Chapter 45: Fengtai County (3)
The matron of honor led Xiao Fu into the bridal chamber. Xiao Fu sat down on the bed—right on top of a pile of peanuts, longan, and red dates. Lifting the bridal veil, he saw that Lin Zikui was still outside, going from table to table offering toasts.
The matron, “Oh my dear lady, you can’t lift the veil yet! You must wait for your husband to do it.”
“I want to. You leave.” Xiao Fu’s words were blunt, but he slipped her a handful of gold beans. “Go quickly and find a way to get all those banquet guests out of here. Let my husband into the bridal chamber—I’m worried he’ll drink too much.”
The matron’s eyes glazed over at the sight of the unexpected fortune in her hand.
Xiao Fu peeled a longan. No one had offered him food since early morning. That wouldn’t do—how could he have the strength to do anything without eating?
The matron left, still glancing back every few steps. “My goodness, what a stunning bride—and so generous too. Wasn’t the matchmaker originally talking about marrying the daughter of Lord Xiao’s family? This one’s even better!”
Graduate Lin was already known for his refined and graceful looks. Back when he’d just passed the provincial exams, matchmakers had worn down his doorstep.
But Father Lin had set his sights on the magistrate’s daughter from the Xiao family.
Having pocketed the bride’s gold beans, the matron now had to figure out a way to shoo the banquet guests out. Lin Zikui had eaten a bit and couldn’t hold his liquor—he was already starting to wobble, and had planned to sneak away from the party anyway.
Just then, the matron burst back into the hall, shouting urgently, “My little sister’s gone missing! Neighbors, please help me find her!”
“What? The little girl is missing?” The guests immediately dropped their chopsticks and rose to their feet. “Where did she go missing? Let’s go look!”
Lin Zikui immediately added, “She’s still young. Everyone, please help Madam Wu find her. I—I’ll help too!”
Madam Wu quickly stepped forward, blocked his path, and pushed him toward the bridal chamber. “Graduate Lin, you should hurry to your bridal chamber. Don’t let your beautiful wife wait too long. With all these people here, we’ll definitely find the child.”
“Yes, yes! Graduate Lin, go to your bride!”
The Lin residence wasn’t large. In just a few moments, Lin Zikui was gently but firmly pushed to the bridal chamber door.
“Madam Wu!” he called. “If you find her, someone must come tell me—I won’t be at ease otherwise!”
“Of course, of course! Graduate Lin, hurry up and go!” In truth, the girl hadn’t gone missing at all. Madam Wu planned to let everyone go home in half an hour.
Lin Zikui heard her words but remained standing still. Mo Liu stood behind him. “Young Master, why aren’t you going in?”
Lin Zikui had originally planned not to consummate the marriage, using his drunkenness as an excuse. Madam Wu’s little diversion had at least sobered him enough to walk straight.
He braced one hand against a pillar, the ornamental flowered hat on his head tilting precariously. “Mo Liu, where’s Teacher?”
“Elder Xue said he was heading to bed. I told him we should stir up some mischief for the wedding night, but he kept shaking his head and told me not to egg anyone on—said the bride would get angry.”
“Mm…” Lin Zikui nodded, his eyes clouded with a misty haze. “Then you go to bed too.”
“Young Master, can you manage by yourself?”
“I can. Go ahead.”
The Lin residence was now quiet. No one came to stir up mischief. Mo Liu had hoped to watch some wedding-night drama, but with his master’s orders, he had no choice but to return to the side room.
Inside the bridal chamber, Xiao Fu had just finished eating the food Jinzun brought. He rinsed his mouth with salted water and rose petal-infused water. Though the room was small, it was decorated with clever elegance. The floral-patterned paper on the windows had been sketched, cut, and pasted by Lin Zikui himself under Xiao Fu’s watch. The wedding candles bathed the room in a glowing red light.
Outside, Lin Zikui leaned silently against a pillar, gazing up at the stars shining bright tonight. The moonlight was like water, and the evening breeze swept peach blossom petals across the courtyard and into his line of sight.
Beneath that peach tree, they had buried the peach blossom wine he and Xiao Zhaoling had brewed together—made on the tenth day of the third lunar month in the current gengzi year. The wine jar was sealed with paper, on which he had written a short verse titled Peach Blossom Decree in regular script.
He didn’t move from outside, and Xiao Fu heard the stillness.
Why was he just standing there? Why not come in?
Xiao Fu “accidentally” knocked over a teacup, sending it crashing to the floor with a crisp shatter.
Hearing the sound, Lin Zikui snapped out of his daze. His shoulder jolted forward as he pushed the door open. The red candles flickered. The bride sat quietly at the edge of the bed, still covered by the veil, posture perfectly proper—only the teacup had been spilled onto the floor.
Lin Zikui sighed in relief and bent down to pick up the shards.
“Don’t move!” Xiao Fu, worried he might cut his hand, kicked all the broken porcelain pieces under the bed with one swift motion. “We’ll clean it up tomorrow.”
Still bent over, Lin Zikui caught a glimpse of Xiao Zhaoling’s jawline. During the ceremony, he’d thought to himself: I’ve finally married Zhao Ling. But after that, when others mentioned the bridal chamber, his thoughts began to spiral again. What if Zhao Ling truly wasn’t a woman? What if—
Then, if he was drunk, he wouldn’t have to consummate the marriage. He wouldn’t have to come up with some excuse and risk hurting Zhaoling.
Lin Zikui slowly crouched down on the floor.
Xiao Fu: “?”
Xiao Fu lifted the veil halfway. “Lin Lang, why are you crouching? Did your stomach start acting up?”
“Mm.” He mumbled vaguely, “I drank a bit too much.”
Xiao Fu hadn’t thought so far ahead—he simply got up and crouched in front of Lin Zikui. “Then lift my bridal veil and I’ll take you to the toilet.”
But Lin Zikui had already gone earlier—there was no need to use the toilet again now.
Yet since Zhao Ling had leaned in so close, he had no choice but to turn his head and look for a jade ruyi. “I’ll use a jade ruyi to lift the veil.”
“Here.” Xiao Fu took one out from behind him.
Lin Zikui accepted it and looked at him.
The bride was already squatting on the floor, and the groom gently used the red jade ruyi to lift the red veil, letting it fall to the ground.
Lin Zikui had just removed the white cloth covering his eyes—his left eye still wasn’t very clear, but it didn’t hurt. His right eye was almost fully recovered, and he could clearly see the brightness in Xiao Zhaoling’s eyes, full of light and laughter. Even the corners of his lips were curved in a smile—so beautiful it was hard to look away.
Watching him smile, Lin Zikui couldn’t help but smile back, shy and embarrassed.
Xiao Zhaoling tilted his head and removed the phoenix coronet from atop it. “Should I take you to the toilet?”
“No need, I’m not having stomach trouble. I just drank a little too much.” Not to mention he didn’t need to go—how could he let the bride escort him to relieve himself?
“Still able to drink? You gave me that Peach Wind Apricot Rain wine, and I haven’t had any yet. We agreed to drink cross-cupped wine on our wedding night.”
Lin Zikui didn’t really want to drink anymore, but this was a cup he couldn’t refuse.
He nodded, and Xiao Fu got up to pour the wine. Then he helped Lin Zikui up and gently guided him to sit on the bed. The canopy curtains draped down around his shoulders, and the moment he sat down, Lin Zikui felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
The bridal chamber…
Xiao Fu promptly handed him a small wine cup, his arm weaving through Lin Zikui’s to link them together. “You know how to do it?”
“Mm, I do.” His arm circled through the bride’s, and together they tilted their heads back and drank in one go. The peach blossom wine had a spicy bite that made Lin Zikui’s eyes water—he couldn’t help biting his tongue.
Xiao Fu kept his arm hooked through his. “We’ve paid respects at the hall and drunk our cross-cupped wine. Zikui, do you know what we’re supposed to do next?”
Lin Zikui: “…”
He gave a small nod, then leaned his shoulder against the bedpost and buried his head. “But I’m drunk, wife… I can’t move…”
Xiao Fu lowered his head to look at him. “You don’t need to move. Who said you had to?”
Lin Zikui immediately misunderstood the meaning of “don’t need to move.” He thought it meant they wouldn’t consummate the marriage after all. What a relief! His heart settled, and he said gratefully, “That’s fine… Not moving is good… Then I’ll go sleep on the couch.”
Just as he was about to get up, Xiao Fu grabbed his arm and pulled him back, holding him tightly. With his lips brushing against his ear, he whispered, “It’s our wedding night. You want to sleep on the couch and not share the bed with me?”
His arms were firm and muscular, and Lin Zikui was completely enveloped in them. A warm and tender feeling suddenly bloomed in his heart. He wanted to fall asleep like this, holding Zhao Ling close, doing nothing more—just like this, for the rest of his life.
Leaning his head back against the bedpost, Lin Zikui said, “I guess not going to the couch is fine. I’ll do as wife says. But I really can’t move.”
“Then don’t move. Just lie down and rest, Lin Lang.” Xiao Fu reached up and took off the flowered hat from his head, removed his socks and boots, then began undoing his belt.
Lin Zikui was extremely flustered. He thought, Just wearing my underclothes should be fine, so he didn’t resist too much. “I can undress myself.”
“Let me take care of you. Don’t move.” Seeing how drunk he was, Xiao Fu knew he’d be too slow on his own.
With practiced ease, Xiao Fu stripped off most of his clothes. Lin Zikui noticed the layers growing fewer and fewer and started to panic. “Wife, no need for that—don’t take off the inner layer!”
Xiao Fu’s fingers lingered at the waistband of his final layer. He raised a brow. “If I don’t, how will we consummate the marriage?”
“But didn’t you say… we wouldn’t do that?” Lin Zikui’s eyes were misty with confusion.
“I said you didn’t need to move—not that we wouldn’t consummate. We do have to consummate. You just don’t need to do anything.” Xiao Fu explained, but no matter what he said, Lin Zikui refused to let go. He clung to his last piece of dignity, clutching that final undergarment with all his strength. “No… this can’t… you can’t take this off…”
How could they consummate if he didn’t move? Lin Zikui didn’t understand. Could it be… he meant like that? I’m the one sitting?
He had seen erotic illustrations. A few days ago, that little brat Mo Liu had brought him a volume and said, “Young Master, you’re so innocent—you better read this so you don’t embarrass yourself on your wedding night.”
So, yes, Lin Zikui knew the positions and movements. He had seen the books. And just thinking about it now made him flush with both embarrassment and dread. He couldn’t do those things!
Seeing sweat start to bead on Lin Zikui’s face, watching him still gripping his undergarments like his life depended on it, Xiao Fu had no choice. He couldn’t force him. So instead, he pushed Lin Zikui down and tilted his face in for a kiss.
Their lips touched. Lin Zikui’s head hit the soft pillow, leaving him dazed. Xiao Fu cradled his jaw with one hand and intertwined the fingers of the other with Lin Zikui’s, loosening his grip on the waistband. Those five fingers had been clinging tightly, but now, slowly, they began to relax.
Lin Zikui had his lips pressed shut at first, but Xiao Fu gently nudged them open with his tongue. Helplessly, Lin Zikui was forced to accept the kiss. He could taste the wine and the scent of rose lingering on Xiao Zhaoling’s breath. It was vivid, real. Like a fish gasping for air, his mouth opened and closed under Xiao Fu’s probing tongue, unable to breathe properly. He even forgot to breathe through his nose. His whole body went hot and limp. With his eyes wide open, Lin Zikui blinked—long tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, sliding down to the shell of his ears.
Xiao Fu’s lashes brushed against his cheek. Noticing the tear, he paused and looked into Lin Zikui’s face.
“I kissed you like this and you’re unhappy? Are you angry? Is that why you’re crying?”
“No, I’m not angry.” Lin Zikui didn’t even know what was happening to himself. When his chest had heaved and his breath couldn’t come, the tears had just started falling on their own.
“You’re not angry? You didn’t like the kiss, did you?”
“No, it’s not that… I just…” Lin Zikui denied it, unsure how to explain. But crying like this was definitely embarrassing. He looked at Xiao Fu, eyes red. “I just drank too much.”
“Oh? You drank so much you started pissing from your eyes?” Xiao Fu stared into his eyes, and suddenly, he seemed to understand what was going on.
“…”
“Alright then.” Xiao Fu kissed the tip of his nose. “You’re the groom. You’re not taking the lead, and you don’t even want to move. So lazy—guess I’ll have to do everything myself.”
Lin Zikui blushed furiously. “I can move.” He just couldn’t get over the mental hurdle, especially now that he was beginning to feel something.
That dagger Miss Xiao always carried…
“You don’t have to move.” Xiao Fu still couldn’t get his other hand free. Lin Zikui’s whole body had gone soft, like water—except for that one hand, which gripped his waistband like iron.
Xiao Fu kissed along his neck.
With his chin tucked to his collarbone, Lin Zikui felt extremely ticklish. “Zhao Ling, maybe we shouldn’t consummate tonight after all…”
“You want to wait till tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow… also…”
Xiao Fu: “Also not?”
Lin Zikui nodded silently, anxiously watching Xiao Fu’s expression, worried he’d be angry.
But Xiao Fu’s expression didn’t change. He wasn’t angry. “Then how long should I wait?”
Lin Zikui had no idea. He could barely breathe under the pressure. His mind was a swirling mess.
Xiao Fu, “Since you’re not telling me, I’ll decide for myself then.”
Lin Zikui: “Okay…”
Xiao Fu took Lin Zikui’s hand and loosened the belt around his own waist. His robe slipped open, revealing broad shoulders and a bare back, pale and crisscrossed with old scars.
“Look at me—I’m like this already, and you still won’t help me vent? You want me to suffer like this on our wedding night? Don’t you feel sorry for me?”
In that instant, Lin Zikui felt something. His mind went completely blank. He was stunned.
How… how could it be this…
That jade ruyi he used to lift the veil had already felt hefty and thick—but this was even more so.
—His suspicions were finally confirmed!
The truth Lin Zikui had desperately tried to ignore and cover up forever had finally come crashing down on their wedding night—exposed by the bride herself.
Lin Zikui felt the world spin around him.
“Wife…” He tried to pull his hand away—it was scalding—but Xiao Fu’s grip was too strong. Lin Zikui’s lips trembled. “Wife, you… you’re…”
“I’m what? A man?” Xiao Fu held his sweaty hand and gently kissed his temple, kissed the corners of his reddened eyes, brushed away the damp hair sticking to his forehead. “I’ve always been a man. Didn’t you already know? You knew—and you still agreed to marry me. Lin Zikui, how do you expect me to let you go now?”
If you’re loving the tangled fates and slow-burning tension in Peach Blossom Decree, help Ciacia keep the petals falling by buying her a Kofi.
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