Chapter 306: Ever-Changing Climate (1/2)

Sitting before a bronze mirror, Jun Huang let the girls put makeup on her face and draw a red dot between her eyebrows. She lowered her eyes with a faint smile tugging her lips. The girls gasped and crowed once she put on the wedding gown and the phoenix cap.

”You're the most beautiful bride I've seen,” marveled the older woman. ”The groom is fortunate to marry a beauty like you.”

Jun Huang bashfully lowered her head without a word.

Nan Xun emerged in a red robe followed by a group of men joking about stealing the bride. The girls laughed and bypa.s.sed the usual procedure to urge Jun Huang out of the room.

Nan Xun's heart skipped a beat when he saw Jun Huang. He stared at her shy smile dumbly, overwhelmed by joy.

Complicated rituals for formality's sake didn't suit them. Jun Huang and Nan Xun went straight to bowing to the heaven and earth then at each other with Qi Yun as their witness. She was then brought to the newlywed bedroom, while Nan Xun was surrounded by men trying to get him drunk.

Nan Xun didn't want to make Jun Huang wait. Night had fallen. He was eager to leave. The guests teased him for letting his libido do the thinking for him.

Qi Yun sat at the table farthest from the crowd and gulped down cups after cups of wine on his own, detached from the celebration. His subordinates worried that he'd drink too much and get sick, but they didn't dare say anything facing his dark expression.

The men only let Nan Xun go after he'd downed a few cups of wine. With a bright and content smile, he ordered the servants to look after the guests and made his way to the bedroom.

He didn't immediately entered. Instead, he took a deep breath and drank a cup of tea to sober himself up. He only opened the door once the smell of alcohol had faded. Under the wavering candlelight, Jun Huang's eyes were as bright as stars. Her lips were curved into an intoxicating smile.

She'd taken off her cap. Her silky dark hair ran down her back and waved in the breeze. She was still dressed in the fiery red wedding gown. Her eyes were adoring when they settled on Nan Xun.

Nan Xun tried his best to control himself. He retrieved the cups of wine prepared for the newlyweds and handed Jun Huang a cup. She took it with a smile, her eyes bright. With their arms crossed, they drank the wine. The clear liquid went down easily, leaving a sweetness in their mouths.

When they put down the cups, a burst of laughter came from outside the room. Jun Huang blushed awkwardly. Nan Xun did what he should, clearing his throat and going outside to tell the guests Jun Huang wasn't feeling well, asking them to skip the part where they played tricks on the couple[1]. The villagers considerately went back to the main hall to drink and have fun.

Jun Huang had never thought that she'd one day be married to someone. It all felt like a fever dream.

Nan Xun could tell what she was thinking. He smiled and put out the candles before going back to Jun Huang.

Red dress and robe scattered on the floor. Their hair tangled on the bed. They pa.s.sed the night in the heat of the other's body.

At dawn, Nan Xun woke up to his wife at his side. Overwhelmed by his love for Jun Huang, he left a feather-light kiss on her forehead.

Jun Huang opened her eyes slowly and smiled when she saw him.

They intertwined their fingers without a word. Volumes were spoken in their shared silence.

Nan Xun helped Jun Huang get changed and took her to the backyard to get some sunlight. She sat on a divan and didn't feel like moving with the warm sun s.h.i.+ning on her sore body.

Nan Xun's shadow guard approached them and bowed to him respectfully. ”Your Highness, Prince Qi Yun has left with his people earlier.”

Nan Xun frowned. ”Did he leave me a message?”

The shadow guard shook his head. Nan Xun looked at the frowning Jun Huang and dismissed the guard after a brief bemused pause. He knelt before Jun Huang with a smile, caught her fingers, and dropped a kiss on her fingertip.

Jun Huang met his gaze, her eyes softened.

”It's better for him to leave,” Nan Xun offered. He didn't want to see her frown. ”If he stays, we'll just feel uncomfortable. Him leaving means he's sorted through his feelings. Don't worry yourself sick.”

Jun Huang chuckled and sighed, looking up at the sky. She didn't know Qi Yun's true feelings for her and instead interpreted his jealousy as him being upset about losing a childhood friend to someone else.

Nan Xun relaxed once Jun Huang stopped worrying. He understood why Qi Yun would leave so suddenly. He was impressed and pleased with the young prince's decisiveness.