Chapter 52: A Wedding and a Jealousy

Soon after the great demon-slaying war.

Su Zhuozhi and Xie Jue had already formed a Dao companion bond. Though this gave them a special connection—a formal acknowledgment in the cultivation world—Su Zhuozhi had grown up in the mortal realm, and marriage felt more real to him.

Xie Jue was more than happy to hold such a ceremony, to let everyone know his relationship with Su Zhuozhi.

When it came to marriage, meeting the parents was an essential step. Their blessing was a crucial prerequisite.

But clearly, this step was fraught with difficulty. The Su family simply refused to acknowledge Xie Jue.

Wasn’t he originally a personal bodyguard? How had he suddenly turned into a demon lord?

A demon lord—what good could that be? And it wasn’t as if this identity had suddenly appeared; he had been one all along. Didn’t that mean he had deliberately concealed it when he entered the household? He must have harbored improper intentions from the start. Such a despicable, vile person—how could they rest easy letting Zhuozhuo be with him? Zhuozhuo was naive and innocent; he would surely be deceived and bullied terribly!

The Su family’s stance was unanimous: they opposed the marriage.

To change Su Zhuozhi’s mind, they even brought out portraits of many handsome young men for him to choose from. He could marry, but the partner had to be someone else.

Su Zhuozhi had originally come to deliver spiritual medicine to his elder brother. His ancestor had been thorough: foreseeing that future generations might inherit his cultivation talent, enter a sect, and as their realm rose, their lifespan would extend. That was good, but at the same time, relatives who didn’t cultivate would have short lives, inevitably leading to painful separations by death. Thus, Su Yanqing had left behind longevity-enhancing spiritual medicine and its recipe.

This was obviously important, but after Su Huailang took the box, he set it aside and told Su Zhuozhi to look at the portraits first.

Su Zhuozhi: “…”

He blinked, then gave a sweet smile. “Brother, but I already have someone I want to marry. Don’t you like him?”

Su Huailang answered without hesitation: “I don’t.”

His usually gentle smile was gone, replaced by a cold indifference. Of course, this wasn’t directed at his younger brother, but at that troublesome demon lord.

Su Zhuozhi tugged at his elder brother’s sleeve, his eyes clear and innocent, looking up at him pitifully. He coaxed, “Brother, I like him. Can you help me persuade Father and Mother? Please?”

After saying that, as if it weren’t enough, he gestured for Xie Jue, who was behind him, to come over. He grabbed Xie Jue’s hand and made him tug at Su Huailang’s sleeve too, giving Xie Jue a meaningful look.

Xie Jue’s expression had darkened when he saw the portraits, but he was easily soothed by the young master’s words. Receiving the signal, he hesitated for a moment. He had never acted spoiled before, but his beloved had commanded, so he had to comply. Expressionless, he stiffly said, “…Please?”

A vein bulged on Su Huailang’s forehead. His expression was very complicated, as if he were disgusted, wanting to curse but too well-mannered to voice it. But from his eyes alone, it was easy to imagine the foul curses running through his mind.

Su Zhuozhi, however, was thoroughly amused by Xie Jue. He laughed uncontrollably, swaying back and forth.

In the end, Su Huailang agreed. The reason was simple: he doted on his younger brother. Nothing in the world could outweigh his brother’s word of “like.” He had no choice.

But just because the Su family agreed didn’t mean they had accepted Xie Jue. They would always find ways to make things difficult for him.

Take the wedding procedures, for example.

Usually, the groom rides a fine horse, leading a procession with drums and gongs to the bride’s home to pick her up, then escorts her onto the bridal sedan chair. The groom wears a groom’s attire, the bride a phoenix coronet and embroidered gown, and together they perform the wedding bows.

But both of them were men. How could the procedures work? Would one of them have to play the bride?

Su Huailang said with a smile, “Zhuozhuo is our family’s treasure, so naturally he can’t wear a bride’s dress. That would mean putting you, Xie Jue, in that position, right?”

They had expected Xie Jue to balk, to refuse outright. They hadn’t actually planned to go through with it; both were grooms, so both would wear groom’s attire. They only said it to needle Xie Jue, to make him uncomfortable.

But to their surprise, Xie Jue nodded without hesitation. “Fine. No hardship at all.”

It seemed as long as he could marry Su Zhuozhi, he didn’t care about anything else.

His attitude made him seem deeply devoted, while they looked like villains trying to separate a loving couple.

The Su family couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward.

It seemed… he really did love Zhuozhuo.

All the treasures from the demon palace were sent as her dowry. The Su mansion wasn’t particularly fond of these treasures, but through them, they saw how much Xie Jue valued Zhuozhuo. The lord of the demon realm was willing to marry into the Su mansion just to be with Zhuozhuo.

On the wedding day itself, both wore groom’s attire. However, the Su mansion still had a seamstress make an exceptionally beautiful woman’s wedding dress, tailored to Xie Jue’s measurements. They did this not for any other reason but to provoke Xie Jue, to see if he was just paying lip service, assuming the Su mansion wouldn’t actually do it. If he changed his expression, they’d have an excuse to scold him.

As a result, when Xie Jue saw the wedding dress delivered, he exclaimed, “How beautiful! Thank you, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, for your trouble.”

He didn’t just thank them verbally; he also gave…

The Su family exchanged bewildered glances, thinking: Is this demon lord a bit… abnormal?

That woman’s wedding dress…

Su Zhuozhi loved to play and was endlessly curious. His eyes sparkling, he looked at Xie Jue and said cheerfully, “Try it on!”

He really wanted to see what Xie Jue looked like in it—would it be strange, or beautiful?

Xie Jue didn’t want to put it on, but he couldn’t resist Su Zhuozhi’s pleading gaze. He eventually caved and obediently changed into it.

Su Zhuozhi circled around him, unable to decide how to describe it. It was a bit pretty, yet a bit not. Hard to judge. But he had coaxed Xie Jue into wearing it, so he gave an approving verdict. He stepped forward, hugged Xie Jue, and said crisply, “Beautiful!”

Xie Jue took off the heavy phoenix coronet and said with a smile, “Young master, you should try it too. I think you’d look even better.”

“Hmm…” Su Zhuozhi pretended to think, then raised an eyebrow, gave a sly smile, turned, and ran. “I’m not wearing it.”

Xie Jue didn’t insist. He carefully put the wedding dress away.

When the wedding day came, the ceremony was grand, with guests like clouds.

Relatives of the Su family, friends like Jiang Yangyu, the demon realm’s left and right protectors, Senior Brother Qin Zhao of Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Chu Ge, Nie Kai, and even Emperor Mingde himself attended.

Master Su and the others, as well as Xie Jue, wanted the wedding to be lavish, but Su Zhuozhi hated complicated procedures and rules, so they minimized them as much as possible. When it came to drinking, Xie Jue drank most of it.

Especially Jiang Yangyu and the others, who couldn’t bear seeing their younger brother, whom they had grown up with, marry a man. They cornered Xie Jue and forced him to drink heavily, all while reciting pleasant toasts—eternal union, deep conjugal love, and so on—making it hard for him to refuse. Xie Jue loved hearing those words, so he drank cup after cup, never rejecting, as if by drinking them, they would all come true.

Naturally, Xie Jue ended up drunk. His face betrayed nothing; his expression remained calm. But the moment he tried to walk, it was obvious he couldn’t walk in a straight line.

Supported into the room and helped to drink a cup of hangover tea, he recovered a bit, but his eyes were still slightly unfocused, his reactions slow. It took a while before he could barely respond.

When Su Zhuozhi called him, he followed the voice, leaning in until he was almost touching Su Zhuozhi’s face, and asked dazedly, “…What?”

This was the first time Su Zhuozhi had seen him drunk. He looked dazed, oddly cute.

Xie Jue rested his head on Su Zhuozhi’s shoulder, wrapped his arms around Su Zhuozhi’s waist, and nuzzled against him like a big dog asking for affection.

When Su Zhuozhi got up to do something, Xie Jue followed, step by step, like a big tail stuck to Su Zhuozhi.

Su Zhuozhi frowned and told him not to move.

He stopped, staring straight at Su Zhuozhi, with a faintly pitiful look.

Su Zhuozhi found it both amusing and helpless. This guy got so clingy when drunk. Though, even when sober, he wasn’t exactly aloof; he just became more direct when drunk.

Turning around again, Su Zhuozhi didn’t see him and felt puzzled. It turned out Xie Jue had gone to fetch that woman’s wedding dress, along with the phoenix coronet and embroidered gown, wanting Su Zhuozhi to wear them.

Su Zhuozhi shook his head. “No.”

Xie Jue hugged him, rubbing his face against Su Zhuozhi’s neck.

And he claimed he didn’t know how to act spoiled.

Su Zhuozhi couldn’t help but laugh, his body shaking, ticklish and numbing. Pressured into it, he reluctantly agreed. With Xie Jue’s eager help, he slowly donned that gorgeous, elaborate wedding dress.

His slender, supple body was wrapped in a beautiful crimson, like a blooming flower, layer upon layer, lush and stunning.

But he had only worn it for a moment before Xie Jue, eyes darkening, stripped it off again, like unwrapping a gift, peeling away each layer to savor it.

Su Zhuozhi was kissed until dizzy, his whole body seemed to soak in hot water, his bones soft and limp, his hands weakly resting on Xie Jue’s shoulders.

In the flickering candlelight, Xie Jue seemed very hot. Sweat dripped down his jaw, falling onto Su Zhuozhi’s collarbone, scalding him and making him shrink back. Xie Jue’s breathing grew heavier. His deep gaze fixed on the person in his arms, he leaned down and bit Su Zhuozhi’s Adam’s apple, forcing an involuntary shiver and a pleading whimper from him.

Not until the wedding candles burned out, leaving only melted wax solidified on the candlesticks, did they fall asleep in each other’s arms, exhausted, sinking into dreams.

When he woke, Xie Jue was kicked by the young master and nearly rolled off the bed.

The reason: the young master suspected he hadn’t been drunk at all, that he had faked it.

Xie Jue said sincerely, “I was drunk.”

Su Zhuozhi hadn’t originally planned to keep a dog, but the puppy was just too cute. With its wet eyes, fluffy and milky, it melted everyone’s heart.

The more he looked, the more he liked it.

When the little puppy was first brought over, Su Zhuozhi’s attention was completely captured. He played with the puppy constantly, almost forgetting to eat.

He waved a teasing stick over the puppy’s head, watching it scamper on its short legs, tripping over itself, falling flat with a splat, rolling forward like a fluffy ball, braking with its face.

A shadow fell over him.

Xie Jue stood before him, expressionless.

He had been standing nearby, watching for a long time.

A full hour.

The young master hadn’t even glanced at him or said a single word to him. His whole mind was on that silly little puppy.

“What’s wrong?”

Su Zhuozhi glanced up at him briefly, then looked down again to continue playing with the puppy, watching it grab his finger with its little paws, put it in its mouth, and gnaw on it with its blunt baby teeth.

“I need to get him a teething toy,” Su Zhuozhi said.

After a while, he noticed Xie Jue hadn’t spoken. Confused, he looked up and found Xie Jue staring at him intently, his expression cold.

“In a bad mood?” Su Zhuozhi picked up the puppy and held it toward Xie Jue, waving its little paw, inviting him to pet it too. Fluffiness soothes the soul.

Xie Jue grabbed the puppy, tossed it aside, then leaned down and pressed Su Zhuozhi onto the soft rug.

He gritted his teeth and said, each word distinct, “I’m jealous.”

Su Zhuozhi was stunned for a moment, then understood, and laughed without restraint. “Are you serious? You’re jealous of a little dog?”

Xie Jue bit the corner of his mouth, displeased. “And why not? I am.”

Just then, something fluffy scurried onto Su Zhuozhi’s stomach, bouncing lively.

He thought it was the puppy coming back, but when he looked down, he saw a pure black little dog, condensed from demonic energy.

Su Zhuozhi: “…”

Xie Jue picked it up and held it in front of the young master. “If the young master likes little dogs, this one is pretty good. Keep it.”

The demonic energy puppy seemed to echo his words. It opened its mouth, stuck out its tongue, and barked excitedly.

Su Zhuozhi was a bit speechless. “It’s not a real dog.”

As soon as he said that, the little black dog drooped its ears, looking dejected, pitiful.

Xie Jue took Su Zhuozhi’s hand and placed it on his own head. He smiled. “Then what about me?”

Su Zhuozhi couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes curving into crescents. He obediently patted his head, pretending to hesitate and ponder. “Well…”

“You don’t like it?” Xie Jue narrowed his eyes.

Su Zhuozhi lowered his hand, but not to leave. Instead, it slid to Xie Jue’s chin. He gently hooked his fingers, scratching as if teasing a dog, his eyes brimming with laughter.

He tilted his head up and kissed Xie Jue’s lips, wrapping his arms around Xie Jue’s neck. His lips curved into a smile, his voice sweet and soft: “Of course I like you the most. No puppy can compare to you.”

The two embraced affectionately. Their laughter drifted out the window, fading into the wind.

Outside, the spring sunlight was just right.

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