According to the customs of Xiling Village, the groom would have lunch at his in-laws’ home at noon, then escort the bride back to his own home amid the sound of music and fanfare, and pay homage to Heaven and Earth at dusk.

The people of Great Chu were open-minded; on their wedding day, the brides and grooms were free to leave their room and dine at the same table with their guests. Since Yan Shaoxuan and Yan Xiaoyu were getting married, they had even more freedom.

After chatting for a while, Yan Shaoxuan reached out to Yan Xiaoyu: “Dinner will be served soon. Shall we go out together?”

Seeing those large hands with prominent knuckles before her, Yan Xiaoyu felt a playful urge: “You’re being so proactive today—have you abandoned your gentlemanly manners?”

He wore a mischievous expression, his eyes crinkling with laughter, causing Yan Shaoxuan’s ears to flush red. Yet he maintained a calm facade: “I’m holding my own Fulang—who could possibly find fault with that?”

Yan Shaoxuan stubbornly reached out his hand. Yan Xiaoyu grinned for a moment, then placed his own hand over Yan Shaoxuan’s and wiggled it: “!” 

“…” Yan Shaoxuan’s lips curled into a smile as he clasped his hand tightly.

One was exceptionally handsome, the other delicate and adorable; together, they were a striking sight. When they reached the front courtyard, they drew many glances. 

“Oh my, this new married couple is such a perfect match—they’re both so handsome!” 

“I’ve been watching Yan Erlang all these years, and today he’s smiling more than ever!”

“Xiaoyu usually looks so fierce, but who would’ve thought that once he’s all dressed up, he’s absolutely gorgeous!”

“These young newlyweds must be very much in love—Master Yan’s eyes are practically glued to his Fulang’s face. Just watching them makes my cheeks burn!”

“……”

Yan Shaoxuan led Yan Xiaoyu into the front hall, where several village aunts and uncles were gathered around Nian-ger, chatting.

Nian-ger, as the chief matchmaker, was held in the highest esteem; as soon as he arrived, he was respectfully invited into the room to enjoy sweet rice wine and egg soup.

Now that he’d finished the sweet rice wine and egg soup, he sat in the center of the group, chest puffed out, chin held high, looking incredibly proud. Upon seeing Yan Erlang and Yan Xiaoyu, he immediately dismissed the women and men.

“I’ve taken note of all your concerns. Rest assured, I’ll definitely find good husbands for your sons and daughters! But I have more important matters to attend to right now, so I can’t chat with you any longer.”

The others, knowing when to leave, departed. Nian-ger turned to Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan and said with great solemnity, “Did you remember all the instructions I gave you yesterday? When we have lunch later, you must do exactly as I said!”

Yan Xiaoyu found it a bit amusing. “We know.” 

Yu Xiaonian was absolutely gloating today.

“Good to know,” said Nian-ger, shooting Yan Shaoxuan a glare and putting on an air of maturity. “We can’t just act on a whim anymore. There’s a time and place for everything—we’ve got rules to follow!”

Yan Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then tugged at Yan Shaoxuan’s hand. “What kind of mischief have you been up to?”

“Nothing.” Yan Shaoxuan cleared his throat. “I just should’ve come a little faster.”  

“You call that ‘nothing’?” Nian-ger frowned and muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to say a few more words, Yan Xiaoyue interrupted him.

“Xiaoyu, An-ger, Zhu Sheng, and Lady Yin are all here. Do you want to go talk to them?”

Yan Xiaoyu jumped to his feet: “Of course I will!”

These were all his friends from town; it wasn’t easy for them to make the trip today. Who knows when they’d see each other again after he went away? He certainly owed it to them to treat them well today.

As Yan Xiaoyu took a step forward, Yan Shaoxuan hurried to follow.

Although Zhu Sheng had once had feelings for Yan Xiaoyu, he’d since let go of those thoughts; still, Yan Shaoxuan dared not let his guard down.

When An-ger, Zhu Sheng, and the others saw Yan Xiaoyu, they were all struck by his beauty. After offering their congratulations, they showered him with compliments. 

“Even when you went out in the morning without any makeup, I could tell you were beautiful. Today, seeing you like this, it’s exactly as I thought!”

Yan Xiaoyu was the type who loved to hear compliments; he was so flattered he was practically beaming. 

Zhu Sheng was on his best behavior; he didn’t linger with Yan Xiaoyu today, nor did he speak to him in an overly familiar manner. Yan Shaoxuan felt relieved, only to be called over again by one of Zhu Sheng’s classmates. After chatting with their respective guests for a while, the banquet began.

Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan were asked to sit at a table with a group of unmarried young people. The atmosphere was cheerful and lively throughout the meal, and both hosts and guests were in high spirits. After dinner, Nian-ger led them to bid farewell to their parents.

In families where the son was actually getting married, the parents would likely have already started crying by now. But since Yan Xiaoyu was only stepping out for a short while and would be back soon—and the wedding ceremony itself would take place at home—He Qiuhua and Yan Xingmao simply couldn’t muster any sense of melancholy.

Yan Xiaoyu was all smiles himself, too—it wasn’t until Nian-ger pinched him that he managed to suppress his grin.

“What young man in the world is this happy when bidding farewell to his parents?!” Nian-ger was thoroughly exasperated, feeling that not a single one of these newlyweds gave him a moment’s peace. Yan Xiaoyu retorted with complete confidence, “I’m not leaving home—I don’t even need to say goodbye. Why can’t I smile?”

After bidding farewell to their parents, they were to lead the wedding procession around the village twice before returning.

They could also ride horses—a practice reserved for more affluent families.

Poorer families didn’t bother with such formalities; if the husband’s family could hire an oxcart to pick her up, that was already considered generous—no matter how poor they were

Yan Xiaoyu chose to ride a horse, but he’d only ridden at the training grounds in the county seat, so he wasn’t very skilled at handling a horse.

As the two men rode side by side, Yan Shaoxuan couldn’t help but worry; he kept glancing over at Yan Xiaoyu the whole way, ready at any moment to grab him and drag him over.

However, Yan Shaoxuan was a fast rider. If it weren’t for Nian-ger standing there with his hands on his hips and a glare on his face, Xiaoyu would have been much slower over this short stretch—which actually worked out perfectly for Nian-ger.

Nian-ger nodded in satisfaction: “Now that’s more like it! What groom goes that fast? It’s not like he’s in a race…”

After circling twice, they returned to the foot of the mountain. Yan Shaoxuan nimbly leaped down from his horse, then carefully lifted Yan Xiaoyu down as well. Holding a young man wasn’t the same as holding a woman’s soft, warm body, but when Yan Shaoxuan held Yan Xiaoyu, he found every part of it just right—he simply couldn’t bear to let go. The women and Fulang waiting by the gate to receive the candies, upon seeing this scene, could hardly contain their excitement.

“Look at how carefully he’s handling him. You’d never have guessed from his usual demeanor that Shaxuan was such a considerate fellow.”

“Exactly! Even a government official like him is so doting. My own country bumpkin is always trying to show off in front of me. I really should ask Nian-ger to help me find someone else!”

“You shameless woman…”

Some of the guests, who hadn’t been kept in the loop, looked puzzled.

“Why did they just go around twice and come back? And now they’re holding the wedding ceremony right here—how is this any different from a son-in-law marrying into the family?” 

“Oh my, I wouldn’t dare say that!”

“……”

After the late afternoon meal, it was time for the most important part of the ceremony—the wedding vows.

In the main hall, an incense altar stood flanked on either side. On the Yan family’s side were the spirit tablets of Yan Shaoxuan’s biological parents and his adoptive parents, and Master Luo had been invited to attend.

As for Yan Xiaoyu’s side, needless to say, Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua sat solemnly in the main hall. All three wore expressions of contentment, and Yan Xiaoyue, seated below her, smiled with tender affection.

Nian-ger, acting as the matchmaker and master of ceremonies, stood solemnly to one side and recited aloud: “The first bow to Heaven and Earth, for an eternal union. The second bow to the parents, for health and well-being throughout the four seasons. The third bow between the couple, for a century of love and devotion.”

During the final bow, Yan Xiaoyu lowered his head and glanced briefly at Yan Shaoxuan, only to find Yan Shaoxuan looking right back at him. For a moment, he was dazed. He’d felt dazed all day, as if in a dream, but now he realized with a jolt that he and Yan Shaoxuan were married!

He, too, now had a husband.