“Okay.” Wu Yuan nodded, then carefully helped Gu Nansheng up from the bed. They had tied a red, festive scarf loosely around her neck, making her skin look even lighter.
Feng Tianlan took the red bridal veil that was passed to her and gently put it over Gu Nansheng’s head. Then, she bent her knees to carry Gu Nansheng on her back. She slightly tilted her head and whispered, “Nansheng, you’re not feeling that nervous now that I’ve done this, right?”
Wu Qi’s eyes reddened when he saw that. He finally succumbed to his grief and had to turn his back on the two, his shoulders shuddering in a silent cry.
Si Mobai stayed by the side of Feng Tianlan. Her body was still fragile, yet she needed to carry a person on her back. He was worried that she might stumble or fall, so he stayed by her side all the time to catch her immediately if she faltered.
However, Feng Tianlan pressed on, her every step as steady as it could be. Even when she descended the stairs, there was not a single tremble. She held on securely to Gu Nansheng on her back.
“In the past, the bride would be piggybacked to her bridal sedan by her elder brother or uncle. Why did it become my task when it was your turn to get married? In any case, I’m now part of your maiden home.”
“You’re getting married today. Do your junior sisters in the Yanyue Building know? If they don’t, they’ll surely chide you again, saying that you’re high and mighty but with a heart of gold.”
“Actually, I don’t have many friends. Apart from Yunzhu and Chuling, you’re the only other friend I have.”
“I don’t look stern all day long. Look, I even smiled today.”
“You’re a bride, and very soon the wife of another man. You shouldn’t say things like you’ll fall in love with me if I’m a man anymore.”
Feng Tianlan carried Gu Nansheng on her back as she spoke softly to her. There was a soft smile on her face, but spread under her eyes was iciness.
Wu Qi sobbed harder. He could see how much it resembled the times when Gu Nansheng was still alive. That was how Feng Tianlan and Gu Nansheng looked when they were together.
Upon exiting the inn, she saw the eight-man bridal sedan splashed in loud red stop right by the door. Feng Tianlan stood dazed for a moment, then turned to Wu Yuan and asked, “Why are you marrying Nansheng?”
Nansheng loved Wu Yuan, so even when she heard all those rumors, she still wanted to marry him. Feng Tianlan knew that this was not the right time to ask, but she still wanted an answer.
Wu Yuan paused at that unexpected question, then said the most words he had ever said in his life, “I don’t know what love is, but I know that the person I want to marry is the princess. I want to see her laugh, see her be mischievous. Towards you, all I wanted was to repay your kindness, and nothing more.”
Wu Qi wiped the tears off his eyes’ corners, lamenting, “What’s the use of saying all that now? Why didn’t you explain yourself back then when rumors spread far and wide? You’ve never explained it to the princess. Now…”
Before he could finish, tears broke free from his eyes again, and a suffocating pain rose from his heart.
Wu Yuan did not respond. All he did was to stand there in silence. He was never good at speaking and was never the type to explain himself. Moreover, Gu Nansheng never asked him about it. Even if they met, she always laughed generously, not the least bit shy about the fact that she would be wedded to him.
He thought that maybe her feelings towards him were like how others viewed his feelings towards Miss Feng — that there was more than meets the eye.
He thought that maybe all she had for him was the intention and responsibility of an arranged marriage, and nothing more.
He thought that after their wedding, he would treat her well.
He thought…
Everything he thought was wrong, and he had lost her for life!
Feng Tianlan half-turned her head and stared at Gu Nansheng, who showed only a small part of her chin under that bridal veil. Almost teasingly, she said, “Hear that? The one that Wu Yuan likes is you. You can marry him without worry.”
After she said that, she said to Wu Yuan in seriousness, “I’ll be handing Nansheng to you now. If you dare bully her in future, I swear to destroy Evanesce City.
Wu Yuan nodded solemnly, then reached out and took Gu Nansheng into his arms. He tightened his grip around her, his heart heavy with sorrow and pain.
…