Luzhou Moon - Chapter 153
Lian Junchu raised her head, walked to the door, and said softly, "Okay, I won't let you cry again."
A bright moon rises, stars twinkle, and the vast sky, as boundless as the deep sea, stretches endlessly. A few wisps of clouds drift quietly, casting faint shadows in the bluestone courtyard.
According to custom, Yue Ruzheng didn't open the door until dark. Lian Junchu had already arranged everything on the table in the center of the main room and lit the dragon and phoenix candles. In the soft light, he wore a deep red robe he had never worn before, and his fair face showed a hint of caution and nervousness. Yue Ruzheng felt a warmth in her heart. Seeing him turn around, she quickly lowered her red veil, put her hands behind her back, and said, "Little Tang, come here."
In the candlelight, Yue Ruzheng wore a bright red wedding dress, with delicate tassels hanging from her red veil. Lian Junchu gazed at her; though he couldn't see her face, he felt an indescribable surge of emotion. He slowly walked to her side. Yue Ruzheng took a red silk ribbon from behind her back, held it in her hand, and said, "Does it look good?"
Lian Junchu had never seen such bright and beautiful red silk before at home, and was momentarily stunned, asking, "Where did this come from?"
"I went down the mountain to buy more later," Yue Ruzheng said, her face hidden by a red veil, but her voice still carried a hint of amusement. "I deliberately didn't want you to know."
Lian Junchu smiled, and Yue Ruzheng wrapped one end of the red silk around his shoulder and tied it diagonally around his waist, while she held the other end. She gently shook the silk and said, "Let's go."
"Watch your step," Lian Junchu said, then led her slowly toward the center of the room. The long red silk ribbon looked especially vibrant in the candlelight, one end connected to him and the other to her. While other grooms lead their brides by the hand, he could only support Yue Ruzheng at the other end of the red ribbon with his shoulder, yet they still stood together.
"First bow to Heaven and Earth."
Outside, the bright moonlight shone, and the shadows of the trees swayed, creating a scene as beautiful as a classical Chinese poem.
"Bowing to the parents twice."
Inside the hall, red candles burned brightly, their flames flickering, making the room seem as if it were filled with divine pearls.
"Husband and wife bowing to each other."
He and she held their breath and knelt deeply before each other. For ordinary people, this might just be a natural happiness, but for Lian Junchu and Yue Ruzheng, from the first glance they met on that rainy spring night until today, four years have passed, tears have been shed, and even blood has been spilled, before they finally became husband and wife in this little house where they first met and fell in love.
Back in the room, the two sat side by side on the edge of the bed, neither wanting to break the gentle tranquility.
"Little Tang..." Yue Ruzheng finally spoke, clutching the red silk as if she were holding his hand.
Lian Junchu moved closer to her, touching her cheek to her red veil, and said, "Aren't you going to let me see?"
Yue Ruzheng smiled, pursing her lips, and shrank back a little. "There's a scale on the table."
At this moment, everything had to be done as Ruzheng said, so he obediently bit the small scale, knelt on the edge of the bed, and gently lifted the bright red veil.
Yue Ruzheng kept her head down, waiting for him to express his admiration, but he didn't speak for a long time. She looked up in surprise and saw him sitting to one side, seemingly unable to suppress a laugh.
"What are you doing?" She was both disappointed and angry, and she ripped off the red veil.
Lian Junchu finally calmed down, but her eyes were still full of laughter. "It's nothing. Why did you put on such bright red makeup?"
"Isn't this our wedding?" Yue Ruzheng emphasized the word "wedding," grabbed the mirror by the bedside, looked at herself again and again, and said defiantly, "What's so funny? I don't usually dress up, but now, aren't you stunned by my appearance?"
Her face was flushed in the mirror; she had spent the entire afternoon meticulously preparing herself. For some reason, she felt the rouge on her cheeks was uneven, so she added a little here, a little there, until it became increasingly vibrant. But she didn't think it mattered; after all, it was a wedding, and things should be festive. She had originally imagined that when she lifted the veil, he would be stunned by her beauty, holding his breath. Who would have thought that this clueless young Tang, instead of offering a single compliment, would make such a fuss!
Thinking of this, Yue Ruzheng angrily kicked him. Lian Junchu hurriedly tried to dodge, but she grabbed him.
"Trying to hide? Not so easy!" she said, pinching him as she did so.
"No! You've wrinkled my clothes!" Lian Junchu pleaded softly, but she couldn't break free. She could only let her act up for a while. Seeing that she still wouldn't stop, she simply leaned against her and fell forward, pinning her down on the bed.
Yue Ruzheng cried out "Ouch!" and tried to push him away, but he refused to get up no matter what.
"I still have pearl flowers in my hair..." She hugged his waist, her breath caught between his weight.
"Never mind..." Lian Junchu didn't let her finish speaking before gently biting her lip. Yue Ruzheng closed her eyes, slightly parted her lips, and their tongues touched.
Her long eyelashes brushed against Lian Junchu's cheek. He raised his head slightly and slowly kissed her from her forehead to her eyes and brows. Yue Ruzheng gently hugged him, turned to her side, and lay face to face with him. Only then did she feel more at ease. Touching his angular face, Yue Ruzheng felt as sweet as a soft, sweet candy.
She raised her right leg and hooked it around his, trying her best to get closer to him. His breathing quickened, and a glint of light appeared in his already deep eyes. He lowered his head and grabbed her collar, gently pulling it outwards, but he couldn't untie her sash.
Yue Ruzheng was only focused on stroking his cheek, oblivious to his expression. Lian Junchu kicked off his boots, lifted his foot, and tugged at her long skirt, whispering, "Ruzheng, Ruzheng..."
"Hmm?" Yue Ruzheng felt a tightening around her waist. Seeing him forcefully tugging at the hem of her skirt, she frowned. "What are you doing?"
Lian Junchu felt a little annoyed, and tugged at her skirt again, saying, "What do you mean, 'what'?"
Yue Ruzheng bit her lip, glanced at him with a smile, and whispered in his ear, "Beg me."
"You…" He snapped, biting her earlobe and mumbling, "Are you still going to torment me at a time like this?"
Yue Ruzheng snorted, broke free from his mouth, rubbed her ears, and said, "If you don't listen, I'll make you suffer."
"Don't do this..." Lian Junchu propped herself up with her shoulder, then pushed her down again, using her leg to brace herself against her. She frowned and said, "I'll be obedient."
Yue Ruzheng gave him a triumphant kiss, then reached out to untie his belt. He bent down to bite her belt, but felt a weight on his body and his vision went black. It turned out that Yue Ruzheng had pulled the quilt over them and covered them with it.
"Don't cover yourself with the blanket, it's suffocating, I can't see anything!" He kicked the blanket hard, making a strong protest.
Yue Ruzheng grabbed him tightly, preventing him from kicking anymore. "You just said you'd be obedient! Won't you catch a cold if you take your clothes off?"
"But I..." Before he could resist, Yue Ruzheng had already stripped off his clothes in a few swift movements. He instinctively flinched back, but Yue Ruzheng became even more relentless, "Still trying to be tough? Come here, let me warm you up."
Lian Junchu sighed helplessly. Yue Ruzheng pulled the blanket over her head, and he saw her wriggling around in the blanket for a while. Just as he was about to speak, Yue Ruzheng stretched out her smooth arm. The moment he touched her, he felt a slight warmth on his shoulder and arm, and his legs involuntarily leaned against her.
Yue Ruzheng pursed her lips and crawled out of bed, her rouge smeared all over her face, but her eyes were full of tenderness, like a rippling spring pond. She was only wearing a scarlet bodice, and she opened her arms to embrace his waist, their bodies pressed so intimately together for the first time.
"Little Tang, you seem a little hot," Yue Ruzheng whispered, pulling over an embroidered pillow and placing it under her lower back.
Lian Junchu buried his face in her chest, gently stroking the thin ribbon, and carefully unhooked her bra with his lips and teeth. His breath brushed against Yue Ruzheng's skin, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Don't laugh..." His face flushed slightly, and he lowered his head shyly, gently kissing her chest. Yue Ruzheng's body trembled slightly; she instinctively curled her legs up, but he pressed them down with his knees. A hint of hesitation remained in Yue Ruzheng's eyes. Lian Junchu gently pulled her long hair aside, whispering, "Ruzheng, don't run away anymore."
"Um..." she responded shyly, then blushed and said, "But, I don't know how..."
Lian Junchu paused, then lowered his eyes and said, "I don't know either... but it's okay." As he spoke, he pressed his body close to Yue Ruzheng, relying solely on his instinct to explore further. He couldn't support himself, so his weight rested on Yue Ruzheng, and soon she felt strained. She pursed her lips, boldly rolled up the blankets, and flipped over, pinning him down on top of her.