Shu Rui and Lu Ling had no plans to hold a grand wedding, but the trivial matters were no fewer all the same.
To go through the proper formalities, the Bai family still had to come to escort the bride, which meant first renting a residence. When the time came, Shu Rui would be lifted onto the sedan chair from that rented place and carried into the Lu household.
The house had to be rented at least half a month in advance. By then, red silk would need to be hung, and the character for “double happiness” pasted up—it had to look festive, at the very least.
Both the rented house and the new residence needed decorating. The new house especially left nothing to be said. With time pressing, they first had it thoroughly cleaned, then gradually moved in the wooden furniture.
Since it was a new home, all the everyday household items also had to be purchased. Only after everything needed for living was in place could they do further decorative touches.
The wedding date for Shu Rui and Lu Ling was set for the seventeenth day of the ninth month. At the beginning of the month, all the furnishings were finally moved into the new residence. The Lu family moved in first to organize things. At the same time, several closer relatives from Gan County hurried over as well, joining Liu-shi in handling the wedding arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Bai family’s people arrived at the prefectural city around the tenth day of the month. Shu Rui still went to receive them in person. The one leading them was an old acquaintance, Li Mama, who had already been mentioned in the letters.
Naturally, the Bai family elders could not endure the journey all the way to Chaoxi Prefecture. They only sent an experienced steward from the household to escort the bride and attend the ceremony. Even if the letter hadn’t said so, Shu Rui wouldn’t have been surprised.
He followed proper etiquette, bringing them to the temporarily rented house, treating them to a good meal, and settling them in. After they had rested, he distributed rewards to the escort party, then explained the wedding-day procedures one by one.
Everyone from the Bai family received red envelopes. Holding the heavy, bulging red packets, their expressions immediately shed the listlessness they’d had upon arrival. One by one, they looked as though they’d been revived.
They had been sent on this errand under the Bai family’s orders, and given Jiang-shi’s miserly nature, the travel funds provided were pitiful. The trip itself was tiring, and the allowance was small—who could be happy doing such work?
Now that they had received Shu Rui’s generosity, with solid, lavish red envelopes in hand, how could they not be pleased?
At once, everyone became more than willing to follow Shu Rui’s instructions.
Shu Rui understood these people’s minds all too well. After handing out the initial red envelopes, he added that once the wedding was properly completed and the rites carried out smoothly, everyone who came would receive additional rewards.
With thoughts of those rewards in mind, the Bai family’s escort party happily threw themselves into decorating and arranging the house, not a trace of weariness left.
Seeing how Shu Rui had trained the group into obedience with just a few moves, Li Mama watched them bustle off to clean, decorate, and rehearse the wedding-day procedures without paying her, the head attendant, any heed. Her mouth tightened, her expression turning ugly.
Before leaving, Jiang-shi had specifically instructed her that once they arrived, she was not to let people work—Shu Rui was to be made to handle everything himself, to ensure he was thoroughly inconvenienced.
But Shu Rui handled matters with seasoned efficiency. Even if she told the others not to work, would they listen to her? She had no money to command them. She had already endured plenty of complaints along the way.
Seeing Li Mama’s face turn ashen, Shu Rui called her inside to drink tea alone.
With only the two of them in the room, Li Mama felt more than a little awkward. She had lived to this age, yet felt she had never truly seen through Shu Rui.
Back when he lived with the Bai family, Rui-ge’er had been diligent and obedient. Later, when she saw him again, he was destitute. Now, he showed undisguised sharpness and competence. Only at this moment did she feel she was finally glimpsing his true nature.
No matter what, from the fact that he’d once dared to leave the Bai family’s protection so decisively, make his way to Chaoxi Prefecture on his own, and even attach himself to a family like the Lu household—enough that Lu Dianshi was willing to personally go to the Bai family to propose—it was clear this ge’er was no simple figure, not someone she could deal with.
This time, when she saw Shu Rui again, she felt far more fear and respect than before. “I still haven’t personally congratulated Rui-ge’er. To marry into such a good household as the Lu family—now that you have a husband’s family, may everything go smoothly and peacefully.”
Shu Rui gave a soft laugh. “As long as Li Mama doesn’t cause trouble, that will be the best congratulations.”
Li Mama’s heart clenched. She immediately stood up. “How would this old woman dare? In my heart, I only wish Rui-ge’er well.”
Shu Rui had no interest in exchanging empty pleasantries with old acquaintances. He spoke plainly. “Whether you truly wish me well, I don’t know. But I do know that my aunt likely harbors deep resentment toward me. Sending you here, she must have made certain arrangements.”
“Li Mama, you’re not a foolish person. You should understand that this is not a place where you can stir up trouble. I may not have been here long, but if someone bullies me, I have plenty of ways to make them pay dearly.
“And even if I were incapable, my family’s martial man—Li Mama, you’ve met him—he’s not someone easy to talk to. And that’s not even mentioning my father-in-law.”
Li Mama shrank back. Even without Shu Rui’s warning, she wouldn’t dare cause trouble. Now, under such intimidation, she hurriedly replied, “This old woman will follow all of Rui-ge’er’s arrangements. We servants do as we’re told—wherever the master is, we follow the master’s commands.”
Seeing her so deferential—more so than she ever was in front of Jiang-shi—Shu Rui felt a bit more satisfied. He didn’t continue harping on old matters; doing so would only make him look petty.
Instead, he asked about the Bai family’s current situation.
Li Mama’s eyes flickered. She felt that if she spoke well of the Bai family, Rui-ge’er might not want to hear it—just like with Jiang-shi. But if she spoke ill of them, that wouldn’t be appropriate either. After all, it was still her old master’s household. Though she wasn’t afraid to say such things here, Shu Rui was far too sharp; if she spoke nothing but bad words, he might not believe her.
After some thought, she decided to simply tell the truth.
“After the master obtained his official post, the whole family moved from the countryside into a house in the city. The master does fairly well at the yamen, and things have been smooth enough. It’s just that next year, the Deputy Magistrate Wang, who values the master, will finish his term and be transferred, which worries the master.”
“As for the madam, she’s still the same. Lately, she’s been associating with the wives of officials and respectable households. But families with higher standing are quite aloof—they look down on the master for having bought his official position and refuse to give the madam any face. That’s made her furious.”
“After Second Ge’er married into the Wu family, that merchant Wu has treated him well—giving him the best food and goods, even handing over shops and farmland to please him. But Second Ge’er is rather stubborn. He feels there’s no real affection between them, and often runs back home crying.”
Li Mama selectively recounted many things that had happened in the Bai household over the past year since Shu Rui left. They had gained wealth and status, but because of how they’d risen, they were looked down on and excluded by upright families. Many of the connections once built through Scholar Bai had been severed due to Jiang-shi’s conduct.
Even the scholars who had once benefited from the Bai family now rarely visited.
Listening to all this, Shu Rui felt it was exactly as he had expected.
No wonder Lu Ling, after returning from a visit, had told him that the Bai family was not something that would last.
When his uncle had still been alive, though he wasn’t a perfect man, he at least had some bottom line in matters of right and wrong. After his death, with the entire household handed over to his aunt, she pursued profit and so-called advancement without any limits. Such behavior might bring short-term glory, but it was never a path to lasting stability.
After listening for quite some time, Lu Ling finished his tasks and came over to fetch Shu Rui, bringing their conversation with Li Mama to an end.
“Is everything settled?” Lu Ling asked.
“Yes, they’re all cleaning and arranging things. How’s the new house?”
Lu Ling took Shu Rui’s hand. “We were thinking of hanging up all the red silk now, but it might rain in the next couple of days. Better to wait until two or three days before.”
Shu Rui nodded, and the two exchanged a few more words. Off to the side, Li Mama shrank like a quail at the sight of Lu Ling, her head lowered, not daring to speak.
Yet today, she had seen something new. That man, so cold and fierce before—someone even Jiang-shi felt was hard to deal with—was now gentle and attentive in front of Rui-ge’er.
If it were an act, a man of such temperament wouldn’t bother. And besides, why put on such a show for her? There was nothing to gain.
Her thoughts churned. Jiang-shi had once comforted herself by cursing that the man Rui-ge’er married wouldn’t be any good, that even after marriage he wouldn’t have a harmonious union. If she could see the genuine affection between these two, who knew how furious she’d become.
Thinking this, Li Mama decided it was better not to mention these things when she returned.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. On the sixteenth day of the ninth month, Shu Rui moved into the rented house, waiting for Lu Ling to come fetch him the next day.
Whether it was because the place was unfamiliar, or because he was excited and nervous, he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
His mind wandered chaotically—past, future, everything mixed together. September nights were no longer hot, yet he still got up twice to drink tea, feeling restless.
Then he heard a faint sound from the roof.
His ears pricked up at once, alert. But after a long while, there was no further movement.
Somehow, Shu Rui felt it might be Lu Ling squatting on the roof. Clinging to that thought, he lay back down and finally drifted off to sleep.
The bright moon cast its clear glow over the ground. Lu Ling sat on the roof, gazing at the stars in the sky. He, too, was spending a sleepless night.
After hearing that Shu Rui had fallen asleep, he still didn’t leave. He remained on the roof for a long while, until the moon sank westward and dew formed on the tiles. Only then, before dawn broke, did he quietly return to his own home.
At first light, both households sprang into motion.
Early that morning, Shu Rui got up to dress and groom himself. Since he would be wearing a bridal veil later, he didn’t bother spending too much effort on his face.
Some time back, with the weather swinging between cold and warm, he had been wearing a face veil. He’d told people he’d gone to a ritualist to have moles and pockmarks treated, which had caused no small amount of trouble.
Qing-ge’er and Yang Chunhua had both been shocked, saying that he was usually such a clever, sharp-minded person, yet for the sake of marriage he had dared to risk doing something like that. They worried he might have been swindled by some ritualist and ended up ruining his face, a loss far outweighing any gain.
Shu Rui hadn’t bothered to explain much. He simply endured the recovery period. Only two days ago had he finally removed the veil. The results were almost too miraculous, so he had deliberately applied powder and rouge again, telling the two of them that he was using expensive products from Baozhi Workshop to cover the remaining marks.
Whenever anyone asked, that was what he said. After all the fuss, Qing-ge’er and Yang Chunhua were full of admiration, completely changing their tune. They said that if they could find that ritualist again, they’d like to ask him to help “tidy up” their faces as well, and that they’d save money to buy the same high-end products from Baozhi Workshop.
Shu Rui didn’t use much makeup. By the time all the little details were taken care of, he could already hear the excitement outside.
“Ge’er, the wedding procession has arrived! You’d better hurry—don’t miss the auspicious hour!”
Shu Rui answered, quietly drew in a breath, covered his head with the bridal veil, and, at the appointed time, allowed himself to be supported as he was led out.
All he could hear outside was the noisy bustle. Every now and then, words like “the groom” and “so handsome” drifted into his ears, making Shu Rui unexpectedly curious about what Lu Ling looked like today.
With the veil over his head, he didn’t even know which direction Lu Ling was standing in. Though he couldn’t see him, only a moment later, a familiar pair of hands took hold of his.
Feeling the slightly rough yet warm palm, Shu Rui’s heart warmed as well. Calm and at ease, he let himself be guided into the flower sedan chair.
The rented house wasn’t far from the new residence—just a short stretch of street. The wedding procession moved slowly. After a long while of gongs and drums, they finally arrived.
As he stepped down from the sedan chair and had just steadied himself, he was suddenly swept up around the waist. Outside, cheers and applause erupted at once.
Though he couldn’t see the crowd before the house, Shu Rui could easily imagine the scene. Under the veil, his face flushed. Clutching Lu Ling’s clothes, he murmured softly, “It’s only a few steps. Why go to all this trouble?”
Holding him gently, Lu Ling murmured back, “There’s a fire basin set out. The wedding robes are long, and with the veil on, it’s hard for you to step over it.”
Shu Rui tilted his eyes slightly and just caught sight of the fire basin flashing past below. He let out a small breath and instinctively reached to hold Lu Ling a bit tighter—but Lu Ling’s stride was fast, and in no time he had already carried him into the main hall and set him down.
Shu Rui’s hand grasped at empty air, and he stood there awkwardly.
Lu Ling’s father and Madam Liu were especially well-dressed and spirited today. The relatives and friends gathered to witness the ceremony nodded and praised how well-matched the pair were, calling them a perfect couple. That only made the two elders’ faces glow all the more.
Lu Yu stood off to one side watching, the joy on his face no less than the day he passed the imperial examination.
After bowing to Heaven and Earth, then to the elders, and finally to each other, Shu Rui was ushered into the bridal chamber amid a chorus of celebratory cheers.
Once the door was closed, Shu Rui lifted a corner of his veil. Seeing that no one else was in the room, he quickly pulled it off entirely and let out a long breath.
Counting it all up, the rituals didn’t seem like much on paper, but going through them was truly exhausting. Still, he could genuinely feel now that marriage was no small affair.
He lifted his eyes and looked around the room that would be his home from now on. The space was large, with an inner room and an outer sitting room for guests. Though he had seen it several times before, this was the first time he’d seen it decked out in wedding decorations.
Red paper cuttings were pasted everywhere, far more festive than the place he’d stayed the night before.
The room was big, the wardrobes were big—and turning his head, the bed was big too.
Shu Rui’s face flushed again. When he sat back down, his thoughts were already drifting far from anything proper.
Lu Ling didn’t return to the room until night had fully fallen. By his nature, once Shu Rui had entered the bridal chamber and the banquet began outside, he would have slipped back in right away.
But today was a major celebration, with many guests. Lu Ling’s father kept pulling him along to drink, and he ended up toasting for quite some time. Uncharacteristically good-tempered, he didn’t refuse anyone, and only then did he finally come back at this hour.
When Shu Rui saw the door open and a sweep of red appear, he hurriedly covered his head with the veil again. Catching the scent of alcohol as Lu Ling approached, he asked, “Is the banquet over?”
“Just about.”
Lu Ling looked at Shu Rui sitting upright on the bed, his gaze softening as he sat down beside him. “Are you hungry?”
“There were some pastries on the table. I ate a bit—I’m not hungry.”
Lu Ling drew in a quiet breath. “Then I’ll lift the veil.”
Shu Rui nodded. Lu Ling took up the ceremonial scale and gently lifted the long veil.
Their eyes met. Seeing each other as they were today, both of them smiled unconsciously. Though they had long been familiar with each other’s faces, from this moment on their identities were no longer the same, and there was an indescribable, wonderful feeling in their hearts.
Unable to resist, Lu Ling leaned in and kissed Shu Rui’s lips, lingering and affectionate for quite a while. Shu Rui lightly patted his arm and said, haltingly, “We haven’t drunk the ceremonial wine yet.”
Only then did Lu Ling stop. He didn’t pull away, instead resting his forehead against Shu Rui’s. “I don’t know who arranged the banquet, but the wine was too strong. I drank several cups—it’s not sitting well.”
Hearing this, Shu Rui raised his hands and cupped Lu Ling’s face. Dark brows, a straight nose—without any adornment at all, yet wearing wedding robes he had never worn before, Lu Ling looked exceptionally handsome, more dashing than ever. No wonder there had been so much praise along the way.
Now that handsome, usually cold face was tinged with red from the drink. The sharpness in his eyes had softened, making him look almost easy to tease—a truly captivating young groom.
Shu Rui smiled, lips pressed together. “Your drinking capacity really does make things difficult.”
Lu Ling turned his head and kissed Shu Rui’s fingers. “Even if I’ve drunk this much, I can still manage one cup of ceremonial wine. Wait—I’ll get it.”
Watching him pour the wine, Shu Rui worried he might stumble if he was drunk. But he had underestimated him—drunk or not, Lu Ling’s steps were steady. If not for the wine rippling slightly in the cups, one wouldn’t have believed he’d been drinking.
Knowing his tolerance, Shu Rui quickly joined him and drank a cup.
After swallowing the wine, Lu Ling took a deep breath. “It’s still early. Don’t rush. I’ll sleep a bit to sober up, then get up and we’ll perform the marital rites.”
Shu Rui’s brows lifted slightly—he was just about to tell him to rest easy when Lu Ling tipped sideways onto the bed and closed his eyes.
“……”
For a moment, Shu Rui didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that he was in a desperate hurry to do anything, but on their wedding night, not even exchanging a few words before this—it left him feeling a bit dissatisfied.
Helpless, he got up, took off Lu Ling’s shoes, then with considerable effort shifted him into a more comfortable position.
Forget it. Letting out a long breath, he went to the table and poured himself some water.
Outside, a breeze seemed to rise, carrying the scent of osmanthus blossoms inside.
The moon on the fifteenth was full tonight, its pale light hazy and soft.
Shu Rui removed his outer robe and let his hair down. Returning to the bed, he found Lu Ling slept very quietly, without a sound. Even drunk, he didn’t move.
Shu Rui loosened Lu Ling’s sash as well and hung the wedding robes on the clothes stand. Lu Ling was heavy—so heavy that even pushing him was difficult. Just removing his outer garments left Shu Rui exhausted.
Forget it.
He climbed over Lu Ling and lay down on the inner side. There was still a hint of alcohol on him, but it was mixed with the faint fragrance from bathing and incense earlier. Without the outer robe and lying close, Shu Rui could still smell a gentle, clean scent.
Resting his head on Lu Ling’s chest, he leaned in to steal a kiss before sleeping—but Lu Ling suddenly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met. Lu Ling flipped over in one swift motion, and Shu Rui found himself pinned beneath him.
Perhaps when he’d removed the outer robe earlier, he’d tugged loose the inner ties as well. With that sudden movement, the ties came undone, his chest half-exposed and laid bare before Shu Rui’s eyes.
Shu Rui looked at him, his face faintly red. “You… what are you doing…?”
“I’m sober,” Lu Ling said.
He glanced at the loosened inner robe. “Did you undress me?”
Embarrassment flared in Shu Rui’s chest. “Who’s that eager? I was worried you’d be uncomfortable sleeping on your wedding clothes. It took me a lot of effort to get the outer robe off.”
“Didn’t I say earlier I’d just sleep a bit to sober up?”
Lu Ling looked at Shu Rui. “But since you already helped me remove the outer robe, I’ll take care of the rest.”
Shu Rui understood immediately. He thought: it’s only been the time of one stick of incense—can the alcohol really be gone enough for this? But before he could say anything, he felt a slight chill on his skin.
His body was even fairer than his face, something he had never shown to any man. Now, under Lu Ling’s intense gaze, his ears burned, and he turned his face slightly away.
Outside the bed curtains, the red candles were not extinguished—they were meant to burn until dawn, an auspicious custom. But it also added many moments that were hard to face with open eyes.
Lu Ling lowered himself, pressing close to Shu Rui, the warmth of their skin seeping into each other.
He reached up and touched Shu Rui’s face. “Are you scared?”
“No…”
Hearing his softened voice stirred Lu Ling even more. “Then why won’t you look at me?”
Shu Rui pressed his lips together, keenly aware of the change in him, his face flushing completely.
Though they had shared a bed before, Lu Ling had always restrained himself out of consideration for Shu Rui. He had never let him truly feel what it meant for him to be a man.
Now, with even a hint of real sensation, if Shu Rui was honest, he was a little afraid.
Though he stubbornly said nothing, when Lu Ling continued, he still grabbed his arm and asked in a small voice, “Will it hurt?”
Lu Ling froze, then cleared his throat. He didn’t really know the answer either.
Worried he might frighten him, he said, “It’s fine. If it doesn’t feel right, I’ll stop.”
Shu Rui gave a soft reply—and foolishly believed such words.
In the garden, the osmanthus trees were in full bloom, their fragrance rich and strong. At first it was clearly discernible, but gradually it was overtaken by other scents.
Lu Ling was inexperienced and clumsy at first, and since it was his first time, it ended quickly. Unfortunately, his desire returned just as quickly. Coaxing Shu Rui, he went at it again several times. At first he listened to Shu Rui and followed his lead, but little by little he grew more confident. Having read some improper books, he learned that certain words were better not listened to at all—and before long, he was completely beyond control.
After the two of them had finally finished all that tossing about, the red candles had already burned down by more than half. Shu Rui was someone who loved cleanliness, yet even so he couldn’t be bothered to fetch water to wash up. He was simply too exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Lu Ling, on the other hand, felt no fatigue at all. Seeing that Shu Rui was asleep and knowing he could not be disturbed any further, he finally got out of bed, fetched water, and cleaned Shu Rui up.
As for the moon outside—whether it had sunk toward the west or been hidden behind clouds, it was no longer bright in any case.
After gently wiping Shu Rui clean, Lu Ling helped him change into fresh sleeping clothes. It took no small amount of patience before he finished everything.
He then turned and looked at the underclothes scattered on the floor and gathered them up one by one.
In passing, he recalled how Shu Rui had insisted that after bathing, the waistband of the trousers had to be washed, and that they were not to be taken off and left sitting overnight.
He paused for a moment, then simply used the remaining water to scrub and wash both of their underclothes together.
After all, it wasn’t often one got the chance to wash them—miss this opportunity, and there might not be another.