Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning each held one end of the red silk, escorted by four maids as they walked towards their bridal chamber.
Along the winding corridor, Liu Ming'an gripped the red silk tightly, unable to resist stealing glances at the person beside him.
What caught his eye was the bridal veil covering Jiang Ning's head.
Unlike the typical patterns of dragons and phoenixes or mandarin ducks at play, Jiang Ning's veil was embroidered with camellia flowers entwined with willow branches.
The moment Liu Ming'an saw the pattern, he realized that this veil must have been personally chosen by his beloved Ning.
Thinking of the meaning behind the pattern, Liu Ming'an's gaze softened like a pool of water.
Just then, a gentle breeze lifted a corner of the veil, and Liu Ming'an caught a glimpse of that fair, delicate jaw and those lips as red as vibrant flower petals, reminding him of countless times he had kissed them before.
The wind died down, and the veil's flutter lasted but a moment, yet Liu Ming'an felt the pool in his heart stirred with endless ripples.
"May the newlyweds enter their chamber, blessed with many children and long life!"
The maids suddenly sang in unison, snapping Liu Ming'an out of his reverie. They had arrived at the door of their bridal chamber.
As the couple stepped inside, the maids cheerfully called out, "Left foot first, right foot follows, may love and devotion forever follow!"
Inside the room, following the maids' instructions, Liu Ming'an sat on the left side of the bed while Jiang Ning sat on the right, as the maids continued, "Man on left, woman on right, may fortune and longevity fill their nights!"
Two maids then helped an elderly woman with white hair enter the room. She was Lady Ling, wife of the former Deputy Minister of Personnel, now eighty-three years old. She had borne four sons and two daughters, living a lifetime of devotion with her husband - their blessed union was known throughout the court.
Lady Ling approached with a smile, holding a ceremonial beam. She gently tapped Liu Ming'an's head, chanting, "Handsome groom and beautiful bride, may your union forever abide!"
She then turned to Jiang Ning, tapping her head as well, reciting, "As you become his cherished wife, may love accompany you through life!"
A maid stepped forward with a tray, and Lady Ling placed the beam upon it, concluding the "heart's content" ceremony.
Liu Ming'an listened to all the blessings with an unwavering smile.
Being experienced in such matters, Lady Ling noticed Liu Ming'an's eyes practically glued to Jiang Ning, and thoughtfully arranged, "Everyone out now, let the Imperial Son-in-Law and Princess have some privacy."
The maids filed out, with Lady Ling being the last to leave. At the doorway, she turned back to add, "My Lord, please sit for just a moment, don't miss the banquet."
"Of course, thank you, Lady Ling!" Liu Ming'an replied with a smile.
Once the door closed, Liu Ming'an moved to sit beside Jiang Ning and promptly removed the veil covering her face.
Jiang Ning had long felt Liu Ming'an's burning gaze and wasn't surprised by his action, meeting his eyes with a gentle smile.
The crimson wedding dress made her features appear like a painting, breathtakingly beautiful. Liu Ming'an couldn't even wait to speak before following his heart's desire, cupping her chin and leaning in for a kiss.
Just as their lips were about to meet, he felt resistance at his shoulders. Jiang Ning leaned back slightly, avoiding the kiss, lowering her eyes shyly and mumbling, "I'm wearing lip rouge... it's bitter."
Hearing this, Liu Ming'an first froze, then burst out laughing.
His dear Ning was so adorable!
"You dare laugh at me?"
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow, wiped the red rouge from her lips onto the back of her hand, then suddenly pushed Liu Ming'an down onto the bed. Seeing his upturned lips, she fiercely kissed him.
Liu Ming'an's eyes suddenly welled with tears, alarming Jiang Ning, who quickly pulled back to ask, "What's wrong? Why are you crying from a kiss?"
"It's not that," Liu Ming'an held her slender waist close to him while reaching behind his head, pulling out several lotus seeds and peanuts, "Ning, you bumped my head against these - it hurts~"
Jiang Ning was momentarily speechless, just watching as Liu Ming'an blinked away his tears, then pulled her head down for a precious, deliberate kiss.
Liu Ming'an closed his eyes, kissing her earnestly, the pool in his heart no longer merely rippling but surging with powerful waves.
"Ning, I've finally married you."
Liu Ming'an restrained himself as he ended the kiss, looking at Jiang Ning with deep affection.
Dazed from the kiss, Jiang Ning hadn't heard clearly, only seeing Liu Ming'an's captivating gaze and wanting to kiss him again.
"Ning!"
Liu Ming'an pressed his index finger against those soft lips, stopping Jiang Ning's advance, his eyes dark with emotion, "Be good, wait for my return."
"Alright," Jiang Ning obediently agreed.
Liu Ming'an helped her up and carefully removed her phoenix crown, setting it aside as he gently coaxed, "If you're hungry, eat something; if you're tired, sleep. Don't worry about the rules, just make yourself comfortable."
"Go on now, I'm not a fool," Jiang Ning pushed him toward the door.
Liu Ming'an smiled, opened the door, and left.
After he departed, Jiang Ning removed her heavy wedding dress, shook the bedsheet to clear off the longan, lotus seeds, peanuts, and dates onto the floor, then took off her shoes and socks and climbed into bed to sleep.
She had risen too early and was very tired - if she didn't sleep now, she might lack energy tonight.
How could she lack energy on her wedding night?
Jiang Ning fell into a deep sleep until, at some point, she heard a gentle call: "Ning, Ning, wake up for the wedding wine..."
Jiang Ning opened her eyes to find Liu Ming'an half-propped above her, wearing an indulgent smile.
"Is everything finished outside?" Jiang Ning asked.
Her current status was different from before; their wedding had drawn many guests, both familiar and unfamiliar. Fortunately, Yuwen Yan had sent people to help with the arrangements, or it would have been quite troublesome.
As she spoke, she rose from the bed. The August weather was rather hot, and she had stripped down to just her undergarments while sleeping. As she sat up, her clothes gaped open slightly, revealing a generous expanse of her jade-like neck and below to Liu Ming'an's view.
Seeing this, Liu Ming'an quickly helped adjust her clothes while answering, "More or less. Butler Li is there, he'll handle everything properly."
Jiang Ning nodded, put on her shoes, and walked to the table, where she picked up both cups of wedding wine that Liu Ming'an had poured and drank them in one go.
"Ning!" Liu Ming'an stared at the empty cups in shock, "That wine was meant to be shared between us..."
"I know," Jiang Ning laughed, pulling the dumbfounded man toward the bed, "Your alcohol tolerance is too poor, so I drank for you - it's all the same."
Liu Ming'an wanted to argue that one cup wouldn't make him drunk, but Jiang Ning pushed him onto the bed and looked down at him, her voice both enchanting and inviting: "On our wedding day, is drinking wine all you want to do..."
A gentle kiss fell on his lips, and Liu Ming'an looked at Jiang Ning in this state, his eyes filling with mirth.
The dragon-phoenix candles burned through the night, the room filled with endless passion.
The red veil that had fallen to the floor wasn't particularly noticeable among the scattered red garments, but the willow branches entwined with camellia flowers took on the meaning of eternal vows in this intimate atmosphere.