“Alright,” Nan Muxue said, her voice soft and tender as she gazed at the person who refused to leave. “It’s late. Go back and get some sleep.”
Chu Ruo held onto the other’s hands, unwilling to let go. Standing outside the room, she let out a heavy sigh. “You’re really not sleeping with me tonight?”
“And who was it that wanted to get married?” Nan Muxue suppressed a smile. “Besides, can you not even endure a single night?”
“Then… do you not want to marry me, truly?”
“Hmm?”
“Ahem… I really don’t get it. Why can’t we see each other starting from the night before the wedding?”
Nan Muxue answered patiently, “These are the customs of marriage.”
Chu Ruo looked resentful. “You won’t even let me into the room.”
“Tomorrow, it will be our bridal chamber.”
“Xue’er… Xue’er…”
Whenever Chu Ruo clung to her arm like this, gazing at her with that slightly coquettish and pitiful look, Nan Muxue always felt her heart soften. She took a step forward and cradled the back of Chu Ruo’s head. “Fine, I’ll stay with you a while longer, you silly thing.”
Chu Ruo glanced at the silver-clad world around them and took Nan Muxue’s hands in hers to warm them. “Your constitution is too frail. In the future, I’m going to fatten you up. I’ll cook for you every single meal.”
“Alright.”
“Mhm. You should head inside quickly; I don’t want you catching a cold.”
Nan Muxue pulled her back instead. “Stop nagging. Your body isn’t any better than mine right now, catching chills every few days. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
“Don’t,” Chu Ruo stopped in her tracks. “I’ll go back myself. I said I’d walk you back, and besides, I can’t have my wife being the one to escort me.”
“Who said,” Nan Muxue teased, “that your Master is the one being married off?”
*Huh??? Huh??? Huh???* What in the world? The supplies were bought, the room was decorated—even if she hadn’t seen the inside yet—and even the wedding robes were custom-ordered to their sizes. Now she was saying she wasn’t the one being married off? What did that mean? Was her wife planning to be the *gong*?
Seeing the complex expression on Chu Ruo’s face, Nan Muxue felt even more inclined to tease her. She stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Chu Ruo’s waist. “What? Are you unwilling to be the bride?”
“Aren’t you the one marrying into my house?”
“Master has changed her mind.”
“Don’t play around, you…”
“In any case, either you are the bride, or this wedding is off. Decide for yourself.”
*You wicked little scorpion…* She was glaring again. How terrifying. How did this woman always manage to detect the slightest grumble in her heart? “I’m the bride?” Chu Ruo imagined herself wearing the phoenix crown and embroidered robes, walking with a dainty shuffle, especially with that big red veil over her head, while the Little Scorpion dominantly swept her into her arms. The Little Scorpion looked beautiful in both men’s and women’s clothing, but Chu Ruo felt she herself would just look… Moreover, there were Duan Ning, Nan Gongyan, and Xiao Guo’er. If they saw her like that, wouldn’t they laugh at her for the rest of her life? “Xue’er, let’s discuss this.”
Suppressing a laugh, Nan Muxue asked, “What is there to discuss?”
“Can we…”
“No.”
“I haven’t even said it yet!”
Nan Muxue feigned a serious expression. “Go back now.”
“That’s it?”
She made a show of turning away, which frightened the person behind her so much that she hurriedly rushed over, asking cautiously, “Are you angry?”
Nan Muxue turned her head away. “No.”
“Xue’er, don’t be angry. I…”
“It’s late. Go back and rest.”
“Xue’er!” Chu Ruo stepped forward, spreading her arms to block her path, but the other woman refused to look at her. “Is there anything else?”
“Please don’t be angry, okay? I’ll agree to it, I promise.”
Nan Muxue had only intended to tease her; she hadn’t expected her to actually agree. She was momentarily stunned. “You…”
Chu Ruo’s clear eyes reflected only the image of her beloved. “Even though Duan Ning and the others will make fun of me, it doesn’t matter. It’s our wedding, after all. As long as you’re happy, whether I’m the bride or the groom, it’s all up to you. I’ll listen to whatever you say.”
The corners of Nan Muxue’s lips curled upward. In the next second, she pinned Chu Ruo against a pillar, capturing her lips in a lingering, passionate kiss.
Chu Ruo was startled by her boldness. After all, the Little Scorpion wasn’t as thick-skinned as she was; she was usually quite cold and aloof. Although this was outside her bedroom, it was still outdoors. What if a disciple happened to walk by? Even though she was always pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it whenever the Little Scorpion took the initiative, she still tried to push her away with both hands. “Xue’er, someone… might see.” Heaven only knew how much energy and willpower it took to push away a kiss from the person she loved.
Nan Muxue pressed her lips firmly against Chu Ruo’s, refusing to back down. Her breathing grew uncharacteristically heavy. “Didn’t you say you would never push me away?”
“That’s not what I meant… Mmph… I’m afraid others, the disciples, will see you…”
Then, Nan Muxue uttered perhaps the most rebellious words she had ever spoken, filled with wild abandon. “To hell with the disciples!” She gripped Chu Ruo’s chin, tilting it to a better angle. “Right now, I want to kiss you, and no one is going to stop me!”
*Is this still my Little Scorpion, the one who usually gets flushed and has a racing heart if I kiss her too much? What kind of script is this?* The Little Scorpion seemed so dominant right now. Even so, Chu Ruo had to admit that with her wife being this powerful, it wasn’t so bad to occasionally be the one tucked into her embrace. *Fine, I’ll focus on cooperating with my wife’s kisses and hugs~*
“Xue’er…” Chu Ruo’s voice grew raspy from the stimulation, and her eyes turned slightly misty. She laughed again. “You little scorpion, you really know how to steal a heart.”
Nan Muxue leaned in to bite her ear. “Chu Ruo, I want you to marry me.”
“I’ll marry you. Of course I’ll marry you. How could I not marry my Xue’er?”
“You are mine!”
“Of course I am…”
“For a lifetime!”
Chu Ruo raised her arms to hold her. “And the next life too. Whatever you say goes; I’ll listen to everything. I’ll be your pretty little thing.”
After a long while, Nan Muxue pulled back slightly, tenderly stroking that beautiful face. Neither spoke again; the atmosphere was intimate and warm.
“You really must go inside. It’s very cold out here.”
“Ruo’er.”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.”
“You…”
Nan Muxue laughed in her arms. “This feeling is wonderful.”
Chu Ruo was puzzled. “What is?”
She didn’t answer, only gazing at the snowy scenery. “So this is what it looks like when it snows at the Hundred Flowers Palace.”
“You were always too focused before; you surely never took the time to appreciate it. From now on, I’ll be with you every day, watching the spring, summer, autumn, and winter here.”
“I only want to be with you.” In this life, that was enough.
“It’s not a ‘want’; we will always be together. Now go inside. If we keep standing here, the sun will be up.”
Nan Muxue pulled away from that warmth. Seeing the immense reluctance in Chu Ruo’s eyes, she tilted her head once more and gave her a soft, brief kiss. “Mhm.”
Her wife had returned to her room, but Chu Ruo tossed and turned in her own bed, unable to sleep. Finally, she reached out her "evil claws" toward Wotou, who was curled up on the table in a specially made little quilt. “Little Wotou, come sleep with me. Lie down, lie down. Hey, you’re quite warm. Let me tell you, I’m getting married tomorrow. Jealous? When you grow up, I’ll find a Little Mantou for you or something…”
Wotou, woken up and utterly bewildered: ???
The next day, Chu Ruo woke up very early, though she didn’t actually have much to do. Although it was a wedding, they had decided to keep it low-key to avoid unwanted attention. The two of them would simply perform the formal bows in the study before the witnesses and then be sent to the bridal chamber. This made things difficult for Duan Ning and Xiao Guo’er, who had to get up early to decorate and prepare both sides. Chu Ruo, on the other hand, was bored out of her mind. She finally endured until it was time to change into her wedding robes. Once she had them on, she insisted on running off to see Nan Muxue, leaving Xiao Guo’er stomping her feet in frustration behind her, unable to stop her.
“Haha, I’m here to see my wife!”
Chu Ruo walked over, but Nan Muxue had already changed and even had her bridal veil on. Chu Ruo walked up dazed. “Xue’er, you look so beautiful.”
“What are you doing here? Out, out!” Duan Ning shooed her away.
Yin Liuli also blocked her. “Don’t cause trouble. We specifically went down the mountain to ask about this—it’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony. Get out, quickly.”
*Bang!*
The door was shut in her face. *Fine, fine, I’ll just wait until the ceremony.*
Finally, the moment for the ceremony arrived. But just as the group entered the study and before Chu Ruo could even kneel, a voice rang out.
“How lively it is here.”
