On their wedding day
Seeing that Yuling had no intention of taking it, Shudeng gently placed the basin on the table, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, carefully placed the handkerchief, then placed the silver needle on it and set it aside.
Yuling did not follow Shudeng's suggestion and sat down in front of the dressing table on her own. Shudeng frowned slightly, stepped forward, and quickly reminded her, "Miss, this is a pre-marital custom."
Yu Ling said calmly, "So?"
Shudeng frowned even more and said urgently, "Miss should follow etiquette."
Yu Ling, who was looking at herself in the mirror, smiled upon hearing this and looked at Shu Deng in the mirror, saying, "This method is baseless. Judging from the state of the blood beads alone, scattered means lust and gathered means chastity. It is nonsense. What are your intentions in wanting me to try it?"
As she finished speaking, she picked up the wooden comb in front of the dressing table. Her slender, white fingers, as white as scallions, gently glided over the comb, teasing the teeth. The sound echoed in the room, and Shudeng dared not utter a word.
Yu Ling turned to Shu Deng and said, "But was it Madam Wen, or Wen Youqing, who made you insist on doing this?"
Upon hearing this, Shudeng's face turned pale, and she immediately knelt down, lowering her eyes and not daring to raise her head. She hurriedly said, "Yes, it was my idea. I admire you, young master, and I was jealous. I thought that if you were not a virgin, I would get rid of you."
Yu Ling put down the comb, stood up, and slowly walked to Shu Deng. She bent down, reached out and lifted Shu Deng's head, and smiled, "Can you see who I am now?"
Shudeng was forced to look up at Yuling, her eyes filled with confusion. She didn't understand what this Miss Li meant. Yuling lightly brushed the hair behind her ear, revealing a red mole. Shudeng froze on the spot, her pupils dilating. This person... was someone from the Prince's side.
A red mole on her temple at Tianjiao Pavilion, the jade-faced assassin Zhao Yuling.
Zhao Yuling, how come she looks exactly like... Miss Li? Could it be that Miss Li is Yuling? Then she is with the Prince and also with Young Master Wen?
Yu Ling withdrew her hand from Shu Deng's chin, gently tapped her head, and said, "Get ready, don't miss the auspicious time." After saying that, she walked to the dressing table, and Shu Deng got up and followed.
Yuling handed over the comb, and Shudeng took it and combed her hair twice from head to toe, praying for a long and happy life together, for good health and happiness, and for enduring love. But when she got to the third stroke, Yuling stopped Shudeng and said, "That's enough."
That's enough for her.
Her hair was combed smoothly, styled into a green bun, adorned with flowers and hairpins, and adorned with high-set hair ornaments. Once everything was in place, she lightly moistened her lips with tea, then picked up a piece of red paper and gently smacked her lips. The person in the mirror, dressed in red, seemed to have been touched by the world's mortals, like a fairy in a painting, stunningly beautiful.
When Shudeng saw Yuling in the mirror after she finished her makeup, she was first stunned. She was an absolute beauty, and she immediately understood why the prince had kept this person by his side and raised her.
Just then, the appointed time arrived, and a voice urged her from outside the door. Shudeng then placed the red veil over Yuling's head, bent down, took Yuling's hand, and led her to the door.
With a few creaks, the door opened, and Shudeng led Yuling across the threshold. After everyone left, the courtyard became quiet and peaceful again. Only then did Li Yin peek out from under the covers.
He tiptoed out of bed and walked slowly to the door. He looked around again until he saw no one, then immediately stepped out. Following the path he remembered, Li Yin walked to the main hall. Hearing a great commotion, he slowed down.
Why is this road different? But Li Yin never doubts her own memory, because her intuition tells her that this was the same road last time.
But why is it different? Before Li Yin could think any further, she heard footsteps. There was no way forward. Looking at the tall tree in front of her, she had an idea.
With a push of her toes and a slight bend in her knees, she stepped onto the wall, took three steps up the tree, and stood on a branch.
People were walking under the tree, while she was watching from above. Coincidentally, the person who came was Wen Youqing, her fiancé.
Wen Youqing was dressed in red today, her face was like jade, her eyebrows and eyes exuded a scholarly air, and her temperament was even more gentle and graceful.
Li Yin stared at it for a while, then realized he had lost his composure. He hurriedly looked away, then looked up at the leaves in front of him, at the greenery, trying to calm his flustered expression.
Wen Youqing lowered his head, and a green leaf fell, brushing against his fingers. Just as it was about to slip away, Wen Youqing caught it at the last moment.
When Wen Youqing saw Ye Zi, she gently stroked her fingers, slightly curved the corners of her mouth, smiled faintly, and walked towards the front hall.
There was no one around anymore; everyone was watching from the doorway, waiting for the sedan chair to circle back to the Wen residence to fetch the bride, hoping to join in the fun and have a lucky break.
Li Yin stood on a tree branch, gathering her strength to move forward. With a slight push in the air, she landed on the wall. She walked slowly until she reached the entrance. Seeing that everyone was looking towards the door and that no one was watching over her, she realized it was the perfect opportunity to escape. So she leaped down and landed in the crowd.
The Wen family mansion has a high lintel, a three-tiered stone platform, stone lions standing at the gate, gold thread and red cloth quietly wrapped around the pillars, and a grand plaque with imposing characters.
As the red sedan chair was about to arrive, the atmosphere was high-spirited. Li Yin was also staying in the crowd, feeling the joy. But just as she was hesitating whether to stay and watch Yu Ling's wedding, she noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly changed.
Her instincts told her to run.
Sure enough, the bustling street just a moment ago suddenly fell silent. What followed the bridal sedan chair was not a wedding procession, but pursuers who were there to arrest people.
Relying on her intuition and acting on instinct, Li Yin took the initiative, hiding around a corner and fleeing desperately.
Beneath the lintel of the Wen residence, Wen Youqing slowly walked out. Seeing Li Yin's hurriedly fleeing figure, he put on a bamboo hat, used his toes to push off, and flipped onto the roof tiles, walking on the rooftop.
He was dressed in black on the outside, but when the hem of his clothes fluttered in the wind, one could see that he was also wearing a red coat.
Li Yin was unfamiliar with this place. She stopped at another corner and hid in a corner where baskets were placed. She thought to herself, this person might not be after her.
Footsteps slowly approached, and a single sentence from one person shattered her illusions.
"That's strange, where did Wen's new wife go?" a soldier said.
Just as one of them was about to say a few words to the man, the leader saw them and shouted, "Hurry up and search us, or we'll all lose our heads. Who has time to chat about this?"
Has Yuling escaped?
Before Li Yin could think any further, someone spotted her. Li Yin had no choice but to throw the basket in her hand away, her feet barely touching the ground, and she prayed that someone would lead the way for her.
She looked up at the sky and, coincidentally, saw a familiar face, someone who often appeared and disappeared mysteriously—her senior brother.
When Li Yin saw this person, it was as if he had seen a savior. He hurriedly asked for help: "Senior brother, someone is chasing me. Please show me the way."
Wen Youqing smiled and walked on the rooftop without saying a word. He stretched out his hand with its distinct knuckles, pointed forward, and then turned slightly to the left.
Li Yin immediately understood, but why did this road seem more and more familiar? After many twists and turns, he finally returned to the starting point, the main gate of the Wen residence.
Li Yin's heart pounded. Everyone was staring at her as she rushed over. She smiled awkwardly and said, "What a coincidence, everyone."
Just as she was about to run away again, she saw pursuers pouring out from both the left and right alley entrances, attacking her from both sides. Caught in a dilemma, Li Yin stood there.
She had nowhere to escape. She looked toward the Wen residence. Beneath the lintel stood a tall, elegant man who had taken off his black clothes to reveal a red robe.
Li Yin froze on the spot. Wait, her senior brother is Wen Youqing?
The man's hands, with their distinct knuckles, gently removed his bamboo hat, revealing a handsome face as if dispelling mist. Li Yin stared wide-eyed at that familiar face.
The man smiled and said to her, "Unfortunately, my wife, I am still waiting for you to complete the wedding ceremony."
Li Yin was pulled over in a daze, and a red veil was placed over his head. Wen Youqing followed the red silk and took Li Yin's hand. Li Yin panicked and, in a moment of carelessness, felt a sharp pain in his finger. What was this?
Her body was almost unable to move, or rather, it was no longer under her control. What had Wen Youqing used on her just now?
Wen Youqing gently rubbed Li Yin's hand, then softly said, "Li Yin, you owe me a red robe. I won't blame you this time, but you will have to repay me someday."
The words were spoken very softly, in a very light tone, like a gentle breeze that would dissipate with a single breath, yet they remained firmly in Li Yin's mind.
What exactly is Wen Youqing trying to do?
She bit her lip, her eyes filled with an endless expanse of red, her limbs moving uncontrollably, her actions dictated by Wen Youqing.
He bowed to Heaven and Earth, and then to his parents. In the hall, Mr. and Mrs. Wen sat dignifiedly, not suspecting or questioning Li Yin's clothes. However, when they looked at the child, their eyes showed a hint of pity.
Ding Zishan quickened his movements as he plucked the prayer beads, "tap tap tap..." As the third "husband and wife bow to each other" rang out, Li Yin bowed again.
Suddenly, he felt a headache coming on. The two of them bumped into each other, and people immediately started teasing them, saying, "It's a lucky coincidence!"
Li Yin stepped back as Wen Youqing took a step back, and the two bowed to each other as the second "husband and wife bow to each other" was uttered. Suddenly, the string of the Buddhist prayer beads in Ding Zishan's hand broke, and the beads fell to the ground with a "clatter".
Li Yin couldn't avoid it as he walked, and after only two steps, he was picked up. Wen Youqing smiled and said, "My lady, even the heavens are blessing us and acknowledging that we are a match made in heaven."
The prayer beads fell to the ground, which was not a good omen. Li Yin couldn't understand what he was happy about.
With the final words, "The ceremony is complete," Wen Youqing carried the person away.
As they walked, they were showered with peanuts and candies, creating a joyful atmosphere, and people cheered them on.
The bridal chamber was one that Li Yin had never been to before. The courtyard was large, with white stone paths, a small bridge over a stream, and red carp swimming in a lotus pond. Wen Youqing deliberately slowed her pace and asked, "Do you like it?"
Li Yin remained silent, but Wen Youqing said, "Silence means no denial, which means you agree. Madam, you really do like it."
After ten steps, they arrived at the room, pushed open the door and stepped inside. Li Yin was gently placed on the soft bed, where red curtains fluttered and the scent of sandalwood filled the air.
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