Chapter 119: The Eve of the Wedding

The next morning, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and the chatter of pedestrians filled the air.

Jiang Niannian was wrapped from head to toe in tails, her body damp with sweat. She was so exhausted that she couldn’t open her eyes.

Groggily, she reached out to push away the warm thing clinging to her waist: “It’s so hot. Move away from me.”

After a muffled groan, Yin Buqi’s hoarse voice replied, “…Alright.”

She dozed for a while longer, then slowly opened her eyes to see the firm, smooth chest in front of her.

Yin Buqi was already awake, his red eyes quietly watching her.

The deep corners of his eyes were filled with a spring-like softness. “Niannian, good morning.”

“Mmm,” Jiang Niannan responded lazily, suddenly feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

She looked at the bite marks on her body and said, “You always bite me, like a little dog.”

Yin Buqi chuckled and offered his neck to her.

“Then bite me back, Niannian.”

“Childish.”

“I only act like this in front of you.”

From their first meeting to falling in love, the journey had been long, far too long.

The group stayed in Buzhou City for a while, and life was peaceful.

After handling Zhao Anming’s funeral arrangements, they placed Yin Ci and Wen Shili’s bodies in spirit coffins and brought them back to Qingqiu for burial.

As Zhao Anming had promised, he left all his family’s assets to Jiang Niannian.

He had instructed his servants to do so before his death.

Jiang Niannian didn’t keep the wealth for herself. Instead, she used it to develop the land of Never Night Sky.

People from Rimuli and Qingqiu came to help, and soon, a city rose on the vast land of Never Night Sky.

Yin Buqi, indulging her, named the capital city after her: Nian City.

In Zhao Anming’s name, Jiang Niannian took in countless beggars and refugees, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.

Yin Buqi was the young master of Qingqiu, while Jiang Niannian, somewhat inexplicably, became the city lord of Nian City, deeply loved by the people.

Compared to Qingqiu, Jiang Niannian preferred living in Nian City because it had a more lively, human atmosphere.

Yin Buqi, ever the devoted husband, immediately moved their belongings to Nian City.

Most of the affairs in Qingqiu were left to Hu Feishuang to manage.

Hu Feishuang: WTF..

However, since the events in Buzhou City, Yin Buqi had developed a new habit: during moments of passion, he would make Jiang Niannian call him “husband.”

At night, Yin Buqi held Jiang Niannian in his arms, his red eyes filled with burning intensity.

“Nian Nian! Call me husband!”

“Husband!”

“Nian Nian!” Yin Buqi’s eyes shone brightly, a scorching heat spreading from his chest through his blood, overwhelming him like molten lava.

The longing in his heart boiled over like madness.

“Again! Call me ‘dear husband’!”

Jiang Niannian obediently complied: “Dear husband!”

He gazed deeply at her face, as pure and soft as a gardenia flower, his eyes filled with an almost insane infatuation. He called out tenderly, “Nian Nian, my treasure…”

Jiang Niannian felt her face heat up.

He kissed her gently.

The moth-like, bone-deep, and obsessive love was all contained in these soft murmurs, never changing.

He was an incurable madman.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed. The day of the wedding had arrived.

“M-My lady, please forgive this servant.”

A nervous female voice sounded in her ear.

Jiang Niannian took a moment to process the words, then stared at the bronze mirror in front of her for several seconds before suddenly remembering that she was in the middle of having her wedding headpiece fitted. She had simply been so tired that she had fallen asleep sitting on the stool.

For some reason, Yin Buqi had become increasingly childish.

For example, last night, while she was cultivating, he had wrapped her up in his tails, then unwrapped her, then wrapped her up again, playing this game endlessly, amusing himself.

“I was just a little tired and accidentally fell asleep. You didn’t do anything wrong. Get up,” Jiang Niannian said, both amused and exasperated.

The people of Nian City adored her, almost to the point of worshiping her like a deity.

The maid finally stood up respectfully and asked, “My lady, do you like the headpiece?”

Jiang Niannian looked at the exquisite phoenix crown on her head. It was truly beautiful, and she nodded with a smile.

“Nian Nian.”

A familiar voice called out, and Jiang Niannian turned around.

Yin Buqi was leaning against the doorframe, his black hair tied up with a clasp. He was dressed in black robes, his eyes fixed on her, his face filled with undeniable tenderness.

He had been trying to separate the Nether Evil Resentment Seed from himself these days, and it had left him much thinner.

Jiang Niannian had tried to dissuade him, but Yin Buqi had been resolute.

The maid panicked and said, “You’re not supposed to see each other before the wedding!”

Yin Buqi looked at Jiang Niannian with an innocent, pitiful expression.

“Nian Nian, she’s chasing me away.”

The maid, terrified, immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

“How could I dare to chase you away?!”

Jiang Niannian sighed helplessly and said, “You don’t need to serve here anymore. You may leave.”

“My lady, you haven’t tried on the wedding dress yet.”

“I’ll try it later.”

Jiang Niannian waved her hand, signaling for the maid to leave.

The maid seemed to want to say more but eventually retreated.

Jiang Niannian looked at the man pretending to be pitiful at the door and smiled.

“Why are you here? Didn’t we agree not to see each other a few days before the wedding?”

“I missed you. I couldn’t help it, so I came,” Yin Buqi said, pulling her into a tight embrace, as if trying to meld her into his body.

“Such a beautiful bride. If I don’t keep a close eye on you, what if you run away?”

His voice was filled with excitement and barely concealed joy.

Jiang Niannian touched his pale, thin face.

“I won’t. I’m about to marry you. How could I run away?”

He gently rubbed his chin against her head.

“Nian Nian.”

“Don’t lie to me, or I’ll hate you.”

Jiang Niannian suddenly found it amusing. Such childish words coming from his mouth seemed so out of place, but he was so serious that she couldn’t bring herself to laugh.

She said, “I want to be with you forever, no matter what happens in the future. Even if I die—”

Her words were cut off as Yin Buqi covered her mouth with his own.

Yin Buqi glared at her.

“You can’t say the word ‘die’ recently. It’s bad luck.”

He was so easily riled up. It was really fun.

Jiang Niannian laughed.

“Yin Buqi, I never knew you were so superstitious.”

“I’m not superstitious,” Yin Buqi insisted.

“It’s just that when it comes to you, I’m always cautious.”

“Alright, alright,” Jiang Niannian continued.

“Even if something happen, my heart, my soul, will always return to you. This promise will never change.”

He leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, so softly that it felt like a breath, the words naturally sinking into Jiang Niannian’s heart.

“My entire life is in your hands, Nian Nian. Please be gentle with it.”