Transmigrated Female Official

Seeing that Chu Qingluo remained silent for a long time, Chu's mother couldn't help but speak first, "Welcome the Seventh Prince to the family."

Hearing her mother's voice, Chu Qingluo snapped out of her daze, but blurted out a silly sentence: "You've come..."

Ji Qiran raised his head, his dark eyes gazing intently at her, and smiled, "Yes, I'm here." Heaven knows how long he had waited for this moment.

Looking into his eyes, Chu Qingluo suddenly felt a little helpless and looked at her mother for help.

Mother Chu immediately understood and replied, "Please invite the Seventh Prince and Qingluo into the house to offer incense to our ancestors."

"Okay." Ji Qiran was in an unprecedentedly good mood. He extended his palm to Chu Qingluo, waiting for her response.

Chu Qinglu stared at his slender fingers, smiled faintly, and placed her hand on his.

Ji Qiran held her tightly, as if afraid she would run away.

Feeling the strength in his hand, Chu Qingluo frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay right here."

Receiving her gentle comfort, Ji Qiran felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, but she only loosened her grip a little bit.

Chu Qingluo had no choice but to let him be.

The two followed behind Chu's mother to the ancestral tablets and knelt on the cushions.

Chu's mother handed them the lit incense. The two held it in their hands, and after Ji Qiran introduced himself to the ancestors, he and Chu Qingluo kowtowed three times at the same time, and then inserted the incense into the incense burner.

In this situation, Chu's mother would usually give some instructions to the newly arrived Ji Qiran. However, Ji Qiran was a prince, and his aura was too strong, making Chu's mother somewhat embarrassed to speak. She stammered, "This is considered the ceremony... the ceremony is complete."

Chu Qingluo rarely saw her mother in such a vulnerable state, and couldn't help but chuckle to herself, "Mother, you still have to say what needs to be said, and you have to follow the rules." After saying that, she deliberately winked at Ji Qiran and said, "Isn't that right?"

"Huh?" Ji Qiran had just realized what was happening when he quickly said to Madam Chu, "Madam Chu, please speak frankly. I will certainly follow your instructions."

"Uh, hehe..." Chu's mother laughed awkwardly a few times. Forced into a corner by Chu Qingluo, she had no choice but to say, "Seventh Prince... now that you've entered the Chu family today, you must put Qingluo first in everything from now on... can you do that?"

Ji Qiran looked at Chu Qingluo and said firmly, "From beginning to end, I will always put her first." After saying that, he added to Chu's mother, "From now on, Madam Chu can just call me Qiran."

"Alright, alright." Mother Chu considered her instructions finished and went to help the two of them up.

Chu Qingluo noticed that her mother was just rushing through the conversation, so she deliberately reminded her, "Mother, what about that line about 'orioles and swallows'?" She remembered her mother's classic line and couldn't let it be omitted just because of Ji Qiran's status.

Seeing that Ji Qiran was also looking at her with a puzzled expression, Chu's mother rolled her eyes at Chu Qingluo and said, "Qiran is of noble status, so how could he have any mistresses? I don't think I need to give any special instructions."

"That won't do." Chu Qingluo insisted, "Mother, you must treat everyone fairly. Besides, the Seventh Prince is famous far and wide, and he probably has quite a few women around him." After saying that, she glanced at Ji Qiran intentionally or unintentionally.

Hearing this, Ji Qiran roughly understood what the mother and daughter were talking about. A slight smile played on his lips as he first said to Chu's mother, "Madam Chu, you can rest assured, Qiran will certainly keep to his duty." His next sentence, however, was a veiled jest to Chu Qingluo: "I will definitely 'accompany' Qingluo by her side every day, never leaving her side!"

"..." Seeing the undisguised wickedness in his eyes, Chu Qingluo secretly broke out in a cold sweat, as if she had just bravely stirred up a hornet's nest...

After the incense offering ceremony, the three went outside and found Nine-Tailed Fox, Tongmu, and their entourage craning their necks to watch the commotion. Mother Chu gave them a wink and whispered a scolding, "What are you all standing here for? Get out of here!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox, who was usually quite bold due to being spoiled, stepped forward and said, "Madam, Miss looks so beautiful today, we all want to take a second look."

"You're so sweet-talking." Mother Chu gently patted Jiuwei's arm and urged, "Hurry up and take Miss and the Seventh Prince back to Ningxiang Courtyard?"

"Alright!" Nine-Tailed Fox and Kirito immediately darted behind Chu Qingluo and picked up her trailing skirt.

……

The hazy moonlight enveloped Ningxiang Courtyard, and a slight breeze stirred in the night, causing the swings under the trees to sway gently. The lanterns in the corridor illuminated the entire courtyard, and the candlelight flickered in Chu Qingluo's room, making the large red "囍" (double happiness) character pasted on the window clearly visible.

Ji Qiran sat beside her, a cup of wine laid out on the table for their wedding... After so much entanglement, this day had finally come. Chu Qinglu handed him the cup filled with wine, saying nothing.

Ji Qiran took the wine glass and took Chu Qingluo's arm, saying, "This step is even more essential."

This scene reminded them, without their prior agreement, of the profound meaning behind their shared dance and subsequent drink in the Yuezhi Kingdom. They exchanged a knowing smile, linked arms, and drank from the same cup.

The soft candlelight illuminated Chu Qingluo's features, making her appear even more captivating. Ji Qiran gazed at her with a touch of fascination, unable to resist reaching out and gently touching her full, moist cheek with his fingertips.

He moved closer to her and asked, "Didn't you say the jade pendant was lost a long time ago?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, it's lost."

"Um--?"

"Left it in some inconspicuous corner of the room."

Seeing her mischievous grin, Ji Qiran hooked her neck and sealed her red lips with his own... from a light taste to a gentle, slightly punishing nibble... both domineering and tender.

The person in his arms didn't struggle or resist as usual, and Ji Qiran felt as if he were in a dream. He released her, touched her increasingly luscious red lips, and whispered, "Is this scene real? Are you real too? I can't tell anymore..."

Could this stunning smile before him be just his illusion?

"Look at me." Chu Qingluo placed her small hand on his and said affirmatively, "I am sitting opposite you dressed in red, and we just drank this nuptial wine together."

"But it feels...so unreal."

Ji Qiran knew that what he was saying was ridiculous. He had always been certain that he would be by her side one day, but when she was so close and within his grasp, he thought he was drunk again.

Countless times, when he was completely drunk, he would see this scene repeatedly. It was like a dream, captivating him completely.

Chu Qinglu stared straight at him, smiling without saying a word, and slowly moved closer... Suddenly, she bit down hard on his shoulder!

Ji Qiran hissed subconsciously, his brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he took the opportunity to hug her tightly.

"Does it hurt?" Her blow was actually quite forceful.

“...If you want me to hurt you, I will hurt you.” He said ingratiatingly.

"I'm just copying you." She clearly remembered being bitten twice by him! She pouted and said, "It's good that it hurts, it proves you're not dreaming."

Ji Qiran leaned closer again and gently kissed her earlobe, whispering in her ear in an extremely ambiguous tone, "There is an even better way to prove it."

His warm breath and the ambergris scent on his body quickly made her ears turn red, her body felt a tingling sensation as if she had been electrocuted, and her heart was pounding wildly.

Seeing her flushed face, Ji Qiran smiled wickedly, picked her up in his arms, and walked towards the bed...

The moonlight is enchanting tonight.

The deep lines woven into the palm of my hand foreshadow our lingering and tender bond in this lifetime.

Don't say things like, "Our fate was never meant to be, yet our feelings ran deep."

The缘 (fate/destiny) of this life must be fulfilled in this life...