Chapter 197 (1/2)

Chapter 197: Alone amidst a Crowd

Jun Huang watched as the matchmaker helped Wan'er cross the brazier placed at the door. After going through several more rituals, Wan'er entered the main hall. Inside, Zhang Yuan's family members sat on the main seats. The ceremony ended after she and Zhang Yuan bowed to the G.o.d, their family, and each other.

During the banquet, Zhang Yuan stood proudly among the crowd. He had learned to mingle with other people. He was no longer the lost scholar whose talent went unnoticed.

Jun Huang should be happy for him, but she couldn't manage a smile no matter how hard she tried.

Nan Xun knew that the wedding must have brought up memories she didn't want to be remind of. Zhang Yuan had married the woman of his dream and earned his fame and glory, while Jun Huang was all alone, unable to find her brother. The difference between them was as great as the distance between heaven and h.e.l.l.

Nan Xun didn't like seeing her wallow. He knew that Jun Huang would only feel worse until she left this place. He knelt down before Jun Huang and muttered, ”Weddings are always the same. By the look of the number of people in this place, it must be quiet outside. We should leave if you don't feel like staying.”

Jun Huang threw a glance at Zhang Yuan before giving Nan Xun a nod. She didn't pay her surrounding any attention as Nan Xun took her outside. She therefore didn't notice that Qi Yun had been looking for her.

Qi Chen had seen her leave, which troubled him for reasons unclear to himself. It must have been the guilt, he thought. Jun Huang was hurt because of him.

He had always thought that he trusted Jun Huang, and yet he had believed Wei Lanying's and Xiaoyun's accusations. It weighed on his heart. He left as soon as Wan'er was led to the newlywed room.

Nan Xun took Jun Huang to the temple outside the city. Most of the young men in the city were in Zhang Yuan's manor. As a result, the temple was quiet and free of any activities. The only sound they could hear was the birds' pleasant chirps.

Jun Huang's heart settled. The serene atmosphere put her at ease.

The peach blossoms had wilted. Nan Xun pushed Jun Huang into the bamboo forest. The rustle of the bamboo leaves sounded like rain, but softer, lighter. The melancholy song evoked a yearning for peace.

That wasn't how Jun Huang perceived it. She closed her eyes and listened to the gust of wind underlying the gentle rustle. What surfaced her mind were endless killings and deaths, after which came the prosperity everyone hoped for.

”How do you feel seeing Princess Wan'er and the scholar get married?” Jun Huang asked, breaking the silence. She wasn't really trying to get an answer. She just didn't know what else to say.

She regretted the question as soon as it left her mouth. She sighed inwardly and added, ”Don't think too much of it. I'm just reminded of Shangguan Yue. She is deeply in love with you, but unfortunately you don't reciprocate her feelings. Now, after seeing this extravagant wedding, have you changed your mind at all?”

Nan Xun pretended to give it some thoughts, but the answer was already clear to him. ”No, I haven't. Wan'er's wedding has nothing to do with me, neither does Shangguan Yue. I've said no to the emperor. That's the end of it. I have no feelings for Miss Shangguan. I can't possibly get married just for the sake of it, can I? Otherwise I could just pick a random woman and ask the emperor to arrange the marriage. I wouldn't have to put the emperor in this dilemma.”

”Besides, it's taken a lot for me to turn down the marriage. I don't want the problem to arise again. Fortunately I have you to deter unwanted attention now. People will talk about us as a match made in heaven.”

He grinned, softening the hard lines of his face and driving away the coldness that was usually around him.

Jun Huang turned to look at him. The sun shone through the bamboo leaves, illuminating his face. She couldn't describe how mesmerizing he was to her at this moment. She turned away with her heart pounding and forced herself to forget about her feelings.

Jun Huang lowered her head and fell silent. Her dark hair obscured part of her face, but that didn't stop Nan Xun from wanting her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and gave her everything good in the world. He wanted to lodge himself in Jun Huang's heart and became irreplaceable to her.

Even if Jun Huang would be confined to a wheelchair her whole life, he would be willing to push her around until death tore them apart.

Sometimes, he wondered if he would still fall for Jun Huang if she had no talent nor intelligence. Would he be in love with her if she was just like any regular person? He didn't know the answer, and he didn't want to look for an answer. The Jun Huang he knew was more observant than many people, and she wished for a prosperous world. That was the end of it.