Chapter 144: The Wedding Night (Supplementary Chapter)

Just as she stepped off the bed and opened the bedroom door, the maid outside had already delivered dinner, and only then did Jin'er realize that the day had grown somewhat late.

After finishing dinner, Jin'er felt utterly stifled, so she took her zither and went to the pavilion to play in solitude. The lingering notes echoed as countless memories flashed through her mind one by one—there was pain, bitterness, joy, and happiness... Yet, regrettably, despite experiencing so much, what she had lost far outweighed what she had gained.

Thinking of what Chu Yifan had said to her during the day, Jin'er had to admit that she was indeed somewhat tempted. Although her current abilities were sufficient for her to roam the pugilistic world freely, and she even possessed her own martial arts sect, compared to the ruler of an entire nation, it seemed to amount to very little. Just like right now, was she not still inevitably subject to the control of others?

In truth, she was not interested in manipulating the destinies of others or holding the power over life and death; she merely hoped to completely and utterly control her own fate, free from the domination of anyone else. Yet, how easy was that to achieve? In a world strictly divided by hierarchies, perhaps the only way to realize this was to reach the absolute pinnacle of power.

However, if she truly agreed to Chu Yifan, how would things unfold? Could the Wood Kingdom, carved up by the two major powers of the Jin Kingdom and the Tu Kingdom, truly stand on its own once again?

Her mind was in a turmoil, and the melody of the zither grew somewhat chaotic along with it. Jin'er simply pressed her hands against the strings, stood up with a frustrated sigh, and walked to the edge of the pavilion. Wrapping her arms around herself, she frowned and stared blankly into the serene night, her heart drifting to certain people and certain events.

"It's getting cold. You should return to your room early," He Lingfeng's voice suddenly broke through her reverie from behind. At the same time, she felt a heavy warmth on her shoulders. Turning her head, she saw that a snow-white fox-fur cloak had been draped over her.

Jin'er did not even spare him a glance before turning straight away to leave. The cloak, draped across her shoulders without time to be tied, slipped off and fell to the ground as she strode off.

He Lingfeng silently watched her cold, receding figure, his fists clenching and relaxing, relaxing and clenching. Finally, with a deeply furrowed brow, he slowly stepped forward, bent down, and gently picked up the cloak from the floor, his movements as tender as if he were gathering up his own shattered heart...

The room was dead silent, the fiery red candlelight casting an even more vivid and festive glow over the celebratory chamber. Beneath the bridal veil, however, the stunning and mesmerizing bride showed not a trace of joy.

"Creak..." The door was pushed open.

Clad in a grand crimson wedding robe, the handsome and captivating groom strode in with eager anticipation. With a flick of his hand, the maids in the room filed out together and gently closed the door behind them.

He Lingfeng walked slowly to the side of the bed and sat down beside Jin'er. Having only reluctantly drank a few cups of wine earlier, his cheeks were now flushed and burning with excitement, and his heartbeat had inexplicably quickened.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly lifted the red veil, revealing a breathtaking, soul-stirring face that instantly caught He Lingfeng's breath in his throat.

For a long moment, he struggled to catch his breath, staring at her unblinkingly as he murmured, "Jin'er, you must be the most beautiful bride in this entire world."

On her jade-white face, dense and curled eyelashes trembled upward. Jin'er raised her eyes to look at him, her expression caught in a momentary trance.

Having not seen him for many days, whether due to the reflection of the red candles or something else, his complexion appeared ruddy and lustrous. His well-defined eyebrows were neither too thick nor too thin, and his ink-black eyes beneath his single eyelids shone with a gentle and excited light. His handsome, prominent nose struck a balance between strength and softness, and his moderately full lips were as vividly red as if touched with crimson dye... She had to admit that he was strikingly charming, yet she felt not an ounce of happiness.

He Lingfeng caught a flash of bedazzlement in Jin'er's eyes. Before he could feel any joy, however, that flash vanished without a trace, and his heart immediately sank back into disappointment.

Standing up, he took Jin'er by the hand and led her to the table in the middle of the room. Smiling, He Lingfeng picked up two cups of cross-cupped wine and handed one to Jin'er. "Can't you be a little happier? Today is the most beautiful and important moment of your life."

Jin'er slowly raised her hand to take the wine cup, sighing inwardly: Indeed, today was her first time acting as a bride across her two lifetimes, yet it was utterly different from the romance and excitement she had imagined in her youth. Had she known it would turn out like this, she would rather have given this first time to Mo Yan.

"Do not think of anyone else," He Lingfeng said with a frown. "Now you are my crown princess, my wife. As your husband, I do not allow you to think of any other man!" His words were filled with overbearing dominance, yet they clearly betrayed anxiety and sorrow.

Jin'er raised her eyes to look at him, and of her own accord, she looped her arm through his to form the posture of drinking the cross-cupped bridal wine. "When will you let them go?"

Though it thoroughly ruined the romantic atmosphere, He Lingfeng had no other choice. Frowning, he replied, "Ten days from now."

Hearing this, Jin'er knitted her brows.

"Five days," He Lingfeng amended. He only wished to make her a little happier.

Only then did Jin'er's furrowed brows relax somewhat, and she tilted her head back to drain the wine in her cup in one gulp. He Lingfeng smiled faintly and drank his dry as well.

The wine cups clattered onto the table. He Lingfeng swept Jin'er up into his arms, scooping her off her feet. Looking down at the tense expression on the delicate beauty in his arms, He Lingfeng smiled faintly, carried her over to the vanity, and gently set her down on the stool.

Afterward, he carefully removed her heavy phoenix crown and hair ornaments, then picked up a wooden comb and tenderly combed through her long hair.

Jin'er silently watched him in the mirror, wearing a gentle smile as he earnestly combed her long hair, unable to describe the complex taste in her heart. This ought to have been a warm and sweet scene, but in her eyes, it felt as though she were watching a play performed by strangers.

"Why are you treating me like this?" Jin'er murmured. She did not know whether she was asking why he had forced her to marry him, or why he was treating her with such tenderness.

"Because I love you..." He Lingfeng stopped what he was doing, looked up into Jin'er's eyes in the mirror, and spoke with unwavering firmness and affection.

Jin'er lowered her gaze to avoid his, feeling a suffocating tightness in her chest. At that moment, she felt her body grow light as she was scooped up into his arms once more.

Step by step, as he approached the bridal bed, Jin'er's heart began to hammer wildly. She could not bring herself to meet his gaze directly and instead bit her lip, looking aside in unaccountable nervousness.

He Lingfeng gently placed Jin'er on the bed, removed her shoes and socks, and then slowly sat down on the edge of the mattress. Seeing her biting her lip and turning her face away with a faint blush blooming across her cheeks, He Lingfeng's own heart grew inexplicably tense, mixed with a sliver of excitement. He slowly leaned down, his breathing growing somewhat short and heavy.

Feeling him draw closer, Jin'er's heart leaped into her throat. She quickly shut her eyes tight, her brows knitting together into a knot.

What should she do? Should she just kick him unconscious?!

After a long moment of tension, however, the expected event did not occur. Puzzled, Jin'er fluttered her eyelashes, slowly opened her eyes, and turned her face back, only to find He Lingfeng merely ten centimeters away from her, looking at her with an amused expression.

"Who would have thought that you, who fear neither heaven nor earth, would one day find yourself afraid of me?" With that, He Lingfeng could not help but chuckle softly to himself, his expression brimming with undisguised triumph.

"Afraid of you?!" Jin'er instantly brushed off her previous nervousness, scoffing with deep disdain. If he hadn't been blocking her path, she probably would have jumped up right then and there.

"You're clearly terrified. Rest assured, I'll be very gentle." With a smile, he lowered his head, intending to kiss Jin'er, but she raised a hand to press against his chin, preventing him from coming any closer.

"As if I'm afraid of you! I just don't want to!" Jin'er glared at him rebelliously, her face flushed red.

"You don't want to? Don't forget our agreement."

"I am already your crown princess!"

"I want a real crown princess, not one in name only."

"You didn't say that at the beginning."

"You didn't ask either."

"You!" Jin'er was momentarily at a loss for words, and turning her head away in vexation, she refused to look at him.

She had actually anticipated this outcome long ago; after all, no one would be foolish enough to let it go. Moreover, she knew very well what game he was playing—it was nothing more than trying to make her his woman in both name and reality, thereby severing any thoughts she had of leaving.

It was a pity that she did not belong to this world in the first place, nor would she abide by its codes of propriety and morals. Even if she had performed the wedding ceremony with him, and even if they consummated their marriage, she could still run away just as easily if she wanted to. At worst, she would just leave him a letter of divorce.

"We've already completed the wedding ceremonies; no amount of insistence on your part can change the fact that we are husband and wife. Besides, if you behave, perhaps I can release them two days earlier." He Lingfeng tilted his head to look at the puffing Jin'er, desperately wanting to pull her into his arms and coax her into a smile, but with no other options left, he could only use that trade as leverage to provoke her.

Sure enough, hearing this, Jin'er turned her head back.

Narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked at the handsome face right before her, she thought to herself: It seems I really can't dodge this after all. Fine, so be it! Who's afraid of whom? Besides, she wasn't going to suffer any losses anyway.

At this thought, Jin'er suddenly reached out, grabbed He Lingfeng by the arms, and with a fierce roll, pinned him beneath her.

Faced with her sudden reversal, He Lingfeng stared in shock at the stunning beauty inches away, a flash of panic and helplessness crossing his eyes.

"Do you still think I'm afraid of you now?" Jin'er tilted her head with a wicked, enchanting smile, reached out to hook him by the chin, and lowered her head to capture his soft lips directly.

With a loud roar in his mind, He Lingfeng widened his eyes, completely losing control over his breathing and heartbeat.

She was an absolute sprite, a sprite capable of devouring human souls...

When Jin'er's nimble little tongue probed into his mouth, mischievously and domineeringly provoking his tongue tip, He Lingfeng shuddered slightly, his breathing instantly turning heavier. The next moment, he reached out to wrap his arms tightly around the petite, soft body above him, rolled over to pin her beneath him once more, and launched his counterattack.

She always wanted to bully him, but this time he wasn't going to let her win!

The red candles flickered. On the crimson quilt embroidered with golden dragons and phoenixes, two scarlet figures pressed closely together, their ragged breaths intertwining in an intensely fiery and seductive embrace.