Work Text:
The incense in our grand bedchamber burned exceptionally low, sending thin, looping ribbons of sandalwood smoke into the air. The fragrance mingled with the rich scent of the wedding wine we had just shared, and the faint, crisp mountain air that still clung to the heavy silk of my robes. I sat perched on the edge of our sprawling bed, my fingers lightly gripping the thick, heavily embroidered hem of my scarlet skirts. Beneath the sheer, opaque fabric of my red bridal veil, my lips curved into a bright, breathless smile. My heart was beating so fiercely against my ribs that I genuinely wondered if San Lang, standing just a foot away, could hear it echoing through the quiet room.
We were finally, truly married.
It had taken centuries of lonely wandering, eight hundred years of silent pining, and an agonizingly long engagement phase filled with meticulous planning, but every single second of waiting was worth it. When San Lang had first dropped to one knee and proposed, holding out a ring bound to a red string, my mind went entirely blank from pure, unadulterated shock and happiness.
What followed was a whirlwind of absolute, unapologetic pampering. San Lang used his endless wealth and boundless devotion to shower me with love, adoration, and a staggering mountain of lavish gifts—everything from priceless spiritual artifacts to everyday trinkets intricately carved by his own hands. It became so overwhelming that I playfully took it upon myself to get my future husband back. I started smothering my supreme ghost king with sudden, fierce embraces, pressing soft kisses to his jaw, and whispering devotions in the middle of crowded streets until he would turn a violent, beautiful crimson, practically ready to faint from the sheer, overwhelming wave of love.
Before we could set a definitive date, we agreed to follow tradition, enlisting the help of my old mentor. Mei Nianqing took his role very seriously, strictly cross-referencing our birthdays through careful, ancient divination to ensure the stars' alignment was auspicious. I remembered holding my breath in the middle of the shrine, my hands gripping my robes, only for a collective, relieved sigh to echo through the room when the Guoshi finally nodded and confirmed everything was perfect. Phew.
The days leading up to the ceremony were a beautiful blur. To properly prepare, I had to temporarily return to my palace in the Heavenly Realm, leaving San Lang behind at Paradise Manor to maintain the traditional separation. At exactly eleven o'clock the night before the wedding, it was time for my Shang Tou ritual—the traditional hair-combing ceremony.
Up in Heaven, Mei Nianqing took a fine-toothed comb, gently running it through my long, dark hair four times, reciting the ancient blessings for a long, harmonious marriage with every single stroke. I simply smiled through the entire process, my mind drifting to my chosen bridesmaids waiting anxiously outside the doors. It was a chaotic group, to say the least: Shi Qingxuan was absolutely ecstatic, bouncing on their heels; Mu Qing looked deeply reluctant and annoyed; Feng Xin was profoundly awkward, shifting his weight; and Mei Nianqing himself acted as the ultimate, strict bridal overseer. Down in the Ghost City, San Lang had He Xuan (who I suspect only agreed in exchange for a clean debt slate) and a few random, terrified ghosts serving as his groomsmen. I didn't care in the slightest about the mismatched party; I was far too happy and excited to care about who was standing on the groom's side.
Once I was fully dressed in my magnificent, heavy bridal attire and the red veil was lowered over my face, Mei Nianqing launched into a stern, final lecture.
"You are to stay in this room and wait, Your Highness! Do not dare remove that veil early," he ordered, wagging a finger aggressively through the air. "And remember, your feet absolutely cannot touch the ground once you are dressed. It is a terrible taboo that brings bad luck to the household! Your bridesmaids will stay firmly outside the door. Under no circumstances is Hua Cheng allowed in until he passes the Chuangmen door games and proves his worth!"
I nodded dutifully, sitting perfectly still on my bed like a painted doll. Outside, I could soon hear the muffled, hilarious chaos of the arrival. Shi Qingxuan was loudly demanding thick red envelopes stuffed with ghost city currency, while Feng Xin and Mu Qing shouted arbitrary, aggressive riddles at my groom to bar his entry, treating the palace door like a literal battlefield.
But rules meant very little to a supreme ghost king desperately eager to claim his husband.
Before my bridesmaids could even finish their first round of demanding games, the doors to my chamber flew open with a dramatic, silver-butterfly-tinted gust of wind. I gasped softly beneath my veil as a pair of strong, familiar arms slid beneath my back and knees. Without letting my feet so much as brush the floorboards, San Lang swept me up into a flawless, secure bridal carry.
A collective shout of outrage from Mu Qing and Feng Xin was cut short as San Lang carried me straight out of the palace, ignoring the protests completely, and placed me gently into a magnificent, glittering red bridal sedan waiting to descend from the heavens.
The journey to the Ghost City was a joyous, noisy riot of music and cheering ghosts. When we finally arrived at Paradise Manor, we bypassed the grand reception halls and went straight to the Qiandeng Temple to begin the traditional Three Bows. Standing before the thousands of floating lanterns illuminating the dark, we bowed deeply to Heaven and Earth. The first bow was complete.
But for the second bow, I had a special plan that I had whispered to San Lang beforehand. Catching his hand, I gently led him away from the bustling celebrations, down into the mortal realm, and deep into the quiet, shadowed depths of Mount Taicang. We slipped through a secret, forgotten passage, stepping into the sacred, dusty silence of the Xianle Royal Mausoleum.
I guided San Lang right up to the grand, heavy coffins of my parents. The air was cool and heavy with the past, but my heart was incredibly warm. Together, side by side, the god and the ghost king knelt on the stone floor and performed our second bow, paying our deepest, quietest respects to the late King and Queen of Xianle.
Staying on my knees for a moment longer, I looked toward the coffins and spoke softly, my voice thick with a sudden rush of emotion. "Mama, Dad... I got married. I married the most beautiful, most kindest man in the whole world. I love him so much, and he loves me. I would have loved to introduce you to him if you were still here."
San Lang’s hand found mine beneath my heavy sleeve, squeezing my fingers with a silent, profound reverence that made my chest ache with pure happiness.
With my parents' silent blessings carrying us forward, we returned to the absolute privacy of our bedroom in Paradise Manor for the third and final bow. Facing each other, we bowed low—the final seal upon our eternal souls.
The ancient ceremony, however, wasn't quite finished. Moving to the small table by the bedside, San Lang produced a small pair of golden shears. Gently, I reached beneath my veil, cutting a small lock of my own dark hair, while San Lang did the same without a moment's hesitation. Together, we carefully tied the two strands into a neat, unbreakable knot, placing the intertwined locks into a small, embroidered silk pouch—a symbol of two lives bound forever as one, never to be parted by life or death.
Finally, San Lang poured two small cups of sweet wedding wine. Lifting my veil just enough to expose my chin, I took a cup. With slightly trembling, joyful hands, I raised the cup to San Lang's lips, gently feeding him the wine. He mirrored the movement perfectly, his steady, ringed hand guiding the sweet alcohol to my lips as we shared the ceremonial drink, our eyes locked even through the thin red fabric.
As the empty cups were set down with a soft click, San Lang stepped closer. His breath hitched slightly as his long, slender fingers reached up, slowly and reverently lifting the red bridal veil entirely over my head.
I looked up at him, my cheeks flushed beautifully, my eyes shining with tears of pure joy. San Lang looked down at me as if he were looking at the entire universe, his single eye dark with an ocean of unyielding, ancient devotion.
"Gege," he whispered, his voice a breathless, lovesick vow that vibrated in the quiet room. "My husband."
"San Lang," I breathed, reaching up to rest my hands on his shoulders.
He leaned in, closing the final distance between us, and cupped my cheek as he pulled me into a deep, sweet, and fiercely passionate kiss—sealing our chaotic, beautiful, and completely worth-the-wait wedding day into eternity.