Lin Zili closed his eyes expressionlessly, allowing the matchmaker to comb his hair and draw his brows.
Inside his mind, he was conversing with the system.
System: “You are actually going through with this wedding! Do you truly intend to live here?”
Lin Zili: “I do not want to either. Who knows what has gotten into this man’s head!”
System: “You have already delayed this world for too long. The ending was supposed to be a certain death, and you have pushed it off for so long that if you do not die now, your points will be deducted.”
Lin Zili: “I know. I will end it very soon.”
The matchmaker finished styling Lin Zili’s makeup. She looked at the breathtakingly beautiful man before her, eyes wide with awe. With reddened corners of his eyes and an icy, aloof expression, he was a rare, otherworldly beauty.
The matchmaker piled a smile onto her face and fawned, “Oh my, with Young Master Lin’s appearance, you and the Regent are truly a match made in heaven. Today is a grand occasion; you will surely enjoy endless glory and live in perfect harmony with the Regent.”
Lin Zili glanced at her coldly, offering no response. The matchmaker felt slighted but kept her fawning smile. Soon after hearing the urgent calls from outside, she hurriedly draped the red veil over him and led him out to begin the ceremony.
Lin Zili had insisted on the red veil. He did not want to see anyone’s gaze, nor did he want anyone to see his current state. It would only make him want to kill.
The moment he stepped outside, the clamor of voices and the joyous, upbeat music surged like a tide. Lin Zili could feel gazes from every direction, sharp as needles, trying to pierce through the thin red veil. He clenched his fists until his nails dug deep into his palms.
Guided by the matchmaker, Lin Zili took step after step toward the ritual site. Every step felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, landing on the ground and hammering into his heart.
Finally, led by the matchmaker, Lin Zili arrived beside Yan Jingxuan. Through a gap in the veil, he could only hazily see Yan Jingxuan’s garish crimson wedding robes and the surrounding sea of red, festive to the point of being blinding.
Yan Jingxuan reached out and gently took Lin Zili’s hand. The hand was broad and warm, but Lin Zili recoiled as if burned, instinctively trying to pull back. Sensing his intent, Yan Jingxuan applied slight pressure, holding Lin Zili’s hand firmly and offering no escape.
“First bow to heaven and earth,” the master of ceremonies droned.
Lin Zili followed Yan Jingxuan’s lead like a machine. Once the rites were completed, the matchmaker led him to the wedding chamber.
Inside, the matchmaker helped Lin Zili sit on the edge of the bed and said with a smile, “Young Master, please wait a moment. The Prince will be here shortly. If you are hungry, there are pastries on the table to tide you over.”
Lin Zili did not respond. He sat quietly, like a lifeless sculpture.
The matchmaker was not offended by his silence and simply exited the room, ordering the guards at the door to be vigilant.
Vigilant? What could go wrong? They were just afraid he would escape.
Lin Zili reached up and tore off the red veil, tossing it aside with eyes full of exhaustion and loathing.
Yan Jingxuan was, after all, a Prince. No one dared to force him to drink or tease him in the bridal chamber, so he left the banquet after a few ritual toasts.
Hearing the footsteps, Lin Zili looked up. Their eyes met, but there was no joy in Lin Zili’s gaze—only cold indifference.
Yan Jingxuan paused for a moment but quickly regained his smile. He walked over to sit beside Lin Zili and said softly, “Zili, from today on, we are husband and wife.”
Lin Zili lowered his eyes. “Husband and wife? That is nothing but your own self-deception.”
Yan Jingxuan had learned to automatically tune out Lin Zili’s words. He reached out to undo Lin Zili’s hair, but Lin Zili stiffened and dodged away.
“We have not yet drunk the nuptial wine.”
Yan Jingxuan glanced at him silently, walked to the table, and poured two exquisite wine cups from a pre-prepared carafe. He carried a cup to Lin Zili, his expression gentle. “To a lifetime of harmony and unity.”
Lin Zili looked at the cup in Yan Jingxuan’s hand with complex eyes. After a moment, he rose slowly and took the cup.
Their arms entwined. Under the flickering candlelight, they finished the ritual of drinking the nuptial wine.
After drinking, Yan Jingxuan finally let his guard down. This time, when he undressed Lin Zili, he met no resistance. Seeing how compliant Lin Zili was, Yan Jingxuan was momentarily stunned.
He did not believe it was real until he had stripped the wedding robes to reveal the white undergarments, and Lin Zili lay there obediently. Thrilled, he believed he had finally won him over. Just as he lowered his head to kiss him, Lin Zili suddenly groaned, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
“Zili!” Yan Jingxuan shouted in terror, his voice cracking from panic. His heart leaped to his throat; he had been immersed in joy one moment, and the next, he felt as if he had been shoved into an ice cellar.
His hands trembling, he gently cradled Lin Zili’s face, his eyes full of fear. “What is wrong? Zili, do not scare me!”
“Someone! Summon the manor physician!”
Yan Jingxuan screamed until his throat was raw, his voice echoing in the chamber with an unprecedented level of panic.
Hurried footsteps soon echoed outside. A guard rushed in, turned pale at the sight, and ran off to summon the physician.
Yan Jingxuan held Lin Zili tightly, not daring to look away from his blood-stained lips for a second, murmuring frantically, “Zili, you must hold on. You must be fine.”
Lin Zili opened his eyes slightly, his gaze hazy, and another trickle of blood leaked from his mouth. He tried to speak, but only a faint sound emerged. “I…”
Yan Jingxuan leaned in, placing his ear against Lin Zili’s lips. “Speak, Zili. I am listening.”
“Do not waste your effort. I poisoned the tea. I never intended to leave this room alive today.”
“I want you to live. Support the Emperor, be a true Regent, and do not tell the Emperor I am dead.”
Lin Zili used every ounce of his remaining strength to utter these words. Though soft, they struck Yan Jingxuan’s heart like a hammer.
Yan Jingxuan felt the world spin, as if time itself had stopped. He stared at Lin Zili in disbelief, his lips trembling, unable to speak a single word.
“Why… why do this? Are you exacting revenge on me? If you want revenge, do it to me! Why hurt yourself!”
Lin Zili did not answer. He merely pulled at the corners of his mouth, offering a malicious, mocking smile before closing his eyes. His breathing grew weaker.
Shortly after, the physician ran into the bridal chamber, panting.
Yan Jingxuan stood up quickly. “Quick, save him!”
The physician did not delay, reaching the bedside to check Lin Zili’s pulse. After a moment, he furrowed his brow, shook his head solemnly, and said, “The Prince Consort’s internal organs have already been invaded by the poison. Coupled with his frail state, this old man is powerless to heal him.”