Chapter 96 Marriage Certificate and Wedding Night
Surrounded by people, Li Xunhuan was somewhat bewildered as he put on the wedding clothes.
Everywhere he looked was vermilion and the character for "double happiness," and a sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart. He turned to look at his mother and asked in a panic, "Mother, who is the person I'm supposed to marry?"
He and Niannian were betrothed when they were babies; their marriage was arranged by their parents and the matchmaker.
Li Xunhuan didn't know why he asked that question, but he felt uneasy, as if there were other people to be chosen for this marriage.
Madam Li gave him a reproachful look and said gently, "What nonsense are you talking about, child? Of course it's Niannian. Do you have another cousin?"
His tightly clenched fist suddenly relaxed, and Li Xunhuan subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. But upon hearing the second half of her sentence, his heart sank again, and waves seemed to surge in his ears.
Before the wave engulfed his nasal cavity, he slightly raised his eyelashes and suddenly met the bronze mirror beside him.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't reflected on himself in front of a mirror for so long that Li Xunhuan felt the boy in the mirror was both distant and unfamiliar.
The person in the mirror was wearing a crimson round-necked robe, a leather belt around his waist, and a winged turban on his head. His posture was upright and elegant, like a pine tree or bamboo.
His well-defined features still retained a youthful air, handsome yet gentle, with an unpolished sharpness between his brows.
That's understandable, as he was only eighteen at the time.
With his father and elder brother achieving the highest rank in the imperial examinations, he still managed to fall short, ranking third. Little Li's Flying Dagger emerged out of nowhere, making him a legendary figure in the martial arts world. With the flying dagger in hand, who dares to face its sharp edge?
His father and brothers were involved in officialdom, while he stood proudly in the martial world, and now he is about to marry his beloved cousin.
With such glory, how could one not be in high spirits?
Li Xunhuan stared blankly at the handsome, young face in the mirror, his emerald green eyes shifting slightly before his gaze suddenly fell on the corner of his eye.
After locating all the veins in the flesh, he subconsciously let out a soft breath, and the surging waves pressing on his heart suddenly receded for no reason.
What is he thinking?
His feelings for his cousin had long been as intense as the unripe plums hanging on the branches, and he had longed to marry her since childhood.
Marrying the girl you love at the best age is a rare and wonderful thing in this world.
Pure joy and the sound of his heartbeat caught up a beat later, and he suddenly smiled, his ear tips turning slightly red.
Madam Li stepped forward and took his hand, saying helplessly, "Huan'er, if we are any slower, we will really miss the auspicious time."
Li Xunhuan's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Don't keep my cousin waiting, I'll go right now!"
He strode hurriedly out of the room, but stopped abruptly at the corner, saying, "Wait."
......
Under the eaves of Li Garden, bright red silk ribbons hung all over the ground, and octagonal glass lanterns with dragons and phoenixes hung high at the two corners of the vermilion gate.
Red silk was laid out in the courtyard, and bright red peonies stretched all the way to the main hall. In the side hall, musicians played zithers and lutes, and maids carrying wedding lanterns filed in.
"The bride steps across the doorway, blessings fill the courtyard—"
The red veil swayed slightly, and a pair of delicate, tender hands, as soft as peeled scallions, slowly took the red silk from his hands.
Li Xunhuan slowed his pace, took her hand, and together they stepped over the saddle and into the Magpie Bridge Corridor.
Grains, longans, lotus seeds, and colorful fruits were scattered on the ground, while the singers' praises and the guests' congratulatory shouts mingled and piled up in the air.
"You were born into a family of top scholars, and you even achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations. Now that you are happily married, may your marriage be harmonious and joyful, and may you bring glory to the Li family for generations to come!"
"The young master is exceptionally talented, and the bride is intelligent and virtuous; they are truly a perfect match."
"The number one swordsman in the martial arts world has won the heart of a beauty; we are all truly envious!"
"......."
Among the guests in the courtyard were his father's and brothers' colleagues, his mother's close friends, and the chivalrous figures he had befriended.
Li Xunhuan stopped and looked up at the auspicious plaque hanging high in the main hall, which was the four characters "A Perfect Match" bestowed by the Emperor.
He lowered his eyes and traced Niannian's eyebrows and eyes through the red veil. Before he could finish sketching, the tenderness and joy in his heart were about to overflow.
In the home where he grew up, his parents sat on their high thrones, their eyes and brows filled with pure comfort and joy.
The elder brother of the top-scoring student stood to the side of the hall, laughing heartily and winking at him.
He only needed to take one more step forward to marry the woman he loved.
Li Xunhuan's eyes welled up with tears, and the scalding waves swayed in his eyes, making him feel as if he were in a dream.
A strange sourness and bitterness, mixed with an indescribable sense of grievance and melancholy, welled up in my heart, even more sour than the baskets of raw plums I ate in my youth.
For some reason, when he came to his senses, his face was covered in cold tears.
Niannian gently tugged at the red silk and whispered to him, "Cousin, why are you crying at a time like this?"
Li Xunhuan pursed his lips, his eyes burning with embarrassment, and said restrainedly, "Niannian..."
The best man sang again, "The bride and groom have arrived—"
Li Xunhuan tightened his grip slightly inside his sleeve, trying his best to remain calm as he said, "Wait a moment."
The best man glanced at Madam Li, and the guests in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment.
Niannian's smile faded slightly, and her upturned cat-like eyes froze for a moment.
Under the watchful eyes of his father and elder brother, Li Xunhuan nodded and slowly took out a letter from his sleeve.
He paused slightly, his gaze fixed on Nian Nian, and said loudly, "With our elders before us, we hereby establish this document as our witness. Our two families have joined in marriage and sworn an oath together. I will never leave or forsake my wife in this life, and will protect her well. With sincere vows, I inscribe this on plain paper, and wish to engrave this enduring promise of love on a kite."
"I wish to spend the rest of my life cherishing this precious bond."
He stood in front of the hall, his posture upright, still displaying the humility and politeness of a young master from a prominent family, but the hand holding the plain paper was trembling slightly.
The handwriting on this yellowed letter was smooth and lustrous, with only the two names written in a corner like worms and snakes.
This plain note, which Nian Nian casually folded and stuffed into his hand, has truly been tucked into his heart for years.
"Okay!" Li Xunle stepped forward and patted his younger brother on the shoulder.
Mr. Li and Mrs. Li exchanged a smile and said slowly, "A gentleman keeps his promise. Once a vow is made, it must be kept for life."
Niannian's face, hidden behind the red veil, flushed. Although she couldn't understand the long string of words, she did understand the phrase, "Never leave or forsake, protect my wife."
......
"Young Master." A servant presented a tray to Li Xunhuan.
Li Xunhuan's hand, which held the jade ruyi, was slightly damp with sweat. He gripped it for a long time before taking a deep breath and picking out Niannian's red veil.
Snowflakes gradually covered the red silk, and her youthful, moist cat-like eyes, brimming with spring water, gazed intently at him under the candlelight.
She had a plum blossom decoration on her forehead, her cherry lips were tinged with crimson, and her cheeks were flushed, like a dewy spring peach.
When Li Xunhuan saw her youthful face, his expression suddenly froze.
Cousin... Cousin, how come your appearance is still just like when you were a child?
Her eyes and brows still held a clear innocence and childlike charm, so why was he in such a hurry to get married?
He frowned slightly, thinking to himself that he was too impatient, and his parents didn't say a word of advice.
The inexplicable feeling of suffocation welled up in his heart again. As he pondered with a slight shift in his gaze, a servant brought forward the nuptial wine once more.
After exchanging nuptial wine, Li Xunhuan curled his hands and untied the knot of Niannian's hair.
A servant came up with scissors and carefully braided a strand of their hair together.
"The tassels are untied, and the hair strands are tied together. The ceremony is complete."
As soon as the praise ended, the maids in the bridal chamber lowered the red curtains, bowed their heads, and left the room.
The door was gently closed, and only the sound of burning candles filled the bridal chamber.
Niannian had almost torn her sleeves to shreds, but Li Xunhuan still hadn't moved. So she grabbed his hand and said coquettishly, "Cousin, why haven't you taken off my phoenix crown yet? We haven't even consummated our marriage yet, are you going to make me faint here?"
Li Xunhuan tensed up, his words of etiquette stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless.
Now that they have completed the wedding ceremony, there is no need to adhere to traditional customs.
With trembling hands, he removed the phoenix crown from Niannian, gazed at her for a long time, and then turned his back.
"cousin?"
After the ceremony, the wedding night naturally followed.
Even though he had been in love with his cousin since childhood, how could he...?
He said slowly, "Cousin, you are still young, and your beauty has not yet fully blossomed. Although the ceremony has been completed, I cannot take advantage of your immature nature to consummate our marriage."
With a 'click', it was the sound of her taking off her shoes and getting onto the bed.
"Then wait..."
Li Xunhuan's voice trembled, and he suddenly lost his voice.
A pair of snow-white, lotus-root-like arms had already wrapped around his chest, and her warm, moist breath blew into his ear in a tingling sensation. "Cousin, I've reached the age where I can get married."
Niannian lifted her bare legs and wrapped them around his waist and abdomen, her soft body pressed tightly against him, and said pitifully, "You haven't even opened your eyes to see, how do you know the flower hasn't fully bloomed?"
Li Xunhuan's back tensed instantly. He was startled by the sight of white flesh before him, and he quickly closed his eyes, his neck burning red.
He tried to get up, but Nian Nian's grip on his waist and abdomen tightened around his waist.
He's a man after all; how could he not guess what his cousin was thinking...?
But Nian Nian is still young, and engaging in sexual intercourse would inevitably harm her health. Besides, he shouldn't be so hasty. Her mind is immature; could it be that he is too?
He said in a hoarse voice, "Cousin...no."
Niannian's hand landed on the leather belt at his waist. Li Xunhuan reached out to stop her, but his slightly calloused palm was pressed tightly between his legs by her pink knee.
Niannian knelt on him, rubbing her knees against his palms. Two hot, burning sensations scorched his fair, slender hands, turning them red in an instant.
Li Xunhuan dared not bend his knuckles; his blood was rushing to his face, and he was so hot that he broke out in a light sweat.
He could only desperately hide his embarrassment, his emerald eyes welling up with tears, as he backed away, saying, "Niannian, be good..."
The dark gold leather belt was scattered on the bed. Li Xunhuan was about to reach out to pick it up when Nian Nian kicked him to the ground.
"If I listen to my cousin, I'll have to spend my wedding night alone."
Niannian's slender hand slipped into his clothes like a snake, gently caressing his skin inch by inch from his waist to his abdomen.
She said in a weak, breathless voice, "Cousin, don't you want to see what color my undergarment is?"
Li Xunhuan's breathing became rapid, his tightly closed eyes were bloodshot, and the rise and fall of his chest made Nian Nian's skin and flesh tremble.
Niannian felt a rough, itchy pain from the fine gold thread embroidery on his outer robe, and couldn't help but bite his ear, her eyes reddening as she said, "Cousin, are you doing this on purpose...?"
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