Red Makeup Becomes a Tragedy
Ah Yun collapsed.
The cut was so deep that she couldn't even utter a cry of alarm. Warm blood kept gushing from her throat, soaking through her thin clothes and staining the scattered fluffy flowers on the ground.
Her vision began to blur, and in the last moment before her consciousness faded, she seemed to see her beloved Ying-gege. He was wearing the bright red wedding robe she had sewn herself, smiling as he walked towards her.
After waiting for eight years, finally... finally I'm going to marry him...
The blood-stained fingers twitched, trying to grasp that illusory figure, trying to offer him the blood-soaked velvet flower in their palm. But the fingertips only lifted futilely on the cold bluestone path before falling limply to the ground.
"Sister Yun—!!!"
A howling wind ripped through the night sky. He rushed over, trembling as he picked up the rapidly cooling body; the icy coldness and stickiness to his touch instantly broke him.
In the courtyard, Ling Ying was somewhat restless, having ruined several of the "double happiness" characters she was cutting.
Hyun-kyu couldn't stand it anymore and couldn't help but complain, "If you keep cutting like this, we'll have to go to the shop again when they come back."
Ling Yuan and Yan Shu both smiled upon hearing this. Yan Shu gently comforted her, "Ling Ying, don't worry, she should be back soon."
Before he could finish speaking, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a loud bang.
Everyone turned to look at the sound and froze on the spot.
Qingfeng stood at the door, covered in blood, his face streaked with tears and bloodstains of unknown origin. He held someone in his arms—Ayun, who was covered in even more blood, almost a blood-soaked figure, limp and lifeless.
Time seemed to stand still.
Ling Ying felt his heart clench violently, almost stopping. He staggered forward and took A Yun from Qing Feng's arms. The icy body temperature and lifeless softness made his vision go black.
"Yun'er? Yun'er!" He hugged her tightly, rushed into the house, and carefully placed her on the bed as if she were just asleep.
But that familiar face was now as pale as paper, and its once bright eyes were tightly closed.
Xuan Gui grabbed Qing Feng: "What happened?! How could this happen?!"
Qingfeng knelt down with a thud, bursting into tears: "I...I went back to find her after buying the red paper...and I saw Sister Yun...she was lying there...It's my fault! I failed to protect her! I should have gone with her! It's all my fault!"
Ling Yuan walked to the bedside and placed his hand heavily on Ling Ying's trembling shoulder, but he couldn't say anything.
Ling Ying seemed oblivious to the commotion around him; his world consisted only of A-Yun. He gently smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, his fingertips lightly stroking her cold cheeks, his eyes filled with shattered love and unfathomable sorrow.
He tried to take her curled-up hand, but found that she was clutching something tightly in her palm—a velvet flower, soaked in blood, its red color glaringly bright.
Ling Ying carefully pried open her stiff fingers and took out the velvet flower. The cold, wet blood stained his hands, and the red color burned his heart with pain.
He didn't understand. Just moments ago, she was smiling and talking to him; just moments ago, they were cutting up the "double happiness" character together, talking about their wedding in two days. They had waited for each other for eight years, and finally, after all their hardships, things were finally going well. Why were they separated forever in the blink of an eye?
Pressing the velvet flower tightly to her heart, Ling Ying felt as if her heart had stopped beating.
Seeing this scene, Yan Shu's legs went weak and she almost fell, but Ling Yuan caught her in time. Looking at A Yun on the bed, she remembered the bright eyes when A Yun mentioned Ling Ying, and the happy smile when preparing her wedding dress. She could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
Xuan Gui turned his face away and wiped his eyes forcefully. Ling Yuan looked up, but tears still streamed down her face.
"Yun'er... Yun'er..." Ling Ying whispered, his voice broken and incoherent. He finally collapsed, bending down to tightly embrace the cold body, wailing, "Yun'er—!!! I'm sorry... I shouldn't have kept you waiting so long... Please... wake up... please..."
No one slept that night. Everyone stayed in the small room, keeping A-Yun company and also keeping Ling-Ying company, who was heartbroken, company through a long and desperate night.
The next day, Lingying brought clean water and gently wiped Ayun's face and hands clean, as if she were just asleep.
He took out the wedding dress he had tried on countless times and slowly and carefully put it on. Then, he took out A-Yun's wedding dress and gently helped her put it on, fastening each button with utmost care, afraid that even a little bit of force would disturb her.
He took the magnolia hairpin from her hair and put it next to his own hair ornament. Then he gently placed the phoenix crown that A-Yun had poured countless efforts into, which was only missing a few velvet flowers to complete, on her head.
After doing all this, he bent down and kissed A-Yun's already cold lips, then steadily picked up the fully dressed A-Yun and walked step by step toward the prepared coffin in the center of the courtyard, and very slowly placed her inside.
He held the newly carved memorial tablet in his hands—the tablet of his beloved wife, Lady Lingmen Yun—and murmured…
"I bow to Heaven and Earth." He held the memorial tablet and bowed deeply.
"Bowing to the parents twice."
"Husband and wife... bow to each other." He bowed to the coffin for the last time.
"The ceremony is complete." His voice was hoarse as he addressed his sleeping bride in the coffin: "Ayun, I have finally married you."
Outside the courtyard gate, everyone who witnessed this scene was already in tears. Yan Shu leaned against Ling Yuan's chest, crying uncontrollably.
Ling Yu stepped forward, placed a heavy hand on his son's shoulder, and said with tears streaming down his face, "My son... let A-Yun... rest in peace."
Ling Ying knelt before A Yun's grave, her eyes vacant, burning paper money one sheet at a time.
Qingfeng knelt beside her, kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead covered in dirt: "Sister Yun, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Xuan Gui pulled him up forcefully, his eyes red, and said, "It's not your fault! What we need to do is find the murderer and avenge Sister Yun!"
The courtyard was shrouded in immense sorrow. Yan Shu often silently shed tears when she thought of A Yun.
A few days later, Lin Kong suddenly visited.
Ling Yuan and Xuan Gui immediately went to greet them. Lin Kong's expression was solemn: "I've heard about what happened, and I will get to the bottom of it!" He handed Ling Yuan a secret letter, indicating that they should go inside to discuss the matter in detail.
"His Majesty has issued a secret decree summoning you back to the capital immediately." Lin Kong lowered his voice. "His Majesty feels unwell and fears something may happen."
Yan Shu panicked upon hearing this: "Can we not go back?" She was afraid that the tragic ending recorded in history books had happened this year, and she was afraid that she was powerless to change it.
Ling Yuan grasped her icy hand: "I'm afraid that won't work. My brother has summoned me at this crucial moment." He pondered for a moment, "Shu'er, go and bring us our half of the jade pendant, and I will tell you the truth."
When she brought the jade pendant, Lingyuan joined her own half with it, and they fit together perfectly.
“This is the royal succession token.” His voice was low. “My elder brother has long favored Xuan Gui. He gave it to me so that I could secretly assist him in resisting Prime Minister Cui and the Crown Prince. My elder brother is summoning me back now, probably because… the situation is already critical.”
Yan Shu instantly understood what Ling Yuan had said to her in the modern world; it truly concerned the lives of his entire maternal clan.
Lin Kong said, "Go back with peace of mind. Many of the generals in the capital are my former subordinates. Even though Yuan'er has handed over the Tiger Tally, they will still obey your orders! The Northern Border Army will always be your support!"
Yan Shu took a deep breath and looked at Lin Kong: "Uncle, in the future, no matter who comes from the capital to deliver a message or mobilize troops, unless we come in person, we must not open the city gates, especially the gates of the military compound. Do not trust anyone! We must guard the General's Mansion!"
Lin Kong nodded: "Don't worry."
At night, Yan Shu sat alone in her room, holding the half of the jade pendant in her hand, lost in thought.
Ling Yuan walked in, gently pulled her into his arms, and let her head rest against his chest.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “When all this is over, if you still want to come back, we will. You can stay as long as you want.”
Yan Shu leaned against him, feeling the reassuring warmth and strength, and nodded gently.
"Um."
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