The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 14: This Seat is Getting Married

The red veil was sheer, hanging before his eyes. Though he could still see through it, his vision was somewhat obscured. Chu Wanning's brows furrowed as he entered the flower hall with a grim expression, escorted by ghost attendants.

Lifting his eyelids, he caught sight of the person standing there through the soft red fabric. The temperature around Chu Wanning seemed to drop drastically.

Mo Ran was stunned.

Shouldn't it have been Shi Mo who came out?

The "bride" before him was resplendent in red, her face veiled with sheer gauze. Though her features were slightly obscured by the veil, it was still the cold and stern visage of Chu Wanning that glared at him with a murderous look in his eyes.

Mo Ran: "..."

At first, he was confused, then his expression turned increasingly intricate. A carousel of emotions flickered across his face before settling into an eerie silence. The two of them stood there, staring at each other in an extremely awkward atmosphere.

Ironically, the golden boy and jade girl trailing behind them burst into giggles, clapping their hands and beginning to sing in crisp voices.

"White Emperor's Water, with gentle waves; Ghost Mandarin Ducks, bearing flowers in greeting."

In one coffin we unite, sharing the same grave; Our intentions, known only after death's embrace.

From now on, in the Netherworld we shall be companions, Two wandering souls, forever inseparable in the blue heavens.

This melody is eerie yet laced with profound affection.

If able to speak, Mo Ran would utter but a single word.

— "Pah."

But they could not speak.

Before the stage stood a pair of paper figures, males and females, faceless but dressed in opulent, slightly loose attire, suggesting they represented elderly parents who had reached middle age.

The officiant began his drawn-out recitation: "The bride, bashful and charming, wishes to speak yet is too shy. Lowering her eyes, she softens with a gentle gaze. A red veil hides her blushing smile; now, let the groom lift the veil."

"..." Mo Ran had been highly reluctant at first, but upon hearing this, he could barely hold back his laughter.

Hahaha, the bride, bashful and charming, wishes to speak yet is too shy! Ahahahaha!

Chu Wanning's face turned ashen, clenching his teeth and closing his eyes in an attempt to block out sound along with sight.

The ghost attendant chuckled as he handed Mo Ran a folding fan. "Fan" and "shan" share the same pronunciation in Chinese, symbolizing that this marriage was a fortunate connection.

"Please lift the veil for the groom."

Mo Ran suppressed his laughter, compliantly taking the fan and gently lifting the sheer veil from Chu Wanning's face, his eyelashes fluttering with amusement as he gazed at the captivating expression on his master's face.

Seemingly sensing the mocking gaze, Chu Wanning held back for a moment before he couldn't resist any longer. He abruptly opened his eyes, sparks flashing in their depths, filled with a readiness to draw his sword.

However, paired with the red veil on his head and the fiery red wedding attire, his sharpness was undiminished. Yet, the slightly flushed corners of his eyes, a result of anger and indignation, lent him an unexpected charm.

Mo Ran stared into those eyes, momentarily stunned, his smile freezing. The master before him suddenly overlapped with a particular moment from his past life, leaving him momentarily disoriented about the present.

Though it was but a fleeting instant, it was enough to make Mo Ran break into a cold sweat.

He had committed three harsh acts against Chu Wanning:

First, he attempted to kill him, launching a lethal attack upon his master.

Second, to humiliate him, forcing Chu Wanning to engage in intimacy with him.

Third...

Third, it was the most exhilarating thing he had done in his previous life, but also the thing he regretted the most in the end.

Of course, the ruler of the Human Realm would never admit to having any regrets, but the torment in his heart could not be escaped in the end.

Damn it. Why did he keep recalling those frenzied memories and the image of Chu Wanning from that time?

Mo Ran shook his head, bit his lip, and tried hard to shake off the face of Chu Wanning from his memory. He then looked anew at the person before him.

Chu Wanning was still staring at him with a "I'll kill you" expression. Mo Ran didn't want to provoke this thorn in his side, so he could only put on a humble smile and an air of helplessness.

The celebrant announced, "Bride and groom, now perform the ritual of ablution."

By 'ablution,' they meant that the newlyweds would first cleanse themselves and then wash each other's hands.

A ghost attendant brought over a porcelain jug filled with water, lifted it up for the couple to wash their hands, and held a basin underneath to catch the water.

With a face full of disgust, Chu Wanning had to wash the other person's hands after his own, despite his aversion. Mo Ran, slightly distracted, restrained himself and silently washed Chu Wanning's hands. In return, Chu Wanning, in a bad mood, splashed a whole jug of water at Mo Ran, drenching half of his sleeve.

"………………"

Mo Ran gazed at his wet sleeve for a moment, lost in thought. His expression remained unchanged, but a subtle gleam flickered deep in his dark eyes.

He was lost in a trance.

Chu Wanning hadn't changed, not once.

His actions, thoughts, past and present, were identical, not a single detail altered...

He lifted his head slowly, for an instant feeling as if he stood on the summit of Life and Death, before the Wu Mountain Temple. Chu Wanning approached him from the bottom of the endless steps, about to kneel before him, lowering his noble head to the ground and bending his straight spine in humiliation. Chu Wanning would prostrate before him, unable to rise.

"The washing ceremony is complete."

The ghost attendant's sudden chant jolted Mo Ran back to reality.

He snapped out of his reverie, meeting Chu Wanning's eyes. The black irises glinted with icy sharpness, like crescent blades covered in snow, striking fear into the heart.

Mo Ran: "..."

Ah, the past life is indeed the past life. The notion of Chu Wanning kneeling before him is a matter best left to contemplation in this lifetime; should it ever come to fruition, the price to be paid would truly be astronomical…

Following the washing of hands ceremony comes the shared sacrifice ritual, and then the wine-sharing ceremony.

The Ghost Attendant sang softly, "As husband and wife, we share this cup, henceforth bound together till the ends of the earth."

Cupping their goblets together in a shared toast, they then proceeded to bow together, paying respect to the heavens and the earth.

Chu Wanning appeared to be on the verge of a furious breakdown. His slender phoenix eyes, tilted upward ever so slightly, narrowed dangerously. Mo Ran imagined that once they left, the poor ghost officiant would be lucky to escape with his life.

Yet, this was a sight of Chu Wanning that one couldn't afford to dwell upon.

Even a fleeting glance could plunge one back into those chaotic and sordid memories, an inescapable descent.

"Kneel before the heavens and earth for the first bow—"

Mo Ran had assumed that, given Chu Wanning's proud nature, he would never kneel, even if it were just for show. Surprisingly, though, he furrowed his brow, closed his eyes, and knelt down, both of them bowing together.

"Second bow—kneel before the elders—"

Well then, they might as well kneel before those faceless paper figures, for those could be considered elders.

"Third bow—kneel and bow to each other as husband and wife—"

Chu Wanning lowered his thick eyelashes, not even casting a glance at Mo Ran. He turned around and, with a thunderous bang, prostrated himself swiftly and decisively, grinding his teeth in endurance.

Little did they expect their lack of synchronization; they leaned too close and bumped heads with a loud thud.

Chu Wanning gasped in pain, clutching his forehead and lifting his moist eyes to glare fiercely at Mo Weiyu, who was also holding his temples.

Silent, Chu Wanning simply rolled his eyes with a dark expression on his face.

Next came the hair-braiding ceremony. The officiant chanted, "Braid our hair as husband and wife, our love will never waver." A ghost attendant handed over golden scissors, and Mo Ran couldn't help but flinch back slightly, fearing that Chu Wanning might, in a fit of anger, stab him to death right there. It seemed that Chu Wanning had considered it, but in the end, he only cut a lock of each other's hair, placing them in a silk pouch offered by the golden-haired children. Chu Wanning, as the "bride," kept the pouch safely.

Mo Ran desperately wanted to ask, "Are you going to curse me or make a voodoo doll with my hair out of anger?"

The ceremony conductor announced, "The ceremony — is — complete!"

Both of them sighed in relief and stood up from the ground. However, the next moment, the conductor leisurely cried out,

"At this auspicious hour, we send them to their bridal chamber —"

WTF!!!

Mo Ran froze instantly.

He almost spat out a mouthful of blood!

What kind of joke was this? If he dared to enter the bridal chamber with Chu Wanning, this wedding would truly become a damn ghostly union! Even though it was said that dying under a peony bloom made for an elegant ghost, the person he wanted in this life – no, in both his lifetimes – was the pure and untainted Shi Mo, not this cold-blooded devil Chu Wanning, who bound and threw anyone who coveted him into the mud pool to be stained!

Was it still possible to escape the wedding now?

Author's Note:

Well, then comes the wedding vows. I originally wanted to look up some traditional customs for reference, but I didn't find anything particularly detailed. Since this is a ghostly wedding, it couldn't completely follow the norms of a regular wedding, so the vows will definitely be different. So, history buffs, please don't nitpick too much, hehehe.

Moreover, this verse has intentionally added some nuances. When the entire story is complete, if any ladies take the time to look back, they will realize that this wedding song is not just random rambling; it holds hidden meaning.

Rushing away with a tap-tap-tap, look, it's time for the bridal chamber—no more live broadcast of eating excrement.