"Does it hurt that much?" A Da asked A Fu, his tone laced with worry as he watched A Fu grit his teeth in pain.
"Every man must have his face threaded before marriage. Endure the pain, and you will belong to your wife's family."
"It's alright, Xi Gong, please continue," A Fu patted A Da's hand, signaling him not to worry.
On this joyous occasion, these people were all invited by the young master, and he couldn't disappoint his master's intentions.
Besides, he was willing.
After the threading was complete, A Fu looked different compared to before. His face was smoother and more delicate, without a single strand of downy hair.
Next came dressing and makeup. A Da accompanied him through all the steps. Shen Xuan had been busy with the various trivial matters of the grand ceremony in the front courtyard and had entrusted the task of accompanying A Fu to A Da.
"Xuan'er!"
It was Gu Yi. He hadn't stayed home today but had come as A Fu's friend.
"Is A Fu still in the room?"
"Yes, hurry in. A Fu is still in the room getting ready," Shen Xuan smiled and welcomed Gu Yi into the manor.
Hearing Gu Yi's call from outside the door, A Fu, who had finished dressing and makeup, excitedly stood up from his stool and walked to Gu Yi's side with a smile.
Zisu was already in the room accompanying A Fu.
"Brother-in-law, you look so handsome today, your complexion has improved," Gu Yi's opening remark of "brother-in-law" made A Fu blush with embarrassment.
"Why did you come?"
It wasn't surprising that A Fu was astonished; according to etiquette, Gu Yi shouldn't have come today.
"As your friend, why can't I come?" Gu Yi smiled and took A Fu's hand. "I'm even going to help you block the door today."
Gu Yi knew A Fu was nervous and teased him with a smile.
"I didn't expect Brother Zisu to arrive earlier than me," Gu Yi said, leaning in and linking arms with Zisu, seeing that Zisu had been standing by quietly.
"Of course, I have to prepare early for A Fu's marriage to Miss Gu. I even helped A Fu with his makeup," Zisu replied with a smile, then glanced at the gift box in Gu Yi's hand. "I've already given my betrothal gift. What did you prepare?"
"This is the betrothal gift I brought. It's a pair of white jade lotus pendants with double ears, wishing you and my sister eternal love and growing old together!" Gu Yi said, taking out a gift box containing a jade pendant.
At noon, A Fu, supported by the Xi Gong, walked to the main hall to bid farewell to his father, the family head, and his husband.
"Today, I am returning this deed of sale to you. You are no longer my servant," Shen Xuan reached out, took the deed of sale from the table, and placed it in A Fu's hand, covering his hand with his own and holding the deed tightly.
A Fu stood before Shen Xuan, head bowed. Upon hearing these words, tears began to fall, one after another, from his eyes.
"Don't cry," Shen Xuan raised his hand to wipe away the tears under A Fu's eyes and said loudly, "From now on, A Fu will be my brother."
"This is the betrothal gift I am giving you as a brother," Shen Xuan took out a pair of agate bangles from his sleeve, held A Fu's hand, and gently put them on his wrists.
"It's a joyous day, don't cry," Shen Xuan coaxed softly as he saw A Fu about to shed tears again.
Gu Yi Tong was about to come to fetch the bride. A Fu couldn't linger in the main hall. He bid farewell to everyone one by one, and finally, Shen Xuan personally placed the red veil over his head.
Once this red veil was placed, it could not be lifted again. This was the last time A Fu would bid farewell to Shen Xuan as an unmarried young gentleman.
The next time they saw A Fu, it would be at the Gu manor. And the next time A Fu saw them, it would be on the day of their return visit, when his status would be different.
"It's a joyous day, be happy. Your brother will always be behind you."
A Fu looked intently at Shen Xuan as he finished speaking. The veil before his eyes slowly descended, leaving a patch of red. This was the last time he would see his young master in this capacity.
"A Da, help A Fu inside."
A Fu's vision was completely red; he couldn't see the way and was led entirely by A Da.
Shen Xuan, Lu Yu, and Wang Tian should now be preparing to head to the Gu manor, awaiting the solemnization of the two newlyweds.
Gu Yi Tong had bought a two-courtyard residence near the Lu manor. The original courtyard by the town was indeed a bit small, especially with Gu Yi's return. He had long had this plan.
The original courtyard would be left for Wang Tian to live in. Wang Tian now made a living by doing embroidery, and living here would also save him some travel time.
The noisy sounds from the courtyard reached the room. A Fu knew that Gu Yi Tong had arrived.
Gu Yi Tong was followed by Zheng Yu, who had come to fetch the bride with her, and Wu Shao, who had entered the courtyard in advance.
Just as Gu Yi Tong was about to swagger into the courtyard, she was stopped by five people. This fifth person was Wu Shao, who had come with Gu Yi Tong.
She had thought that Lu Yu and Shen Xuan were not present, so no one would block the door. She hadn't expected this...
Others were fine, but Gu Yi, Gu Yi, I am your own sister, and you are actually helping A Fu block my door?
However, on second thought, alright, A Fu was also his brother-in-law.
Gu Yi Tong bowed solemnly to the five people, "I am Gu Yi Tong, and I wish to marry young gentleman A Fu of your esteemed household. I hope the five of you will be kind and not make things difficult for me, allowing me to joyfully escort my husband out."
This single sentence directly defeated four of the five people.
A Da was not very familiar with Gu Yi Tong and didn't know how to respond. Xu Miao was not particularly lively and didn't know how to answer this.
Zisu looked at Gu Yi Tong, who was bowing respectfully, and was even more unsure how to respond. Gu Yi, as Gu Yi Tong's brother, naturally could not accept Gu Yi Tong's bow. He sidestepped and did not reply.
For a moment, only the lively Wu Shao remained. As expected, Wu Shao took the lead in blocking the door.
However, before Wu Shao could unleash his ultimate move, Gu Yi Tong spoke first, "Wu Shao, which side are you on?"
"I remember you said that day that when I get married, you would help me snatch my bride. But your actions today are really... tsk tsk tsk..."
Gu Yi Tong's previous promise was brought up, and Wu Shao, who had a hidden agenda, suddenly blushed. The usually talkative Wu Shao now became stammering and flustered.
Gu Yi Tong's attention was entirely on A Fu inside, so she naturally didn't notice the anomaly. A Da and Xu Miao were not familiar with Wu Shao and couldn't perceive it either.
"Since you promised Miss Gu, you don't need to stay here with us guarding the door," Zisu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
He knew why Wu Shao had suddenly changed his mind. Because she was guarding the door, she didn't want to oppose him at all.
Gu Yi, who had been watching the commotion from the side, sensed something was amiss. He glanced at Wu Shao's slightly red face and then at Zisu's unnatural expression. Suddenly, he understood something.
"Sister, since Miss Wu is willing to be on this side, let her be. Right, Brother Zisu?" This sentence made Zisu even more uncomfortable.
"Shut up! You are my brother. You two, defecting at the last moment, I'll settle the score with you later."
Gu Yi Tong no longer paid attention to the two of them. She turned and bowed to the other three, "May I ask how the three of you can let Gu Mou enter to marry my husband?"