Into The Sea

As soon as the coronation ceremony ended, Lan Yuan clapped her hands and announced, “There’s no need to leave, let’s start the next ceremony.”

Feng Yi understood and gestured to her companions riding on the dragons. Instantly, the solemn and majestic horn sounds shifted to a lively and cheerful tune.

The mermaids who had been singing on the backs of the whales leaped into the sea, joyfully directing, “Everyone, the wedding procession is this way, swim over here!”

The change happened so quickly that Lan Wu hadn’t even processed it before she watched several mermaids board the flying ship and whisk away a bewildered Ji Lingyue.

“?”

Lan Wu instinctively took a few quick steps, wanting to chase after her, but a voice called out from behind, “Bring the Eldest Princess back.”

Eldest Princess? Who?

She turned around in confusion, only to be surrounded by another group of mermaids, who eagerly grabbed her sleeves. “Your Highness, we must hurry back to change!”

As she was dragged back, Lan Yuan lazily crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her. “Just having a wedding banquet isn’t enough. I’ve been studying human wedding customs from their stories and I’ve got it all figured out. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have a wedding like no other, one that will be remembered for generations.”

Lan Wu was speechless. “I… you, Ah Yue…” She felt she couldn’t reason with her and turned to her mother for help. “Mother…”

Jiang Xi smiled. “Why are you looking at me? I agreed to this a long time ago. Everyone has been secretly busy with this. You’re probably the only one who doesn’t know anything.”

She paused and looked at Fuyou. “You knew too?”

Fuyou nodded.

Lan Wu frowned. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

Fuyou replied nonchalantly, “You never asked.”

“You…” Lan Wu was at a loss for words, but before she could say more, Lan Yuan clapped her hands impatiently. “Alright, hurry up and change. We’ll set off to pick up the bride shortly.”

“Pick up the bride? what pick up the bride, how do I pick up the bride?” As she was dragged into the sea, Lan Wu was still confused. “Am I going to pick up Ah Yue? Why isn’t Ah Yue picking me up? Can’t we go together? Why take an extra trip? I… Glub glub glub…”

“You talk too much,” Lan Yuan glanced at the bubbles rising to the surface. “Fuyou, let’s go.”

Fuyou responded. “Yes.”

Meanwhile, Ji Lingyue, who had been pulled ashore, was quickly dressed in a wedding dress and had her hair neatly styled. She lifted her arm to examine the golden embroidery on the red sleeves and the intricate floral patterns on the skirt. “What is this?”

Meng Changge walked in from outside, saying, “It’s a wedding dress. Can’t you tell?”

“But…” Ji Lingyue was puzzled. “Aren’t the sea yao’s wedding dresses white?”

“You’re not a sea yao.” Meng Changge stopped beside her, looking her up and down. “Lan Yuan isn’t treating this wedding banquet as just a show of prestige. She’s put a lot of thought into it.”

“What do you mean?”

Meng Changge smiled. “She really likes you.”

Ji Lingyue’s expression was strange, but Meng Changge held out her hand. “Come, I’ll walk this part of the journey with you.”

Although she didn’t fully understand what was going to happen, looking at everyone’s happy smiles, she gradually relaxed and obediently put her hand in hers. “Okay.”

As they stepped out of the courtyard, petals began to fall from the sky. Ji Lingyue looked up and saw dozens of dragons swimming through the clouds. At the front was a woman with a basket of flowers, none other than Yu Shanye.

“These were specially picked from Penglai,” Meng Changge said, plucking a petal from the air. “I heard Lan Yuan and Lan Wu’s mother loves pear blossoms. Shanye spent days there, probably stripping every pear tree bare.”

Ji Lingyue lowered her gaze, walking towards the sea in a rain of petals, smiling. “She told me she was going to the Dragon Clan to find Ah Li.”

“Well, she wasn’t wrong.”

The refreshing sea breeze brushed her hair. She and Meng Changge stopped at the shore, where a crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces waited, all smiling at her. Lan Yuan stepped forward from the crowd, her demeanor as proud as ever, but her eyes softer than usual.

Meng Changge smiled and placed Ji Lingyue’s hand in hers, saying, “How were those stories I recommended?”

“Not bad,” Lan Yuan replied casually. “But the romantic parts dragged on too much. All that sweet talk, but it took forever to get to the point. It was frustrating to read.”

Hearing this, Ji Lingyue subtly glanced at Meng Changge, who looked exasperated. Just then, Feng Yi, standing nearby, cleared her throat and announced, “Let the music begin—”

The familiar sound of the horns echoed once more. Shadows began to rise from beneath the water, swimming against the golden horizon toward the shore. When they were a hundred feet away, a massive white whale emerged silently from the front of the pod, parting the waves to reveal a tall figure standing on its back.

Lan Wu stood against the wind, her vibrant robes billowing behind her, her hair secured firmly in a silver crown. She seemed a little confused, but when she saw Ji Lingyue, she smiled.

Lan Yuan also smiled. “Stop staring. Let’s go.”

Ji Lingyue reluctantly tore her gaze away and followed Lan Yuan onto the clear sea surface. The guests trailed behind them, forming a grand procession toward the white whale floating on the water.

“Ji Lingyue,” Lan Yuan called softly, still looking ahead. “From now on, Lan Wu is in your hands.”

Ji Lingyue was silent for a moment before saying, “Sister.”

Lan Yuan paused, glancing at her, then looked away. Ji Lingyue continued, “Marrying Lan Wu doesn’t mean I’m taking her away from you, nor does it mean my relationship with her is now closer than yours. So, there’s no need to say things like ‘entrusting her to me.’ She will always be your sister. Or rather, sister, you’ll simply have one more sister.”

Lan Yuan pursed her lips and muttered, “You’ve really become quite eloquent.”

Ji Lingyue smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“…Don’t call me sister, it’s weird.”

As the figure in red approached, petals continued to fall. Lan Wu looked up, reaching out from her wide sleeves to catch one in her palm. Then, she focused her gaze on Ji Lingyue, who was walking toward her.

For the final few steps, Lan Yuan stopped, and Ji Lingyue stepped forward alone, taking the hand that was offered to her.

“Ah Yue,” Lan Wu called, her eyes sweeping over the fiery red wedding dress. “I was just thinking how troublesome all this was, but now that I see you…”

She trailed off, and Ji Lingyue asked, “What?”

Lan Wu blinked, whispering, “I should have insisted. This is our wedding, but my sister arranged everything. I’m sorry.”

Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I really like how you look right now,” Lan Wu said, gently touching Ji Lingyue’s face. “I really, really like it. How could I have been so careless? If it weren’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have seen you like this.”

Ji Lingyue was momentarily stunned, gazing into Lan Wu’s blue eyes. “Why does it sound like you’re flirting even when you’re apologizing?”

As the two leaned closer, their lips almost touching, Lan Yuan, standing on another whale’s head, coughed loudly. Feng Yi, understanding her cue, announced, “Into——the——sea——!”

The whales let out deep, resonant calls and dove into the water, carrying the cultivators on their backs toward the depths of the ocean. Countless colorful fish followed, their scales glimmering like a radiant rainbow trailing behind the whales.

The deep sea, usually shrouded in darkness, was now as bright as day. In the distance, sea creatures of all kinds swam through the azure backdrop, scattering and regrouping like a bustling human city, filled with music and celebration.

Lan Wu stood at the forefront on the whale’s head, surrounded by countless jubilant sea demons. Her long robes floated behind her like dancing flames. She turned to look at Ji Lingyue, who was gazing around in delight, and could no longer suppress her desire. She softly whispered a spell.

When Ji Lingyue turned back, she was met with the sight of a fiery red crown.

Lan Yuan, standing on another whale’s head, was shocked and about to rush forward to say it wasn’t time yet, but Meng Changge stopped her. “Relax, there’s no need to be so formal about it. Let things flow naturally.”

Lan Yuan hesitated, then slowly stepped back, giving Feng Yi a meaningful look.

Feng Yi nodded and commanded, “Begin—the—ensemble!”

But Lan Wu could no longer hear the music around her. She held the crown tightly, her beautiful face flushing red. ” This… this is something I made based on your preferences. The red coral is the most beautiful, and humans seem to use red to symbolize celebration. You like swords, so I… I shaped the coral branches around the crown’s center into… into swords…”

Ji Lingyue remained silent, glancing at the sharp and ornate crown before turning her gaze back to Lan Wu.

The usually composed mermaid was now stumbling over her words, nervously explaining her design like a student presenting a project.

A little too cute.

Lan Wu was still nervous. “So, you, you want… to accept my coral crown?”

Ji Lingyue smiled. “Of course.”

Lan Wu’s shoulders relaxed as she carefully placed the crown on Ji Lingyue’s bowed head. Once it was secure, she was about to withdraw her hand when Ji Lingyue grabbed her wrist. “I have a question for you too.”

“What is it?”

Ji Lingyue looked up at her, her voice soft. “Will you be my wife?”

Lan Wu blinked, then smiled shyly. “I will.”