Chapter 76.1

“Hey, hey, hey, you can’t do this!”

“We’re outnumbered!”

“Oh my, my poor back.”

There was a mess outside the dormitory. Yu Xia and Dong Shu stood against the wall, feeling exhausted despite not having moved much. Su Na, Shu Xue, and Jia Yuan were in even worse shape. Chen Yao tried to clear the way with both hands, while Gu Shizhou took advantage of the chaos to kick the door open. He said to Lu Yu, “Go in and grab her.”

“You are not picking up the bride. You are clearly kidnapping her,” someone commented.

“Jiang Nian, hide quickly!”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Shu Xue shouted. Chen Yao blocked the door with his arm, preventing Shu Xue from squeezing in. Lu Yu strode in and saw Jiang Nian sitting on the bed, causing him to momentarily pause.

While the scene outside was lively, it was a completely different scene inside.

Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian, dressed in a red outfit with three small velvet flowers pinned in her hair. Her scattered bangs fell gently over her arched eyebrows, her curly eyelashes and bright eyes were lovely, and her lips were tinted red. When she smiled, she revealed a hint of pearl-white teeth. Lu Yu couldn’t help but lose himself for a moment.

It had been two years since he had last seen Jiang Nian dressed like this.

At this moment, Lu Yu wanted to shield Jiang Nian from everyone’s gaze. Thinking this, he acted on it, tearing the red silk from his clothes and covering Jiang Nian’s head with it. Then, he lifted her horizontally and ran out. Ge Mei paused for a moment before coming to her senses and shouted, “Lu Yu, what are you doing!”

Captain Fang and Captain Ren arrived carrying two large bags of candy. They distributed candy to everyone, while Gu Shizhou and Chen Yao were busy with the bride. Gu Shizhou and the others only stopped after Lu Yu carried Jiang Nian into the car.

Over at the family apartment, Commander He and his wife were busy. Below their apartment, the cooking pots and thirty tables were set up. Looking over, the scene was grand. Each table was laden with meat dishes, and adults and children surrounded the tables.

As the car arrived at the family apartment, people swarmed around. Lu Yu led Jiang Nian down, and the embroidery shop members were arranged at the front tables. Commander He from the Second Regiment, He Xiong, loved to talk. This event was also arranged by him and his wife. In the lively atmosphere, everyone’s gaze fell on the bride.

The bride stood next to Commander Lu. She had a  petite and delicate figure. Her small hand was held by Commander Lu’s big hand. Her snow-white face was tinged with a blush, making her look fair and beautiful, perfectly matching Commander Lu. 

Jiang Nian smiled nervously, and her palms were sweaty from nervousness.

Lu Yu squeezed her fingers and led her to toast around. After introducing everyone, he carried her upstairs to their new room on the third floor. Cheers echoed behind them. Jiang Nian held onto Lu Yu’s clothes with both hands, burying her head in his arms, her cheeks flushed crimson.

This was Jiang Nian’s second time in this room, but the impression was completely different from the first.

The walls were painted white, adorned with paper flowers and balloons. The bed was covered with a large red quilt, sprinkled with red dates and peanuts. Characters for happiness were posted on the headboard, cupboard, and windows. Before those people came in, Lu Yu laid Jiang Nian on the bed, covered her with the quilt, and kissed her lips.

The warm breath lingered between them, their noses touching. Jiang Nian’s heart had never beaten so fast before, and the air in her lungs seemed to dissipate rapidly. It was not until the footsteps were getting closer that Lu Yu reluctantly let her go and kissed her on the tip of her nose: “You sit here. I’ll go down and join them. I’ll bring you something to eat later.”

Jiang Nian nodded gently. “Okay.”

Ge Mei and Shu Xue came over. They sat with Jiang Nian and soon several women came with their children. The children called out “Aunt Jiang” and asked for a piece of wedding candy. Ge Mei and Shu Xue distributed it to the children.

After a while, two older women arrived. One of them was Lan Hui, the wife of Commander He from the Second Regiment. She brought two plates and placed them on the table, saying to Jiang Nian, “Quick, eat something first. You must be starving.”

Lu Yu told her that the head of the Second Regiment and his wife had made a lot of efforts in helping decorate the new house and the wedding. Jiang Nian smiled and said, “Thank you, Sister Lan.”

Lan Hui chuckled, “This little wife speaks so sweetly.”

Next to Lan Hui was He Yue, who lived across from her. She was the wife of Captain Fang. The group sat and chatted. Lan Hui said, “Rest well. There will be more festivities tonight.”

Jiang Nian’s scalp tingled, suddenly thinking of the wedding night festivities.

Earlier, when Zhu Jun and Zhang Xiao had their wedding night, Lu Yu had taken her to see it. It was quite the sight.

In the afternoon, Ge Mei and the others had returned, and the hustle and bustle outside gradually subsided. Lu Yu returned with a strong smell of alcohol. It was clear he had been given quite a bit to drink. Jiang Nian sat in the room, listening to the sound of doors closing outside. As footsteps gradually approached the doorway, she couldn’t help but feel nervous, grabbing the quilt with both hands. When Lu Yu pushed the door open and entered, her face inexplicably turned red.

Downstairs, she could still hear the laughter of children and the voices of adults.

The room seemed quieter than outside.

Even though Jiang Nian hadn’t drunk any alcohol, she could smell a faint scent of it in the room, and inexplicably, she felt a bit light-headed.

“Are you drunk?”

Jiang Nian swallowed nervously and stood up tensely. Since Lu Yu entered, his gaze had been fixed on her, making Jiang Nian feel flushed all over.

“Not drunk.”

Lu Yu unbuttoned his collar with one hand and approached Jiang Nian. With a quick movement, he pinned her down onto the crimson bedding. The sudden dizziness made Jiang Nian exclaim in surprise. Subconsciously, she tried to push the person in front of her away, but Lu Yu’s hand intercepted hers above her head. This action brought them intimately close together.

The light in the room seemed to dim suddenly.

Lu Yu pressed down a little harder, and the prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down. The dense depths of his eyes seemed like the hottest flames, almost unbearable for Jiang Nian. With a moistened lip, Lu Yu’s slightly breathy voice lingered near her nose, “Nian Nian.”

The low and deep words carried an indescribable magnetism.

Jiang Nian felt herself melting all over.

The sensation on her lips gradually intensified. This was an embrace without any reservations, just pure and joyful contact. The scent of alcohol filled the space between their lips and teeth. Jiang Nian felt as if she were intoxicated, unable to break free from Lu Yu’s embrace. The man’s hot breath brushed against her earlobe.

Jiang Nian turned her head slightly to avoid it but was caught by Lu Yu again.

Driven by the alcohol, Lu Yu gently parted Jiang Nian’s teeth with his tongue.

Tears welled up in Jiang Nian’s eyes, blurring her vision. The hand that had been gripping her wrist withdrew at some point, now resting on her waist.

Unrestrained, uninhibited exploration.

The buttoned wedding dress fell apart, and Jiang Nian’s hair also gradually fell apart, like the dark night spreading on the starry sky. Lu Yu’s eyes were scarlet, and the smell of love mixed with alcohol filled the room. Jiang Nian’s fingers tightly grasped the quilt, and her wet eyes did not dare to lower her eyes to look.

The bride’s red dress lay discarded beside the pillow.

Jiang Nian bit her lower lip tightly, trying hard not to look at Lu Yu’s dark head in front of her.

Lu Yu supported himself with one hand on her waist. Jiang Nian’s fingers squeezed his arm forcefully, but this time, she couldn’t move him at all.

“Commander Lu!”

“Commander Lu, there’s still another event. Where are you?”

The banging on the door outside had already begun. Chen Yao and a group of people’s voices echoed one after another.

Startled, Jiang Nian was afraid they would burst in as they did at the embroidery shop.

The veins on Lu Yu’s forehead were throbbing tightly, and there was a rare murderous look in his dark eyes. He took a deep breath, picked up the clothes, and put them on Jiang Nian, buttoning up her front one by one. Looking at Jiang Nian’s delicate and tempting red lips, Lu Yu tried his best to maintain the last bit of rationality he had left.

Jiang Nian sat up and pulled the blanket over herself.

Lu Yu held her in his arms, kissed her gently on the forehead, his voice hoarse, “Rest for a while. There’s another event tonight.”

Jiang Nian nodded gently. The banging on the door continued. The loud voice of Ning Sheng, Deputy Commander of the Third Regiment, came from outside: “Commander Lu, it’s not time for the wedding night yet. Don’t be so impatient.”

Lu Yu: …

Jiang Nian: …