Chapter 19 A Vibrant Scene of Flowers and Lotus Blossoms, Full of Vibrant Colors and Fragrance
The next day, Bai Lian got up very early. Before the morning light had fully penetrated the windowpane, she was startled awake from a complex and incomprehensible dream. The fragmented pieces of the dream were clearer than ever before: there was a gentle humming, a blurry woman's face, and a kind of indescribable sadness.
But each time she was about to grasp something, nightmares would strike, waking her up again and again. As dawn broke, those dreams would become hazy and indistinct, leaving only a hollow, throbbing feeling in her heart.
Changsun Rao'er personally came to do her hair and makeup, without mentioning a word about the dress from last night. Although Bai Lian was surprised, after thinking it over, she concluded that it was because she was too nervous.
Once Bai Lian was seated at the dressing table, Changsun Rao'er busied herself fetching rouge and face powder to carefully apply makeup to her.
Bai Lian looked up at her mother's figure as she bent down to pick up her wedding dress, and in a daze, she saw the shadow of another person in her...
A profile with the same gentleness, and a love as gentle as her own... Mom...
"Lian'er, come here and get dressed." Changsun Rao'er turned around and waved to Bai Lian with a smile.
Not Mom...
Bai Lian suddenly snapped out of her daze, unable to make sense of it all. Who was her mother? Who had such a gentle profile? Who was that person?
She clutched her chest, suppressing the strange feeling surging within her, and hurried toward her mother.
"Our Lian'er is the most beautiful bride in the world." Changsun Rao'er smiled as she carefully straightened every wrinkle in her daughter's wedding dress.
Bai Lian walked slowly to the bronze mirror and sat down. In the mirror, she wore a wide-sleeved, front-opening pheasant-patterned robe, adorned with a bright red robe and gold thread embellishing small phoenixes. Her mother stood behind her, inserting the last pearl hairpin into her neatly styled hair.
Her face, framed by her cloud-like hair, was now adorned with rouge, making it even more vibrant than usual. Yet, the lotus flower ornament on her forehead still shone, both strange and familiar...
Bai Lian gently touched her face, then lowered her head and waved her crimson wide sleeves. This wedding dress made her feel lost and out of place, and inexplicable emotions welled up inside her, accompanied by a strong sense of unease that she herself could not explain.
"Lian'er, come here, turn around, let your mother take another good look at you..."
Upon hearing this, Bai Lian felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She turned and hugged her mother's shoulder, casting aside all her previous inexplicable emotions. All she could see in her eyes was the purest maternal love. "Mother..."
The mother and daughter looked at each other in silence, their eyes gradually reddening.
"Don't cry, my dear Lian'er, it'll ruin your makeup." Changsun Rao'er said, her voice choked with sobs, gently patting Bai Lian's back and softly comforting her.
Bai Lian curled up in her mother's arms, repaying this overflowing maternal love in a posture she had never done before.
And this pose seemed to be something she had been longing for for a very, very long time...
-
Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums, a grand wedding procession arrived at the Bai residence. Amidst numerous blessings, Bai Lian bid farewell to her parents, and, meeting their tearful eyes, bowed to sit in the bridal sedan chair.
Bai Lian huddled inside the small sedan chair, feeling that the wedding dress was wrapped too tightly around her, and she was very sad.
It was as if none of the things that had gone so smoothly for her had ever happened; she was simply sad...
So much so that every step of her wedding became blurred, and she simply mechanically completed all the things her mother had repeatedly told her to do.
What lingered in her mind was a strong sense of loss and loneliness, feelings she had never experienced before, which she could not shake off.
The surroundings seemed to be very lively. Bai Lian's face was hidden under the veil, and it seemed that nothing could be seen clearly except for the ornaments hanging from the pearl phoenix crown, which shone brightly in front of her eyes.
-
Inside the East Palace, Jialuolin, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, stood in front of a mirror while palace servants adjusted her attire.
He felt his heart beating a little fast; even someone as composed as him had never experienced anything like this in his twenty years of life.
He kept telling himself that this was just a political marriage, that he was marrying Bai Xiang's daughter, the granddaughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, a pawn to consolidate his position.
But when the wedding procession returned, and he saw that graceful figure in a wedding dress slowly stepping down from the sedan chair, his heart skipped a beat.
As he watched her walk towards him step by step, he suddenly realized that this woman had, without him even noticing, already occupied a special place in his heart.
Upon arriving at the main hall where the wedding was to be held, Jia Fengtian and Shangguan Yun sat high up as emperor and empress.
The Ministry of Rites officials chanted the ritual procedures one note at a time, and Bai Lian and Jia Luolin followed the rules and regulations to complete each step.
However, it was less of a wedding ceremony and more of an important ritual, lacking some of the liveliness and joy, but more of a solemn atmosphere.
Although the Crown Prince's marriage to a concubine was grand enough, it was much simpler than in the past. While the wedding was intended to bring good luck, it seemed that the arrangements were also made to avoid seeing overly joyful faces after the tears had been shed.
Galorin maintained a polite smile on the surface, but she was somewhat irritated inside.
He didn't like the feeling of being arranged, and he didn't like everyone treating the marriage as a transaction.
When he turned to look at Bai Lian beside him, he noticed that her slender fingers were tightly gripping her sleeve, revealing her unease.
For some reason, seeing her like this stirred a pang of pity in his heart. He quietly moved closer to her, trying to offer her some support.
After all the necessary procedures in the hall were completed, the official in charge of rites announced loudly: "Enter the bridal chamber!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Lian was still slightly stunned, but Jia Luolin had already reached out and grasped her hand tightly, and strode forward.
His palms were warm and dry, radiating a reassuring temperature through the thin fabric of his clothes.
Bai Lian, whose face was covered by a veil, felt her cheeks burning. A moment of distraction swept away all the discomfort she had felt earlier.
Bai Lian lowered her head and let Jia Luolin lead her. She watched Jia Luolin's feet swing back and forth endlessly, and felt that she had never walked such a long road in her life...
Galorin's heart was also in turmoil. Her hand was soft and small, as if it could break at the slightest touch. It was a hand he should have let go of, yet he involuntarily tightened his grip. At that moment, he suddenly wished this road could be longer.
-
Dragon and phoenix candles, their brilliance filling the room.
Upon entering the bridal chamber, the palace maids helped Bai Lian sit on the side of the bed, which was sprinkled with five-colored auspicious fruits. They tied the hem of Bai Lian's and Jia Luolin's clothes tightly, then placed a golden plate and auspicious scale on it, followed by endless auspicious words.
During this not-so-short process, Bai Lian stared blankly at her red shoes for a long time. She felt her breathing was more rapid than usual; she had never felt so nervous before. Originally, it was just a marriage for the sake of family interests, and she had thought she would definitely remain calm and composed...
How could this be? Bai Lian felt quite helpless about her instinctive emotions.
Galorin stood to the side, watching Bai Lian sit on the bed like a delicate red doll. He suddenly realized that he was actually looking forward to the moment the veil would be lifted. This anticipation startled him. When had he begun to feel such genuine excitement for this woman who was supposed to be in a political marriage?
Bai Lian, her head covered by a veil, stared blankly at the tips of her shoes. In her reverie, she felt people coming and going around her, as if children had scattered peanuts. Then the prince in his red robe did a lot of tedious things before finally sitting back down beside her.
In short, by the time Bai Lian came to her senses, her veil had been lifted, and she felt completely clear-headed. Looking up, she saw a handsome face magnified several times over.
Bai Lian stared at him, lost in thought. This man, whom she had seen several times before, felt completely different this time.
"Have you seen enough?" Galorin asked awkwardly, a smirk playing on her lips.
"It's just the two of us now?!" Bai Lian was startled and immediately lowered her head.
"What, how many people do you want?" Galorin asked with a seductive smile.
"I......"
"I am now your husband, and you must remember that from now on." As she spoke, Galo Lin smiled and winked at Bai Lian, "Remember? I said we would meet again if we were destined to."
"It's you!" Bai Lian suddenly realized. Normally, Bai Lian would have felt her chest tighten, but now, she was so overwhelmed by Jia Luolin's expression that her mind became even more hazy, lost in the delicious sight before her.
No wonder she felt he was so familiar... familiar? But he was clearly masked that day, so where did this familiarity come from?
Galorin propped herself up on the side of the bed with one hand and leaned to the side with the other, carefully examining the woman in front of her.
Those stunningly beautiful eyes and brows… He didn't consider himself a lecherous man, but right now he felt as if he was born to fall in love with her…
Lost in thought, Galorin's hand touched Byakuren's face.
These long, slender hands with distinct knuckles brushed across Bai Lian's eyebrows and eyes, across her nose and cheeks... making her heart ripple like spring water.
It was this light, fleeting touch that brought Bai Lian back to her senses. Almost instinctively, she pushed Galorin away at the same time and then desperately moved backward.
Galorin, surprised, sighed helplessly and said, "If you're still not used to it, we can..."
But before he could finish speaking, Bai Lian softly spoke:
"It doesn't matter……"
The words slipped out, and Bai Lian blushed instantly. She simply chose to follow the decision deep within her heart, as if her heart was telling her: this man... she could no longer refuse him.
At this moment, Bai Lian suddenly realized that her feelings for the Crown Prince had already changed without her realizing it. From initial resistance to later acceptance, and now to being moved, it all happened so naturally, as if it were meant to be.
Looking at her blushing face, Galo Lin could no longer suppress the flutter in his heart. He slowly approached, and this time, Bai Lian did not flinch.
The fragrance of hibiscus veils the curtains, and the candlelight shines on the embroidered drapery.
Moonlight spilled onto the silk and satin carpets on the ground, and the crimson hues seemed to be covered with fragments of silver dust, shimmering faintly.
As the last garment slipped off, Galo Lin removed the last external accessory from Bai Lian's hair. Her satin-like black hair then spread out freely, setting off her snow-white skin, making her look like a fairy from a painting.
This woman who left a special impression on him at their first meeting, this woman who captivated him with her pipa music, this seemingly delicate woman who could outwit him with swords and schemes…
It seemed that as soon as she looked up or raised her lips, she could capture his entire gaze. He had never realized how much he cared about her.
Galorin just stared blankly at her, unsure of what to do for the first time. This porcelain-like beauty seemed so fragile that she would shatter at the slightest touch, and Galorin was afraid of hurting her.
It was as if he had unexpectedly acquired a treasure, leaving him somewhat at a loss for what to do.
He carefully reached out and gently stroked her slender neck, finally slowly approaching her.
"Lian'er," he called her name softly, his voice carrying a tenderness he himself was unaware of, "Don't be afraid."
At that moment, all political considerations and power struggles were cast aside. He was just an ordinary man at a loss for words when faced with the woman he loved.
Bai Lian looked up into his deep eyes, and there she saw sincerity, trepidation, and the same flutter in his heart as hers. At that moment, she suddenly felt that perhaps this marriage was not entirely an exchange of benefits.
She nodded gently and met his gaze.
Galorin's heart skipped a beat, and he could no longer control the pounding in his heart. He leaned down and kissed her lips.
The kiss was tender and lingering, tinged with both anticipation and affection. Bai Lian was initially a little stiff, but gradually, she began to reciprocate the kiss.
At this moment, all the unfamiliarity and discomfort vanished. The chaotic thoughts that had been swirling in Bai Lian's mind were now like sugar water, completely tangled and impossible to unravel...
That night, the room was filled with fragrance, and the beautiful shadows of hibiscus created a vibrant and enchanting atmosphere. Two strangers found a connection in their hearts that night, beginning an unexpected romance.
A note from the author:
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