Chapter 251: Chapter 189: Wedding Ceremony

The elegantly dressed Shen Jingxian appeared before everyone.

So beautiful.

They always knew the Princess was lovely, but they never expected her to be this breathtaking.

Wen Ranchen couldn’t help but hold his breath, afraid that his breath, tainted with alcohol, might reach the Princess.

Of course, Shen Jingxian looked stunning. Her makeup today was cleverly crafted. Originally, the Wedding Maid had done her makeup, but she found it too heavy and washed it off, instructing the Wedding Maid to redo it according to her liking.

Shen Jingxian had once studied various makeup styles and knew well which makeup suited her face now. After all, it was her important day, and she didn’t want to get wed with a ghastly white complexion and bright red cheeks.

Under her guidance, the resulting makeup was a lethal blow to a straightforward man like Wen Ranchen, and not only to him — even the women present were overwhelmed.

They stared at the Princess’s face, full of disbelief.

Why was it obvious that the Princess was wearing makeup, yet it didn’t appear as stiff as theirs but rather vibrant?

Who was the Wedding Maid who did the Princess’s makeup today?

They would inquire later.

As everyone came back to their senses, the bridal chamber was filled with gasping sounds.

They wanted to say something to compliment the Princess but felt that no words could accurately express their feelings.

After pondering for a moment, everyone unanimously decided to hold back.

After lifting the bridal veil came the drinking of the cross-cupped wine.

After drinking the wine, the Empress began to usher the onlookers out.

They had to leave some time for the young couple to be together.

No one dared to act rashly in front of the Empress and left with her.

Wen Ranchen glanced at Shen Jingxian and immediately, as if startled, averted his gaze, striving to keep his voice calm.

“You all go too.”

The servants attending to the bridal chamber also withdrew.

The red candles burned brightly; outside the courtyard, some people were exclaiming, talking about how time is precious and once lost, cannot be bought back.

This was a friend of Wen Ranchen from the Northern Land.

Usually, he’d mastered just this one scholarly phrase, and today he finally had a chance to use it.

The Empress, who was also Wen Ranchen’s foster mother, had formidable control over the scene. With a few swift moves, she got rid of the people outside the courtyard.

The outside of the bridal chamber finally quieted down.

Wen Ranchen finally dared to look at Shen Jingxian, but his gaze now turned so intense that it made Shen Jingxian feel an unbearable warmth.

“Your Highness…”

Shen Jingxian’s eyelashes fluttered, “Why do you still call me Your Highness?”

Wen Ranchen’s Adam’s apple moved, and he suddenly whispered, “Xian’er.”

Shen Jingxian also became nervous.

“Hmm.”

Although Wen Ranchen had studied what to do next, it still felt extremely unfamiliar to him, so he thought to start a conversation to relax both himself and the Princess, “Xian’er, are you hungry? Were the pastries on the way to your taste?”

Shen Jingxian certainly couldn’t admit she ate the pastries on the way.

After all, it was her wedding; she had to keep up appearances.

Wen Ranchen didn’t know what to say, so he remarked that he didn’t believe Shen Jingxian hadn’t eaten the pastries on the road.

Shen Jingxian raised her eyes, shifted her position, leaned lazily against the bed, and said, “Then how would you believe me?”

Wen Ranchen, looking at those luscious lips, impulsively said, “Unless Xian’er lets me taste.”

Taste what?

Wen Ranchen leaned over and kissed her.

The first sensation was soft, then sweet.

This sweetness wasn’t like the kind from pastries, but it drilled straight into his heart, making it hard to distinguish.

Wen Ranchen’s usually intelligent mind worked rapidly, using his lack of tasting as an excuse to kiss her again.

Their hearts began to draw closer, with heartbeats accelerating and desire rising.

Both felt shy, but it was more than just shyness.

Wen Ranchen, after all, had been to the battlefield. Knowing what he wanted, he wouldn’t easily let go until he conquered and gathered everything into his embrace.

Consequently, when the second kiss ended, Wen Ranchen was fine, but Shen Jingxian was left breathless.

The outer layer of the wedding dress was easy to remove, but he spent some time with the inner clothes’ clasps. His hands, used to holding swords and pens, were now tormented by a few buttons, leaving him sweating profusely.

“Xian’er.”

Wen Ranchen whispered as he leaned closer to Shen Jingxian, “I’m feeling really uncomfortable.”

Shen Jingxian blushed, understanding exactly what Wen Ranchen meant by these words.

The red quilt, with mandarin ducks necking.

Later, Shen Jingxian was silently crying, feeling bitter, and Wen Ranchen didn’t know what else to do, so he dressed and got out of bed to comfort her.

After nearly five hundred words of sweet talk, Shen Jingxian finally nodded again.

Wen Ranchen’s face lit up with joy, fearing that Shen Jingxian might be scared by his intense desire, he blew out the candles.

The sky had darkened, yet the maids standing outside the door couldn’t rest. Occasionally, one or two stars would pierce into the starry river above, sweeping into the darkness, barreling through with white tails, lightly, firmly, dropping straight, sweeping across, trembling, giving the night some sporadic bursts of brilliance.

The myriad stars were momentarily confused.

Suddenly, a single huge star slashed across the sky, with an exceedingly long tail, radiating starflowers. In its final advance, it lit up a strip of the sky like it pierced through the layers of darkness, letting in and lingering with some milky white light.

The afterglow dispersed, and the darkness seemed to waver for a moment before enveloping again, and the quietly lazing stars returned to their positions.

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