Chapter 177: The Wedding Night
Chapter 177: The Wedding Night
Xiang Ling held her breath as she watched Zhang Xuan making his way to the bed where she was sitting like a statue at the moment. The man came to a stop right in front of her and he stood there while doing nothing.
She waited for him to move, to speak or do something, but he remained still. Just when she was ready to take off the veil herself, the man picked up the wooden stick from the bedside table and used it to remove the veil from her head.
Their gazes collided and she immediately noticed the warmth his deep emerald eyes carried while he looked at her. "What?" She asked and her voice came out way softer than she expected.
In the softest voice possible, Zhang Xuan answered, "You are looking so beautiful, Xiao Ling." The man who had been busy the entire day appreciating his own looks, was now succumbing to the fact that he held no light in front of his wife’s beauty. Even in her mortal form, she looked so beautful and mesmerizing that he found himself drowning in her charms.
Zhang Xuan put down the stick before he went to pour the wedding wine in the cups to complete the wine sharing ritual. Returning to the bed, he handed one of the cups to Xiang Ling who stood up to receive it. Interlocking their hands, both of them finished the wine.
Sitting down the cups back on the table, Zhang Xuan took his seat next to his newly wed wife and slolwy reached out for her hand. Taking hold of one of her hands, he entangled their fingers and a smile immediately made its way to his lips.
"Why are you smiling?" Xiang Ling couldn’t help but ask when she noticed the sudden smile blooming on his face.
Turning his face to look at her, Zhang Xuan replied, "You are finally mine." He pressed the back of her hand against his cheek before adding, "The Supreme Immortal Xing... is my wife now."
Xiang Ling stared at him in silence for a moment or two before she spoke, "You planned all this, didn’t you? You meant to marry me, not Chen Xiang Ling. Right?" She didn’t sound mad even though she knew that this knowledge changed everything. Her relations with the other five men would end with the end of her tribulation, but the same wouldn’t happen to her marriage with Zhang Xuan.
With a smile playing on his lips, he answered with an affirmative nod. "Obviously. The one I like isn’t Chen Xiang Ling. Then why would I marry her?"
Xiang Ling chuckled softly at his words. But the smile on her lips faltered when she noticed Zhang Xuan inching his face closer. Her heartbeat started picking up their speed as she waited to feel his lips against hers. His lips were merely a breath away from hers when they were disturbed by the loud knocking on the door.
"What is going on?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion as he stood up and headed to open the door. Outside the chamber, he found a familiar face waiting. "You are...?"
"None of us properly celebrated this special day of yours. So, I’m here, on behalf of all five of us, to invite you to have some drinks with us." Zhe Yuan’s familiar voice reached Xiang Ling’s ears. Standing up from the bed, she started making her way toward the door to see what her husbands were planning.
"Young Master Wen, don’t you think it’s already too late? How about we have drinks tomorrow evening? You all should go and rest as well." Zhang Xuan tried to close the door but he was slightly slower than Zhe Yuan who forced his way inside and grabbed Xiang Ling’s arm.
"Come, Lingling. Let’s go out and join others for drinks." He didn’t give Xiang Ling any chance to respond and dragged her out of the bedchamber, forcing Zhang Xuan to follow behind them.
"Ah Yuan, what are you all doing? You do know that it’s my wedding night with Zhang Xuan, right?" Xiang Ling asked the Mer Crown Prince as he led her toward the stone table where the others were also waiting for them.
Zhe Yuan gave her a bright smile as he whispered in response. "Just enjoy the show, Lingling. Leave the rest to us."
Before Xiang Ling could have said or done anything, she was made to sit down next to Xin Cheng. Zhang Xuan hurried to take the empty seat next to her but he wasn’t as fast as Zhe Yuan who settled down on that seat.
The silence and glares that followed next almost made Xiang Ling smile. The last thing she expected was to see five of her husbands coming together to torment Zhang Xuan.
"Here." Xin Cheng offered her a cup of wine poured by Li Xian. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan settled down in the only empty seat opposite her, between Wei Guang and Li Xian. The man didn’t make the least bit of an effort to hide just how unhappy he was feeling with the interference that took away all the excitement of his wedding night.
"You are looking really beautiful, Ah Xiang." Wei Guang suddenly spoke from the other side of the table as his gaze landed on his wife and he found himself enchanted. If she was looking extremely beautiful during daylight while dressed like a bride, the silvery moonlight only highlighted her beauty further.
"Thank you." Xiang Ling whispered as she tried to collect herself from the surprise she received from the sudden complement from the Night Immortal.
"Isn’t your head feeling heavy from the weight of all those hairpins?" Xin Cheng chose that very moment to turn the perfect compliment sour as he looked at her head in distaste.
Dao Ming slapped Xin Cheng on the arm, confusing the latter who had no clue what he said wrong.
"Actually, he’s right. My head is actually feeling heavy." She told Dao Ming with a soft smile before she turned her attention toward Xin Cheng and asked, "How about you help me take these hairpins out?"