Chapter 35
Li Jia lay in bed with her eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep. A sense of unrealism lingered in her mind.
It wasn't until Hera returned the key to "Number 32" to the vendor at the ferry and the wooden door creaked open that Li Jia came to her senses.
She stood up, bewildered, and looked at Hera before quickly lowering her head again, staring intently at the wooden floor. She thought to herself that if her eyes were lasers, she could probably drill two holes in the hull.
Hera came over and took her hand: "What are you thinking about?"
Li Jia pursed her lips, somewhat hesitant: "Your Majesty, do we really want to get married and then register our marriage?"
Even Li Jia herself found the question absurd when she asked it. It was like the person you like telling you, "Let's get our marriage certificate tomorrow." The sudden dizziness made her breathing become rapid.
Li Jia felt she was experiencing some pre-marriage anxiety.
She gripped Hera's hand, her knuckles turning slightly white, and poured out all the words that had been bottled up inside her: "Can we not register our marriage? I don't think it's the right time yet. You are a god, how can a god marry a servant? And Winslow and Doreen, how am I supposed to explain this to them?"
Hera paused, frowned, and realized she still hadn't been able to completely put her mind at ease.
She circled around Li Jia's back, slowly encircling her waist with both hands, pulling her into her arms. She buried her head in Li Jia's neck, rested her chin gently on her shoulder, and breathed softly behind her ear, her warm breath barely audible: "I like you, I like you."
There were no complicated explanations, no grand promises, only this straightforward confession, like a feather gently landing on the heart, instantly suppressing all of Li Jia's panic.
Okay.
In any case, she will leave this world once she completes her mission. If she fails, then by forming a bond with herself now, she does, to some extent, avoid the risk of marrying Zeus.
Compared to the lives of gods, the lifespan of mortals is but a fleeting moment and insignificant.
Then let's both fulfill our own desires and hers.
Whether in modern society or after traveling to this era, Li Jia has never been in a relationship.
On the one hand, the pressure of life took up most of her time; on the other hand, in order to make a living, she did too many and too varied jobs, running all over the world.
Li Jia has seen too many young couples and newlyweds go from being sweet and loving at the beginning to exchanging harsh words after falling out of love, and in the end, they all end up the same way.
But now, being held by Hera, her heart felt like it was filled with warm water, and happiness flowed through every pore of her body.
yes.
The train is moving forward; where it's going isn't important. What matters is the scenery outside the window.
Love arrives suddenly, and the feeling of being moved should also be passionate and fleeting.
One day, you meet someone, and she suddenly appears in your life. You may not realize it at the time, but her appearance has already changed your life.
Li Jia turned her head and kissed Hera's cheek, her voice hoarse: "Hera, do you like me?"
Hera hugged her even tighter and closer: "Yes, I love you."
Li Jia continued, "I can't control what happens in the future, but while I'm alive, you can only love me, otherwise I'll haunt you even as a ghost."
Hera smiled, gently stroking her cheek with her thumb, her tone firm as if she were making a vow: "First of all, I will not let you die, and I will not let anything happen to you. Whether in Landu or in the future, I will stand in front of you and never let you suffer any more grievances."
Hera released her hands that were holding her captive, and instead pulled her tightly into her arms, gently patting her back. Her voice was softer, yet every word was clear: "Secondly, there will be no one else, only you. There wasn't before, there isn't now, and there never will be."
Since the gods have already said so, if Li Jia continues to dawdle, she'll start to feel like she's being ungrateful.
She simply got promoted, going from being a subordinate to the boss's wife.
In short, you only have one life, and it's a life that's already been killed and then refreshed and reset.
Do whatever you want.
Life is short, so seize the day.
If I go against my own will now, will I not have to die?
Even if you complete the mission and return to the modern world, it will only be a few decades. It would be a huge waste to delay your experiences and feelings because of these few decades.
After thinking it through, Li Jia suddenly felt enlightened.
People shouldn't make things difficult for themselves.
"Then let's go home."
At Li Jia's command, she pointed to the small mountain of gifts she had piled up behind the door; these were gifts she was going to take back to her friends.
Buying only jewelry seemed a bit unfair, so Li Jia also bought some dried goods. The area is rich in aquatic products, but it would be quite difficult to bring them back alive.
Li Jia bought a lot of dried scallops, dried oysters, dried cuttlefish, starfish, etc., as she is very good at simmering and making soup.
Hera had a headache: "Did we buy too many? Where did we get the gold coins?"
She didn't remember giving her any money.
“I asked the merman chieftain, and he said he would give it to me for free, but I don’t think that’s right. As a god, His Majesty cannot take even a needle or thread from the people. I must set an example.”
Li Jia glanced at her guiltily: "That's why I always buy on credit. Winslow will receive the bill when we get back to Hot Spring Valley."
Hera: "..."
Li Jia smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up: "I'm just helping my sister socialize. Making friends is about give and take."
"friend?"
That's a new term.
Anyway, it's not like we can't afford to raise her, so let her be.
Li Jia dragged her suitcase, and she habitually wrapped her arms around Hera's neck. Hera held her with her left arm and led the sack of "gifts" she had bought with her right hand, before disappearing back to the hot spring stream.
What does it feel like to be in a relationship?
Li Jia wasn't quite sure, but she sensed that her relationship with Hera was growing closer. It was no longer the first time they had met; Hera seemed to have ulterior motives towards her, and she was testing her.
Li Jia couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she liked the feeling she had right now.
After returning from a trip, your close colleague suddenly becomes the boss's wife.
As a fan of the Hera and Li Jia pairing, Winslow wholeheartedly agrees. Why can't this good stuff stay in our own home?
Winslow was overjoyed. With Li Jia married to Hera, Hot Spring Valley now had a mistress, and her worries were finally put to rest.
When the God Lord took her and Doreen from the North, she was terrified of this stern and aloof woman when they first arrived at Hot Springs.
As time went on, Winslow gradually discovered that Hera was the best god in the world, and the hot springs became her and Doreen's home. Gradually, Winslow became unwilling for Hera to marry someone else.
According to ancient Greek tradition, a woman who marries another man must take his surname. Winslow disliked such a cold and ethereal woman, so he would take the surname of an unknown man and move away from the hot springs to live in his husband's shrine.
It was partly her own selfish reason that Li Jia's arrival eliminated the possibility of her disliking her.
Most importantly, the god liked her.
For the first time in thousands of years, Winslow discovered signs of life in the stagnant eyes of the gods.
Hera announced that she and Li Jia would be registering their marriage. Of the four people present, everyone except Doreen was very happy. Winslow even warmly held Li Jia's hand and asked her what she needed to buy.
Winslow believed that since their marriage could be recorded in the marriage history, they were legally married.
Naturally, she wanted to have a grand and spectacular wedding. As the person in charge, Winslow absolutely could not allow any mistakes to happen, and her goal was to make it an unforgettable experience for both parties.
Li Jia rejected her, believing that they were still in the dating stage and not yet ready to get married.
"Does registering a marriage mean we're husband and wife?" Winslow asked, puzzled.
Li Jia replied seriously, "Not necessarily. We've only just confirmed our relationship. We're in the dating phase and still adjusting to each other. Even if we get married, it doesn't guarantee we'll stay together forever. There are a lot of divorces."
Li Jia looked down at her fingertips, her voice soft but firm: "For me, marriage registration is just a record of this relationship, it doesn't mean we have to get married right away. I don't want to rush into anything just because of formalities."
“I will not be an appendage to any relationship; I am simply myself.”
Hera stood between the two, looked at Winslow who insisted on having a wedding, and then at Li Jia who was adamant in her stance. She sighed helplessly, "Just as Li Jia said, I also think there's no need to rush into having a wedding."
She needs some time to do what she wants, and before that, she can't let those restless guys get any ideas about Li Jia.
Seeing their unanimous attitude, Winslow opened his mouth, then muttered, "You guys are just overthinking things. Such a good thing should be celebrated in a grand manner. It's fine if we don't do it now, but when you decide to do it, I'll make sure it's a spectacular event."
The marriage registration went surprisingly smoothly. Li Jia held the slightly glowing registration certificate and examined it carefully.
Similar to a modern marriage certificate, it was a thin, gilded contract with very little content.
Her face and Hera's face were placed in the same portrait. In ancient Greece, there were no cameras, but the Temple of Marion had a special self-service portrait book where you could simply place your image there.
Li Jia grinned, revealing her large teeth, while Hera merely curled the corners of her lips slightly, her gaze fixed on the side beside her.
Applicant: Li Jia
Applicant: Hera
Application date: July 7th, 10th century BC
Contract No.: J437600—010—77—520
Note: My destiny is also woven into the lines of your palm.
This note was written by Hera herself, and Li Jia glanced at it a few more times.
Yoho!
It's pretentious and pedantic.
But she likes it.
Logically speaking, after marriage, the wife should take the husband's surname.
Husband and wife should be just wives and ladies.
Hera did not allow Li Jia to use her surname. She said calmly, "I don't have a surname. If you need, I can take your surname, Vance."
Li Jia shook her head and refused. The disgusting surname "Vans" was the original sin that had oppressed the original female lead all her life. She thought she would want to get rid of this shackle more than anyone else. She would definitely get back all the silver coins she owed the original female lead.
Hera then removed Vance's surname from the marriage record.
Now she is just Li Jia, Hera's wife.
Before the contract could even warm up her fingertips, Hera waved it away.
They walked hand in hand out of the hall.
Where else to go?
She asked softly, the night breeze lifting Hera's hem, carrying a faint woody scent.
"Go to the Temple of Marriage."
Hera turned to look at her, her eyes filled with a gentleness different from that of the daytime: "Writing the contract is a procedure, but we have to go there to make it truly settled."
The wedding temple in the dead of night has lost the hustle and bustle of the day. Only a few prayer lanterns are lit outside the temple, and the moonlight, like a thin veil, gently covers the white marble steps.
Li Jia followed Hera into the temple. There were no whispers of believers, no swirling incense, only the sound of their footsteps echoing softly within the temple.
The goddess statue in the center of the hall gleamed with a warm glow under the moonlight.
Hera released her hand, walked to the barrel, and gently ran her fingertips over the ancient patterns carved on its surface.
From the day she created the contract barrel, she never imagined that one day she would be able to bring her beloved to this place to form a contract.
"The rule here is that every couple must touch the covenant barrel together in order to be recognized by the temple."
As she spoke, she turned back and extended her hand to Li Jia: "Come here."
"Put the contract in with it."
Li Jia walked over, and Hera conjured up the contract and placed it in her palm. Li Jia then folded her hands together and threw the contract into the bucket.
The moment their fingertips touched the bucket at the same time, fine patterns of light suddenly lit up on the surface of the bucket, spreading along their fingertips and finally condensing into an intertwined mark in the center of the bucket.
"Is that all?"
Li Jia looked at the mark and asked softly.
"Um."
Hera leaned down and kissed her cheek: "Now, we're truly a 'married' couple with a history of marriage."
"I understand. You put the contract away just now because you were afraid I would go back on my word, sister."
Hera paused, and when she looked up, her long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes. She reached out and ruffled Li Jia's hair: "Yes, I'm afraid you'll regret it."
Hera's ears turned slightly red. She turned her face away, her gaze falling on the moonlight outside the Temple of Marion, her voice as soft as the wind.
"The hot spring valley is too desolate, I'm afraid you'll hate it here. If I go back to your hometown, I'm afraid my personality is too dull, and you'll find me boring. So many fears are troubling me, I'm afraid you won't want to stay by my side."
Li Jia's heart softened suddenly, and she reached out and grabbed her wrist: "Sister, are you silly?"
Li Jia smiled and leaned closer, her nose almost touching her chin: "I thought it through when I signed the contract. No matter how good other places are, none are as good as Wenquanjian."
"If I sign the contract, my sister will stay by my side forever. If I go back on my word, wouldn't I be pushing her away?"
"Hera, I love you, so don't be afraid."
She gazed at her, looking directly at her god, the light in her eyes brighter than the stars outside the window, capable of dispelling all the gloom in Hera's heart.
Moonlight streamed in through the openwork skylight in the palace roof, falling on the two men and casting long shadows that were close together.
The only sound in the entire temple was their breathing; it was so quiet that you could almost hear the moonlight flowing through it, yet it was also reassuring.
There was no grand ceremony.
There were no noisy guests, only a perfect couple under the moon.
Their intertwined fingertips, in the moonlight and the dead of night, quietly fulfilled their most solemn promise.
Back in the inner palace, Doreen had been waiting at the palace entrance for a long time. When Li Jia saw that Doreen had something to discuss with Hera, she tactfully went inside to rest.
The moment she closed the door, the small nightlight in the deep hall slowly lit up, illuminating her pitch-black path.
"What's up?"
Doreen wouldn't visit late at night for no reason, Hera asked bluntly, neither of them being the type to procrastinate.
"Your Majesty, there has never been a case of same-sex marriage in the Temple of Marriage; this is illogical..."
Hera looked down at the moonlight on the stone steps, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the spot where Li Jia had just gripped her, where the warmth of the other still seemed to linger.
She was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, her voice devoid of emotion: "Rules are ordained by God. Just because they didn't exist before doesn't mean they can't exist now."
"But this is no small matter!"
Doreen took a step forward anxiously: "Li Jia... she's not a god after all. What you're doing will only make her a target of everyone's hatred!"
Hera looked up and her gaze suddenly turned cold, as if it had been chilled to the bone: "Since I dared to form a pact with her, I have the ability to protect her."
Her tone was not loud, for fear of disturbing the people in the hall, but it carried an undeniable authority: "Those who want to die, come on then."
"As for the rules, they should be revised."
"From this day forward, a new clause will be added to the marriage regulations of the Temple of Marriage."
"Where the heart leads has nothing to do with gender."
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