C16 On the First Day of Their Marriage

As the first blush of dawn filtered through the curtains, Leng Wuyan shielded her eyes, finding the light piercingly bright.

The air was crisp and invigorating that morning.

She stretched languidly, her eyes slowly peeling open after a night of deep sleep.

Upon awakening, Leng Wuyan noticed she was still dressed neatly, which told her Ye Yun hadn't overstepped any boundaries the previous evening.

Glancing around, she realized Ye Yun was no longer in the room.

Where could he have gone?

Surely Ye Yun hadn't fled in the dead of night?

Her emotions were tangled—was it anticipation or disappointment she felt?

She had been the one to rebuff Ye Yun last night, yet now she harbored some regrets.

A troubling thought crossed her mind—was she falling for Ye Yun?

Lost in thought on the bed, the door suddenly swung open.

A refined, scholarly figure approached her.

With her head bowed, Leng Wuyan hadn't had the chance to look up.

"Awake? Come on, get up and try the green vegetable and lean meat porridge I made," Ye Yun's gentle voice coaxed.

At the sound of his voice, Leng Wuyan's head snapped up, and she recognized Ye Yun.

A wave of relief washed over her, bringing with it a sense of security.

"Did you have a good night's sleep? I hope I didn't disturb you," Ye Yun inquired.

Regaining her composure, Leng Wuyan replied with a hint of formality, "Yes, you were considerate."

Internally, she chastised herself for her response. She hadn't meant it; waking to find Ye Yun absent had left her feeling hollow.

But she couldn't possibly confess that to him.

Ye Yun set the porridge down with care, suggesting, "Sect Master, this is my first attempt at making porridge. Why don't you try it after freshening up?"

"Sure," Leng Wuyan responded coolly.

Post-wash, she cast an impassive glance at the breakfast laid out on the table—a small bowl accompanied by petite servings of pickled vegetables and beef sauce.

Ye Yun had prepared a lavish breakfast, much to Leng Wuyan's delight.

As she settled down to eat, Ye Yun offered, "Honey, let me feed you." He scooped up a spoonful of porridge and blew on it gently.

Before he could bring the spoon to Leng Wuyan's lips, she interjected with a calm authority, "Haven't I told you not to call me that?"

"But honey, we're alone now. Can't you be a bit softer with me?" Ye Yun implored, spooning the porridge into her mouth regardless.

"Plus, you have to admit I was quite well-behaved last night!" Ye Yun attempted to feed her another bite.

The mention of the previous evening sparked an inexplicable irritation in Leng Wuyan. She snapped, "I told you not to call me that, did you not hear me?"

Ye Yun was taken aback by her outburst, at a loss for what he'd done wrong.

"Sect Master, please, don't be angry. Anger doesn't suit your beauty," he said, pulling a goofy face to lighten her mood.

Leng Wuyan couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Seeing her smile, Ye Yun felt a rush of love envelop him.

He continued to feed her, bite by bite, until Leng Wuyan, slightly sheepish, insisted, "That's enough, I can eat on my own."

The porridge was delicious, the greens still vibrant.

Leng Wuyan polished off the bowl with gusto, to Ye Yun's amazement. The Sect Master, usually so imposing, had quite the appetite!

And yet, her figure remained as delicate as ever.

Ye Yun watched her, love-struck, absentmindedly playing with her hair.

In that moment, he wished time could stand still, that they could remain in this perfect bubble forever.

Lost in dreams of their idyllic future, a lovesick grin spread across his face.

"What's so funny?" Leng Wuyan's voice snapped him back to reality.

"It's nothing. Sect Master, you're so beautiful, and I'm so incredibly happy!"

Ye Yun was still lost in his daydream, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Leng Wuyan was touched by Ye Yun's compliment.

Yet, she quickly reminded herself that Ye Yun was merely her husband for the moment and that they were set to divorce in a month.

Should she reveal the truth to him?

Leng Wuyan found herself wrestling with the decision once more.

She decided to wait and tell him later.

Setting aside her spoon, Leng Wuyan instructed, "Change into something simpler. We're going to the ancestral hall to offer incense soon."

Ye Yun paused, then nodded, "Okay, I'll go change right now."

Once Ye Yun was dressed, they walked shoulder to shoulder out of the room and into the Asura Palace.

The hall's disciples were already assembled and looked on with a mix of shock and ire as Ye Yun and Leng Wuyan entered together. Lan Zheng and Faang Qingzhuo, in particular, were seething.

Their glares bore into Ye Yun as if they could devour him whole.

"He's looking quite smug. I doubt he'll be smug for much longer."

"We'll get a chance to teach him a lesson."

"Yes, we need to avenge our Second Senior Brother."

The disciples murmured among themselves.

With a whiny tone, Ye Yun complained, "Sect Master, it's too noisy!"

Noticing the discontent among the disciples, Leng Wuyan took her place at the center of the hall and declared, "If any of you continue to mock Ye Yun, you'll be punished!"

Silenced by Leng Wuyan's warning, the disciples held their tongues.

Suddenly, a disciple burst in from outside the Asura Palace, kneeling on one knee, "Sect Master, all preparations are complete. We can start the ceremony."

The tension in the air eased; the disciple's timing was impeccable.

Leng Wuyan let the matter of the disciples' behavior slide.

"Ye Yun, we're leaving," she announced, extending her hand for him to take.

Understanding the gesture, Ye Yun gracefully took her hand, and together they exited the Asura Palace.

The disciples promptly rose to their feet and trailed behind Ye Yun and Leng Wuyan.

As they stepped out of the hall, an elder approached, leaning heavily on his crutch, and quavered, "There have been some unusual occurrences in the Back Mountain lately. Sect Master, what are our next steps?"

Leng Wuyan, unfazed by the news and ever composed as Sect Master, responded, "Let's address that after the sacrificial ceremony has concluded."

One disciple piped up, "Why not send Ye Yun to the Back Mountain to deal with the issue?"

Lan Zheng chimed in with support, "Exactly. Sect Master, given the opposition to him as your spouse, this could be his chance to prove his mettle."

Faang Qingzhuo echoed the sentiment, "Should he resolve this situation, we will certainly withdraw our objections to him."