Between pushing her down and being pushed down, Lu Qianqiao felt he could accept the former option more readily.
So he took a step forward, gently grasping the bride's soft shoulders on the bed. After only a moment's hesitation, he prepared to push her down.
Xin Mei suddenly raised her hand to stop him: "Wait."
...Earlier, she had been the one in a frantic hurry, and now that they were finally married, she was telling him to wait?
He wouldn't wait.
The phoenix crown was gently removed, his fingers searching through her thick hair as he slowly pulled out a hairpin.
A lock of hair slipped loose.
Xin Mei looked up at him, then glanced at the window behind him. After a pause, she asked, "Y-you really plan to keep the window open for the wedding night?"
Lu Qianqiao turned around and was startled to see the window wide open, with a crowd of little demons from the Imperial Mausoleum squeezed outside, biting their fingers and staring wide-eyed at them.
"..."
The hairpin slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
Tao Guoguo was busy covering her younger brother's eyes to prevent his innocent mind from being corrupted, Si Lan was busy pulling people away, and Ying Lian... Ying Lian was nowhere to be seen, likely hiding in the shadows to curse someone again.
Only Zhao Guanren had set up a table by the window, piled high with snacks and tea. He munched away heartily while giving Lu Qianqiao a lewd grin: "General, just go ahead boldly. We'll cheer you on. If there's anything you don't know, I promise to teach you properly."
Lu Qianqiao walked over expressionlessly and said, "Leave."
Whoosh—the crowd of demons scattered like startled birds and beasts. The general's years of accumulated authority were indeed no joke.
Zhao Guanren swept half a table's worth of melon seed shells to the floor, then approached and secretly slipped him a small paper ball, winking and whispering, "General, in matters like this, men sometimes find themselves lacking. Here's something good for you."
Lu Qianqiao unfolded the paper to find two small pills of an extremely lewd color and shape inside.
Zhao Guanren's beard twitched: "Try them and you'll see. I wouldn't tell just anyone about this."
The two pills were stuffed into his nostrils. Lu Qianqiao yanked the window shut, locked it, and drew the curtains tight.
...The atmosphere of the wedding night seemed to have mostly dissipated. He turned around to find Xin Mei had already taken off her wedding dress, wearing only a water-red silk skirt as she sat at the table picking at noodles with her chopsticks.
The noodles were tossed in sesame oil, sprinkled with crushed peanuts and walnuts—still carrying the auspicious meaning from their names.
Xin Mei kindly served him a bowl and called out, "Come eat something. You must be hungry, right?"
He had climbed mountains of swords and crossed seas of fire, busier than a man breaking stones on his chest—it hadn't been easy.
Seeing the oil glistening at the corners of her mouth, he couldn't help but smile, the tension that had been coiled tightly in his heart all day finally dissipating. Lu Qianqiao walked over, picked up the bowl, and lifted a bite of noodles to her lips, murmuring, "This is supposed to be fed to each other. Open up."
Xin Mei obediently opened her mouth, then picked up a bite for him in return: "So your clan's custom isn't the cross-cupped wine but cross-cupped noodles."
A few crushed peanut pieces clung to the corner of her lips. Lu Qianqiao gently wiped them away with his fingers, suddenly reminded of the first time he brought her to the Imperial Mausoleum and locked her in a pitch-black little room. When he opened the door, he saw her eating locust flower cakes, her soft black hair, soft cheeks, and the crumbs on her face.
She had looked like a little white rabbit.
"Xin Mei, come here."He set down the bowl and gently grasped her wrist, pulling lightly until she slid from the chair onto his lap. Seizing the initiative, she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck.
"Lu Qianqiao," she pressed her cheek against his, "you didn't bring the Demon Binding Rope today, did you?"
"No, I didn't," he smiled.
"Then close your eyes. I'm going to kiss you."
Once again, he obediently closed his eyes, his beautiful thick lashes trembling slightly. Xin Mei cradled his head, growing fonder the more she looked, then leaned down to plant two loud kisses on each of his cheeks.
He... felt disappointed again.
Just as he was about to open his eyes, something soft brushed his lips—a light kiss carrying the fragrance of sesame oil, peanuts, and walnuts.
There was no deep, passionate entanglement. After kissing him for a while, she pulled away. The glow of the wedding candles reflected in both their eyes, sparkling and flickering.
Both their faces were slightly flushed.
"How's your learning coming along?" she whispered.
Lu Qianqiao froze momentarily before understanding dawned. His face didn't redden; instead, he lowered his head with a faint smile and countered, "And how about yours?"
"Probably... not bad."
"Words alone prove nothing."
Then she would demonstrate directly.
Xin Mei reached out, fumbling to undo one of his sashes. A small section of his elegantly shaped collarbone was revealed.
Undoing another sash exposed a portion of his chest—firm and lean.
He remained motionless, simply watching as she undressed him.
Xin Mei frowned. "Why aren't you undressing me? Did you really learn?"
Lu Qianqiao thought for a moment. "You go first."
In this matter, he wanted to respect her wishes.
Xin Mei smiled knowingly. "Hmph, you still don't know how, do you? Watch closely—I'll teach you."
His outer robe was gently unfastened, removed, and slipped to the floor. Next came the inner garment, fully exposing his chest to the candlelight—the beautiful collarbone, the firm muscles. Hesitating briefly, she raised a hand to lightly touch his skin, feeling the heat and the intense heartbeat transmitted through her palm.
"...Don't be afraid," she soothed. "Come, let's go to bed."
His hands slid downward, lifting her effortlessly as the bed curtains fell. He above, her below—the atmosphere grew intimate.
Xin Mei shook her head. "No, I should be on top."
Lu Qianqiao rolled over, letting her push him onto the bed before her weight settled atop him.
Kisses, strands of her hair brushing against his chest, her breath damp and scorching... the tingling sensation became unbearable. Lu Qianqiao suddenly gripped her waist, his palms sliding up her spine one vertebra at a time. With slight pressure, she tumbled into his embrace, their lips meeting again in breathless entanglement, deepening, pressing, rubbing.
"...I'm hot..."
Her mind was in chaos. Right, she had to teach him... but she couldn't bear to let go. Both her body and lips craved his touch—even a moment's separation was intolerable.
If she was hot, then remove the clothes.
With clumsy, trembling hands, he undid her sash. The next instant, her lips sought his again, her half-bared chest pressing against him—skin to skin.
Like setting a wildfire across dry grasslands, the situation spiraled beyond control, all order lost.
Neither could remember how the clothes came off, nor did they have time to think about it.
...Right, Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus.
The phrase flashed through Xin Mei's muddled consciousness. Lu Qianqiao didn't know how—she had a great responsibility tonight to teach him properly.
And so...The gauze curtains trembled violently, followed by two mournful cries. Xin Mei flung the curtain open with a "swish," her face pale as she extended a bare arm to rummage frantically through the bedside cabinet.
A hand pulled her back.
Weakly, she tried to crawl away, muttering, "I'm hurt, I'm bleeding... Trauma medicine... That Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens..."
She needed trauma medicine, and the illustrated guide for the wedding night...
"Don't go!"
Lu Qianqiao, pushed to his absolute limit with veins nearly bursting from his forehead, could endure no longer. He reached out, pulled her back, shifted slightly, and gently guided her to lie on her side, supporting her neck.
"Don't go..."
Otherwise, he would die—truly, someone would perish.
"It hurts."
"Bear with it. It'll stop hurting soon."
He turned and pressed her down, his kisses landing on her chest. Summoning every ounce of a War Ghost's willpower, he resisted dwelling on the fleeting ecstasy of moments ago. His fingers lightly traced her earlobes and neck, easing her tense muscles.
What a difficult and thorny wedding night this was—for both her and him.
"Don't—don't touch there!"
Then he'd touch somewhere else—
"Ahaha! That tickles! Stop it!"
Then he'd switch to kneading—
"...Gently, it hurts..."
So hard to please.
As punishment, he nipped her lower lip. Xin Mei immediately retaliated in kind, aiming for his nose. He tilted his head back, and her small teeth lightly caught his chin instead.
Suddenly, he moved—testing at first, then with unexpected possession and undeniable force. She froze instantly.
"...Does it hurt?" he asked between restrained breaths.
Hard to say... She couldn't quite describe the sensation. It felt like pain, yet not the same as before—unfamiliar and strange. Xin Mei clutched his shoulders tightly, gazing at him in confusion. Those deep crimson eyes were profound and somewhat frightening. Then, his lashes fluttered, and he closed his eyes, kissing her fiercely.
The world spun.
Clutching the blanket, she inexplicably tried to crawl away again: "No... I don't..."
...No saying "no."
A hand cupped her waist as he pressed down fully, invading, attacking, claiming. She melted instantly, her throat releasing its first trembling moan. When she opened her eyes, she was engulfed in a sea of celebratory red.
"Lu Qianqiao..." She struggled to find her voice, fingers tangling in his hair as she met his profound gaze.
"It should... it should be me teaching you. I should be on top."
"You can be on top tomorrow."
She wanted to protest, but the words slipped her mind as her flailing hands were pinned to either side. Entangled inextricably, they lost themselves in each other.
In the cabinet, the Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens wept silently. Despite poring over its illustrations countless times, not a single one proved useful when the moment arrived.
And so, the wedding night passed—clumsy, reserved, and utterly inexperienced.
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