In the days leading up to the wedding, both of them were exceptionally busy, though Yan Xiaoyu had a bit more free time.

Yan Shaoxuan had traveled to the capital with his senior classmate to take the imperial examinations. After the provincial exams, he ranked first, while his senior classmate failed to pass and returned home early. Though he had failed in the imperial examinations, he found success in love, having recently married Luo Qingxian.

He Qiuhua was asked to help organize the wedding banquet, and Yan Xiaoyu also attended the celebration.

He Qiuhua had picked up on the local custom and said that in the county, young men and women didn’t do any work during the period leading up to their weddings; she stubbornly refused to let Yan Xiaoyu lift a finger.

Yan Xiaoyu didn’t bother with formalities with his mother either; since there were plenty of people helping out anyway, he did as he pleased and had a good time.

He’d sleep until late morning, wake up, eat and drink his fill, then practice archery or listen to storytellers… It was indeed fun, but whenever he paused, he couldn’t help but glance toward the front courtyard.

In the front yard, A-Chai and the others were bringing in fresh flowers to decorate the courtyard, bustling about pasting “Double Happiness” characters and hanging lanterns; He Qiuhua and Yan Xingmao were beaming with joy, one moment leading people to decorate the bridal chamber, the next directing the helpers to prepare the ingredients needed for the wedding in advance… Most of it was in preparation for Yan Xiaoyu’s wedding.

Almost every household in the village had sent someone over to help.

Yan Shaoxuan was so busy he couldn’t tear himself away; he’d even taken on the task of writing the wedding couplets and invitations.

Although time was tight—he was about to leave for Lingbei—he didn’t want to shortchange Yan Xiaoyu. The betrothal gifts, while seemingly fewer than those Yan Shaocheng had given when he married Yan Xiaoyue, were all carefully selected by him, and the silver he spent was at least as much as his older brother’s.

Since there was no distinction between the bride and groom’s families, the wedding arrangements were handled by Yan Xiaoyu, and his own room served as the bridal chamber.

Yan Xiaoyu would sleep in the adjoining side room for the time being; next to it was another room where his dowry was stored.

The brand-new camphor wood chest was tied with a bright red silk ribbon, giving it an especially festive look. Every time Yan Xiaoyu glanced at it, the corners of his mouth would involuntarily turn upward. He was about to get married!

On the nineteenth day of the seventh month, Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan’s wedding took place.

It was a beautiful summer day, and dawn came early; even before the hour of Mao had passed, the sky was already bright.

He had gone to bed late the night before, and even the morning commotion in the courtyard failed to wake Yan Xiaoyu.

He Qiuhua pushed open the door to the room. Seeing the young bride sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep, she smiled and shook her head at Uncle Li behind her: “This young one—he really has a carefree nature. Erlang didn’t sleep a wink all night, but he’s sleeping right up to this hour!”

Uncle Li chuckled, “Blessed people aren’t the ones who are always busy. Our Xiaoyu has a carefree spirit—he’s truly blessed! Everything will surely go smoothly for him from now on, and he won’t have to worry about trivial matters!”

The two were making quite a bit of noise, so Yan Xiaoyu opened his eyes, still half-asleep, and overheard their conversation.

What a misunderstanding—he’d been wide awake for half the night himself! How could he be so carefree? But Yan Erlang actually hadn’t slept a wink all night—was he going to walk down the aisle with him later, sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes?

Yan Xiaoyu lay there staring blankly. He Qiuhua nudged his shoulder and scolded playfully, “Hurry up and get up—the hairdresser and your helpers are already here!” Only then did Yan Xiaoyu get out of bed.

Uncle Li brought water, and He Qiuhua brought a bowl of brown sugar and eggs. After he washed up and ate breakfast, he finally let the ladies in to help him get ready. 

The lady in charge of his grooming had been invited primarily by Yan Xiaoyue. Yan Xiaoyu had originally thought that, as a grown man, he didn’t need such elaborate makeup; he’d just apply a bit of the rouge and powder Yan Shaoxuan had given him to fit the occasion.

But Yan Xiaoyue wouldn’t have it: “If your older sister has one, how can you not?”

So she paid out of her own pocket to hire a makeup artist from a cosmetics shop for her younger brother, specifically requesting the very best.

She insisted on treating him, so Yan Xiaoyu thought about it. Having lived two lifetimes, this was still his first time getting married, and a little pampering wouldn’t hurt, so he agreed.

Now he sat down in front of the dressing table, and Yan Xiaoyue helped him lay out his collection of rouge and powder. The young lady helping him get ready’s eyes lit up the moment she saw them. 

“It’s actually rouge from Qiuyi Pavilion!” she exclaimed, her face brimming with envy. “You can’t even find it in Peiyang Prefecture, yet this new Fulang actually has these! This ‘Jade Complexion’ powder has such a light texture—just a thin layer is enough to cover any imperfections and leave the skin fair and flawless. Every time our city’s shop has a merchant bring some back, it sells out in less than two days. Even the young ladies and gentlemen of the prefecture scramble to get their hands on just one or two items…”

Yan Xiaoyu knew that since Yan Shaoxuan had gone to such great lengths to bring these back from so far away, they must be of excellent quality. However, she really didn’t understand these things, so she had to change the subject.

“They’re fine products, but it’s hot out, and I’m afraid they’ll feel sticky. Later on, please don’t use too much—if you can avoid using these creams, do so. Your makeup doesn’t need to be too garish.”

The young lady doing her makeup covered her mouth and giggled, “Our new Fulang is so handsome—he really doesn’t need much makeup. Later, we’ll use stone-ground kohl to define his eyebrows, then just a touch of rouge and powder to brighten his complexion, and that’ll be perfect!”

Yan Xiaoyu beamed with delight at the compliment.

Although this young lady was a bit chatty, her skills were indeed excellent.

After Yan Xiaoyu was done with his makeup, there was almost no trace of it on his face. His hair was pulled up high and secured with a silver hairpin, giving him a rather dashing air. The dress he wore was exquisitely tailored, though it was a bit on the thick side.

Fortunately, even though it was still quite high, the weather had cooled off a bit, so it wasn’t unbearably hot. After applying his makeup and changing into his wedding gown,

Yan Xiaoyu wasn’t bound by the traditional bride’s etiquette, so he was free to go outside and greet the guests. He took a stroll around, blushing crimson from all the compliments, but eventually settled back into his room.

Now that he had some free time, he wondered what Yan Erlang must look like now. Come to think of it, his wedding attire was also a red robe, complete with a red silk headpiece—it must resemble the outfit he wore during the top scholar’s parade through the streets. Today, he could finally make up for his earlier regret of not being able to join Yan Erlang in that procession.

Yan Erlang was handsome to begin with, and now that he’d dressed up for the occasion, he must surely be radiant. Thinking of this, Yan Xiaoyu found herself already longing for him.

As noon approached, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and Yan Xiaoyu knew immediately that Yan Shaoxuan and the others had arrived.

He was tempted to go out and take a look, but feared the gossip from those unscrupulous women and Fulang outside, so in the end, he stayed put. 

Just as Yan Xiaoyu had expected, Yan Shaoxuan looked as fair as jade against his crimson robe, and today he was truly radiant. He rode up on horseback, standing tall and proud. His usually aloof face was unusually gentle today, and a faint smile seemed to linger at the corners of his mouth—he was clearly in a good mood.

As Yan Shaoxuan’s gaze swept over the crowd, those Fulang and wives—who couldn’t hide their true feelings—immediately clutched their chests, their faces flushing with embarrassment.

“In all these surrounding villages, could we possibly find a young man more handsome than Yan Erlang?”

“Young Yu is truly blessed! Master Yan is capable, strikingly handsome, and treats him so well!”

“Yu-ger isn’t half bad himself—not only is he handsome, but he’s got a good heart, too. No wonder Master Yan is so determined to treat him well!”

“……”

Yan Shaoxuan hadn’t slept a wink all night, yet his face showed not a trace of fatigue. Upon reaching Yan Xiaoyu, he leaped down from his horse, handed it over to A-Chai who had come to greet him, and strode through the door.

After completing the formalities with Yan Xingmao and his wife as instructed by Nian-ger, he couldn’t wait to go find Yan Xiaoyu.

His heart had been racing the whole way, but when he reached his beloved’s doorstep, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He lowered his head and carefully checked himself to make sure there was nothing amiss before knocking and entering. 

Yan Xiaoyu had been peering out the window the whole time; only when he saw Yan Shaoxuan enter did he return to his seat at the table. As soon as Yan Shaoxuan walked in, he couldn’t help but stand up.

Yan Erlang was truly dazzling; even someone as carefree as Yan Xiaoyu felt a bit embarrassed by him today.

The two exchanged a glance, then turned their heads away in unison. Once the heat in their faces had subsided a little, they turned back to steal a peek at the person across from them. After repeating this several times, Yan Xiaoyu suddenly smiled: “They said you didn’t sleep a wink last night, but I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

Yan Shaoxuan froze abruptly. Turning his face away, he muttered under his breath, “Why does Big Brother have to blab about everything!” Yan Xiaoyu’s smile grew even broader. He looked at Yan Shaoxuan and spoke softly, “Happy birthday. May you enjoy good health, longevity, and happiness.” 

Yan Shaoxuan paused for a moment, a sweet feeling welling up inside him. “You still remember—today is my birthday?”

His gaze was tender, as if filled with unspeakable affection, and Yan Xiaoyu blushed: “Of course I remember—I even prepared a birthday gift for you! But, from now on, this day will no longer be just your birthday.”

“I know.” Yan Shaoxuan’s tone was unbelievably gentle. “From now on, today will be the most important day of my life.”