Truly… a Kitty scared half to death at random.
His voice shook. “Wh… what are you doing?”
Lu Yan studied him for a long moment, then his gaze dropped to the painting in Jiang Sheng’s hands. He said, rather helplessly, “What are you doing, in the middle of the night?”
Jiang Sheng’s lips pursed. “Tomorrow’s the wedding. I wanted to burn the painting for Mom, Dad, and Gege.”
Lu Yan was silent a moment, then walked over and pulled him into an embrace. “Then why didn’t you call me?”
Jiang Sheng’s lips moved, but he said nothing.
Of course there were private things he wanted to tell their parents.
In the end, a small fire basin was lit in the back courtyard. Jiang Sheng and Lu Yan sat beside it and fed the painting into the flames, watching the fire curl up and swallow the scroll bit by bit.
Jiang Sheng mumbled as it burned, “Mom, Dad, I’m getting married again! But don’t worry—it’s still Lu Yan. Everything’s good here. I found Lu Yan! He’s a prince now, and he’s so amazing… Gege, you have to take good care of Mom and Dad. Oh, right—that day I saw someone who looks so much like you…”
He rambled on and on, a little chatterbox, and Lu Yan didn’t rush him, just listened quietly.
When Jiang Sheng finally wound down, Lu Yan took over. His voice was deep, his words spare, each one deliberate—like a vow spoken at a wedding. “Mom, Dad, Gege—rest easy. I will take care of Jiang Sheng. In the last life and this one, it will be the same.”
The painting crumbled to ash and scattered on the wind.
Worried the night was cold, Lu Yan gathered Jiang Sheng into his arms and settled him on his lap.
Jiang Sheng said nothing, and Lu Yan asked nothing, until a breeze swept past and Jiang Sheng shivered, tipping his head back. “Husband, let’s go back to bed.”
Lu Yan kissed him once, then rose with him in his arms and carried him back to their room.
The floor heating burned warm in the room.
But Lu Yan still feared Jiang Sheng would catch a chill, so he tucked a hot-water bed warmer under the covers for him to hold.
He could sense it—Jiang Sheng was a little low. Missing their mom and dad, most likely. Words of comfort felt useless at a moment like this; all Lu Yan could do was hold him tighter, pressing kiss after soft kiss to Jiang Sheng’s cheek.
In the small hours, it began to snow outside.
At first Jiang Sheng didn’t notice—he just felt the room seemed brighter. Neither of them had slept, so he kicked Lu Yan and made him go look.
Lu Yan rose resignedly and pushed the window open a crack. A gust swept in with swirling snow, and outside lay a world of white.
It really was snowing.
The first snow of this winter.
Jiang Sheng came crowding over to join the fun, pressing against Lu Yan’s side, chin in his hands. “Husband, let’s go have a snowball fight!”
Lu Yan vetoed it instantly. “No. Settle down. You’ll get sick again.”
Even standing by the window in the draft had Lu Yan worried; he fetched a cloak and draped it over Jiang Sheng’s shoulders.
The next day was the wedding.
And astonishingly, neither of them slept a wink—they kept vigil at the little table by the window, watching the snow.
Jiang Sheng murmured to Lu Yan about the old days, and Lu Yan listened intently, answering every line.
They had spent so many years together that their memories filled basket after basket—three days and three nights of talking wouldn’t run dry.
Jiang Sheng told him about the chubby neighbor kid from childhood who’d said Lu Yan was a jinx who’d cursed their parents. When Jiang Sheng heard it, he’d gone and fought the kid, then came home and refused to tell Lu Yan, insisting the bruises were from a fall.
Lu Yan said mildly, “I knew you’d fought him. I went and beat him up the next day.”
Jiang Sheng was floored. He’d known the chubby kid moved away within half a month—he just hadn’t known Lu Yan had gotten revenge on his behalf.
He kept sharing his little secrets, only to discover every one of them had long since been laid bare before Lu Yan, who had simply known and never said a word.
Oh my Kitty god.
Jiang Sheng slapped the table in outrage. “How is this any different from me standing naked in front of you?!”
Lu Yan’s lips curved.
A naked Wife, hm? Very much wanted to see that.
The two of them chattered the whole night through, and only at dawn did Lu Yan finally gather the man into his arms and sink into sleep on the little daybed.
Which was pure torment for Cheng Jing, knocking at the door outside.
He stamped his feet in agony. “What time is it already?! How is NEITHER of them awake?!”
The guests would arrive any moment.
Cheng Jing didn’t dare push the door open, and paced frantic circles outside.
Before long Cheng Yu arrived, equally helpless, and could only join him in circling. After that, the Divine Doctor joined their ranks as well.
The three of them formed a bizarre circling-in-circles formation.
On the eighteenth lap, Lu Yan finally pushed the door open. He frowned at the trio. “What are you doing?”
Cheng Jing nearly couldn’t brake in time, stumbling forward, almost weeping with joy. “Your Highness, you’re finally awake! It’s the wedding today! The hour is nearly upon us, the guests are arriving—you and Master need to dress!”
Lu Yan couldn’t have cared less about the auspicious hour. Let the guests wait.
He said evenly, “Jiang Sheng is still sleeping. Don’t wake him. The wedding can start when he wakes. There’s time.”
Cheng Jing: “…”
Lu Yan went off to change first, leaving the three of them staring at each other. Cheng Yu hesitated forever before choking out, “Last night…”
Cheng Jing punched his older brother in the head. “Don’t you DARE think about it!”
The Divine Doctor stroked his beard. “It seems I must prescribe something for His Highness. At this rate, his body will be run into the ground.”
“…”
Fortunately, Jiang Sheng wasn’t quite so unreliable. He remembered it was his wedding day, dragged himself up, and staggered out.
The moment he appeared, Cheng Jing and the others practically lunged as one to catch him. Before Jiang Sheng could utter a word, they hauled him off to wash and dress.
But it was still late.
The front courtyard was packed with guests, and the wedding still hadn’t begun. Someone couldn’t help muttering under their breath.
Jiang Feng, meanwhile, was in disguise today, mingling among the guests with a fake mustache pasted on, his heart full of fury.
This Lu Yan—how dare he disrespect his little brother like this, treating even the wedding as a joke! What kind of good life could his brother possibly have with this man!
He clenched his fist and tilted his head slightly, flashing a few meaningful glances.
Finally, the gongs and drums sounded.
The front courtyard livened up, at least.
Jiang Sheng was dead tired, yawning all through dressing. Cheng Jing coaxed him like a child. “Master, ancestor, stay awake! Perk up! It’s your wedding today—sleep all you want afterward, I beg you.”
Beside him, Cheng Yu held out a plate. “Master, Milk Cake?”
“Go away, go away—it makes me sleepier.”
The Divine Doctor shoved him aside and produced a vial. “Master, take this. It sharpens the mind.”
Jiang Sheng swallowed the pill, and a violent blast of mint shot straight up into his skull, nearly forcing tears from his eyes.
Instantly awake.
Groomed and ready, Jiang Sheng was pushed out the door.
The moment it opened, he found Lu Yan already waiting outside. The man stood against the light, his gaze resting on Jiang Sheng in his wedding robes for a long, long moment—like a man so bewitched by his bride he didn’t dare blink—before finally exhaling and extending a hand toward him. “Come, Baby.”
Since Jiang Sheng already lived in the manor, there was no bridal procession needed. The two simply walked hand in hand to perform the rites.
Jiang Sheng whispered, “Husband, does this count as our second marriage?”
Lu Yan’s eyelid twitched. He drew a deep breath, sounding very nearly like he was grinding his teeth. “Don’t say stupid things.”
Jiang Sheng went meek. “Okay, okay.”
They walked into the front courtyard. Sincere or otherwise, the guests supplied emotion in abundance, congratulations ringing out without pause.
The two of them held the red silk between them. First bow—to Heaven and Earth…
Suddenly, a Feathered Arrow shot across the courtyard, slicing the red silk clean in two. Lu Yan’s face went dark in an instant, and he instinctively threw himself in front of Jiang Sheng.
The crowd froze for a heartbeat—then all reacted at once, screams erupting. “Ah—”
“Assassins—”
“Protect the Master—”
Amid the chaos, Jiang Feng leapt onto a table in a flash, ripped off his mustache, drew his sword, and pointed it at Lu Yan. “Villain! Release my brother!”
A beat of silence.
Then, from behind Lu Yan, a fluffy head slowly emerged. Jiang Sheng stared blankly at the newcomer.
Hm? Release him?
“Gege?”
Hearing his little brother call out, Jiang Feng’s blood surged straight to his head. “Don’t worry, little brother! Even if it costs my life today, Gege is taking you out of here!”
No. This was not his gege.
His gege almost never called him “little brother” to his face.
Jiang Sheng frowned. “Take me where? It’s my wedding today.”
“…” Jiang Feng couldn’t bear to scold his brother, so he wheeled around and snarled at the North-Guarding Prince instead. “Lu Yan! What love potion have you fed my brother?!”
Lu Yan’s expression was terrible.
His patience was spent.
Even if this man really were the Jiang Feng of the modern world, all he wanted now was to beat him senseless.
Jiang Feng waved a hand. “Attack!”
Nothing moved behind him.
Jiang Feng waved again. “Attack, I said!”
Cheng Jing stepped forward and bowed. “Your Highness. Eighteen assassins infiltrated the manor. All have been captured.”
Lu Yan nodded and looked at Jiang Feng, expressionless.
Jiang Feng’s hand still hung in midair. He paused, then converted the gesture into fanning himself. “My, my. It really is hot today.”
Lu Yan said evenly, “Seize him.”
Another round of shrieking and chaos below.
Jiang Feng, two fists against twenty hands, was in the end trussed up like a prize pig. He craned his neck and howled, “Lu Yan, you despicable coward! If you have the guts, fight me one on one! Release my brother, you—”
Cheng Yu stuffed a cloth in his mouth.
Jiang Sheng watched the whole scene, deadpan.
Now he was acting a bit like his gege.
Equally unreliable.
Lu Yan turned back, his voice going gentle. “Baby, let’s continue.”
Jiang Sheng looked around. “But all the guests ran away.”
Lu Yan frowned, considering. “Easily solved. Isn’t there still one left?”
He beckoned, and Cheng Jing pressed Jiang Feng into a chair—forced to spectate his little brother’s wedding.
Jiang Feng looked ready to faint from sheer rage.
Utter humiliation. UTTER HUMILIATION!!
But no one paid him any mind, and Jiang Sheng even nodded along, looking quite pleased.
Oh, his foolish little brother.
A servant brought a fresh length of red silk. Each took one end, and the rites continued.
“Second bow—to the elders—”
The two of them bowed toward the distance, honoring their parents from afar.
“Husband and Husband bow to each other—”
“Escort to the bridal chamber—”
“The rites are complete—”
At those final words, Jiang Feng nearly launched out of his chair, and Cheng Jing barely held him down.
The wedding was done. Jiang Sheng was now, in full legitimacy, his wife—his Princess Consort.
Lu Yan was in an excellent mood at this point, and had Cheng Jing loosen the gag.
The moment the cloth came away, Jiang Feng bellowed, “NO WEDDING CHAMBER! Touch my brother and just you TRY!”
Jiang Sheng blinked. By now he’d worked it out too—the man before him was Jiang Feng, was his gege, but not the one from the modern world.
Wearing an identical face, Jiang Sheng still felt warmly toward him, and kindly explained, “Don’t be scared, Gege. We’ve already slept together.”
Jiang Feng’s vision went black. He nearly fainted on the spot.
Jiang Sheng leaned in curiously. “Were you born looking like this? It’s not a disguise, is it?”
Jiang Feng’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It was Gege who failed to protect you.”
Jiang Sheng kept studying him. “But how does this work? It’s so amazing. Is Jiang Feng the name you were born with?”
Jiang Feng genuinely began to cry.
His little brother had been played stupid by the North-Guarding Prince.
So pitiful. Jiang Sheng couldn’t bear it, and comforted him, “Don’t worry—Lu Yan and I love each other. I married him willingly!”
Jiang Feng still didn’t believe it.
Jiang Sheng, out of options, spun around, ran to Lu Yan, rose on tiptoe, and smacked a kiss on the man’s chin—then turned back. “Believe me now, or… huh?”
Jiang Feng’s head lolled sideways. He’d fainted from rage.
Jiang Sheng blinked helplessly. “This… what just happened? This isn’t my fault, right?”
“It’s not your fault.” Lu Yan took his Wife’s side unconditionally, dipping to kiss him. “Probably low blood sugar. Ignore him.”
He scooped Jiang Sheng up around the waist and gazed down at him.
“Baby. It’s time for the wedding chamber.”
