So, this set of embroidery needles was made."
"Jiaojiao, can you please accept this?"
After a long while, Liu Jiao nodded gently and accepted it.
Ahuang and Liu Jiao exchanged a sly smile.
Li Du watched the two children make up and saw that Liu Jiao was finally happier and less tense, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Ah Huang also brought a mission with him this time.
He took out several letters from his pocket and handed them to Liu Jiao.
He then gave Liu Jiao a basket full of wedding gifts from his friends and neighbors.
...
It was inconvenient for Ahuang and Lidu to stay any longer at night, so Liu Jiao was left alone. She sat on a dark wooden stool and read the letter by candlelight.
Liu Jiao popped a mouthful of cold locust leaf noodles into her mouth, then opened them separately.
I have a good friend from the same village, Nian Nian.
There's a village chief among them.
There's also someone I haven't seen in a long time—
It was her best friend, Hua Man.
Come to think of it, Hua Man has been traveling in a neighboring country for quite some time now and hasn't returned.
It's just a pity.
Chen Chi, who was her second closest friend, did not send her a wedding gift or write any letters.
Maybe he's just too busy.
Although Liu Jiao was a little disappointed, she could understand him.
Sang Ji's departure was so quiet that no one noticed except Li Du.
The night was deep and still.
Liu Jiao drifted off to sleep.
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