The trousseau gifts from Hongxia and Madam Zhou were perhaps a touch lighter in value, yet still comprised a complete set of jewelry. For both Hongxia and Madam Zhou, giving such a gift must have been more difficult than it was for Hongyun. Lin He looked at Madam Huang and said, "Mother, such precious things—must I really accept them?"

"Accept them," Madam Huang replied, already handing the jewelry to Ziyu to put away. "They have bought them; there's no custom of sending back a wedding gift. There will be times to return the favor later."

Having settled that, Madam Huang surveyed the courtyard once more, ensuring nothing was overlooked. Once satisfied, she sat down in Lin He's room to keep her company while they waited for the Wen family's bridal sedan chair.

Soon, the clamor of gongs, drums, and firecrackers drifted in—the procession to fetch the bride had arrived. Madam Huang carefully inspected Lin He, covering her face with the red veil. Then, the matchmaker came to lift Lin He and carry her outside, murmuring auspicious words all the way. Outside the courtyard gate, Lin He was settled into the sedan chair. She heard distant shouts of "He'er," "Big Sister," but the sedan curtains were quickly lowered, and the chair was lifted, beginning its journey.

Lin He knew that from this moment on, this place would only be her maternal home; she was now a member of the Wen family. Just as her mother had said, everything she did now had to prioritize the Wen family. She could no longer act on impulse; her words and actions needed to reflect that the Wen family was a prominent household, one that could not afford to be ridiculed.

The sedan ride was jarring. Having slept poorly the night before, Lin He felt herself drifting toward sleep inside the conveyance. She couldn't tell how long she had been seated when the firecrackers and music outside erupted again, louder this time. Lin He knew they must have arrived at the Wen residence. Her sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by a nervous apprehension, and she sat properly within the confines of the chair.

Next came the matchmaker's voice, followed by the stopping of the sedan. Then, the auspicious woman announced, "The groom kicks the flower sedan."

Lin He felt the sedan door gently kicked a few times, after which a pair of long, slender hands lifted the curtain and reached inside. A voice, gentle as a spring breeze, drifted in: "He'er, come down now."

Lin He looked at the hands before her—slender fingers, clearly defined knuckles. It was these very hands that had once held hers and refused to let go. Lin He smiled faintly, placing her hand into Wen Ningxuan’s. His palm was warm and dry. He squeezed her hand lightly, and the nervousness Lin He had felt moments before vanished without a trace.

As if sensing her tension, Wen Ningxuan leaned close to her ear on the steps and whispered, "He'er, don't be afraid. I am right here beside you."

Lin He managed a slight smile, but then recalled that he could not see her appearance. She squeezed his hand gently in return. Wen Ningxuan curved his lips and led her into the house. Those watching the Second Young Master were almost stunned into forgetting their duties; could such tenderness truly appear on his face?

The Wen residence must have been buzzing with activity today. Though Lin He couldn't see everything, the sounds around her were continuous.

Then followed a cascade of rituals: serving tea to the in-laws, bowing to Heaven and Earth. The whole process dragged on. Just as Lin He was beginning to grow impatient, she finally heard the auspicious woman declare, "Send them to the bridal chamber."

Lin He was escorted to the nuptial chamber and finally let out a breath of relief. No more kneeling and bowing—she could finally sit for a while. But after sitting alone on the bed for some time, discomfort set in again; she was both drowsy and terribly hungry.

The sleepiness she could manage for now, but the hunger was becoming unbearable. She hadn't eaten a single grain since last night. That alone was manageable, but the bridal chamber was filled with food: several platters of fruit on the table near the bed, and several trays of pastries not far away.

The pastries looked like the Osmanthus cakes from her own bakery—translucent and seemingly wafting a scent. In truth, there was no scent; it was only because Lin He was so hungry that she recalled the fragrance from when she made them.

Lin He forced her gaze away from the pastries and looked at her new bed. Looking only made things worse; beneath the quilt, things were piled—peanuts, red dates, longans, and the like. Lin He desperately wanted to grab a handful and stuff them in her mouth, but seeing the auspicious woman standing by, waiting, Lin He could only endure the hunger and sit on the edge of the bed.

After an indeterminate time, just as Lin He felt she might faint, she heard voices from outside, sounding like Ziyu calling for the Second Young Master.

Lin He immediately straightened up. That rogue Wen Ningxuan had finally arrived; she could eat now! She was nearly starving to death. Sure enough, soon enough, Wen Ningxuan’s shoes appeared in her line of sight—and it seemed he wasn't alone; an older woman followed him. The woman took out a red packet and tipped the auspicious woman, speaking many flattering words before the matchmaker finally left.

Then Lin He heard the older woman's voice. This woman, it seemed, was sent by the Wen family to dress Lin He's hair, apparently surnamed Xu, whom the maids called Mother Xu. Lin He heard Mother Xu instructing Wen Ningxuan to lift the veil and hand him something. Lin He couldn't see clearly from under the veil, but guessed it was a ceremonial rod—wasn't that what people used in ancient times to lift the veil, symbolizing a smooth path ahead?

However, Wen Ningxuan didn't take the rod, instead ushering Mother Xu out. Suddenly, only Lin He and Wen Ningxuan remained in the room. Although she had seen this man hundreds of times, and they had already shared intimacy, Lin He still felt a flicker of nervousness.

As her anxiety mounted, she heard Wen Ningxuan chuckle softly, and then the veil was lifted. Today, Lin He wore a brilliant red wedding gown, her face lightly powdered, making her look even more exquisitely charming, with a hint of shyness coloring her oval face. Wen Ningxuan was momentarily stunned by the sight.

Lin He was initially shy, sitting perfectly still, but as Wen Ningxuan remained silent for so long, her body grew stiff. She shifted slightly, raised her head, and said plaintively, "Ningxuan, this thing is pressing painfully on my neck. Can it be removed now?" As she spoke, she gestured to the phoenix coronet on her head.

Wen Ningxuan snapped back to reality, letting out a soft laugh. "If it hurts your neck, you should have taken it off sooner. No one could see with the veil on anyway." He then began helping her remove the coronet.

"But Mother said this thing cannot be removed by oneself," Lin He murmured.

Once the coronet was off, Lin He whispered again, "Ningxuan, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything since last night." Lin He knew that bringing up hunger on the wedding night might spoil the mood, but if she didn't eat soon, she truly felt she would starve to death, and then nothing else would matter.