Chapter 2 : My lady, shall we go to bed?

The bride’s voice was very pleasant to hear.

It was like the sound of pearls falling onto a jade plate, dispersing the heat from his heart and quieting the noise outside.

Huo Tan had been drinking quite a bit, his mind not particularly clear, and he felt a vague kind of heat throughout his body.

But after being so coldly admonished by her, he suddenly became sober.

Yet, after gaining clarity, he felt an inexplicable fluttering.

Although it was cold outside, he felt as though his whole body was burning.

Huo Tan’s gaze was like a torch as he turned his head to look at his new bride through the obstructive red veil.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see anything.

He could only see the woman’s slender waist hidden under her red wedding dress.

“Haha,” Huo Tan smiled faintly, his voice deep like aged wine. “My Lady, are you not…”

His words trailed off, as if he had swallowed something.

Cui Yunzhao thought he was about to say something lewd, but the man’s tone suddenly became straightforward.

“My Lady, aren’t you hungry?”

Cui Yunzhao was slightly taken aback but then smiled and said, “Hungry, of course.”

After the two of them chatted for a few words, the crowd outside hurried into the wedding chamber.

The bridesmaid had just been stopped by the servants and did not enter the bridal chamber immediately. She could not complain to the women of the Huo family who had hurried over, so she could only squeeze through the crowd.

“Alright, alright, groom and bride, the auspicious time is almost here, let’s proceed with the ceremony.”

Cui Yunzhao couldn’t see the scene outside, but judging by the voices, she knew there were many people in the room, so she straightened her posture and adopted a dignified and virtuous demeanor.

Huo Tan glanced at her and adjusted his somewhat disheveled wedding robes, then straightened his body.

The newlyweds were quite mindful of their appearance.

The bridesmaid’s movements were quick and efficient, and soon it was time to lift the veil.

Huo Tan took the wedding scale handed over by the bridesmaid and without any hesitation, he quickly took off the troublesome red veil.

Cui Yunzhao felt a sudden flash of brightness before her eyes. She instinctively squinted and displayed a hint of nervousness and unease on her face.

The bridesmaid’s gentle voice followed “Ah, this pair of talented man and beautiful woman is truly a match made in heaven, a perfect union.”

After these words, not only did the observing female relatives want to smile, but even Cui Yunzhao felt like laughing.

If she and Huo Tan were truly a match made in heaven, then why did they end up divorced? Their four years of marriage had been filled with ups and downs, and there was no sign of a perfect match at all.

As Cui Yunzhao harbored these thoughts, she felt a burning gaze from beside her.

She slightly turned her head, and her beautiful phoenix eyes landed on Huo Tan’s face.

The candlelight in the room was bright, casting a golden glow over everything.

The wedding chamber was bathed in red, and the entire space was filled with festive cheer. In this atmosphere, the tall man beside her appeared even more handsome and unparalleled.

Cui Yunzhao married Huo Tan when she was eighteen, and he was nineteen, full of youthful vigor.

He had a natural grace, despite being constantly exposed to the wind and sun, and always in training, he still had a strikingly handsome face that could captivate any woman from Bo Ling.

Before her death in her previous life, Cui Yunzhao had not seen Huo Tan for two years. However, after being reborn, she still immediately engraved his image in her heart.

At this moment, Huo Tan had shed some of the majesty and authority of his imperial status and had a bit more of the youthful ease and lightness.

It made one fall in love at first sight.

However, at this moment, Cui Yunzhao’s thoughts were occupied with other matters. She lacked the romantic sentiments she might have had otherwise, and she appeared quite dignified and virtuous.

An unfamiliar auntie suddenly spoke up, She must be Cui’s daughter. She didn’t even blush when she saw our Huo Tan.”

Her comment immediately caused laughter to erupt in the wedding chamber.

The Huo family came from a military background. Later, Huo Tan’s father had risen to a high position, transforming them into a military family. Yet, they still adhered to the old military traditions, showing no understanding of refined manners.

Cui Yunzhao had found it very unsettling when she first came into the family, feeling as though the sky was falling.

But now, perhaps because of her rebirth and the joy of being alive again, her grievances and dissatisfaction had completely dissipated. Facing these straightforward relatives, she even found their directness somewhat endearing.

Seeing the bride smile slightly, the bridesmaid quickly said, “Alright, the wedding wine is ready. Bride and groom, please drink together for a harmonious union.”

A ladle filled with a bit of wine was handed to Cui Yunzhao. She lifted her gaze slightly to look at Huo Tan on the other side of the ladle.

Huo Tan, looking at the beautiful woman under the lamp’s light, suddenly smiled at her.

“My Lady, please.”

Cui Yunzhao also smiled, “My lord, please.”

As the warm wine went down, a lovely blush appeared on Cui Yunzhao’s face.

After the wine, there were only a few minor rituals left, and within half an hour, the wedding was completely over.

The bridesmaid noticed that the groom’s eyes were fixed on the bride, and she immediately smiled and said, “The wedding ceremony is complete, bringing good fortune. Now, let us outsiders leave.”

The auntie who had made the earlier comment started laughing immediately, “Oh, our Huo Tan has finally come to this day. I must have a word with your mother.”

“Don’t forget your mother now that you have a wife.”

The bridesmaid smile faltered, and she hurriedly urged everyone out, “A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold pieces. Let’s go quickly.”

Everyone in the room dispersed gradually, even Li Qing was called out by Cui Yunzhao. In an instant, the wedding chamber was left with only the vibrant red decorations and the two “strangers.”

With everyone gone, Huo Tan impatiently removed the hair crown from his head, letting his black hair fall freely, which gave him an ethereal quality.

He placed the hair crown casually on the table, walked over to the window table, searched around, and finally found a piece of flower pastry, which he put into his mouth.

As he ate, he took another piece and walked over to Cui Yunzhao to offer it to her.

Cui Yunzhao sat quietly on the wedding bed, her beautiful face illuminated by the firelight, appearing even more radiant and captivating.

It was hard to look away.

She lowered her eyes, gazing at her delicate white hands, and suddenly recalled their wedding night from years ago.

Ten years earlier, at that time, Cui Yunzhao was deeply dissatisfied with the marriage. As a pampered daughter of a high family, she was given in marriage to a military household by a shortsighted uncle.

Although Huo Tan had gained some fame and had a title in front of the military governor, he was still just a military commander with only a hundred men under his command.

Cui Yunzhao, at eighteen and inexperienced in the ways of the world, harbored some fear of military families.

On their wedding night, she was somewhat daunted by the tall Huo Tan and couldn’t say much, making the bridal night even more tense and awkward.

For a long time afterward, she only remembered the man’s strong hands tightly gripping her slender wrists, leaving bruises on her body, and the intense heat of his breath and sweat.

On that day, Cui Yunzhao was very nervous and unfamiliar with Huo Tan, so she found the experience quite frightening and painful.

When they had just married, Cui Yunzhao was very resistant to physical contact with Huo Tan. Whenever he came close, she would try to avoid him, and even when he emerged from the bathroom shirtless, she would scold him immediately.

Over time, Huo Tan rarely approached her.

Later, as they were often apart, Cui Yunzhao grew up, and occasionally, in the middle of the night, she would miss Huo Tan’s tall frame and strong arms.

However, at that time, she still maintained the aloof demeanor of a noblewoman and refused to lower herself or express her feelings openly.

Eventually… they divorced.

After their divorce, there were no reports of Huo Tan remarrying. Later, he established an empire and did not expand his harem but focused entirely on state affairs.

Cui Yunzhao narrowed her eyes.

In her previous life, she thought Huo Tan was uninterested in romantic affairs and only focused on military matters. But now, experiencing this passionate and ambiguous wedding night again, Cui Yunzhao felt something was amiss.

She wanted to know if Huo Tan had poisoned her in her past life, why he had agreed to the divorce, and how he truly felt about their marriage.

What kind of person was he, after all? A test would reveal it.

Lost in her thoughts, Cui Yunzhao didn’t hear Huo Tan’s voice at first.

It wasn’t until a fragrant flower pastry touched the tip of her nose, leaving a smear of oil and pastry, that she snapped back to reality.

Cui Yunzhao looked up to see Huo Tan’s handsome smiling face.

She vaguely remembered that when they had just married, Huo Tan liked to smile a lot.

His smile was very attractive, like a refreshing breeze in summer, making one feel captivated.

Seeing that Cui Yunzhao was still dazed, Huo Tan couldn’t help but smile again.

“Aren’t you hungry? Eat.”

Cui Yunzhao stared at him for a while, then slowly extended her hand to take the flower pastry from him.

But at that moment, the man playfully pushed his hand forward.

Cui Yunzhao, caught off guard, ended up grabbing his wrist.

Despite his appearance not being particularly imposing, and dressed in a long robe that gave him an elegant air, those who had touched his flesh knew how solidly built he was.

Especially his wrist, which felt strong and firm, and gave a sense of security.

Their hands, one soft and one firm, intertwined.

Huo Tan’s eyes darkened slightly as he continued to offer the pastry towards her lips, saying, “My lady, if your hand is too weak, let me feed you.”

Cui Yunzhao glanced at him without flinching. She opened her lips slightly and took a bite of the flower pastry.

Her white teeth flashed briefly between her red lips.

Huo Tan suddenly felt more heat.

Under the light, the beauty’s bright eyes and radiant smile made her entire presence gleam.

Cui Yunzhao’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. She was indeed hungry. Seizing the opportunity while Huo Tan was distracted, she quickly finished the flower pastry.

It was delicious and satisfying, making her feel rejuvenated and warmer.

Huo Tan watched her eat quietly, his wolf-like eyes fixed on her, not avoiding or blinking.

He had expected Cui Yunzhao to be shy and blush, but to his surprise, she was not.

After finishing the pastry, she looked up at Huo Tan and asked with a clear voice, “My lord, do you have more?”

Huo Tan raised an eyebrow.

Then he smiled softly, got up to bring over the entire plate of pastries, and thoughtfully poured her a bowl of hot tea.

“Rest assured, my lady, there is plenty of food.”

Once Cui Yunzhao had eaten another piece of mung bean cake, she finally felt content.

Seeing that Huo Tan was still eating, Cui Yunzhao said nothing more. She got up and went to the water room to wash her face and freshen up, allowing herself to calm down slowly.

A moment later, when she returned to the wedding bed, she saw that the tall man had already removed his outer wedding garments, leaving only the white inner clothing.

Huo Tan was reclining on the bed at a slant, his long figure relaxed. His bright, deep-set eyes were half-closed, all his attention focused on the beauty with a slender waist.

His gaze seemed to burn with intensity, as if he could devour her with a single look.

“My lady, shall we go to bed?”

Cui Yunzhao bit her lip.

She looked somewhat shy, but instead of standing still, she lifted her embroidered shoe and steps toward the bed.

Her movements were slow, yet each step seemed to tread on Huo Tan’s heart.

Indeed, every step was like walking on a lotus flower.

Cui Yunzhao was not shy at all. She knelt directly on the bed and slowly placed her slender hands, which were used to holding a pen, on Huo Tan’s waist and abdomen.

Huo Tan felt a surge of warmth and instinctively wanted to rise, to do something that would bring tears to her eyes.

However, the next moment, the beauty’s hand pressed firmly against his chest, pushing him back down onto the bed.

Her skin was as fair as snow, her red lips like flowers, and her sweet fragrance nearly overwhelmed Huo Tan’s senses.

She positioned herself high above him, leaning over with an air of dominance.

“This time, you’re in my hands.”