Shen Qingqiu smacked him across the head with his fan, furious. “It’s fine, my ass!”
Having been suddenly smacked by that fan, Luo Binghe touched his head and blinked, clearly not understanding why he had been hit.
This innocent expression made Shen Qingqiu nearly choke on anger. He had just begun to feel happy about it when this brat, in the next moment, said, It’s fine, you don’t need to answer—just pretend I was making a joke!
The last bit in particular sent Shen Qingqiu into a rage, and he lashed out to smack him with his fan again. “Is this anything to joke about?!”
Luo Binghe quietly took the hit and whimpered, “I was wrong…”
“Of course you were wrong! And this master was just about to say yes!”
“I—” Luo Binghe was halfway through apologizing when he started. “Shizun,” he said carefully, “what was that?”
“Nothing at all,” said Shen Qingqiu.
“Shizun!”
Shen Qingqiu sighed. He didn’t say anything, but he motioned Luo Binghe to come closer.
As expected, Luo Binghe moved. Given his total familiarity with every movement of Shen Qingqiu’s body, the mere sight of Shen Qingqiu motioning at him meant he didn’t need a single verbal instruction to understand the intent. He obediently went to pour a cup of wine. Then Shen Qingqiu took the jar and poured himself a cup, after which he motioned Luo Binghe to take the other.
“Shizun, is this…?”
Shen Qingqiu picked up the cup he had poured himself and wound his arm around Luo Binghe’s.
Luo Binghe’s handsome face immediately began to glow with life.
His hand shook so much that he nearly dropped the cup, and his arm trembled to a frightening degree. With their arms crossed, Shen Qingqiu nearly spilled the wine in his own cup all over his chest.
“I, I, I thought… I thought…” Luo Binghe stammered out.
“You thought you would definitely be rejected, didn’t you?” Shen Qingqiu said expressionlessly.
Luo Binghe had no reply to that.
“So you said you didn’t want to hear the answer. Because you thought you would definitely be rejected.”
A silence. “I was extremely anxious.” Luo Binghe looked straight into Shen Qingqiu’s eyes. “Shizun, that day, didn’t you ask me if I truly hadn’t imagined such things before? I really never did.”
“You’re allowed to imagine,” Shen Qingqiu said.
There was nothing wrong with fantasizing. Was fantasizing illegal now? Besides, what about the chance that your fantasies could actually be realized?
“When I was young, I thought that no one could want a person like me,” said Luo Binghe. “So I never imagined that anyone would be willing to have me.”
“You’re far off the mark…”
“Later on,” Luo Binghe continued, “I had Shizun. You were clearly already by my side, but even so, I could never overcome my anxiety. I felt that you might leave me at any time. I didn’t know what I should do; I wanted to become stronger, and I wanted to become better, but I still felt like it wasn’t enough. I still…couldn’t stop myself from being afraid.”
Shen Qingqiu also looked straight into his eyes. After a while, he stroked Luo Binghe’s head and sighed. “Oh, Binghe.”
“I still don’t know what I should do now.”
“Then just do what you want to.”
Four hours later, they sat across from each other on the bed, shedding their clothes.
Luo Binghe had been terribly stubborn about certain things. He had instantly pulled out two sets of bridegroom’s robes from who knew where, begging and cajoling Shen Qingqiu to put them on and go through the full proceedings again with him, to bow to the heavens and earth, drink the crossed-cup wine, and retreat to the bridal chamber.
Shen Qingqiu found himself thinking: Even if we put the wedding clothes on, won’t we just take them off again later?
He sort of wanted to laugh, but he let Luo Binghe do as he pleased.
He’d really never thought that Luo Binghe would be the traditional type, constantly dreaming about getting married. At the same time, while it made him want to laugh, he was also overcome with affection, and he began to take it seriously as he too got caught up in the mood.
Luo Binghe’s own red clothes were half-off when he started staring at Shen Qingqiu and lost the ability to move.
“Binghe?” asked Shen Qingqiu. “What is it?”
“Shizun, you look really good in red,” Luo Binghe said in an earnest tone.
Shen Qingqiu’s skin was fair, and the red of the wedding robes cast a rosy tint on his face, adding an eye-catching splash to his usual appearance. And Luo Binghe’s gaze as he drank him in was even more besotted than usual.
Shen Qingqiu started, then let out a light cough. Though Luo Binghe always talked like that, he was still rather embarrassed. He said reservedly, “You also look…very good in red.”
Very good was barely sufficient to describe the effect. He didn’t believe a single girl could look at such a handsome bridegroom and not cry and wail to marry him. He was about to compliment him further when he saw Luo Binghe bring out a sheet of snow-white silk and reverently spread it over the bed.
Shen Qingqiu felt an ominous premonition. “What are you doing?”
Luo Binghe blushed. “This disciple heard that this is the common rule for a newlywed couple’s wedding night…”
Before he could finish, Shen Qingqiu felt goosebumps erupt all over his body. Any other rules or traditions were fine, but this tradition was way too strange when applied to him!
“Shizun, this disciple swears he won’t really let you bleed!” Luo Binghe said hurriedly, red-faced. “I just wanted to go through every step of the ceremony like a real married couple…”
Shen Qingqiu blushed. “Let’s just forget these kinds of superfluous formalities.” He was just about to take away the white sheet when he saw Luo Binghe looking at him, on the verge of tears. He could never withstand Luo Binghe looking at him like that, and now he couldn’t bear to do away with the sheet. After a long time, he helplessly forced out a few words. “But as you said, even if we lay it out, it won’t be of any use…”
Luo Binghe looked hurt as he replied, “But without this essential item and this essential step, how can it count as a wedding night?”
A beat. “Fine, fine, fine. If you insist, just leave it.”
Luo Binghe promptly hugged him and buried his head in the crook of Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. “Shizun, you’re so good to this disciple.”
Shen Qingqiu forced himself to stay calm. “I’m so-so…”
As he spoke, he felt one of the arms around him going in the wrong direction.
Luo Binghe efficiently stripped Shen Qingqiu until not a stitch remained upon him, leaving only the pair of snow-white calf-length socks on his feet.