Chapter 29
Another night of sleeping in the same bed. When she opened her eyes, she met Chu Yingyu's fixed black pupils. She was startled for a moment, and the scream that threatened to burst out of her throat was blocked by the boy's cold lips.
He rolled over and pressed me down, kissing me until I nearly suffocated. I stopped pushing him away, then clung to his arms. After a passionate, blushing kiss, he pulled away. I gasped for breath, staring at the roof beams for a long moment, unable to recover.
My lips were numb for a moment, and I turned my head to look at him, "How long have you been awake?"
Chu Yingyu crossed his arms and pulled me into his embrace, mumbling, "Not asleep."
The breath blowing against my ears made me feel itchy. I dodged, but he held me tighter.
I was shocked. Do young people just have better physical strength?
He'd been battered since he came back the night before. He'd fought Ghost yesterday, dealt with a bunch of enemies during the day, and hadn't eaten properly. And yet, he'd been with me all night, awake all night? Could he have been watching me all night?
I leaned over worriedly, looking at his bruised eyes, and asked, "Are you okay if you don't rest? I feel like I'm going to collapse."
"Won't."
"You need to eat well and sleep well. Aren't we getting married today? Why don't you sleep?"
"I can't sleep. I always feel that if I fall asleep, you will be gone."
“…”
Why am I becoming more and more anxious and worried? Not only is my physical condition unwell, my mental state is also precarious.
"I'm right here. What are you thinking about? Hurry up and get up and decorate. At least today we should have the feeling of a bridal chamber."
"I've never been married, so I don't know."
“…”
His parents didn't teach him, and the surrounding environment wasn't normal, so I could only rely on my knowledge of movies and TV shows to arrange it.
After thinking it over, I decided to ask Aunt Ding for advice. As someone who has been through it, she should know more than me.
"Chu Yingyu, should we invite Aunt Ding and Uncle Long to the wedding banquet?"
"No, just me and you."
"I feel a bit lonely. Where's Liyi?"
"Neither. I hate it if she goes over me and comes to you."
"...Where is your adoptive father, the Palace Master?" I said this deliberately.
"We'll talk about it after the wedding. The Palace Master will send someone to deliver a gift."
It seemed that he was determined to marry me alone, so I agreed to his request. However, I still went to ask Aunt Ding about the preparatory work.
Aunt Ding really wanted to join in the fun, but due to Chu Yingyu's stubborn temper, she could only offer technical support. She even offered to teach me the art of sex, which made my skull explode. I can't just do whatever I want just because I'm learning to dance!
Putting aside these blushing and heart-pounding aspects, even if the wedding is kept simple, the house should still be festive.
Chu Yingyu, who was always lazy in bed, was dragged out of bed by me. We went to a grocery store where wedding candles and lanterns were sold and learned how to cut paper-cuts from the owner's wife. I didn't learn it, but he did.
She is worthy of being called “stepmother”.
So I gave all the paper-cutting work to him, and he finished cutting ten "囍" characters in a quarter of an hour. I happily took the paste and pasted these "囍" characters on.
Lai Fu finally dared to run out from the doghouse today because Chu Yingyu seemed to be in much better condition.
I pasted a "囍" character on the doghouse, turned around with the paper-cut, and saw the boy behind me. I smiled and gestured the "囍" character on his chest.
"Should I give you one too?"
"Stick to the tree and I'll hold you."
As he spoke, he bent his knees and patted his shoulders. I suppressed my laughter and actually rode on his neck. Holding my knees steady, the young man lifted me up like a tall, green bamboo.
The "囍" character was firmly stuck on the sturdy tree. It was like the silent guardian of this yard, witnessing every detail of my time with Chu Yingyu.
"I think it's a good idea to keep this tree."
"Um."
I lowered my head and met his gaze, the spring light filtering through his eyes sparkling brightly. My heart surged, and I felt that this moment was truly beautiful.
In the afternoon, Chu Yingyu and I went to the clothing store to pick up the wedding dress. After trying it on, it fit very well. The young man in red was so handsome. I was crazy about him and looked at him around, like Lai Fu wagging his tail.
He grabbed my wrist, cupped my face and rubbed it twice, almost showing affection in the boss's shop. I quickly covered his mouth and said, "Let's get intimate at home. After paying the bill, buy a pot of wine. The wedding wine can't be less."
I took off my wedding clothes and put them in a bamboo basket and asked Chu Yingyu to carry it on his back. I took him to get half a pound of sake.
"How much can you drink?" I asked curiously, as I had never seen him drink before.
"I rarely drink, so I don't know."
"Are there any killers among you who particularly like to drink?"
"Yes, I'm addicted to alcohol. I can't do anything without drinking."
“It’s amazing.”
"How about you? How can you drink?"
I thought about my alcohol tolerance in my mind: one bottle of white wine, two bottles of red wine, and two boxes of beer. I rarely get drunk when I party with friends, but I have gotten many elders drunk during the Chinese New Year.
"Can you drink well? Try it tonight, Brother Xiao Chu." I smiled and tapped his chest.
Chu Yingyu rubbed the part I poked for a few seconds, and a light red slowly appeared on his face.
Because it wasn't market day, the village streets weren't as bustling, even deserted. Only the regular shops were open. After a quick stroll, I wanted to take him back, but he suddenly pulled his hand away and clenched his fist.
Although it was a bit strange, I didn't take it to heart. I just thought it was inconvenient to hold the hand.
When I entered the yard, I saw Chu Yingyu frowning and looking a little pale. I immediately asked, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
"I can get married."
"I didn't say we won't get married, don't be nervous."
He glanced at me quickly and didn't respond, as if he didn't want to make me worry on such a happy day.
"You go and rest, I'll cook, and then we'll just have a simple wedding ceremony, okay?"
"I……"
"I don't need your help, just rest!"
Chu Yingyu's parents' tablets were carved by himself using wooden stakes. They were not gilded or painted, but that was considered the standard.
I cleaned up the main room, set up a large table, offered tablets and incense, and then placed two cushions in front of the table.
After dinner, I urged Chu Yingyu to change his clothes. He had his back to me, so I couldn't see his expression. I asked him if he was feeling unwell again, and he said yes, but he wanted to continue the wedding ceremony no matter how much pain he was in.
He has endured this much, so of course he has to continue.
He always thought that I might run away, so he never relaxed for a moment. He was always tense, but he had to pretend to be normal in front of me.
I can no longer tell whether it was the poison that affected him, or the combination of the two that made him the conflicted and fragile person he is today.
The harder the knife, the more brittle it is because it has no toughness.
I tidied myself in front of the dressing mirror, put on a red veil, stared at the ground cautiously, and walked into the hall.
The corner of a boot appeared in my field of vision. I reached out and touched Chu Yingyu's sleeve. Nervous and a little shy, I whispered, "You can only lift the veil after the wedding ceremony, and then drink the wedding wine."
“…”
He didn't respond to me.
I was a little puzzled and couldn't help but want to lift the veil to take a peek, but I stopped thinking about it.
“Woof woof woof!”
Lai Fu in the yard rushed into the main room, which was unusual for him, and barked at us, looking anxious as if he had been hungry for three days.
I drove him away twice with my hands, "Be good and get out of the way."
Maybe Chu Yingyu also glared at it, Lai Fu lowered his throat and made a fearful warning whimper. It chased its tail and bit it several times, but ended up barking at us.
Through the gap in the veil, I saw Chu Yingyu carry Lai Fu out and then close the door.
The red candle was swaying in the night wind outside the window. The moment the light went out, the room became dark, but it immediately became bright again.
We didn't speak and the room was very quiet.
I thought about the process, cleared my throat and started shouting, starting with bowing to heaven and earth, and continuing to bowing to each other as husband and wife.
Being helped to stand up by Chu Yingyu, I was looking forward to it and reminded her: "Lift the veil? My makeup looks great today. I have applied thick lipstick. I can kiss your face and leave lip marks all over it."
I couldn't help laughing and talking, when suddenly, I caught a glimpse of the sword under the veil out of the corner of my eye.
Chu Yingyu held the broken sword in his hand.
I stood there in a daze, a chill rising from the soles of my feet and instantly spreading throughout my body. What was Chengqin going to do with the sword?
Suddenly, the red scene in front of my eyes was torn apart, and the young man who had lifted my veil with the hilt of a sword tilted his head and looked at me. He was wearing a gorgeous wedding dress, but his expression was cold and dull.
His dark eyes were deep and ruthless, lacking the tenderness he usually showed me. He usually used this kind of eyes to look at corpses.
It was just like when they first met, but he didn't even feel curious anymore.
"Xiao E, I think it's best if you die."
“…”
"This way I won't feel any pain, won't have to think about it, and won't have to think about it."
As the terrifying words came out of his mouth, his cold face became unusually stiff, like a human skin mask floating on his face.
A delicate face, but without any human aura, like a manipulated empty shell.
Should I turn around and run or go forward and hug him.
It seems like a life-threatening question is before my eyes, and no matter which one I choose, I will have to give it my all.
"You're willing to die for me, aren't you?"
"No! Rather than dying, I want to live with you—"
I couldn't finish the words to keep living, a cold light flashed before my eyes, and my voice became like a broken instrument, producing a strange and broken tone.
All the strength in the body was drained in an instant, and the skin on the neck slowly saw a line of red.
My severed throat made it difficult for me to make a clear sound, and my pupils trembled violently. It wasn't a sharp pain, but a slow, numbing sensation. By the time I came to my senses, my life was over.
Death was frozen in time, and all the sounds around him rushed into his ears. There was the sound of broken flesh and bones in his throat, the flow of blood, the chirping of insects and the wind in the spring night, and Lai Fu's mad roar and the sound of banging on the door.
These are all very clear.
His consciousness was highly clear at this moment, but his body could not move. He fell to the ground like a pile of mud, and the boy in his sight also became colorless.
It turns out that I can't make any choice in front of death.
"Bang—"
The sound of the sword falling to the ground was like a deafening roar. As I fell, Chu Yingyu's face twisted. The young man suddenly knelt down, convulsing in pain just a few steps away from me.
My consciousness was gradually fading away, and I felt a dazzling light in front of my eyes. The light from the candle covered everything.
Chu Yingyu held me in his arms as I was dying. He let out a kind of wailing sound that is difficult for a human to make, which was even more terrifying and unpleasant than Lai Fu's cry.
The sound is like crying and complaining, like that of an evil spirit.
He put his hands on my neck, trying in vain to seal the gaping wound, but he was cutting more than just the skin.
Not a temptation like that night, but a real slitting of my throat.
“Don’t die, don’t die…”
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