marry
"Where are you going with your travel permit?"
His cool hand gently traced her face as she lay against his chest, listening to his strong, powerful heartbeat.
She didn't answer, but the fingers that were stroking her face lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
Danger lurks deep within those dark, unfathomable pupils.
"Go overseas, so that we can live up to the saying 'never see each other again in life or death'."
The man's pupils contracted, and his hand on his chin tightened suddenly. Xu Lanxin frowned uncomfortably.
A hint of heartache flashed in his eyes. He released her hand and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, if you follow me..."
It will constantly put you in danger.
Lan Xin would not forgive so easily, so she stubbornly said:
"Lord Cen, have you forgotten that our agreement is only for two years? After two years, we will both be free."
He suddenly pushed her away, but instead of being angry, Lanxin laughed.
So he gets nervous too? The panic in his eyes was undeniable.
However, Xu Lanxin did not want to be easily influenced.
"What, are you serious, sir?"
Lan Xin got up, ready to leave, and just as she lifted the carriage curtain.
"We did not annul the engagement."
His words made her pause, and she turned halfway to look at him: "So what? If the adults can annul the engagement, so can I."
Hearing her angry words, Cen Yan smiled and said, "This is an imperial marriage. Without the Emperor's approval, it cannot be canceled."
The curtain was flung down forcefully and bounced up; Lanxin was already outside the carriage.
He nervously tried to chase after her, but her next words stopped him in his tracks.
"Then Lord Cen, bring it on! Let's see who can outlast whom."
Laughter rang out from inside the carriage. Xu Lanxin turned around, glared at him, pursed her lips, and disappeared into the moonlight.
Xu Lanxin stayed at the temple and didn't go anywhere else.
She wasn't stupid; now that he had caught up with her, she couldn't leave.
Forgiving him easily is impossible.
These past few days, Cen Yan has come by himself after his shift, sometimes bringing food, sometimes bringing small trinkets.
However, he did not see Xu Lanxin even once.
Today was the day to return home. Qingyu had to leave first, and Xu Lanxin and Xiaoxi arrived at the Xu residence around noon.
As soon as she entered, she was summoned by the old nanny who served Feng Wanqing, who said that Xu Yingshan was looking for her.
Is Xu Yingshan on leave today?
As soon as she entered, Feng Wanqing was exceptionally enthusiastic and pulled her to sit at the dining table.
"Big sister, you're back."
A piece of sweet and sour pork appeared in the bowl in front of her, and Lanxin looked at her in surprise.
This unusual attitude, what kind of trouble is this?
"Why are you looking at me? Eat up! Knowing you were coming home today, I specially ordered the kitchen to prepare this, and even had your father come to welcome you!"
Just as she put the meat in her mouth, Feng Wanqing's voice rang out again:
"Elder sister, has the dowry been counted? Is anything missing?"
Xu Lanxin's heart skipped a beat. So this old white lotus was waiting for her here!
Oh no, I was so eager to leave that I pawned almost everything.
Feng Wanqing revealed a gloating smile and winked at the old nanny beside her.
The old woman took a piece of paper out of her bosom and handed it over.
This paper looks familiar; what is it if not a pawn ticket? There's also a gold hairpin wrapped inside.
“Master, look, these things are my sister’s dowry.”
After Feng Wanqing finished speaking, the old nanny beside her continued to embellish the story:
“A few days ago, this old servant saw the maidservant beside the eldest young lady acting suspiciously, so I followed her and found that the maidservant was selling off the late madam’s dowry.”
When it was Feng Wanqing's turn to speak, she said, "Master, it's a pity that I don't have enough money to redeem this gold hairpin."
"Smack!" Xu Yingshan slammed his chopsticks down on the table.
"You bastard, you disgrace!"
After finishing his tirade, Xu Yingshan then instructed a servant standing nearby:
"Go and bring that maid over here."
Xu Lanxin was filled with unease. She had been so busy dealing with Cen Yan these past few days that she had completely forgotten about this old white lotus.
Even after Qingyu walked in, she still couldn't come up with a good solution; time was too short.
The figure in cyan walked to her side, winked at her, and then knelt down beside her.
The gold hairpin was slammed onto the table, and Xu Yingshan pointed at it angrily: "Look, isn't this the thing you pawned?"
Qingyu glanced at it and calmly replied, "Master, it does look somewhat familiar. It seems to be one of the late Madam's dowry items."
"However, I have never been to a pawnshop, nor have I ever pawned anything. All of your belongings are in the storeroom, Miss. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check."
Lan Xin looked at her with a puzzled expression, and she returned her gaze with a reassuring look.
“Master, since there’s no pawning involved, let’s just forget about it. Perhaps Granny Zhuang misunderstood!”
While Feng Wanqing spoke words of sympathy, her eyes were full of triumphant pride.
"Check it now."
Xu Yingshan roared, got off the table, and judging from the situation, he knew he had to go there in person.
A large group of people arrived at Xu Lanxin's courtyard, and Xu Yingshan instructed his servants to carry the things out of the house.
All the chests and dressing cases were opened one by one and checked.
Lanxin was completely bewildered when those items that had clearly been pawned reappeared.
Qingyu remained calm, with a barely perceptible slight smile at the corner of her mouth.
This was the first time Lanxin had ever seen her smile.
"Master, the numbers and items match, nothing is missing."
"Slap!" Xu Yingshan turned around and slapped Feng Shi hard across the face, pointing at her.
"Look what you've done! You have no manners whatsoever as the mistress of the house. Go back and reflect on your actions."
Xu Lanxin had no interest in caring about the two of them. She would be marrying into the Cen family in a few days, and whether the family was good or bad in the future was none of her concern.
Furthermore, there was no one she cared about in this mansion, nor did she have any feelings for this Xu family.
"He did it?"
Seeing Qingyu nod, Lanxin gave him an extra point, acknowledging his skill.
In the days that followed, Xu Lanxin mechanically went through the process of trying on her wedding dress and makeup, as if she were simply completing a task.
Her mood is like a rollercoaster, going up and down. The closer the wedding date gets, the more her mind feels blank.
It was as if two invisible hands were pulling her.
Is this how all women are when they get married? Or is it just her? Is she suffering from pre-wedding jitters?
Unexpectedly, after being single for many years in modern times, she is about to get married in this ancient world.
She felt a strong urge to escape.
On the day of the wedding, Xiao Xi pulled me out of bed early in the morning to help me get ready.
At that moment, her mind was blank, and she passively accepted the situation.
Finally, the Lady of Blessings brought the ceremony to a close, a jade comb gliding through her hair as she uttered a blessing:
"One comb to the end, two combs and the white hair is level with the eyebrows..."
Looking at herself in the mirror, she wore a bright red wedding dress woven with gold thread, and her hair was adorned with jade ornaments.
Turns out, when I dress up, I'm quite a beauty.
Just then, Mrs. Feng entered the room carrying a tray.
"Sister, this is lotus seed soup that I made myself. Have some to tide you over. Don't go hungry if you haven't eaten all day."
Lan Xin glanced at her in the mirror but did not get up to greet her.
"Madam, just put it there. You're not hungry yet. You can eat it later."
She went a step further and placed it in front of her: "Big sister, you should use some."
Lan Xin gave her a mocking look, took the bowl, got up, and walked to a potted plant.
With a flick of the wrist, the lotus seed soup in the bowl slowly flowed into the flowerpot.
Then he walked up to her and tossed the bowl onto the tray.
"Madam, I've finished. Please wait in the front hall!"
The porcelain bowl made a dull thud as it hit the wooden plate, turning slightly before stopping.
Madam Feng's face turned ashen, her eyes blazing with anger, yet she still managed a smile on her face.
It was extremely beautiful at the moment.
Lanxin turned around and sat back down at the dressing table, too lazy to play the role of a loving mother and filial daughter with her.
She didn't believe that a bowl of food brought to her out of nowhere was free of additives.
This kind of scene is often depicted in storybooks; nobody's a fool.
As dusk approached, they arrived at the reception room, where Cen Yan was already waiting.
He looked very handsome today, wearing a crimson robe embroidered with persimmon calyx patterns, his hair tied up with a golden crown, and his face was full of joy.
The two bid farewell to Xu Yingshan and his wife and left.
Lan Xin walked sadly onto the flower bridge and headed towards the Cen residence. Who knows what awaited her there?
After completing the wedding ceremony, Xu Lanxin was already sitting in the new house waiting.
Giant dragon and phoenix candles, their forms swaying in the light and shadow, and the table is laden with wedding cakes, dates, and longans.
The gourd ladle used to hold the nuptial wine was placed in the middle, and a small red tray held a pair of gold scissors.
A figure moved outside the window, and Cen Yan walked in. The matchmaker stepped forward to greet him.
The wedding bed swayed slightly as Cen Yan sat down beside her.
The matchmaker handed her a yellow gourd ladle, inside which the transparent wedding wine exuded a complex aroma of aged cellar fragrance and fermented rice wine, with a rich fragrance and a hint of floral and fruity notes.
Cen Yan looked at her with his deep, dark eyes, then raised the gourd ladle and drank it all in one gulp.
Lan Xin followed suit and drank it down in one gulp. It was spicy and made her cough twice. His hand slid back and forth on her back, and she heard him chuckle from above her head, which she glared back at.
The two of them each used golden scissors to cut a section of hair, and he personally took the red thread, tied it up, and put it into his purse.
After completing the formalities, Cen Yan went out to entertain the guests.
When I saw him again, he was drunk and being helped in. The person helping him looked very familiar; it was none other than that kid from Yan'an.
"Sister-in-law, come quickly."
Lan Xin felt helpless but didn't want to pay attention to him, and continued to sit on the edge of the bed.
The drunken Cen Yan was pushed onto her. Unable to bear his weight, Lan Xin fell onto the bed with him.
The sound of hearty laughter from Yan'an filled my ears.
"Sister-in-law, please take good care of Zijin!"
Everyone had left the room, and Lanxin tried to lift his arm, but he wouldn't budge.
That's strange, they're all drunk, how could they be that heavy?
"Don't move."
She felt a burning breath on her ear, and Lanxin didn't dare to move again.
Cen Yan slowly raised his head, his eyes fixed on her, a desire hidden deep within them.
The room fell silent, with only the sound of their heartbeats remaining.
Cen Yan gazed intently at her, his moist lips parting slightly to lightly kiss her forehead and the tip of her nose.
Just as it was about to land on her lips, she timidly turned her head to the side.
The kiss landed on her cheek.
Cen Yan was stunned for a moment, then rolled over and lay down on the other side of the bed.
Lan Xin sat up and looked at him; he met her gaze.
He pulled her into his arms, and she nestled into his embrace.
I won't force you today; I'll wait until you're ready.
After saying that, he kissed her forehead.
Xu Lanxin reached out and wrapped her arms around his strong waist, found a comfortable position, closed her eyes, and felt his heartbeat and his warmth.
The two of them fell asleep in each other's arms.
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