IN A BIT
MEI SHEN'S POINT OF VIEW:
The lanterns still glowed softly against the evening air, their golden light spilling across the quiet courtyard. The murmur of the wedding guests had faded to a distant hum, leaving only the soft rustle of silk and the faint fragrance of the flowers still woven into my hair. I sat there for a moment, letting it sink in. Lianwei stepped into the room, the hem of his formal robe whispering against the polished floor. His hair was still tied neatly from the ceremony, and the faint trace of incense clung to him, warm and familiar. Our eyes met. His expression softened immediately, like sunlight spilling over snow.
"We're really married." I whispered, my voice trembling with something I couldn't quite name.
He crossed the room in three unhurried steps, stopping in front of me. He took my hands gently in his, his thumbs stroking over my skin in slow, deliberate circles.
"In my heart." He said quietly. "We've been married far longer than today."
