At this realization, Chen Wanqing’s breath caught in her throat.

"Sister, I’ve come to lift your veil."

Zhao Jing’s voice was a little hoarse and strained. Perhaps it was because he had been too busy to drink any water all day, or perhaps it was because his thoughts were in such a turmoil that he couldn’t even control the pitch of his voice.

Before Chen Wanqing could make sense of it all, an auntie’s voice suddenly piped up from inside the room. "Still calling her ’Sister,’ Jing? From now on, she’s your wife. It’s time you changed how you address her." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Oh my, I wouldn’t have even thought of it if you hadn’t mentioned it. Jing really should change what he calls her."

"If not ’Sister,’ then what? Wanqing? Or maybe Qing’er...?"

"Bah! And you call yourselves elders, leading the charge in teasing these two youngsters. If you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll call Eldest Aunt to come deal with you."

"We wouldn’t dare..."

"We really wouldn’t dare, hahaha..."

Her world suddenly brightened, and Chen Wanqing looked up reflexively.

Before her was a young man dressed entirely in red.

He wore red robes, his hair was black, and his handsome face was as fair as jade. His features were sharp and well-defined, made all the more distinct in the flickering candlelight.

His face still held the greenness of youth, yet his demeanor was a mixture of steady maturity and bashfulness. He was, at first glance, breathtakingly elegant—the kind of person you look at once and can’t help but look at again.

Zhao Jing, too, was a bit stunned.

He gazed at the soft, vibrant beauty of her face and her shimmering eyes, which were filled with both affection and shyness. Suddenly, his heart began to race, and his throat felt tight.

"Oh, my, my! Look at that! They’re both staring, dumbfounded."

"How are they both so good-looking? Jing is already a top-notch young man, and now the Chen family’s daughter turns out to be such a beauty. Our Jing is a lucky man."

"They’re both lucky. Blessings have come to their door. It’s a most auspicious match."

The room filled with teasing and joking, causing both Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing to blush furiously. Belatedly, they both tore their gazes away and lowered their eyes.

As the new bride, it wasn’t proper for Chen Wanqing to say anything, so she simply turned her head to the side, feigning shyness.

Zhao Jing, however, very seriously bowed to the assembled aunts and sisters-in-law. "It’s time for the banquet. Eldest Aunt, please lead the other aunties to the feast. You’ve all worked hard today. The elders should have something to eat."

"Oh, listen to how sweetly our Jing speaks."

"On the surface, he’s concerned about us, but really, he’s just concerned about his wife. Our Jing has really grown up; he already knows how to dote on his wife."

"You know that, yet you still say it out loud. You’ve made the poor boy blush."

With one last retort after another, the group finally filed out the door.

But one person remained in the room: Second Aunt.

Second Aunt stayed behind to guide the two through drinking the nuptial wine. Then, she had them each snip a small lock of hair and place it in a small pouch, which concluded the ceremony.

Second Aunt left with a chuckle. Zhao Jing closed the door and turned back. He slowly walked over to Chen Wanqing and asked, "Sister, are you hungry?"

It was dusk by now.

The Dragon and Phoenix Candle was lit in the room, along with several other small red candles, illuminating the entire east chamber brightly.

However, whether intentionally or not, Zhao Jing stood in a position that blocked all the light, casting his shadow over her.

Her view was dark, but not completely black. Chen Wanqing could make out Zhao Jing’s form, but because he was backlit, she couldn’t see his expression.

This feeling, as if a predator were lying in wait in the dark, or as if she were being coveted, made Chen Wanqing uneasy.

In her alarm, she sat straight up on the bed.

"I’m not hungry yet..."

"Please sit down and talk, Sister. You’ve had a long day too," Zhao Jing said with a smile, his tone somewhat pitiful. "I woke up before dawn today, and I don’t even know what I was busy with, but I’ve been running around until now. I’ve only had one meal all day, and I’m so hungry my heart is fluttering. Are you really not hungry, Sister? Didn’t they say you were also busy meeting many relatives and friends today and didn’t have time to eat?"

Chen Wanqing’s tense nerves slowly began to relax, and the sense of crisis she had felt just moments ago inexplicably vanished.

’It must be because I’m in a new place and haven’t adjusted yet,’ she thought. ’That’s why I was on such high alert.’

’In reality, what danger could there be?’

’It’s not like Jing would actually do anything to me.’

As her mind and body relaxed, her stomach let out a loud GROWL. Chen Wanqing froze in embarrassment, and sure enough, she heard Jing’s muffled laughter.

She couldn’t help but smile as well. "I am a little hungry. It’s not that I was too busy entertaining people to eat. It was because I had changed into my wedding dress and had my makeup done. I was worried that frequent... ahem, movements would wrinkle the clothes and ruin the makeup, so I ate very little today."

"Well, you don’t have to worry about that now. I’ll have Xiang’er bring some food for you in a moment, Sister. Please eat a lot. I’m going out to make the toasts now."