The scarlet paint on the wedding palanquin glistened under the moonlight as it waited at the entrance of the temple. Compared to the countless palanquins that Ye An had been transported in as a member of the imperial family, this palanquin was fairly simple with only bright yellow tassels rimming the roof of the palanquin to compliment the bright red paint.

There were already a few men waiting by the scarlet box when Xi Chen exited the temple with Ye An in his arms. These men will be the ones bearing the wedding palanquin. Xi Chen carefully set Ye An's feet to the ground near the palanquin's entrance that was a red silk coverlet. Ye An immediately missed Xi Chen's warmth. A horse whinnied and shuffled nearby. Teacher Ruliang was holding onto the reins of a strong stallion that Xi Chen would be riding alongside the palanquin. But Xi Chen only had his eyes for Ye An as he guided her into the palanquin, one hand holding onto hers and another sweeping the silky red fabric of the palanquin's entrance  as she ducked and entered. Ye An felt Xi Chen's hand linger as he let her go and felt the loss of his warmth the second time. She could hear his murmured thanks to Teacher Ruliang before he climbed onto the horse. At his command, Ye An heard the clip-clopping of horse's hooves and felt the heave of the palanquin as it was raised by the palanquin bearers. 

For a while, all Ye An could feel was the swaying of the palanquin and all she could hear was the horse's hooves and the palanquin bearers' breaths. Ye An didn't even notice it when they had crossed the hills until the palanquin came to a stop and was laid down. She could hear the rustle of the silk palanquin entrance.

"We're home." Xi Chen said as he extended his hand into the palanquin so that Ye An could see it even with her veil on. Ye An couldn't help the upwards curve of her lips as she placed her hand in his because he is home. And she couldn't wait to tell him about it.

"You are my home, you know that right?" Ye An asked, her voice hushed, as the top of her head grazed Xi Chen's other hand that was holding up the fabric of the palanquin entrance when she stepped out.

Ye An felt a squeeze on her hand followed by the swish when Xi Chen let go of the fabric and cradled the back of her head and kiss her forehead. "You are my home too.", he murmured onto Ye An's veil. Ye An closed her eyes as the vibrations of his voice trilled from the top of her head to the ends of her toes. Her heart was so full that it felt like it could explode.

Xi Chen let go of her and declared in a rare show of boyishness, "Ah, I can't wait anymore. I need to be alone with you." One of palanquin bearers cleared his throat awkwardly. Before Ye An had the time to blush in embarassment, Xi Chen picked her up and she yelped. "Hold on tight, my night sky." Ye An could hear the smile in his soft voice and she smiled as she latched her hands together behind his neck.

With expert maneuvering, Xi Chen opened the door to the bamboo hut fluidly and with a quick flick of his ankle, closed the bamboo door shut. A few more steps and they were now at the canopied bed. With one side of his shoulder, Xi Chen pushed the canopy aside and placed Ye An down gently so that she was sitting on the bed that they've shared these past few months. Xi Chen stepped back but couldn't help himself from reaching out and planting another tender kiss on Ye An's forehead before finally taking in Ye An in her wedding dress. He was a bundle of nervous energy at the ceremony and didn't even really see her properly then. Now that they were alone, he had all the time to admire Ye An.

"Why are you not saying anything?" Ye An asked because she felt self-conscious in the quiet room, especially when her veil was still on and she could only see Xi Chen's boots in front of her.

Xi Chen had on a fool's smile as he watched Ye An squirm. "Because I think I'm dreaming." He answered easily and continued to announce with his palm covering the smile on his face, "I'm a lucky man." 

He walked towards the bamboo table that was now cleared of Ye An's earlier preparations. Before Ye An could ask where he was going, Xi Chen was back with a bamboo chair opposite her and sat down. She could hear Xi Chen huff a deep breath and he was so close that her veil fluttered. Ye An smiled. She found nervous Xi Chen adorable and wonder if he would be annoyed is she voiced it out. Ye An could see the slight tremble in Xi Chen's hands as they reached for the corners of her veil to lift it up. As the red silk cleared her vision, Ye An laid her eyes on Xi Chen for the first time tonight and the tears bubbled to the surface. He was beautiful. 

Xi Chen's dark hair was bound into a top knot that was secured with a hair pin that symbolizes his marital status. The lit candles that were scattered around the room set his skin aglow but his eyes were brighter as they flickered with the dancing flames and filled with only her as they mirrored the tears in her own eyes.

Ye An didn't who reached out first but they were now both holding each other's cheek and trying to blot away the tears of the other person. She couldn't help but laugh through her tears like a mad woman. "I don't think this is what I had in mind for our first night as husband and wife."

"Hey, we're married now so aren't we supposed to hold each other through moments of laughters and tears?" Xi Chen rebutted in mock anger.

Despite the tears, Ye An laughed again and nodded. "Through laughters and tears."

Xi Chen answered with his own watery smile. He scooted closer so that Ye An's legs were now trapped between his. Ye An fluttered her eyes close when he reached out and kissed her eyelids. First her right, then her left. The featherlight kisses continued to her cheeks as he followed the trail of her tears and finally on her lips. Xi Chen leaned his forehead on Ye An's. "I love you.", he whispered. Ye An opened her eyes and saw that the hazel in Xi Chen's eyes were now a dark brown with the darkness of the night. She pulled Xi Chen lower so that she could reach him and kissed his eyelids, trailing his damp cheeks and replied, "I love you too." 

Ye An continued their earlier kiss as her lips reached for Xi Chen's. He deepened the kiss, his hands holding the frame of Ye An's body as her hands roamed his chest and back. Their mingled breaths getting heavier. Ye An reached for the knot tying Xi Chen's robes and untied them. Xi Chen's hands left her to take his robes off and roughly throw it onto the floor. When Ye An touched his bare skin, Xi Chen's skin pebbled with goosebumps at the contact. He gripped Ye An's hand. "Wait." 

Ye An's face scrunched up in annoyance and Xi Chen chuckled. "Believe me, I want to keep continuing what we were doing too. But I need to help you remove your headpiece so that you could be comfortable." He explained then his eyes darkened as he hissed through gritted teeth. "Before I lose all sense of sanity."

Ye An gulped at the intensity in Xi Chen's eyes but his hands were gentle when they removed the complex construct woven into her hair. Xi Chen was careful not to tug on any of Ye An's hair. Time seemed to crawl like a blind tortoise. Ye An was growing frustrated at the slow pace of time but she also didn't mind it because with Xi Chen focused on her hair, she had a full view of Xi Chen's bare chest. She could feel her face burning up at the close proximity. But she soon noticed the pale scar in the middle of his chest. Her fingers reached out to touch the scar on their own accord. Xi Chen gasped at the sudden contact as Ye An's hair cascaded down her back. The head piece was removed.

Xi Chen eased back down into the chair and grasped Ye An's hand over his chest, his eyes softened. He then brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips before letting it go. Ye An cradled Xi Chen's cheek and ran her thumb over it. She then reached the hair pin holding his hair up and released his ink-black hair. The hair pin clanged as it hit the floor. While looking at him, Ye An couldn't believe that she almost lost this happiness and joy, this fullness in her heart, that she was feeling right now. She couldn't comprehend how she could ever be afraid of her feelings for him. Ye An vowed that she would never suppress her feelings or wants when it came to Xi Chen because you never know what will happen the next day, the next hour, the next second. "I love you."

Xi Chen gave her a soft smile. "I love you too."

Ye An returned the smile before giving him a devilish grin. "Now let's continue where we left off."

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AHEAD UNTIL THE END OF THE CHAPTER.

Xi Chen chuckled as she continued her exploration of Xi Chen's body with a flutteringly light touch, feeling his breath shift with each brush or her fingers. His breath hitched when Ye An's fingers grazed the sensitive skin at the scars on his chest and side. When she reached the waistband of his pants, he shuddered and grabbed her wrist. Ye An met Xi Chen's heavy gaze questioningly. 

"Can I undress you?" Xi Chen asked with a hoarse voice that pulled at the now pulsating core of Ye An's body.

Not trusting her voice, Ye An nodded. Xi Chen let go of her wrist and slowly pulled at the sash holding Ye An's red dress. He swept the dress away from her porcelain skin and loosed a breath when the moonlight caught the goosebumps on her skin. Unlike Xi Chen's robes, Ye An's didn't come with pants but a layered skirt. While supporting Ye An's elbows, he helped her up and stood up himself, towering over her. He tugged at the knot holding the skirt and unraveled it. Ye An was now left with a small piece of triangular cloth covering her private parts as she held her breasts to herself self-consciously. 

Xi Chen lifted Ye An's chin and kiss her gently. He licked the seam of her lips and their kiss intensified. Ye An relaxed her stance and her hands traveled to Xi Chen's back as his hands supported her lower back. They were now breast to chest with nothing in between. Xi Chen laid Ye An down without breaking their kiss so that her back was on the mattress with him looming over her and the sheer red canopy closing over them. The canopy cocooned the space so that all Ye An could see if she ever opened her eyes were Xi Chen. 

Xi Chen kissed Ye An's neck, followed by her breasts. His hair tickled the sensitive skin there as he circled one nipple with his tongue and the other before teasing them with his finger and thumb. Ye An couldn't stop her whimper. He placed a kiss at her heart and trailed his tongue down until it reached the small piece of cloth. With his eyes on Ye An, Xi Chen closed a large hand over the fabric and pressed lightly at Ye An's sensitive button. Ye An tried to cover her moan with the back of her hand as she turned away.

"Ye An, look at me. I want to see you." Xi Chen's voice was a choked plea that Ye An couldn't refuse. Their dark gazes locked as Xi Chen's fingers rubbed slow circles over the fabric causing Ye An's breath to grow heavier like her eyelids. All she could see was the red of the canopy and Xi Chen's sweltering gaze. All she could feel was the heat in the small space and the swell of lightning that Xi Chen was stroking. When Ye An didn't know if she could take it anymore, Xi Chen lowered his head and scooted down the bed so that he was right in front of the small piece of fabric. A small piece of fabric that was now wet with Ye An's dew. Xi Chen unfastened the strings holding the fabric and Ye An was now fully exposed. She instinctively clamped her legs close but was stopped by Xi Chen's grip.

"I want to see all of you." Xi Chen's voice was husky as he made the request.

Ye An wiggled against his grip. "But I don't think it looks good down there." 

Xi Chen's brows furrowed. "Who said so? You look perfect. You're perfect."

Ye An blushed but didn't fight against his hold of her legs anymore.

Xi Chen adjusted so that the back of Ye An's knees were now over his broad shoulders. He kissed the insides of Ye An's thighs and her head rolled back when his kisses were close to the apex. Xi Chen stopped.

"Look at me, Ye An. I need to know that you're enjoying this too."

With much difficulty, Ye An returned her gaze towards him. With his eyes on her, his tongue flicked at her sensitive button. Ye An saw stars. And when his lips nipped at her feminine folds, her whole world spun. When Ye An thought that she couldn't take it anymore, Xi Chen's finger entered her. He groaned.

"You're so wet." Xi Chen breathed heavily. Ye An felt the breath in her swollen parts. He started pumping his finger and Ye An could no longer hold his gaze. Xi Chen moved to catch her moans with his mouth while his finger was still inside her. Their lips vibrated with each other's moans and groans. Her breaths came out in short puffs as the lightning came close to breaking. Ye An reached for Xi Chen's waistband and fumbled. Xi Chen released her and stood up. Ye An started to protest before realizing that Xi Chen was removing his pants and boots with urgent abandon before joining her in bed again. Ye An swallowed. Is he bigger this time? It seemed more angrily swollen than that winter night. But her anxiety was thrown out of the window when Xi Chen rubbed his masculine parts against her feminine folds.

"Oh, gods." Xi Chen moaned. Ye An's breath hitched to another notch and her eyes rolled at the sensation. "Look at me, please." Xi Chen whimpered.

Xi Chen waited until Ye An blinked her unfocused eyes open and settled her gaze on him before he started her entry into her. Ye An flinched at the intrusion and Xi Chen stopped immediately.

"No! Don't stop." Ye An pleaded, her heels digging into Xi Chen's lower back to keep him in place.

"Are you sure?"

Ye An nodded vigorously. 

Xi Chen braced his weight on his arms to kiss her temples. "Alright, but let me know if you ever want to stop.", he said as he brushed her hair and pushed another inch into her. Ye An contracted around Xi Chen which made him groan before he moved again. Inch by inch until he was fully sheathed. Their breaths mirrored each other as they stayed there for a moment.

Xi Chen tapped his forehead on hers lovingly. "Are you alright? Is it painful?"

Ye An gave him a little nod and their sweat mingled. "A little bit." Before Xi Chen could once again suggest that they stop, Ye An continued, "But I don't want to stop."

Xi Chen smiled. "Then we continue." He pushed himself up and with his hands on Ye An's hips, pulled out before slamming back in. Ye An moaned. Xi Chen did it another time and another until they built a pace. Ye An's breath had climbed into a crescendo and Xi Chen was keeping pace with it. He quickened his pace until they were both on top of the crest of a wave. With one last pump, that wave crashed into a millions stars as their moans intertwined and their bodies quivering and shuddering with release.

Ye An and Xi Chen held each other as they came down from the high. With their damp hair framing their faces, blissed smiles were plastered on their faces as they drifted to sleep, still connected to each other.

+* Thanks for reading! Please vote, comment, and follow if you like the story!*+

Writer's note:  "Before I lose all sense of sanity."???? Helloo??? Excuse me??? YUN- XIA- YUN- (bruh idk anymore) XI CHEN!!! YOU NEED TO GO TO JAIL, SIR.