Li Jun’s mind went blank, her eyes turning red and tears spilling uncontrollably as Teng Qingshan held her hand and spoke those words.

“Don’t cry.” Seeing this, Teng Qingshan cursed himself again. Three whole years! They had been together day and night, yet he had been so cruel to her, constantly using the pretense of being brother and sister—a facade of respect that was, in reality, a brutal way of drawing a line between them, forcing Li Jun to wait silently.

“I’m happy,” Li Jun insisted, shaking her head, her eyes red, tears flowing, yet an undeniable excitement blooming on her face.

“Brother Teng, c-can you say that one more time?” Li Jun’s body trembled slightly, her complexion flushed crimson.

“Xiao Jun, are you willing to marry me, Teng Qingshan, to be my wife?” Teng Qingshan asked with solemnity.

Li Jun looked as though she were about to laugh and cry simultaneously.

How long had it been?

How long had she waited?

When Teng Qingshan insisted they were merely brother and sister, Li Jun dared not confess her feelings, locking them deep within her heart. Only in the dead of night, when sleep fled, could she allow herself to dream—if one day, her Brother Teng would ask her hand in marriage, she would die without regret.

Her patient, blameless wait had, after one dream, become reality.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Li Jun asked apprehensively.

“You’re not dreaming,” Teng Qingshan replied with a smile, gazing at her with deep affection. “You still haven’t answered—are you willing to marry me?”

Li Jun nodded vigorously, like a child, her tear-filled eyes overflowing with a happiness and exhilaration she had never known before.

“I do, I do, I do!” Li Jun repeated three times, as if fearing Teng Qingshan hadn't heard her.

“Congratulations, Teacher, congratulations Sister Xiao Jun… oh, perhaps I should call you Teacher’s Wife now!” Yang Dong, standing behind them, bowed playfully.

“Congratulations, Uncle,” Fu Yuping chimed in, overjoyed, winking at Li Jun. Li Jun’s smile widened, as if a flower had just burst into bloom.

“Teacher, Teacher’s Wife,” Teng Shou mumbled awkwardly as he bowed.

Li Jun couldn't help but laugh when she heard this.

“The three of you, step out for a moment,” Teng Qingshan said with a cheerful wave.

“Yes, Teacher (Uncle).”

After Teng Shou, Yang Dong, and Fu Yuping departed, only Teng Qingshan and Li Jun remained in the quiet room. A shy blush now graced Li Jun’s cheeks—regardless of everything, she had accepted Teng Qingshan’s proposal. She was about to become his wife.

Their relationship was fundamentally different from what it had been before.

“Xiao Jun, I’m sorry,” Teng Qingshan murmured, holding her hand gently.

Hearing this, Li Jun seemed to recall something. Her eyes misted over slightly, and she looked up at him. “Brother Te—Teng Qingshan, can you tell me why, after all this time with you, even back in the Nine Provinces, when I told you my feelings then, you insisted we were just brother and sister, but now… can you tell me why?”

Though apprehensive, Li Jun needed to ask.

She was one who loved fiercely and hated openly; she couldn't let this thorn remain lodged in her heart.

“Xiao Jun,” Teng Qingshan squeezed her hand. “Feelings are hard to define. In truth, for these past three years, I myself didn't know what I felt for you. But… after you were poisoned by the Tianfeng family, when I didn’t know what the poison was and thought you might die—in that moment, I awoke.”

Teng Qingshan offered a self-deprecating smile. “People are strange; they only cherish what they are about to lose.”

“And when they are right before your eyes, you fail to see how good they are.”

Teng Qingshan pulled Li Jun close, enveloping her in his arms. “I am precisely that kind of person—one who only values things after they are gone. Thankfully… Xiao Jun, you came back to me.”

Cradled in Teng Qingshan’s embrace, Li Jun felt a flicker of restraint, her heart trembling, yet she was overwhelmingly happy.

“So, should I thank the Tianfeng family for using poison then?” Li Jun countered wryly.

Teng Qingshan could only smile.

“Right, Xiao Jun,” Teng Qingshan looked toward her. “When should we hold the wedding?”

“The wedding?” Li Jun’s eyes immediately lit up. Marriage—for a girl, it was a sacred event, arguably the most important and unique day of her life. Li Jun blushed, murmuring softly, “Qingshan, you decide; I’ll listen to you.”

The way Li Jun said ‘Qingshan’ carried a soft, almost cooing tone, like a gentle plea. At that moment, Li Jun resembled an obedient young bride.

“Ideally, for a wedding, both sets of parents should be present,” Teng Qingshan gazed toward the south. “However, I can only return to the Nine Provinces after I reach the Void Realm. Moreover… the matter with the Tianfeng War God must be settled. And Old Wang, Ah Dong’s father—I still have no news of him.”

“Reaching the Void Realm could take half a day, or it could take much longer,” Teng Qingshan looked down at Li Jun. “I don’t want you waiting too long. How about we choose an auspicious day within the next ten to half a month?”

Lying in Teng Qingshan’s arms, bathed in his gaze… Li Jun felt her entire body soften into liquid warmth.

“Mmm,” Li Jun softly affirmed with her nose.

Li Jun had only just awakened; her complexion retained a trace of paleness, making her appear exceedingly delicate… This fragility, combined with the charged atmosphere between them—where they could both feel the rhythm of the other's breath—stirred a rush of heat within Teng Qingshan.

It was desire!

“Little temptress,” Teng Qingshan lowered his head and kissed Li Jun’s lips lightly.

Li Jun stiffened, as if struck by electricity.

“Xiao Jun, rest well now. Build up your strength. You need to look absolutely radiant on the wedding day,” Teng Qingshan gently laid her back down and pulled the covers over her.

...

Teng Qingshan must have left at some unknown hour.

Li Jun pulled open the nearby window, and a gust of cold air rushed in, startling her into clearer awareness.

“Am I… am I dreaming?” Li Jun touched her lips. Ever since waking up, she felt as if she were floating in a haze… everything seemed utterly dreamlike.

“I… I’m going to marry Qingshan?”

Li Jun sat foolishly by the head of the bed, hugging the quilt, grinning to herself.

** The wedding date was set: the sixth day of the fifth month.

A wedding was a major affair, one that even the Cloud Dream War God was concerned about. However, on the Duanmu Continent, Teng Qingshan had very few friends. Following the wishes of both Teng Qingshan and Li Jun, they opted not to stage a grand spectacle, but rather a simple ceremony with a few close friends.

On the sixth day of the fifth month.

The entire Donghua Garden was exquisitely decorated. Given the prestige of the Mu family, a single command ensured the garden was arranged without being overtly extravagant, yet possessing impeccable taste. Furthermore, the number of guests that day was small. Besides the Mu and Fu families, only the Duan family was present.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

The resonant cry echoed through the main hall where the few guests were gathered. Li Jun, clad in brilliant crimson robes and a phoenix coronet, could not see the others beneath her veil, focusing only on bowing alongside Teng Qingshan to the heavens.

Since both sets of parents were absent, the ancestral offering portion was skipped.

“Bow to each other, husband and wife.”

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun immediately bowed respectfully to one another.

“So, I’m finally married,” Teng Qingshan felt a great sense of contentment. The wedding rites were ancient traditions, very similar on the Duanmu Continent to those of the Nine Provinces.

Fu Yuping, Teng Shou, and even Mu Yunji, standing nearby, smiled broadly, whispering and chuckling softly.

“Enter the bridal chamber!”

...

The bride was escorted into the bridal suite, but Teng Qingshan went out to share drinks. Previously, Teng Qingshan usually maintained an aloof and detached demeanor toward outsiders, but today his face was constantly graced with a smile.

Night fell.

Teng Qingshan entered the bridal chamber, shaking off the scent of alcohol, his mind perfectly clear.

The candlelight illuminated the crimson-hued room and the bride, sitting demurely by the bed in her bright red attire, casting a completely different atmosphere.

“Married. I’m married,” Teng Qingshan felt a moment of detachment. Scenes from his previous life and moments from this one flooded his mind. When he married his wife, Xiao Mao, in his past life, there had been no ceremony at all—just a mutual acknowledgment of their bond.

“Past life and this one, leave the past behind and look forward,” Teng Qingshan’s gaze drifted.

“Qingshan,” Li Jun, sensing Teng Qingshan’s stillness in the room, couldn't help but speak.

“No need to rush, I’m coming,” Teng Qingshan smiled, picking up the traditional weight used to lift the veil and uncovering Li Jun’s face, which was illuminated to a rosy glow. Li Jun’s clear eyes fixed on him, holding a mixture of joy and timidity, for she knew what was expected tonight.

Teng Qingshan chuckled, “Wearing so much, aren’t you hot?” As he spoke, he began undoing the buttons of Li Jun’s bridal robe.

Li Jun remained motionless like a child, letting Teng Qingshan handle the fastenings, her face flushed crimson, even her earlobes bright red. As the outer robe slipped off, her soft, jade-like skin of her chest was vaguely visible beneath the loose undergarments, accompanied by a wave of maidenly fragrance.

Hoo!

Teng Qingshan used slight force, lifting Li Jun into his arms. “Mmm~~” Li Jun let out a soft, impassioned hum, growing even more bashful and squeezing her eyes shut.

Chih! With a sweep of his hands, Teng Qingshan parted the gauzy bed curtains with two streams of Innate True Essence.

The curtains fell, revealing only faint movements behind the bed canopy.

Hoo!

Clothes began to roll off the edge of the bed, dropping to the floor beneath.

“Qingshan…” a whisper, faint as a mosquito’s drone, sounded.

“Hmm?” Teng Qingshan’s questioning voice came from inside.

“The white cloth?” Li Jun whispered low.

“What white cloth for?” Teng Qingshan asked, bewildered.

“To… to test…” a voice, filled with shy indignation, replied.

Teng Qingshan, who was now practically stripped bare, froze in astonishment. He suddenly remembered… marriage had many procedures, most of which he had already tried to bypass this time. And the virginity test in the bridal chamber was a crucial step. However… Teng Qingshan’s mindset was rooted in his past life, and this was his first marriage here; he had absolutely no experience.

“What do you need a white cloth for?” Teng Qingshan shook his head.

“I need it,” Li Jun insisted now with a touch of resolve.

Teng Qingshan abruptly pulled the bedding up, covering himself and Li Jun completely. “Forget the white cloth…”

Li Jun could no longer utter a sound now...

She could only manage a helpless, shy “Mmm” sound...

And for a time, the sheets were turned red.