LiAi hissed, baring her teeth at the servant who just elbowed her in the head. He was busy carrying a heavy trunk inside the White Lotus Hall.
"I can't even fit to walk here! 51, kill that future husband of yours!" LiAi complained as she ducked, leaning over the round table to evade any more hits or her head would fall off her shoulders, eventually.
The entire interior of the White Lotus Hall was filled with trunks over trunks of fabric, jewellery, and other proposal gifts. Trays and baskets full of food and fruits covered the tables and chairs.
There seemed to be no end to the stuff being brought into the house. It had been packed to the point, the white snakes could barely move within the building, and White Lotus Hall was near splitting by its seams.
"That sorcerer is excessive," LiBai said through her gritted teeth as she glared at the engagement gifts piling up to the roof. When no one reacted to her words, LiBai turned her gaze on the three siblings huddled in the corner, trying on various hairpins. Really now…
"Lin'er."
No answer.
LiBai's eyes thinned as she stepped over some trunks, making her way towards the three. LiangLin was looking a bit too pleased with the situation. If LiBai didn't know her brother well enough, she would have thought he was looking forward to the wedding.
Sigh, LiBai shook her head as she smacked LiangLin over his thick skull with her fan. That was what exactly this brother of her was thinking! She had caught him smiling to himself too often! That sorcerer was just a scoundrel!
A liar, thief, manipulator, and gods knew what else XueYa had done throughout his life, marrying LiangLin, who had always been sheltered and kept under tight surveillance. Nothing good could come out of this.
"Ow, eldest sister, why did you do that?" LiangLin said, his mood souring instantly as he rubbed at his head. And just now he had been marvelling over how pretty all this jewellery sent their way was.
He had never witnessed a wedding before, but from all the stories he had heard, the bride would look the most beautiful, with all these pieces of jewellery covering their body and hair. He would be lying if he didn't feel a little excited. Who wouldn't want to look their best on such an important day?
"What is that little pleased look I keep seeing, hm?" LiBai asked, and LiangLin's cheeks flared. "Don't tell me, you actually want to marry, Lin'er?"
All sisters halted at the words and eyed LiangLin with curiosity.
Was it that obvious? LiangLin couldn't help it, he liked the idea of being showered with love and pampered by a rich husband. Even though he had declared he wanted to die alone, seeing YaYun and QingYu together got him to rethink it. But then again, he was marrying XueYa.
LiangLin twirled the gold rose hairpin between his fingertips before he slowly placed it back on the tray. XueYa… didn't marry him out of love. It was obviously out of spite, some unresolved resentment towards YaYun. Conquering YaYun's lover and empire, that was what the sorcerer was doing.
They had all expected this from the beginning, so why did LiangLin feel down at the thought? This wasn't a real marriage, anyway. LiangLin was just agreeing to it to earn XueYa's trust, get him to lower his guard and help YaYun wake up from his deep sleep.
Once posing as QingYu, he would do it until the very end. Stay loyal to YaYun, stab XueYa in the eye if he tried anything. That was it.
"Of course not, eldest sister," LiangLin mumbled, lowering his eyes. "We are doing this to help YaYun and QingYu."
"Yes, Lin'er. Focus on the mission. We are all here for QingYu." LiBai said.
"Oi! Make way, make way!" Wei KaiJun's voice boomed in the yard, pulling the snakes' attention outside.
"What's going on, monkey?" LiAi asked as she stepped out of the door, nearly butting heads with the servants carrying another set of trays and trunks inside.
"Why did you bring more?! Is that damn sorcerer emptying the treasure vault?"
"These are not from him," Wei KaiJun said, grinning ear to ear as he followed the servants inside, showing them where to put down the boxes.
"They are gifts from our parents," Zhi ChangNing said, evading LiYue's stare with a light blush. This was the first time she had appeared in the White Lotus Hall ever since running away from their shared bed. It was awkward.
To ChangNing's relief, she felt no harsh stares or coldness shown her way. When she dared to glance at the snake, LiYue seemed to act as if nothing had happened. ChangNing wasn't sure if she was happy or a little disappointed at this new finding.
"The officials have sent us to bring all these gifts to She LiangLin, to congratulate him over the wonderful news." Xie JingYi said, his round features pulled into a playful smile as he held out a box for the snakes to see. "Indeed, congratulations, LiangLin."
The snakes stared at the dried leaves, and what looked like roots overflowing from the box.
"Er, what is it for?" LiangLin asked as his eyes trailed over various other boxes that the guards brought in, each packed with the same dried ingredients. There were trays of still simmering soup, various pots of steaming tea. Something awful smelling was slowly filling the White Lotus Hall, and LiangLin didn't want to know what it was.
"It is for you, to keep your body and mind healthy," Yu Zhong said, his stern expression disrupted by his slightly quivering brows. He seemed to be working hard to keep his emotions at bay. "All the best herbs of the country are brought in, just for you."
"But I'm not sick," LiangLin frowned. Did he appear pale and sickly? He thought he had been looking quite radiant lately. He turned to his sisters, who looked as bewildered. "Do I look sick?"
"No-"
"It's not for sickness," Wei KaiJun chuckled. "It's for the baby."
"..."
"XueYa told the officials you two have already consummated before the wedding." Xie JingYi's words were like the whip of Heaven's. The snakes only gaped at the snickering guards.
"And apparently, male snake gods can carry a child. So, he told the old men you are already expecting."
"I-, He-" LiangLin's tongue went numb.
That damn sorcerer wanted to die! LiangLin was going to kick XueYa's balls inwards, damn bastard! Who would want to be pregnant to him? Besides, since when male snake gods could get pregnant?
Wait, LiangLin's blush darkened as he clung to LiBai's sleeve. "Eldest sister, can male snake gods get pregnant?"
"I-I don't know. I've never heard of it-" LiBai said, her eyes wide with shock.
"Should we ask pa? He should know, right?" LiAi whispered.
"Why would pa know? He has never tried to get pregnant!" LiChun cried out.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Achoo!"
"Have you caught a cold?" Madam She snapped as master She wiped at his nose, trying to get rid of the itch.
"We can't catch a cold, darling. We are shapeshifters," Master She said pleasantly. "I think someone is talking about me behind my back. I've been sneezing nonstop for a while now."
"Hm," Madam She only hummed as she walked out of their brothel to see what the commotion in the city of Hei'ang was all about. Ever since a large ship docked into the Wind Pier, all citizens of Hei'ang had been buzzing with excitement.
The ship and its crew had been unloading trunks after trunks of goods, and now, those goods were slowly being transported into the city.
Madam She watched over the scene with her daughters leaning over the railings of the brothel, all curious about this unusual sight.
When the trunks were brought to a stop before the brothel, madam She was ready to whip these men with her shoe. She had a business to run, life forces to harvest! And these people were shamelessly blocking her shop and the road with these wooden trunks.
"You-!" Madam She started, but she was quickly silenced by a high-ranking official who emerged from behind the servants. She had seen these kinds of men before, they came from a place of power and wealth. So she quieted down for now.
"Madam and master She?" The official asked and madam She gave him a stiff nod.
"I am here to represent his highness, Emperor Zhang of the country Qiu. We are glad to inform Emperor Zhang will marry She LiangLin within two days of this notice. We have brought to you the engagement gifts from his highness and hope you accept his highness's goodwill."
"I-" Madam She felt the blood crash over her head. "How-"
"Honey? Honey!" Master She reached out to catch his wife in time before she keeled over and died from anger. "I thought the girls said they are in Lushan?"
"Do they sound like they are in Lushan?!"