Ning Yin was different from Yu Lingxi.

Perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps because the Xue family repeated their old tricks, he had dreamed of fragmented scenes from his previous life.

This was truly incredible.

But after experiencing a rebirth and all that followed, even the most incredible things were merely long-separated reunions.

Yu Lingxi had many things to say. She had carried this secret alone for too long, too far, never having the opportunity to pour her heart out completely.

But as words rushed to her lips, they transformed into only a soft, light laugh.

“That was just a nightmare.”

She held Ning Yin’s slightly cool hand, walked to a secluded corner, and gently repeated, “Just a dream, Ning Yin.”

Flower fragrance drifted in the night breeze. Yu Lingxi’s eyelashes held a hint of moisture, yet she smiled warmly and brightly.

“It was an unforgivable dream.”

Ning Yin’s gaze fell on Yu Lingxi’s light red eye corners. After a while, he said softly: “Punish me, let me hurt a little.”

As if only the pain she granted could cover the heartache when he awoke from the dream.

What should Yu Lingxi punish him for?

Tell him that in her previous life, she died on his bed, then watch him go mad with self-torture?

Having finally reached this point, with the wedding imminent, it was time to taste sweetness.

She closed her eyes and with difficulty touched Ning Yin’s lips.

His lips were so cold, without any warmth of a living person. Yu Lingxi pressed closer, carefully taking his upper lip, conveying the softest warmth.

Ning Yin opened his eyes, almost violently kissing her back.

His dark eyes contained affectionate smiles, bright and shining, but his lips and tongue were savage as if to suffocate her.

The guards were still waiting in the distance. Yu Lingxi’s face turned red, her back pressed against the rough wall, uncomfortable and instinctively wanting to push him away.

But his arms encircled her so tightly, his knuckles white. Yu Lingxi’s hand paused in midair, finally gently falling, changing to lightly stroke his back, just as he usually petted cats.

Flower fragrance mingled with the brilliance of fresh blood, blooming on this quiet spring night.

After some time, Ning Yin gradually became gentler, lowering his eyelids and lightly biting her lower lip.

Yu Lingxi tightly held his arms, breathing so rapidly she could barely speak a complete sentence: “Feeling better, little madman?”

Ning Yin caressed her face; except for the desire in his eyes, his complexion had returned to normal.

“You see, nightmares always end.”

She embraced Ning Yin’s waist, her voice gentler than the February wind, “We still have many tomorrows.”

After a long while, Ning Yin slowly responded: “Mmm, a different kind of pain every day. Even in death, I want to die upon Suisui.”

Very well.

Yu Lingxi could only console herself with reddened ears: since he had the mood to act crazy again, it seemed he had returned to normal.

When the little madman returned to normal, it would be the time of downfall for the Xue family and their hidden master.

In the deep of night, the Yu residence was still as bright as day, bustling with activity.

Yu Lingxi returned to the flower hall to find Madam Yu and Su Wan personally supervising servants preparing decorations for tomorrow’s bridal tea ceremony, busy and joyful.

“It’s late, Sister-in-law should go rest, you’re carrying a little one too.”

Yu Lingxi pulled Su Wan to sit aside, not allowing her to run about. Just as she turned, she saw Yu Huanchen striding over.

“Has everything been resolved on his end?” Yu Huanchen’s “he” naturally referred to Ning Yin.

Yu Lingxi responded with an “Mmm,” smiling: “He was well-prepared, fortunately, it was just a false alarm.”

“What about Xue Cen?” she asked.

“That poison is extremely difficult to detect, so we had to send both person and evidence to the Ministry of Justice.”

Yu Huanchen slightly furrowed his brow, folding his arms and saying, “However, we’ve already administered medicine to induce vomiting. The Imperial Physicians are consulting at the Ministry of Justice. If the poison Xue Cen ingested is indeed ‘Hundred Flowers Kill,’ the extent of poisoning and how many days he can survive remain unknown.”

Su Wan glanced at the silent Yu Lingxi, quietly tugging her husband’s sleeve.

Yu Huanchen also realized that his little sister was about to be married, making such topics inappropriate.

Yu Lingxi was still pondering, and after thinking, said: “A certain medicine man might have a solution, but he’s not in the capital now. I don’t know if he can arrive in time.”

“Alright, brother will handle it.”

Yu Huanchen patted his sister’s hair, smiling down at her: “Now what Suisui needs to do is sleep well and wait for tomorrow’s wedding ceremony.”

Yu Lingxi also smiled, her moist eyes curved: “Brother, this lifetime is truly wonderful.”

February 18th.

Most auspicious, suitable for marriage.

At dawn’s cockcrow, a line of white appeared on the horizon like a fish belly, and the wedding ceremony arrived as scheduled.

Just as the sky began to lighten, Yu Lingxi rose to wash, bathe, and change clothes.

Prince Jing’s mansion had sent many skillful palace maids for grooming. From washing hair to manicuring, from putting up her hair to applying makeup, each performed their duties until near noon, when all preparations were complete.

Yu Lingxi looked at herself in the bronze mirror: a dazzling phoenix crown, a red dress trailing with gold, gold, and jade bracelets jingling on her wrists, her black hair contrasting with snow-white skin and red lips, so beautiful it was almost unfamiliar.

No matter how much mental preparation she had made, seeing herself in a bright red wedding dress waiting for her beloved to come for her still made her heart surge uncontrollably.

This time, she was truly getting married.

Yu Lingxi felt a mix of emotions, blinking her eyes, yet her mouth turned upward without reservation.

At the auspicious time of dusk, the wedding procession from Prince Jing’s mansion arrived punctually.

Ning Yin had no relatives or friends to act as groomsmen; he led people to fetch the bride.

According to custom, there should have been a ritual where the groom was blocked at the door and urged to present gifts, but because Ning Yin’s status was too imposing and majestic, guests were nearly terrified to their bones, and no one dared to block the groom.

Yu Lingxi held a fan, leaning on Yu Huanchen’s arm, stepping one by one across the extended red carpet. The years of two lifetimes intertwined at this moment are complete.

Through the blurry vision of the setting sun’s golden flow, she saw Ning Yin entering directly.

Through the swaying pearls of the phoenix crown, she could see Prince Jing in his ceremonial attire, standing tall, handsome, and powerful like a mountain deity, naturally noble.

Behind him, colored ribbons flew and ceremonial parasols shone brilliantly, with a sea of kneeling palace attendants stretching endlessly.

But his eyes remained fixed on her, radiating relaxed joy.

“After you’re married, don’t endure if you face grievances.”

Before handing his sister over to Prince Jing, Yu Huanchen said softly, hidden by the festive music: “Remember, the Yu family is always behind you.”

Yu Lingxi’s eyes stung as she bowed deeply toward where her parents stood, then turned to place her fingertips on Ning Yin’s outstretched palm.

The man’s bones were long and strong, giving a sense of stability and strength.

After the welcoming ceremony, they were supposed to take a ceremonial carriage to the palace to meet the Emperor and Empress.

But the Empress had been disgraced and dismissed, and the Emperor was bedridden with a stroke, so Ning Yin directly took Yu Lingxi to his mansion. The officials from the Ministry of Rites and Imperial Catering Service pretended not to see, and none dared to criticize.

Although many lengthy procedures had been simplified due to fear of Ning Yin’s ruthlessness, it still took until evening.

Ning Yin had no relatives or friends, so Prince Jing’s mansion was not as noisy as the Yu residence. There were only courtyards filled with brilliant decorations, lanterns, and festive ornaments—a celebration that had never existed in the Regent’s mansion of her previous life.

“Miss… no, Princess Consort.”

Hutao, who had come along to serve, held two long sandalwood boxes and asked: “Where should I put these two items?”

The boxes contained the red lacquer brush and hairpin gifted by Ning Yin.

She had also wanted to bring the sleek cat, but unfortunately, she would break out in hives at the slightest touch, so that idea was abandoned.

Yu Lingxi stole a moment to eat a few bites of porridge, then thought and said: “Put them on the table. I’ll organize them later.”

Hutao responded with a crisp “Yes,” then couldn’t help chattering: “This servant heard from the Ministry of Rites that the standards for Prince Jing’s wedding to you exceeded even those of the Crown Prince marrying the Crown Princess. It’s truly a magnificent event rarely seen in the capital in a hundred years.”

At this point, Hutao sighed with emotion.

Who could have imagined that the once dog-like, scarred “beggar” would become the illustrious Prince Jing?

As they were talking, Ning Yin entered, walking through the lamplight on the floor.

Hutao hurriedly handed the fan to Yu Lingxi, kneeling with the other attendants, not daring to make a sound.

Ning Yin had changed into a dark red casual robe with a jade crown and belt, making his face incomparably handsome. Yu Lingxi had never seen any man like Ning Yin; despite having seen him hundreds of times across two lifetimes, seeing him in a new setting still amazed her.

He walked toward Yu Lingxi as if no one else were present, reached out to take the fan from her hand, and raised his finger to move the hanging pearls from her forehead behind her ear, gazing at her for a long time.

So close, Yu Lingxi could even see the tiny reflection of herself in his eyes.

Bright red, like two leaping flames in his black pupils.

“So beautiful,” he concluded languidly.

Yu Lingxi’s eyes sparkled with fragmented light as she laughed softly: “It’s not yet time. Why aren’t you at the banquet?”

“A bunch of small fry, are they worthy of this Prince’s hospitality?”

Ning Yin simply sat in the chair opposite, openly appreciating his bride, radiant as a flower.

The chief female official in charge of ceremonies was shrewd. Seeing that Prince Jing was growing impatient, she immediately presented the wedding wine bound with red string, respectfully saying: “Please, Your Highness and Princess Consort, drink the wedding wine for a hundred years of harmony.”

The wine was served in large gourds. Yu Lingxi took a small sip and began to feel warm.

Ning Yin’s face never showed the effects of alcohol; no matter how much he drank, his face remained cold and pale, only his eye corners showing a slight crimson, making him look more coldly beautiful.

They exchanged gourds, drinking the half cup of wine left by the other.

Ning Yin’s dark eyes watched Yu Lingxi, curving with a smile, deliberately pressing his lips to the lip rouge mark she had left on the gourd’s rim as he drank.

“…”

Distracted, Yu Lingxi held a mouthful of wine between her lips, nearly choking.

That mouthful was never swallowed, at least half of it curling into Ning Yin’s lips and tongue.

Yu Lingxi’s body grew hot, her cheeks crimson, unsure if it was the wine rising or because of that drunken kiss infused with clear alcohol.

The palace maids had already gone; no one was brave enough to disturb Prince Jing’s wedding chamber.

In the vast bedchamber, only their intertwined breathing could be heard.

The makeup became uncomfortable as it mixed with sweat. Yu Lingxi touched the phoenix crown’s hanging pearls dangling messily at her temples, saying softly: “I haven’t bathed and changed yet. Let me remove my makeup first.”

With that, she pushed Ning Yin away with her remaining rationality and quickly moved behind the screen.

Removing the phoenix crown and hair bun, and washing away the makeup, Yu Lingxi let her long hair hang loose, raising her hand to pat her wet, delicate cheeks to clear her mind.

After thinking, she also removed her wedding dress, wearing only a scarlet undergarment and skirt as she emerged dizzily from behind the screen.

Ning Yin had already loosened his outer robe and belt, wearing a loose robe of the same color, leaning on the couch reading something.

His posture was relaxed and elegant. Without raising his eyes, he patted the space beside him, calling: “Come here.”

Seeing him read so seriously, Yu Lingxi became curious.

She lifted her skirt to sit beside him, supporting herself on the edge of the couch, curiously peering over: “What are you reading? So seriously…”

Before she could finish speaking, she was startled by the blatant illustrations in the small booklet.

According to the capital’s tradition, a woman’s dowry when she married would be a book of “fire-avoiding pictures” for instructional purposes.

Ning Yin had taken out this item and was looking at it so…

So unperturbed.

“We’ve already crossed that line, why fear a few pictures?”

Ning Yin glanced at Yu Lingxi pretending to be calm, laughed, and bit her crimson earlobe, saying: “Tonight is our wedding night. Suisui gets to choose a few pages.”

Yu Lingxi was startled for a moment before understanding what he meant by “choose a few pages.”

She wouldn’t obediently fall into his trap and tried to look away, but Ning Yin gently gripped her chin, tenderly yet firmly making her learn to choose.

“This one, or this one?”

He turned a page, then shook his head to himself: “This one’s no good. The swing rocks too much, might hurt Suisui.”

That’s enough!

Yu Lingxi’s face and ears burned red as she simply pulled down his collar, sealing his lips with her own.

The book fell to the floor, the bright candles casting intimate light, illuminating the tender night.

…

Yu Lingxi had always felt that Ning Yin’s skin tone, cold to the point of paleness, was very suitable for red.

But when her gaze wavered and she watched the tattoo on his chest emerge, changing from faint to blood-red, her heart still trembled with shock.

So this was the seal Ning Yin had carved for her.

A seal belonging solely to her.

Steam rose in the bath pool, shattering the reflections on the water.

Yu Lingxi, with moist eyelashes, leaned in Ning Yin’s embrace, extending her slender finger to trace the vivid characters “Lingxi” on Ning Yin’s chest that had not yet faded, her voice hoarse as she asked: “When did you get this tattoo?”

“After cooking for the first time, not borrowing anyone else’s hand.”

For a madman, a seal carved on dead jade wasn’t as beautiful as one on “living jade,” so Ning Yin had carved her name on the scar on his chest.

He took Yu Lingxi’s hand, guiding her to touch that bright red, chuckling softly: “Do you like it?”

What could Yu Lingxi say?

She liked him so much her heart ached, endlessly.

“It must have hurt?”

She pressed her cheek against his wet chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

Ning Yin embraced her smooth waist, raising the corner of his lips slightly.

Did it hurt? He couldn’t remember.

He only remembered the incomparable excitement when everything related to Yu Lingxi was branded onto him.

“Next time, let me get one too.”

Yu Lingxi hummed, “If it hurts, let’s hurt together.”

A rose petal drifted with the water flow, sticking to her chest, somewhat itchy.

She reached out to pluck it away, but Ning Yin caught her wrist.

He looked carefully for a long time before lowering his head to gently remove the fragrant petal with his teeth.

Yu Lingxi’s body trembled as she raised her head to see the bright red petal between his pale thin lips, unparalleled in beauty.

How could he bear to let Yu Lingxi feel pain?

Ning Yin extended the tip of his tongue to curl the petal into his mouth, slowly chewing it.

He narrowed his eyes and said: “Next time, let’s use red blood to draw a flower on Suisui’s snowy chest. It will have the same effect.”