The wedding of Jiang Huai and Bai Jin arrived as scheduled.
Bai Jin wished for a simple wedding, so Jiang Huai didn’t make a grand fuss. He only invited a few elders and held the ceremony in the courtyard he had prepared specifically for Bai Jin and Bai Li.
Jiang Huai personally made Bai Jin’s wedding dress. However, Bai Jin disliked the color bright red. Thus, Jiang Huai made her a pure white wedding gown. Bai Li stood by her side, her skirt hem identical to Bai Jin’s. At the moment, she was still in her petite loli form.
This was also how she looked when she first met Jiang Huai.
During the wedding banquet, Jiang Huai vaguely heard Mu Yao asking how many times she had drunk his wedding wine this year. Jiang Huai laughed it off and got by. The officiant was still Ji Qingxuan, whose cultivation had already reached the sixth level of Mahayana.
Of course, this was inseparable from their dual cultivation at night.
Dual cultivation with Ji Qingxuan required an appointment. One had to seize the opportunity when Ji Qingxuan was in a good mood to book a date within a few days. If one wanted sudden dual cultivation that night, Ji Qingxuan would press her white and tender little feet against his chest and coldly say, “Not allowed.”
This wedding was arguably the most relaxed one Jiang Huai had ever organized. Bai Jin and Bai Li were emotionally stable, so he didn’t need to worry about anything. Instead, he felt a little shy. After the ceremony, Bai Jin returned to the dining table, picked up her wine cup, and continued drinking with everyone.
Bai Li was only focused on eating to her heart’s content. Jiang Huai had been slacking off for days recently, and it was rare to see him cook again. She ate until she was full and let out a burp without any regard for her image.
That night, on their wedding night, Bai Jin did not change out of her white wedding gown. Instead, she put on thigh-high white silk stockings. Tonight, she didn’t exude her usual commanding aura but lay obediently on the bed, placing a pillow under her snow-white lower abdomen. Her slender and well-proportioned snow-white thighs parted, and her fair, slender fingers obediently spread them open, waiting.
***
Summer gave way to autumn, and the golden osmanthus filled the air with fragrance.
Jiang Huai collected the newly harvested osmanthus flowers. Some were used to seal jars for his Osmanthus pine nut wine, and others were used to make osmanthus cakes. Previously, he only needed to make a small box for him and Ji Qingxuan to try for novelty, but now, a small box wouldn’t suffice.
Nowadays, Ji Qingxuan lived in Luo Qingyu’s courtyard and refused to leave. Jiang Huai didn’t mind. He maintained a feeding schedule of about once a week. After being fed to her heart’s content, Ji Qingxuan became incredibly well-behaved. Even her voice lost its coldness and became much softer and more alluring.
Mu Yao and Xu Qing were currently living in Wen Wanwan’s courtyard. That was good too. Mu Yao could teach Su Qingyi how to study formations and talismans, and Jiang Huai would teach Xu Qing sword techniques when he had time.
When it came to cultivation, most people in the courtyard had slacked off. Even Wen Wanwan, who was usually the most diligent in sword practice and cultivation, had now transformed into a state where she was only diligent in dual cultivation at night. Most of her time was spent playing with cats, feeding Luo Qingyu’s Ice Spirit Bird, studying embroidery, cooking, or learning to dance or play musical instruments. Even so, her cultivation level increased rapidly, and she had now reached the fifth level of the Seventh Realm.
Only Xu Qing still practiced her sword for an hour every day. Jiang Huai would guide her when he had time. Her sword techniques had improved significantly.
Her cultivation level had never been high, but Jiang Huai had refined pills for her using the Azure Vine Spiritual Source. Although the effect was not as good as direct dual cultivation and refinement, her cultivation level had still increased a lot.
Wanwan’s courtyard was not a succubus’s den every day.
Jiang Huai often visited the courtyard. They would bask in the sun, study music, or chat around the stove while drinking tea. It was lively. Jiang Huai distributed the osmanthus cakes he made to everyone. When he arrived at the bamboo forest in the backyard, Xu Qing was diligently practicing her sword.
At this moment, Ji Qingxuan was guiding her sword techniques.
Ji Qingxuan’s talent in the Sword Dao was also extraordinary. Xu Qing listened very attentively, and a few beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead. When Jiang Huai arrived, she had just finished her practice. Jiang Huai placed the brewed tea on the table, poured her a cup, and pushed the osmanthus cake on the plate toward her.
Jiang Huai had known Xu Qing for over a year. Her figure seemed to have grown slightly taller than before. Sitting in front of him now, she was as gentle and refined as a jade carving. She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, took a gentle bite, and a hint of pleasure flickered in her eyes.
Jiang Huai propped his chin and watched her, blinking at her.
Xu Qing was slightly taken aback, tilting her head in confusion and looking at him.
Jiang Huai blinked again.
“En?” Xu Qing asked in confusion, but she chuckled and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Does your father have any favorite items? And your mother.”
“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?” Xu Qing’s fingertips lightly grasped her Daoist Robe, her voice trembling slightly.
“I think if we’re going to prepare for the proposal, we can’t show up empty-handed. I’ve gathered a lot of gossip, but I still don’t know what your parents would particularly like. I thought I’d ask for your opinion first.”
A blush spread across Xu Qing’s cheeks. She bit her lips, and after a moment, she softly muttered, “It’s, it’s not necessary for these things…”
“Courtesy is always important. We must thank your parents for giving birth to such a beautiful and cute daughter. They definitely won’t let her go easily when I marry her in the future.” Jiang Huai leaned closer. “Tell me.”
After a long hesitation, Xu Qing softly replied, “My father likes fine wine. A jar of fine wine can buy him over.”
Jiang Huai immediately smiled gently, looking into her eyes. Xu Qing’s eyes became a little evasive, and she said softly, “Mother… she told me before that she was worried, so, so… she said if you want to marry me, you, you have to bring you and me the Phoenix Tail Flowers picked from the Southern Region.”
“Then shall we set off the day after tomorrow?” Jiang Huai leaned closer again.
Xu Qing seemed to become increasingly flustered, nervously clutching her Daoist Robe. “It, it’s so sudden…”
“We can go retrieve the flowers first. As for fine wine, the Southern Region has the best fine wines. We can go together and find a few more jars.”
Xu Qing’s cheeks were flushed red now, and her voice became a little stuttered, unable to speak for a long time. Jiang Huai softly inquired, “What’s wrong? If you don’t want to get married recently, it’s okay to wait a little longer. Everything is up to you.”
“No, it’s not…” Xu Qing replied flusteredly.
“En? Then what are you nervous about?”
Jiang Huai gazed into her eyes. Xu Qing finally mustered her courage, looking at him intently. After a while, she very, very softly asked, “Can you tell me… why… you want to marry me?”
“En?” Jiang Huai reached out and pinched her white and tender little face. “What kind of strange question is this?”
“It’s just… I want to ask…”
Xu Qing lowered her head slightly.
When she had fallen for Jiang Huai in the past, he hadn’t had his current terrifying cultivation level, nor his current fame that resonated throughout the Five Regions. She just liked the proud young man in Daoji Ancestral Land who was willing to gamble for everyone. From that moment on, a seed was planted in her heart, and she began to care about things related to him.
At sixteen, she was also a proud daughter of heaven, but during her first meeting with him, her proud sword techniques were shattered by him. The instinctual shame made her wish she could escape quickly, but he had generously shared the reward that should have belonged only to him with her.
She began to collect and understand various deeds related to him. Those deeds painted a phantom image in her heart. Those illusions made her feel hazy and timid, wanting to touch but also timid and uneasy. Until she truly had a small place by his side, she began to understand everything about him, piece by piece, traversing those hazy fantasies and touching his true form. She realized that nothing had changed; she still wanted to stay by his side.
But now, he was too powerful, so far away from her. His cultivation was even much higher than her parents combined. Yet, he was still so gentle in front of her, softly asking what kind of betrothal gifts her parents would prefer.
“Because you are too good to me, and I can’t bear to let you go.”
Jiang Huai gently held her palm, his fingertips lightly scratching her palm. “If Qingqing doesn’t want to marry, then I’ll have to hit my head against the table and die.”
“Of course, of course, I don’t not want to marry…” Xu Qing immediately became a little anxious.
In fact, Jiang Huai understood everything.
What had confused him before was gradually understood as he thought more about it. He could probably guess Xu Qing’s current thoughts, but he never felt that the so-called difference in cultivation level meant anything. What was important was never the cultivation level, but the person.
“I understand,” Jiang Huai replied hurriedly, gently soothing Xu Qing’s slight anxiety, and leaned closer, resting his forehead against hers. “The day after tomorrow, we will go pick the Phoenix Tail Flowers together and find some fine wine in the Southern Region. By the end of the month, I will propose to your parents with you, and then discuss the wedding date with them, alright?”
His voice was soft and slow. Xu Qing’s anxieties gradually melted away with his voice. She let out a very, very soft “En” and then lowered her face, her snow-white cheeks now flushed with peach blossoms.
Ji Qingxuan, standing nearby, pouted slightly.
In her eyes, Jiang Huai was a two-faced man. Sometimes he could be deliberately roguish and annoying, making others furious, and sometimes he was gentle and approachable. But neither seemed fake.
Anyway, she hadn’t seen Jiang Huai’s gentle side too many times. Many times, she wanted to punch this bastard to death, but whenever her anger reached its peak, if this guy changed his expression, she instantly couldn’t get angry with him anymore.
Was this guy learning all the tricks that made women love and hate him because there were too many women around him?
***
The day after tomorrow.
Jiang Huai and Xu Qing boarded a Spirit Boat and headed to the Southern Region.
The journey was not long, but it was a rare moment of solitude. Xu Qing was especially well-behaved, liking to rest her head on his chest and murmur softly. To this day, the worst thing Jiang Huai had done to her was nothing more than a few kisses.
At night, in the room, the candlelight was gentle. Xu Qing was carefully and gently serving Jiang Xiaohu with her slender jade fingers. Her cheeks were flushed. Perhaps on weekdays, when playing strange games with her sisters, she would be a little mischievous, but now, when they were alone, she was incredibly shy and obedient, as docile as a kitten.
She lay on her side next to Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai occasionally lowered his head and gently kissed her delicate pink lips. Her lips were moist and glistening. In the candlelight flickering in the night, after a while, Jiang Huai heard her softly ask, “Jiang Huai…”
“En?”
“When will you… do bad things to me?”
“Actually, I’ve been planning it for a long time, but I haven’t found the right opportunity yet.”
Xu Qing’s face immediately buried itself in his chest. But after a while, she raised her head again and, summoning her courage, gently pecked his lips.
“I… clearly… never said… no.” She averted her face, her voice trembling lightly.
“Then please let me kiss Qingqing properly first.”
“Kiss where?”
“Everywhere.” Jiang Huai’s fingertips gently grasped her nightgown’s strap. Xu Qing frantically reached out to cover her white and tender face, but her small hands were still obediently moved away. Her two slender arms were raised high, wrists joined together. He lowered his head, watching as her dress was slowly stripped away.
