The red veil was thin and hung in front of his eyes. Although he could still see things, he couldn't see them clearly. Chu Wanning had sullen eyebrows and a calm face and was brought to the flower hall by the ghost bridesmaid.
Looking up through the soft red, seeing the person standing there, the temperature of Chu Wanning's whole body suddenly dropped several degrees.
Mo Ran was also dumbfounded.
No… shouldn't it be Shi Mei who came out?
The "bride" in front of him had bright red makeup and his face is covered by tulle. Although his facial features were slightly blurred under the veil, it was still Chu Wanning's handsome and murderous face, just staring at him, his eyes filled with the intent to kill.
Mo Ran: "…"
He was at a loss at first, and then his expression gradually became extremely complicated. After all kinds of emotions cycled on his face, a strange silence settled between them. Chu Wanning looked at the other, the atmosphere becoming extremely embarrassing.
It happened that the golden boy and girl behind the two chuckled. They clapped their hands and began to sing.
"The water of the White Emperor, the waves are clear; the ghost mandarin ducks are greeted with flowers.
In the coffin, they lie in the same cave; before life, the intention is clear after death.
From now on, they will be together in the underworld, and the lonely souls will never leave each other."
The lyrics were eerie, but they were also full of lingering feelings.
If he could speak, there was only one word Mo Ran wanted to say.
–"Gross."
But he couldn't speak.
There is a pair of paper mâché men and women in front of the stage. Although they had no faces, they were dressed richly and gorgeously. They were slightly loose and bloated. It is supposed to refer to a person who has reached middle age in the main hall.
The official of the ceremony began to sing with a sloppy tone: "The bride is charming and shy, with low eyebrows and soft eyes, a red veil covering her face and delicate smile. Please come and let the groom lift the veil."
"…" Mo Ran was originally very reluctant, but when he heard this, he went crazy holding back his laughter.
Hahahaha, the bride is charming and shy, ahahahahaha!
Chu Wanning's face was blue, and he closed his eyes while holding back his anger, as if this would make him deaf even with his ears.
The ghost bridesmaid laughed and handed Mo Ran a folding fan. "Fan" and "good" are pronounced the same, which means that the marriage is a good fate.
"Would the groom please lift the cover?"
Mo Ran held back his laughter, but he submitted. He held the fan handle to lift the light veil in front of Chu Wanning's eyes. His eyelashes smiled cheekily, going to look at Chu Wanning's expressive face.
As if feeling the sneering gaze of the other party, Chu Wanning, who had endured it for a while, did not hold back. He opened his eyes abruptly, a pair of eyes flashing with lightning, full of a sword-drawn, murderous aura.
His red gaze seemed to match his fiery red clothes. Although the intensity didn't lessen, the reddish ends of the eyes caused by anger and grievance had a unique romantic style.
Mo Ran looking at these eyes, unconsciously startled, and his smile instantly froze. The shizun in front of him was suddenly so similar to the one in his previous life that he almost forgot what day it was.
Even though it was only for a moment, it was enough to make Mo Ran break out in a cold sweat.
He had once done three vicious things to Chu Wanning:
Firstly, kill him. That is, make a fatal move against Chu Wanning.
Secondly, humiliating him, forcing Chu Wanning to have sex with him.
Thirdly…
Thirdly, it was the most painful thing he did in his previous life, and it was also the thing he regretted the most.
Of course, the emperor of the human realm wouldn't admit that he regretted something he had done, but he couldn't escape the internal suffering it brought in the end.
Damn it. Why did he think of that crazy past again and think of Chu Wanning from back then?
Mo Ran shook his head, biting his lip, trying to shake off that memory of Chu Wanning's face and re-assessing the person in front of him.
Chu Wanning has been staring at him with eyes that screamed "I'll kill you". Mo Ran didn't want to provoke this prick, so he had to pretend to play innocent with a helpless smile.
The official said: "Bride and bridegroom, perform the Rite of Washing."
The so-called "Rite of Washing" is that the newlyweds should dust and clean themselves before wiping and washing each other's hands.
The ghost bridegroom brought a porcelain jug filled with clean water and lifted the jug to ask the two of them to wash their hands. The washing water was followed by a basin underneath.
Chu Wanning's face was full of disgust, but he had to wash the other party after washing himself. Because Mo Ran was a little distracted, he looked quite restrained, silently washing his hands for Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning didn't have a good temper. He splashed Mo Ran with the whole pot and soaked half of his sleeves.
"…"
Mo Ran stared at the wet half of his sleeves for a while. He didn't know where to look, but there was no expression on his face, only some subtle lustre flowing deep in those dark eyes.
He thought in a daze.
Chu Wanning hasn't changed, has never changed.
What he does, what he thinks, in his past life and in his present life, he was exactly the same, not changing a bit…
He slowly raised his head. For just a moment, he felt that he was standing on Life-Death Peak, standing in front of the Wushan Temple. Chu Wanning walked towards him from the bottom of the stretch of imperial steps, and the next moment he would kneel down on him in front of him. The noble head would fall to the ground, and his straight spine will be bent and humiliated. Chu Wanning would lie down in front of him and couldn't afford to worship.
"The Rite of Washing is complete."
The ghost bridesmaid suddenly sang a long song, snapping Mo Ran out of his thoughts.
He regained his senses abruptly and met Chu Wanning's eyes. The dark pupils gleamed with cold light, like a sabre covered with snow, which was truly frightening.
Mo Ran: "…"
…Uh, his previous life was his previous life after all. Thinking about Chu Wanning kneeling down to him was enough for this life. The price he would have to pay to make it happen was too great…
After the Rite of Washing ceremony, there is the Rite of Togetherness, and then the Rite of Drinking from Nuptial Cups.
The ghost bridesmaid sang slowly: "The couple will drink one cup of wine together, and from now on, in this world, they will never be separated."
The cups were crossed and then they worshipped the heavens together.
Chu Wanning seemed really close to going crazy. His slightly upturned slender phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously. After Mo Ran left, he would probably pound the Master of Ceremonies Ghost into the mud.
But he really couldn't look at Chu Wanning when he was like this.
Even if he took another look, he could fall back into those messy and dirty memories, and he wouldn't be able to drag himself back out.
"The first bow—— kneel to the heavens——"
He thought that even if this was all improved, Chu Wanning was too arrogant and stubborn to kneel, but he did not expect that he would need to in order to complete this set of steps. He twitched his eyebrows and closed his eyes, but he still knelt down, and the two of them bowed together.
"The second bow—— kneel to the family——"
Come on, just kneel towards those two faceless paper men, they can also be called the family.
"The third bow - kneel - to each other -"
Chu Wanning's eyes were half-lidded. Without even looking at Mo Ran, he turned around, taking a gulp and rapidly knelt down, clenching his teeth together.
Unexpectedly, the two were really out of sync. They got too close and banged their heads together.
Chu Wanning sucked in a breath of pain, clutching his forehead. He raised his moist eyes and staring fiercely at Mo Weiyu who also rubbed his forehead.
"…" Mo Ran felt he had to say: "I'm sorry."
Chu Wanning didn't say anything. He grimaced and rolled his eyes.
Then there was the Rite of Binding Hair. The official sang: "Binding hair as husband and wife, the love between them is clear." The ghost bridesmaid handed over the golden scissors and Mo Ran couldn't help but shrink back, lest Chu Wanning be displeased and stab himself to death. Chu Wanning seemed to have this intention, but in the end, he only cut of a piece of each other's hair. He put them into the pouch presented by the golden boy and girl and they were put away by the "bride" Chu Wanning.
Mo Ran was tempted to ask him, you won't use my hair to curse me in a rage, take out the villain, right?
The tribute officer sang: "The Rite - is complete -"
Both were relieved and got up from the ground. Unexpectedly, the official yelled leisurely at the next moment:
"The time has come to send the bride to the bridal chamber——"
What. The. Hell!!!
Mo Ran froze instantly.
A mouthful of old blood almost spewed out!
What a joke. If he dared to sleep with Chu Wanning, this wedding was going to be a real fucking marriage! If he should die beneath a peony flower*, he would still be charming as a ghost… No, the person he wanted in his two lifetimes was the untainted Shi Mei, not this cold-blooded devil Chu Waning who would tie up anyone who coveted him and throw them into the mud pond to humiliate them!!
(T/N: peony flower is a metaphor for a beautiful woman)
Is it too late to run away from the marriage?