Wedding Banquet

Yun Xian sat motionless in the living room for a while, pondering the hidden meaning behind the old lady’s words. It was only when the night outside deepened that she slowly collected her thoughts, rose, and returned to her room.

Early the next morning.

Yun Xian pushed open her door and froze.

The house, which had been archaic and tranquil only yesterday, had been completely transformed.

Bright crimson lanterns hung high, casting flickering shadows. Red gauze drapes cascaded from the stair railings all the way down to the hall; the wooden pillars were wrapped in silk cloths embroidered with golden patterns, and even the paintings and calligraphy on the walls had been replaced with gold-traced "Double Happiness" characters.

The faint sounds of bustling activity drifted up from the hall below, the air thick with the scent of burnt wedding candles, mingled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus and brown sugar.

Yun Xian frowned, gripping the carved railing as she slowly descended the stairs.

The ground floor was livelier than ever. Servants scurried back and forth, moving red-lacquered, carved screens and laying out crimson silk, decorating the entire mansion like a wedding hall prepared for a bride.

Her eyes swept across the hall, taking in the sight of servants hanging red ribbons—the place was clearly anticipating a grand celebration.

She reached out to stop a passing maid and asked in a low voice, "What is all this for?"

The maid glanced at her, offering a joyful smile, her tone as natural as if this were something Yun Xian should have known all along. "The young master is getting married tomorrow. Of course, we must decorate accordingly."

Yun Xian’s body stiffened. It felt as if her throat had been obstructed by something, leaving her unable to speak for a long moment.

...The young master?

Getting married tomorrow?

Her gaze slowly drifted to the center of the hall—

The red, gold-embroidered "Double Happiness" character was pasted in the center of the main hall, its vibrancy stinging her eyes.

She suddenly recalled the old lady’s words from the night before:

"After tomorrow, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Yun Xian’s knuckles curled involuntarily, and a layer of cold sweat broke out across her back.

This wedding had come too suddenly.

She knew full well who the groom was, but the bride... who was she?

Who was the bride?

Suppressing the unease in her heart, she discreetly inquired around, piecing together a bizarre conclusion from the fragments of the servants' conversations—

This bride seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

What was the bride’s name? When was the marriage arranged? Which family had sent her?

No one could say.

The chef in the kitchen, busy preparing the feast, knew only that there was a celebration the next day, but had never heard the bride’s name mentioned. The senior servant, who arranged the wedding details with meticulous precision, carefully steered clear of anything regarding the bride. Even the maid responsible for decorating the bridal chamber was simply following the old lady’s orders, not daring to ask a single question.

"The bride... was, of course, chosen by the old lady herself."

"The young master’s marriage was arranged by the old lady a long time ago."

The entire Zhang residence seemed to have accepted the legitimacy of this wedding as a given; no one questioned it, no one asked.

The Zhang family remained busy throughout the day, and it was not until late at night that the house finally grew quiet.

Yun Xian leaned against her headboard, her fingers tapping rhythmically and unconsciously against the quilt, her eyes dark with thought.

The wedding was steeped in oddity, yet she could find no point of entry to uncover the truth.

Her thoughts were like a tangled, knotted mess swirling in her mind, refusing to be smoothed out.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm, but the faint sense of unease within her clung to her like marrow in bones, refusing to be shaken off.

Time ticked away. Outside, the world was utterly silent, the heavy night pressing down. Even as the first light of dawn began to gray the sky, she had not managed to fall asleep.

As soon as the day broke, the Zhang house was plunged into a strange, festive atmosphere.

Bright red lanterns hung high, red silk covered the entire hall, and Chinese knots symbolizing good fortune dangled from the eaves. The floor was scattered with red paper-cut "Happiness" characters, and the very air was thick with the mixed scent of incense and wedding candles.

However—

Despite it being a wedding, there were no guests.

The main gates of the Zhang residence remained tightly shut. There was no wedding procession, no visiting friends or family. Only the people within the Zhang household were busy, as if following some set procedure, with no intention of announcing the event to the outside world.

If a normal wedding was a joyous occasion to be proclaimed to the world, the current state of the Zhang house felt more like the performance of a... private, closed-off ritual.

Yun Xian stood on the second-floor corridor, watching it all, unable to help but hold her breath and clutch her sleeves tightly.

Not far away, the red curtains below were slowly pulled aside, and a figure was ushered into the hall—

Zhang Jingyi was dressed in red wedding robes, the lapels embroidered with golden coiled dragons. He wore a golden crown and a jade belt at his waist.

The attire made his figure look tall and straight, almost making one forget that just a few days ago, he had been a beautiful girl.

Every gesture he made carried the bearing expected of a young master of the Zhang family, save for one thing—

His face was completely devoid of expression.

Dull, wooden, like a meticulously adorned statue.

Zhang Jingyi’s eyes were hollow, as if he did not even realize he was the protagonist of this wedding; he was even being supported by several servants as he walked.

Yun Xian’s throat felt parched, the chill in her heart deepening.

What on earth... was going on with this wedding?

However, before her questions could be answered, the master of ceremonies in the hall announced in a loud voice—

"The bride enters the hall!"

The red gauze curtains in front of the main hall were pulled back once more, and a tall woman, supported by two matrons of honor, walked slowly into the hall.

She was draped in a magnificent red bridal cape, the hem of her skirt embroidered with golden phoenix patterns. She walked along the red carpet, step by step, her pace slow, dignified, and steady.

The phoenix crown on her head was heavy, and a red veil obscured her face, making it impossible to see her features.

Was this... the bride who had appeared out of thin air?

Yun Xian’s heart hammered, and she stared at her intensely.

The bride walked slowly to a stop in front of Zhang Jingyi.

The atmosphere in the hall was deathly quiet.

Yun Xian’s heart raced faster and faster, as if in the next second, she would see the real answer—

The matron stepped forward, reached out gently, and lifted the bride’s veil—

The red cloth slid away slowly, revealing a plain, delicate face.

Yun Xian’s breath hitched sharply.

She clearly did not know this person.

Yet, for some reason, this face carried an indescribable sense of familiarity.

The woman’s features were not stunning; her brows were soft, and her skin was pale, as if she had not seen the sun for years. She lowered her eyes slightly, her expression calm—neither joyful nor anxious—as if she were indifferent to the fact that she was about to be married.

Yun Xian stared at her intently, her heart pounding.

Where had she seen her before?

Blurred images flashed rapidly through her mind—

A maid passing by in the corridor, a busy figure in the kitchen...

No matter how she tried to piece them together, this face could not be accurately matched with anyone.

Fine sweat began to bead on her palms, her mind struggling to sort out the clues amidst the extreme chaos.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration—

A figure slowly emerged from the depths of her memory.

But—

How could it be?

Her brain gave a sharp thrum, as if split by a bolt of lightning. All sound, all light and shadow, seemed to pull away at this moment, leaving only that strange, eerie face in the entire world.

The color drained from Yun Xian’s face in an instant, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably as she subconsciously gripped the corner of her clothes.