SGSHE112

Never in his wildest dreams did Xing Ming imagine that his first time playing a male lead role would involve actually getting married on stage!

Jing Heguang could easily have had him continue playing female roles, but he chose not to.

Instead, Jing Heguang had conspired with the troupe members to arrange this surprise for him.

A surprise born of deep respect.

Xing Ming stood stunned on the stage, gazing blankly at Jing Heguang.

When Xing Ming didn’t move, Jing Heguang stepped out of the cramped sedan chair himself and walked toward him.

Upon reaching him, Jing Heguang extended his hand.

Xing Ming lowered his gaze, then reached out his own hand.

Finger by finger, they interlaced their hands. He grasped Jing Heguang’s hand firmly and earnestly.

Watching these movements, Jing Heguang felt a sweet warmth spread through his heart.

Interlaced fingers symbolized a lifetime of devotion.

The thought he’d had just a few mornings ago, that younger brother Xing was a ‘heartless scum’, had been completely wrong. Younger brother Xing loved him so much, how could he possibly not want him?

It was impossible.

The sight of the two of them holding hands was a picture of perfect harmony.

Uncle Yu brushed off his clothes, then gestured for the couple to move to the center of the stage.

Uncle Yu announced in a resonant voice, “Today, the two newlyweds, Xing Ming and Jing Heguang, are uniting in marriage on this auspicious Qixi Festival.”

“As neither has parents or elders present, all of you shall serve as witnesses. In the absence of parents to honor, they shall first bow to Heaven and Earth, and then to each other as husband and husband.”

After this brief introduction, uncle Yu called out in a drawn-out, ceremonial tone, “First, bring forth the red silk.”

Li Xia, standing below, trotted onto the stage carrying a large, embroidered ball made of red silk.

Long streamers of red silk trailed from either side of the ball. Jing Heguang and Xing Ming each took one end from Li Xia.

Clad in red, they held the red silk together. Taking a closer look, Xing Ming realized that bright red lanterns had been hung throughout the ground-floor hall at some point, and the various decorations were incredibly festive, the atmosphere was steeped in celebration.

It was just that he had never imagined this would happen, so he hadn’t noticed a thing until now.

Xing Ming gazed at Jing Heguang, the icy reserve in his expression melted away, leaving his eyes shimmering with deep affection.

Jing Heguang looked back at him, his face unable to hide his excitement.

They were getting married!

Uncle Yu’s voice rang out again: “Will the couple please perform the rites—”

“Bow to Heaven and Earth!”

Jing Heguang and Xing Ming both caught their breath for a moment before solemnly bowing together toward the front.

A red embroidered ball was suspended between them by cords, a movement on one side was instantly felt on the other.

Though they remained two separate individuals, there was a profound sense of merging into one.

“Bow to each other!”

Having just finished bowing to Heaven and Earth, the two turned to face one another. Catching sight of the person opposite, they both blushed instantly.

Jing Heguang felt it wasn’t so much shyness as the sheer heart-pounding thrill of the moment!

Someone on the platform shouted boisterously, “The husbands bow to each other!”

“Once the bowing is done, it’s time to tease the newlyweds in the bridal chamber!”

“And don’t forget the kiss!”

The two bowed to one another, and as they lifted their heads, their eyes met, both faces held a trace of bashfulness.

Even Jing Heguang couldn’t remain entirely composed, after all, this was the solemn rite of marriage.

Uncle Yu’s voice held a smile: “A single red silk ribbon, the couple holding the embroidered ball, the matchmaker seals their destiny for three lifetimes. hand in hand until their hair turns white!”

“The ceremony is complete! Escort them to the bridal chamber, and then let the teasing begin!”

“To the bridal chamber! The bridal chamber!”

Chun Fen didn’t quite understand what the ‘bridal chamber’ was, but he shouted the loudest of them all.

The crowd laughed at the child while ushering the couple up to the second floor.

They ascended the stairs and entered the ‘bridal chamber’.

Jing Heguang and Xing Ming sat on the bed, with Sister-in-law Zhou standing before them, holding a wine flagon.

Sister-in-law Zhou spoke in a hearty, ringing voice: “We can skip the dumplings, but the nuptial wine is a must!”

Two cups were pressed into Jing Heguang’s hands.

Jing Heguang separated the nested cups and handed one of the small vessels to Xing Ming with his left hand.

Xing Ming held the cup, before he had even tasted the wine, he already felt intoxicated.

He was actually getting married!

He had never imagined that he, too, might one day marry.

In the past, countless people had admired his beauty, though they never voiced it, yet every single one of them was too cowardly to speak up. To be honest, Xing Ming had assumed he would spend his entire life alone.

Who would have thought that in just a few short days, Jing Heguang would capture his heart, swaying his emotions between sorrow and joy, and even help him forget the heavy burdens of the past, allowing him to live with newfound ease and lightness…

As the wine was poured into the cups, its aroma wafted out, flushing the faces of those nearby a rosy pink, as if they were already tipsy.

Jing Heguang was nervous too. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his palms, and the small cup nearly slipped from his grasp.

Xing Ming held his brimming cup and slowly moved it toward Jing Heguang.

Their cautious gazes met, and a touch of ease suddenly softened the tension.

It wasn’t just that they were nervous, both were treading carefully, cherishing this moment immensely.

Just then, a playful thought crossed Jing Heguang’s mind, and he mischievously thrust his own cup right up to Xing Ming’s lips.

Xing Ming blinked in confusion.

Jing Heguang said, “Drink half, then we’ll swap.”

Sister-in-law Zhou looked puzzled. “Is that a custom from the capital?”

Jing Heguang smiled.

It certainly wasn’t a custom from the capital, it was a clever idea he’d come up with on the spot.

“It’s called ‘interlocking cups’, if we don’t actually swap cups, how can it be interlocking?” Jing Heguang declared confidently. “I think drinking the way I suggested captures the true spirit of it.”

Xing Ming thought about it and said, “It does seem to better embody the meaning of interlocking cups.”

Jing Heguang nodded. “Exactly.”

Sister-in-law Zhou glanced at Jing Heguang with a smile, then lowered her head and pursed her lips to stifle a laugh.

“Then let’s drink half first.”

So, Xing Ming first drank half of the wine from Jing Heguang’s cup, then swapped to finish his own.

But as he drank the remaining half from his own cup, Xing Ming looked up at Jing Heguang and noticed the fellow wearing a smile that looked rather smug.

The cups were tiny, after all, and the rims were small. The very rim of the wine cup touching his lips was the same spot Jing Heguang’s lips had just grazed…

The more Xing Ming thought about it, the redder his face became. Inwardly, he cursed, “You rogue!”

One moment he had been deeply moved, and the next, the other man was acting like a scoundrel, it was infuriating yet amusing. Strangely, even when he was annoyed, he didn’t find Jing Heguang bothersome. The mere thought of him brought a smile to his face.

After drinking the nuptial wine and enduring a bit more teasing from the crowd, everyone finally dispersed.

Left alone in the room, Jing Heguang spoke up: “Something’s digging into my backside, they must have hidden things under the bedding.”

Jing Heguang turned around, and Xing Ming followed suit.

They lifted the spread-out red quilt to find the bedding underneath packed with red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, and the like.

Jing Heguang picked up a peanut and asked, “younger brother Xing, are you hungry?”

“I’m not, I only had dinner a short while ago.” Unlike Jing Heguang, who had only grabbed a single peanut, Xing Ming gathered the quilt, intending to tidy up the bedding.

After all, with the bed full of scattered items, sitting on them would be uncomfortable. There would be no hope of sleeping otherwise.

Just as he started to move, Jing Heguang sidled up to him: “These all carry auspicious meanings, I hear we aren’t supposed to clear them away.”

“Then…” Xing Ming, conscious of the late hour and the fact that the wedding ceremony had just concluded, asked awkwardly, “How are we supposed to sleep?”

Jing Heguang pointed to the thin quilt that had originally been on top: “We can use this as a bottom layer.”

“But that’s the top quilt.”

“We don’t need it on top, I’ll just fetch another one later.”

“We…we need to turn off the lights.”

Jing Heguang replied with a straight face: “The wedding candles aren’t allowed to be extinguished.”

“You—”

“Every moment is worth a fortune, let’s not waste it!”

Jing Heguang smiled and gently pinned him down.

***

Having just shared a bath, an indulgence that cost a small fortune, the two of them lay together.

Lying lazily on the bed, Xing Ming’s gaze was languid, and he felt somewhat drained of energy.

He glanced up to see Jing Heguang still full of vigor, his large hand gently kneading Xing Ming’s waist.

Watching Jing Heguang’s focused expression, Xing Ming felt even more strongly that the man was deliberately trying to seduce him.

With someone treating him so well, how could he possibly let go?

Xing Ming thought to himself that if Jing Heguang asked for it, he would likely be willing to offer up his very heart right then and there.

Xing Ming looked at the ear Jing Heguang had turned toward him and reached out to give it a playful pinch.

Jing Heguang felt a tickle and shifted slightly.

But the very next moment, his ‘little ancestor’ actually sank his teeth into it!

With Xing Ming’s warm breath against the sensitive skin of his ear, Jing Heguang gritted his teeth: “If you keep teasing me, there’s no way we’re getting any sleep tonight.”

Xing Ming didn’t know where this sudden mischievous impulse came from, feigning innocence, he retorted, “Stingy(xiaoqi).”

Amused yet exasperated, Jing Heguang grabbed Xing Ming’s hand and guided it downward: “Who’s small?”

Xing Ming: “…”

That move was too bold, not daring to make another rash move, Xing Ming obediently pulled his hand back.

Once Jing Heguang stopped kneading his waist, Xing Ming looked at him and said, “It’s Qixi today. The days will fly by, and before we know it, we’ll be busy again.”

After Qixi, the next major event on the agenda was the invitation from King Li’s manor.

The opera troupe was scheduled to perform there for three days, which meant they had to visit the venue beforehand to inspect the stage.

Xing Ming speculated that if Jing Heguang had any intentions regarding their future, this would be the time he’d act on them.

Jing Heguang nodded. “My leg is healed, too.”

He was calculating the situation: his leg was better, Qixi had passed, and they were already married in all but name, if he asked Xing Ming to leave with him now, surely the younger man would agree?

It wasn’t just about whisking Xing Ming away. The truth was, Wucheng was no longer safe.

If he were to leave and then return with an army, the troupe would likely face the same perilous fate Jing Heguang remembered — doomed!

That was why Jing Heguang wanted to take Xing Ming away beforehand, ideally, before they even set foot in King Li’s manor. Doing so would prevent the troupe from becoming directly entangled with the King’s household, thereby ensuring the safety of as many members of the theater troupe as possible.

If Wucheng were not reclaimed, countless former residents would continue to suffer, thus, retaking the city was imperative.

In light of this, spiriting Xing Ming away early was the course of action Jing Heguang had envisioned.

Yet, upon hearing Jing Heguang’s words, Xing Ming could only sigh inwardly with a sense of resignation.

So, in the end, he still couldn’t outweigh the greater good of the people?

Although he had anticipated this, Xing Ming still felt a touch of petulant sadness.

Xing Ming buried his face in Jing Heguang’s shoulder. “I…”

As he spoke, Jing Heguang also began to speak: “I…”

Both uttered only a single word before simultaneously falling silent.

Jing Heguang nuzzled him with his chin and said naturally, “You go first.”

Xing Ming hesitated. “You go first.”

“No, no, no,” Jing Heguang insisted politely. “You speak first, I’m listening.”

Jing Heguang thought shrewdly: *Know the enemy and know yourself, let the other party act first so I can gain the upper hand.*

Xing Ming looked at the lock of black hair at the back of Jing Heguang’s head.

“How about I take you to King Li’s manor the day after tomorrow?”

Jing Heguang: ???

What on earth were they going to King Li’s manor for?!

Jing Heguang released his hold on Xing Ming’s waist and sat up properly, bracing his hands on Xing Ming’s shoulders to look him in the eye.

“Can we not go?”

Xing Ming: ??? This wasn’t what he had expected.

Author’s Note: In the next chapter, the opera troupe leader likely elopes with his new bodyguard~