A large bed draped in red silk dominated the space, a single candle burning on the bedside table, its flame dancing in the gentle breeze.
He turned to her, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
This was it...
The beginning of their new life, a life that would be filled with adventure, danger, and, but also, love.
As the night deepened, the couple also merged into one.
If you want to know how... Hehehe...
[A/N: Kids shouldn’t think about snu-snu all the time. (눈‿눈)]
...
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, painting golden stripes across the rumpled red silk sheets.
Gu Changsheng woke to the soft, rhythmic sound of Dong Mulan’s breathing beside him.
A profound sense of peace settled over him, a feeling of coming home after a long, arduous journey.
He watched her sleep, her dark lashes fanned out against her cheeks, a small smile playing on her lips.
He remembered the night before, not with the fiery passion of a young man’s first taste of love, but with a deep, abiding tenderness.
He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and her eyes fluttered open.
They were dark, deep pools of warmth and love.
"Good morning~"
She whispered, her voice husky with sleep, to which he replied in his own low murmur. It also caused Mulan’s face to turn beet red.
"Good morning, wife!"
They lay there for a while, wrapped in the comfortable silence of the morning, simply enjoying each other’s presence.
Then, with a sigh, Gu Changsheng sat up, teasing her as he did so.
"You should get up, little panda!"
"Hmmphh!!"
Without a care, he made his way to the bathroom, freshening up. Meanwhile, Dong Mulan lazily stretched as she slowly got out of bed.
She had never felt this relaxed and content in her life, leaving her feeling light and free.
A small smile played on her lips as she thought about her husband.
Her heart swelled with a mixture of pride and affection. He was hers, and she was his.
With a happy sigh, she began to get ready for the day, humming a cheerful tune under her breath.
...
"So this is the Spirit Puppet you were talking about?"
Dong Mulan asked, her eyes scanning the puppet.
By now, they were standing at the outskirts of the village, having already said their goodbyes to everyone.
What surprised Gu Changsheng was that Dong Mulan wasn’t at all reluctant to leave her parents. Instead, she was filled with excitement.
Though he was curious about her thought process, he wasn’t the one to poke a hornet’s nest.
He nodded, now pondering how they were both going to ride the Spirit Puppet, when suddenly, he remembered another important matter.
"I have something I want to give you."
He said as he pulled out the mask from his cloth bag.
Dong Mulan’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the cracked white mask in his hands. It was strange, unsettling, yet undeniably captivating.
"What is this?"
She asked, her fingers reaching out to touch the smooth, cool surface.
He replied with a serious look on his face.
"A very special type of mask. Just try to put it on your face."
And as she did, the mask slowly dissipated, causing surprise in both of them.
"It feels... it’s there, but it’s not?!"
Mulan replied, her tone filled with confusion and her head filled with question marks. Though she could ’feel’ the mask, she wasn’t sure about what was happening.
"This is a Mask of Deception. It’s a powerful artifact that can... umm, protect you."
Gu Changsheng explained, his voice low and serious, though he couldn’t quite explain its effects.
Mulan nodded. Though the artifact was magical, it was understandable.
At least for her.
...
Soon after, they began their journey back. Dong Mulan’s eyes widened as she saw the puppet start to expand. It felt more like a transformer as it slowly took the shape of a horse.
This was the feature he had discovered when he was coming here.
Gu Changsheng climbed onto its back, then turned and extended a hand to her.
"Come on."
She took his hand, her heart fluttering as he pulled her up to sit in front of him.
Whispering in her ear to hold on tight, he gestured for the Spirit Puppet to move.
Dong Mulan leaned back against him, her body fitting perfectly against his, and felt a sense of security.
As the puppet began to move, the village behind them became submerged into the surroundings, becoming unnoticeable.
...
Days of travel passed in a blur of breathtaking sights.
They mounted over mountain ranges and swam through rivers, with a little mischievous creature spreading pranks and joy all the while.
After four days of riding the horse together, the Cloud Piercing Sect once again got some screentime.
As usual, two disciples were standing at the entrance gate, lazing around.
They didn’t react much upon seeing Gu Changsheng. Noticing his disciple robe, they just nodded and let him go.
Gu Changsheng nodded in turn, slowly making his way up the mountain.
When he was out of sight, suddenly, the disciple on the left realized something and muttered in horror.
"Dude, that... that wasn’t a horse they were riding!"
The other one, still clueless, said irritably, his eyes sleepy.
"If he isn’t riding a horse, what was he riding, your father?!?"
"You!!!"
...
The air grew thin and crisp as they ascended the winding stone path of the Cloud Piercing Sect.
Towering pines, their branches heavy with ancient wisdom, lined the way, and the distant clang of a blacksmith’s hammer echoed through the valleys.
Dong Mulan’s senses were overwhelmed, a kaleidoscope of new sights, sounds, and smells that left her in shock. She clung to Gu Changsheng, her eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and wonder.
Gu Changsheng felt a bit happy that he wasn’t the only country pumpkin seeing this.
"It’s... magnificent!!!"
She whispered, her voice filled with awe.