Glasses clinked, and no matter how much they drank, the spirits could never get drunk—but players were different. Ji Huaichu stood in front of Mu Anqi, drinking every toast offered to her and returning each one in turn.
After a round of toasts, Bai Yulai, who for some reason seemed unusually bold today, clamored for Ji Huaichu to share how she and Mu Anqi had gotten together, teasing that it was a rare sight to see the "iron tree bloom" and that everyone was dying to know the story.
"There's nothing much to tell," Ji Huaichu deflected, drinking four or five cups in a row with Bai Yulai until the fox's tail emerged and could no longer be concealed. Only then did she let the drunken fox off the hook. Meanwhile, Wu Sansheng, who had toasted Mu Anqi with a beverage, was pulled by Ji Huaichu to Bai Yulai's side and tasked with taking care of the intoxicated fox.
On this joyous day, no one dared let Bai Yulai cause a drunken scene.
As dusk gradually fell, Ji Huaichu could no longer restrain her impatience. She waved her hand and said, "If you continue to delay us like this, starting tomorrow, be prepared for my beloved and me to visit each of you one by one and offer you our… blessings."
Yu Chuhan, who had been about to propose another toast, smoothly turned her wrist and drank the wine herself. She seamlessly turned around and struck up a conversation with Miss White, who was quietly enjoying the desserts: "Your Upside-Down City is truly impressive. I wonder if you'd be free the day after tomorrow? I've been wanting to visit you for a long time, dear~"
"I'll be free," Miss White replied calmly, looking at Yu Chuhan. "It is we who should learn illusion techniques from you."
Under such a "threat," the spirits laughed and finally let Ji Huaichu go. If they continued to delay her, who knew how much longer General Ji's temper would hold? Given her vengeful nature, who would want to be remembered by her after she'd made such a warning?
As the surrounding spirits dispersed, Ji Huaichu turned and swept Mu Anqi into her arms, striding toward the bridal chamber that had long been prepared.
—"General, when did you first fall for me?" The person in her arms raised a hand to caress Ji Huaichu's jaw, her fingertips tracing the sharp line downward, lightly tapping the General's neck, then gently tugging at her collar until they brushed against her collarbone.
When was it? In that instant, countless scenes and memories flashed through Ji Huaichu's mind, yet she couldn't pinpoint a specific moment. Their first meeting at the circus? Back then, she hadn't paid much attention to this particular player, only noting that her abilities were rather unique and worth keeping an eye on. As for her impression of Mu Anqi… it was probably that she "remained quite calm."
Was it at the Seven Nights Hotel? She had indeed extended an invitation, but that was based on admiration. Was it Mu Anqi's performance in Samsara City and her attitude toward the Blank Paper residents? It seemed so, yet not entirely… What about Silent Serenade? But that was led by Xia Fenghua. Then, was it Death Village? The first time she took Mu Anqi through the Black Mirror Vortex, she realized this player was more resilient than she had imagined.
Perhaps it wasn't a certain unforgettable experience, nor a particularly perilous battle. It didn't even require a grand scene. Maybe it was simply that the wind was exceptionally gentle when she went out to welcome her back to the city one day, or that the clouds were lazily drifting across the sky, captivating her as she watched the smiling player approach. Unknowingly, a seed had been planted in her heart.
"General~"
The door opened and closed. Ji Huaichu laid Mu Anqi on the bed. The red candles in the room flickered, and before she could straighten up, Mu Anqi hooked a finger into her collar and pulled her down.
...Mu Anqi hadn't used much force at all. Yet, with just that gentle tug, Ji Huaichu was powerless to resist.
General Ji leaned down greedily for a kiss, but still remembered to free a hand to cast a barrier around the room. Who knew what those spirits and demons might get up to? Just in case, she didn't want anything to disturb them.
"The first time I saw you, General, I thought you were incredibly beautiful," Mu Anqi said with a smile, her eyes holding only Ji Huaichu's reflection. She lowered her head, pulling down her collar, her fingertips lightly tugging at the sash. "Back then, I thought, this game really gets it, actually creating such a dashing, heroic, beautiful big sister."
She was like an unsheathed blade, the slightest hint of her aura enough to send chills down one's spine.
"The General came to pick me up every time, always keeping a cold face but loving to eat candy, never saying much but always acting with my best interests at heart."
Mu Anqi had never been in love before and hadn't known what liking someone felt like. But since then, she would feel heartache and sorrow over the spirits' pasts, find it adorable when this person expressionlessly crunched candy—even though this was the same Ji Huaichu all ghosts feared. Her own laid-back mindset gradually changed. It turned out she too could yearn to become stronger, to be capable of protecting someone who was already plenty powerful. She would regret having come so late, regret not having been there, regret that such an outstanding person had been alone for so long.
She gently kissed Ji Huaichu's collarbone, exposed where she had tugged the clothing, and hooked her fingers, inviting Ji Huaichu to nibble her lips. It was their wedding day, a time when she was so happy she couldn't find words to describe her feelings. These emotions were like overinflated balloons, ready to "burst" at any moment. Yet she didn't know what to say, didn't understand why tears were falling. Peach blossom petals drifted down from above, landing on Ji Huaichu's hair, on the tip of Mu Anqi's nose, veiling her tear-blurred eyes, leaving only a whispered confession: "I love you."
The crimson bed curtains fell, the red candles flickering, casting intertwined shadows that merged into one. Red waves rolled, a nightingale sang. Like mandarin ducks nestling, like intertwining branches. Soft murmurs and sighs, lamenting the shortness of the spring night. Beads of sweat, speaking of endless tenderness.
By the time dawn broke, the red candles had burned out. Ji Huaichu gazed at her sleeping beloved, tenderly kissing away the sweat on her brow, gathering a stray lock of her hair and winding it around her finger, as if all her tender feelings were entwined within her heart.
Ji Huaichu never considered herself soft-hearted, and even less so after becoming a ghost. But even the most hardened spirit, encountering such a soft-hearted human, even with a heart tempered by heavenly tribulation, couldn't help but soften, becoming as pliable as cotton. She even worried that she wasn't soft or gentle enough, that she might somehow bruise this fragile person.
"Mu Anqi…"
"My little money tree."
"Mine…"
"Beloved."
…
Naturally, Ji Huaichu and Mu Anqi didn't have to clean up the aftermath of the wedding. A competent tool-ghost could arrange everything perfectly, including the first "breakfast" for the new mistress of the General's residence.
What are you still standing around for? Yes, you! Xia Fenghua! Get to work!
So, when Mu Anqi woke up, the first thing she saw was Ji Huaichu gazing at her with deep affection.
"Wh-what time is it?" As soon as Mu Anqi spoke, she realized how parched she was. But the moment she asked, Ji Huaichu got out of bed, fetched a cup of tea, and handed it to her.
"It's still early. If you're tired, sleep a bit more," Ji Huaichu said.
After drinking the water, Mu Anqi felt much better. She shook her head. "No, I'm too hungry." Based on her memory from yesterday… it was already dawn when they finally slept. It couldn't possibly be early now. Unless she had slept the entire day?
"Then let's get up. Xia Fenghua has prepared food. There's the pickled fish and steamed pork ribs you like." Ji Huaichu brought over the clean new clothes. As she helped Mu Anqi dress, she couldn't resist lowering her head to kiss the red marks. "Are you… uncomfortable at all?"
"Oh, I'm not some porcelain doll. Aside from being starving, I'm perfectly fine," Mu Anqi said with a laugh. She hooked her arms around Ji Huaichu's neck, stealing another kiss, then finally finished dressing, got out of bed, and headed outside cheerfully.
The red decorations were still up, but the mess from the wedding feast had been completely cleared away. Lady Red and the other spirits, along with Mu Anqi's friends, had all left, not staying to linger.
Watching Ji Huaichu and Mu Anqi, both radiant with happiness, Xia Fenghua couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "It's so wonderful."
"Is this love?" Mu Xiaobai asked quietly, the white paper of her face as pure and blank as ever. She watched Mu Anqi and Ji Huaichu chatting and laughing, their every movement seeming to emit pink bubbles.
"Must be, though I don't really understand it either," Xia Fenghua said, gradually breaking into a fond, auntie-like smile, though it looked a bit strange on her childlike form. She patted Mu Xiaobai's shoulder. "Seeing the General so happy… it almost makes all the hard work worth it."
—"Hey! Xia Fenghua, aren't you going to the Black Mirror Suppression Headquarters? It was just established. General Ji is on leave now and can't go, so shouldn't you be over there keeping an eye on things?" Vice General Zhao Qianluo materialized as a shadow swiftly entering the General's residence, grabbed Xia Fenghua, and then retreated just as quickly as a shadow. After the Feast of Extreme Bliss, they had been busy with the wedding. Now that the General was married, Suppression Department affairs were naturally the most urgent.
As vice generals, they obviously couldn't bother Ji Huaichu right before her honeymoon. But Xia Fenghua? You're coming with us! Everyone else is busy working—why should you get to stay at the General's residence?
In a daze, Xia Fenghua was dragged onto the airship, her face stiff. By the time she disembarked and was shoved by Zhao Qianluo into an office, facing a desk piled high with documents of all kinds, she was utterly stupefied.
"I'm still a child laborer…" Picking up a file, Xia Fenghua's hand trembled.
However, all she received in return was a cold, ruthless urge: "A child laborer for several hundred years? Hurry up and compile the statistics!"
To ensure Ji Huaichu could enjoy her honeymoon with Mu Anqi, not a single soul in the General's residence was idle! Even Mu Xiaobai had been recruited by Xia Fenghua to serve as a temporary cook for the Suppression Department.
"When will I ever finish all this?!" Xia Fenghua grabbed her own hair in despair. "Is it too late for me to go work for a different Ghost King now?"
"Storyteller!! Hurry up and generate some workplace legends for me! Start with a hundred of them, dammit!"
Of course, all this resentment and despair had nothing to do with Ji Huaichu.
After three consecutive days of sleeping until the afternoon, Mu Anqi lay in bed, lazily tracing the contours of General Ji's abs as she yawned. She finally remembered the dimensional travel pass the System had gifted them. She looked at Ji Huaichu: "General~ shall we go on a trip tomorrow? But I don't know which dimension we'll end up in, or if there will be any dangers…"
"Isn't having dangers even better?" Ji Huaichu laughed, catching Mu Anqi's wandering hand. "No matter how formidable the danger, in front of you, it can only resort to performing tricks."