### Chapter 307: Wedding Ceremony
“Round and round again, pity the wayward heart; red peach blooms intoxicate in the deep spring night. Alas, love is thin, bones crumble, hard to call upon young Donglang who doesn’t forsake…”
A lady’s voice sang sweetly, every word a pearl, yet every line dripped with bl**d, the melody brimming with endless sorrow and gloom, like a mist floating through the deep night, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Yun Zhonghe was yanked back from his thoughts by this sudden song. Just moments ago, he had been soaring through the skies with Mu Jixue, when out of nowhere, darkness engulfed him, stripping away all perception and sight.
All that remained was the eerie tune echoing around him, like the whispers of ghosts, sending chills through his bones.
How creepy.
Yun Zhonghe was baffled. He had just been enjoying a wonderful atmosphere with Mu Jixue, as if they had finally reached their Happy Ending.
How could everything turn to vapor in an instant?
Could it be… another round of reincarnation?
No, that can’t be right.
Yun Zhonghe dismissed the notion.
If they were starting over, as Mu Jixue had said, he would lose his memory.
Yet here he was, remembering every little detail of running through the forest and being rescued by Mu Jixue!
So, what was going on? Had he entered some sort of illusion?
Just as his mind was tangled in confusion, a sudden chill made his scalp tingle, as if a red veil was draping over his head.
But this time, the veil reeked of damp and mold, the pungent smell making him want to scrunch up his face.
However, Yun Zhonghe realized he couldn’t scrunch his face, or even move an inch; he was stuck like a statue.
“Red veil flowing, Plum Green Wine pouring, joyful candles burning bright, two souls forever tight…”
The lady’s voice chimed again, sweet and soft, full of emotion, as if she were the shy bride ready to walk down the aisle.
Yun Zhonghe was utterly speechless. Here he was, a strapping young man, being forced into the role of a bride.
This absurd scenario made him feel helpless, his nerves taut, wanting so badly to tear off the red satin draped over him but could do nothing.
He felt like a puppet on strings, pushed forward by some irresistible force.
Gradually, his vision returned. He lowered his gaze and could barely see the ground, feeling slightly relieved that he was back in his own body, no longer stuck in Liu Yan’s.
His little buddy was back!
But before he could let out a sigh of relief, he felt “someone” changing his clothes, a creepy shiver running down his spine.
In the blink of an eye, his robe was replaced with a bright red wedding gown, his once black-gold boots swapped for embroidered shoes adorned with golden mandarin ducks.
But… it was women’s attire.
Yun Zhonghe: ???
Seriously?! I just turned back into a man! Why is this happening to me now?!
That thought barely flashed through his mind. The situation was too bizarre—he wasn’t being dragged off for some ghost marriage like in a horror novel, right?
He instinctively tried to channel his spiritual energy to break free, but the invisible shackles held tight.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became as the sound of a suona began to fill the air, the music festive yet eerie.
He started silently reciting slogans of prosperity, democracy, civilization, and harmony…
But as if in response, a cold wind swept by, carrying a hint of the sinister, and a piece of satin red ribbon was thrust into his hand.
The vivid red was blinding, like bl**d.
“First bow to heaven and earth~”
A shrill voice cut through the noise of drums and gongs, startling Yun Zhonghe.
He felt overwhelming resistance; he didn’t want to kneel, but that invisible force clamped down on his legs like a vice. No matter how much he strained, even unleashing his spiritual root, he couldn’t break free.
His knees buckled, crashing heavily to the ground.
At that moment of kneeling, he could feel a slight tug from the other end of the ribbon.
Holy cow.
What or who was on the other end of this ribbon…?
“Second bow to the high hall~”
“Bow to each other as husband and wife~”
At the moment of bowing to each other, Yun Zhonghe felt the person on the other end also turn towards him, directly facing him.
He widened his eyes to take a look, but the red veil obscured his sight so much that no matter how hard he tried, all he saw was a blurred red shadow.
“Ceremony complete! Proceed to the bridal chamber!”
With that final command, the sound of suona reached a peak, the sharp notes almost piercing through his eardrums.
Only upon crossing that threshold did the exasperating suona noise finally dampen a tad.
Yet the weight of dread and fear clung to him like a shadow, echoing in his heart.
He instinctively held his breath, feeling the presence next to him moving closer, his mind conjuring countless horrific images, giving himself a full psychological prep.
This first-time marriage experience was absurdly folded into this weird and unpredictable scene.
Yun Zhonghe’s heart was a mixed bouquet of feelings.
The figure seemed to pause right in front of him, solid like a statue, the surrounding quietude thick, with only Yun Zhonghe’s heart pounding like a drum.
Finally, the heavy red veil lifted slowly.
As the red silk fell, a stunningly cute face came into view.
Those purple eyes sparkled with surprise as they gazed quietly at him.
“Mu Jixue?!” Yun Zhonghe gaped at the person before him, momentarily stunned, even forgetting that he could move or speak now.
He never expected that the person he was “marrying” in this bizarre ceremony would be Huang Aotian.
Mu Jixue stood before him in a grand red wedding gown, her long silver hair beautifully gathered by a jeweled gold crown, exuding both nobility and grace.
Snowy hair, red attire, a face like a peach—so cute it made one want to swoon, and her eyes shimmered like a pond.
Yun Zhonghe let out a breath of relief; at least his wedding partner wasn’t some ghastly creature…
Wait!
If his partner was Huang Aotian, wasn’t it worse?!
The relief he just felt jumped back up again, and he cautiously sized up Mu Jixue, only to find her wearing an equally relieved expression.
“What are you doing here?” Mu Jixue’s eyes shifted around, quickly confirming there were no spooky things lurking about before seizing Yun Zhonghe’s hand and whispering.
She had been so flustered before, suddenly freezing up, and then forced into a red wedding outfit with a figure under the veil drifting toward her. She had feared there might be some bl**d-soaked monster hidden beneath that veil.
Upon lifting it and discovering it was Yun Zhonghe, her heart also settled.
“I came to my senses and found myself here.”
Yun Zhonghe said, awkwardly turning his face away.
The instant their eyes met, he felt a wave of confusion wash over him.
It was as if they really were getting married.
That feeling was incredibly odd for Yun Zhonghe; in the past, he would have definitely kept a distance from Huang Aotian to avoid entanglement. However, now, gazing at her adorable face, he felt an inexplicable shyness, even daring not to meet her gaze.
He couldn’t help but sneak another peek at her face, feeling like she could almost become his.
It was as if something within him was uncontrollably swelling, desperately wanting to pull her into a tight embrace.
Yun Zhonghe felt like he was about to fall apart.
“Sigh, this illusion is really something weird!” Mu Jixue’s mind was also swirling, putting on a calm façade, hands on hips, attempting to distract herself, though her delicate cheeks were blushing like ripe apples.
The person she had just “married” turned out to be Yun Zhonghe!
That thought kept circling in her mind.
Even though Yun Zhonghe was wearing women’s clothes and sporting a red veil, making the whole thing oddly awkward, she couldn’t help but feel her heart racing even faster.
Even if this was just an illusion, they had still exchanged vows, right?
The Su Family sisters were far behind!
Mu Jixue had a glorious victory!
After a thrilling rush, she finally calmed down. Now that she was reunited with Yun Zhonghe, her fear of this bizarre bridal chamber faded a little. So, she casually plopped herself down on the nearby bridal bed, looking completely relaxed.
