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From underneath the edge of his red veil, Xie Lian could see a hand outstretched towards him in a silent offering, patiently waiting for him to place his own in the cradle of its palm to be led through the dark forest. The fingers were long and elegant, almost translucent with death, and capped with sharp black fingernails that Xie Lian knew would never break his skin. But his eyes caught and lingered on the red thread tied around one finger.
It was only a simple red thread, and the first time Xie Lian had seen it he hadn't known its significance. But this wasn't the first time, for all that it resembled that day on Mount Yujun. This time, Xie Lian had a matching red thread tied on his own finger, an assurance that he'd always be able to find his beloved no matter how far they were apart.
He reached out and grasped his husband's hand, and the two of them enjoyed a relaxing stroll in the forest. Unlike all those years ago, Xie Lian knew exactly who was holding his hand even if he couldn't see his features through the veil. He wasn't suspicious about his groom's motivations; instead he was comforted by his presence.
And this time, when Hua Cheng reached out to pull the veil off of Xie Lian's head, the god didn't stop him, merely fixing his eyes on those beloved hands grasping the hem of his veil until his face was uncovered and he could look into his San Lang's eye instead.