Qian Lan had locked herself inside her bedroom for the rest of the night. Just as she was about to open her window for some fresh air, a sudden knock on her bedroom door caught her off guard.
"Knock Knock."
"Who is it?"
"It's me, the head maid."
"Sigh."
Qian Lan sighs and walks back to her bedroom door to unlock it. In comes walking the head maid with a basket of snacks and fruits.
"What's the meaning of this."
"It's from the water god."
"I know that, but what's the meaning of having you bring it to me."
"He says it's an apology for what happened today."
"Pffft! Sure, whatever you say. If that's all you came for then you can leave. I want to sleep."
Qian Lan walks back to her bed and snuggles under her blanket.
"My lady, I also have something else to tell you."
"What? Did he want something else this time?"
"My lord is attending a banquet tomorrow at the harvest goddess palace. As his bride to be, it is your job to also attend with him."
"Hah? Bride to be? Says who?! I don't remember agreeing to anything."
The head maid shakes her head as Qian Lan turns to her side to face the wall.
"My lady, I will come tomorrow morning to help you prepare."
The head maid quickly exits Qian Lan's bedroom and closed the door behind her. Meanwhile, Qian Lan was still fuming with anger from everything she had gone through. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Bah! Forget it Qian Lan. Stop thinking about that idiot man!"
Qian Lan forces her eyes closed and soon dozes off. Unlike the night before she was able to sleep in peace once she cleared her mind. Hours past and the sun was finally rising and peeking in through the window. Qian Lan snaps out of her sleep as she hears the sound of numerous foot steps approaching her bedroom.
"My lady! I'm coming in!"
The head maid barges in with other maids. Each and every maid was carrying something. Whether it was clothing, jewelry or makeup.
"What's the meaning of this head maid?"
The head maid wasn't even listening to Qian Lan. She quickly smashes a blue bubble and fills the wooden bath with water and motions for Qian Lan to hurry up.
"My lady, hurry and strip."
"What? I can bathe myself. Have everyone leave."
The head maid sighs and instructs everyone to leave their things in the room and leave. Once everyone was out of sight, Qian Lan waited as the head maid helped her into the bath. Qian Lan scrubbed herself while yawning as it was still too early for anything.
"Ugh, I'm so tired. Can't I just not go? Is that an option?"
"No, my lady. If you don't go, you're allowing other goddess to approach my lord."
"Then so be it. Isn't it better to marry a goddess than a human?"
The head maid pauses and stops scrubbing Qian Lan's back.
"That's true. But my lord is fond of humans and dislikes the haughty attitudes of goddesses."
"Geez, talk about picky."
After soaking in the bath for twenty minutes, the head maid quickly motions for Qian Lan to head out and dry herself. Unlike anything she had worn, the head maid brought in a full golden and long hanfu dress. It was definitely made from gold and only the finest silk. Beautiful beads dangled off from the long sleeves of the dress with rose embroidered onto the hems of the dress.
"Wow, it's like those dresses empress wears in dramas!"
Qian Lan was ecstatic to try on such an outfit. Layer after layer, Qian Lan watched as the head maid helped her into the beautiful hanfu.
"Please take a seat, my lady."
Qian Lan quickly sat down as the head maid pinned all her long dark locks up and inserted a small golden crown to the center. As decoration, the head maid added more golden hair pains and flower pins. Qian Lan watched in amazement at how her hair pins dangled off to the side.
"You're rather good at this!"
"Naturally, I've done this for centuries."
"Hey, head maid. Did the first wife ever attended any of these banquets?"
"She did once, but like a fool she became the laughing stock at the banquet. Just a warning my lady, sometimes it's better to remain quiet than say anything unnecessary."
Once Qian Lan's hair was done, the head maid quickly did her makeup as Qian Lan was still pondering on what the head maid meant by staying quiet. The head maid remembers Qian Lan's makeup routine and followed it from her memories. Red lipstick with a dash of blush, red eye shadow and eyeliner.
"There, now you're ready. See, my lady. When you're quiet you look like a dignified and beautiful woman."
"Somehow, what you said just now irritates me."
"Heh, come along now. My lord is waiting."
Qian Lan silently followed the head maid to a large courtyard at the side of the palace. From the corner of her eye, Qian Lan could see the water god wearing something similar to her dress.
"Wait, head maid! You didn't tell me I would be matching the water god!"
"What? Nothing wrong with that. He is going to be your husband. Now come along. The banquet has already started."
The head maid had to drag Qian Lan to where the water god was. Once the water god took notice of Qian Lan he stopped speaking to his guards and remained silent. Unable to take the tension, Qian Lan breaks from the maids hold and walks towards the water god.
"Let's get going and get it over with!"
The water god smirks and takes out his right hand for Qian Lan to grab onto. Although reluctant, Qian Lan places her thin pale hand above the water god.
"Hold on tight."
The water god pulls Qian Lan into an embrace and with a snap of his finger he teleported them to the harvest goddess's palace.
"Qian Lan, you can open your eyes now."
Qian Lan quickly opens her eyes and scans the area. Realizing she was still holding onto the water god; she quickly pushes him away falls onto someone else's chest, who was standing behind her.
"Ah! I'm sorry!"
"Huh? Look who it is! I almost couldn't recognize you!"
Qian Lan looks up and sees the fire god staring at her with a perverted smile on his face.
"Stop touching my wife."
The water god pulls Qian Lan back and places her at his side as he glared at the fire god.
"Relax, she fell on me. I was only helping her."
"Your eyes said something else."
"Ha Ha! If you're that worried then lock her up in your palace. Like how you did your first wife."
Qian Lan remained silent as the gods in front of her exchanged words and glares. Feeling responsible, Qian Lan goes onto holding the water gods right hand and tugging at him towards the palace entrance.
"Let's get going. We didn't come for this."
The water scoffs at the fire god before dragging Qian Lan towards the banquet. Out of curiosity, Qian Lan turned around to glance at the fire god who was smiling and waving.
"Woman! If you get tired of the water god, just call for me!"
Quickly turning away, Qian Lan remained silent as the water god continued to pull her towards the banquet. Once they were checked in, the water god ordered for Qian Lan to remain seated at their table as he leaves to greet the harvest goddess.
Qian Lan was minding her own business and munching on fruits when a beautiful goddess, clad in black approaches her. In a haughty high-pitched voice, she quickly seats herself across from Qian Lan.
"Well… well… well, how is there a human here?"
"Ah…. I'm a guest of the water god. Who are you?"
"Humans call me the goddess of death."
Qian Lan stops eating her fruit and glares at the woman.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Oh, but I am."
"What do you want with me then?"
"You poor soul. I just came to warn you, that's all."
"About what?"
"Oh my, you really don't know?"
"know what?!"
At the point Qian Lan could feel her body tensing up.
"I'm the goddess of death, I can see the souls of humans. I had the luxury to meet his first wife two hundred years ago. You both have the same soul, there's no doubt."
"Hah…. what's with that bullshit? There's no such thing!"
The goddess of death looms in closer to Qian Lan and smirks.
"You don't seriously think he's gotten over his first wife, did you? What makes you think he's not waiting for you to lower your guard before he snatches your soul and return it to its previous owner? Why do you think he's kept her body in the same state for the past two hundred years? Think about it."
The goddess notices the water god returning and quickly runs off.