Meeting Luo Wushuang’s anxious gaze, Shangguan Liqian hesitated for a moment. She stood and walked toward the bed in the Inner Hall, reaching beneath the frame to pull out a sewing basket.
She lifted the cover, revealing a set of vibrant red bridal robes folded neatly inside.
A threaded needle was still tucked into one of the sleeves, a clear sign that the work was not yet finished.
Luo Wushuang pointed at the robes and then looked back at Shangguan Liqian, her voice trembling as she stammered, “This… these bridal robes… did Sister embroider them yourself?”
Shangguan Liqian nodded slightly, her earlobes tinged with a faint blush.
It was an old custom in the Kingdom of Luo for a bride to hand-stitch her own wedding dress before the ceremony. Even women who were unskilled in the craft would add a few stitches to show their approval and anticipation of the marriage.
Luo Wushuang had originally planned to wait for the Bureau of Apparel to deliver the robes and then beg her sister to add a few casual stitches. She never expected that Liqian would quietly prepare such a massive surprise for her!
Seeing Luo Wushuang’s eyes well up with tears of emotion, Shangguan Liqian’s heart softened further.
She hadn’t intended for Wushuang to find out so soon, but the woman appeared carefree on the surface while being incredibly sensitive deep down. To think Wushuang had doubted her over such a small matter—she really deserved a lecture, or perhaps a light swat…
Yet, Liqian couldn’t bear to see her so restless and uneasy every day.
She had decided to show her the robes simply to set her mind at ease, to let her know that regarding this grand wedding…
She, too, was looking forward to it.
Shangguan Liqian reached out, her movements gentle as she wiped the tears from the corners of Luo Wushuang’s eyes. “Are you at peace now?” she asked softly.
Luo Wushuang nodded frantically, her eyes shining as she looked at Shangguan Liqian.
At Liqian’s gesture, she carefully unfurled the robes. Her gaze was instantly captured by the lifelike phoenixes embroidered upon the silk.
Set against a foundation of red silk, the phoenix crown and tasseled robes were outlined with interlocking gold and silver threads, forming intricate cloud patterns and various phoenix motifs. A seven-colored phoenix held its head high with pride, its wings spread wide as if it might take flight at any moment.
The hem of the skirt featured layers upon layers of clouds, rendered with such fine detail they looked real, and the bottom was accented with tiny, shimmering gemstones. When the sunlight hit them, they reflected a kaleidoscope of colors.
The garment exuded nobility and elegance, with a touch of mystery woven throughout…
The cuffs bore the pattern of the Harmony of the Luan and Phoenix, silently conveying the wish for a loving couple to grow old together in bliss.
Luo Wushuang ran her fingers lightly over the robes, feeling the dense, meticulous stitching. Her vision blurred once more.
“Sister, your embroidery is beautiful. There will never be a more stunning set of bridal robes than these.”
“Then shall I wear them for you on our wedding day?” Shangguan Liqian looked at her with a shallow smile, her eyes full of affection.
Luo Wushuang gave a choked sob in response. After carefully putting the robes away, she pulled Shangguan Liqian into a tight embrace.
“Sister, I am so happy today!”
So happy, so very happy…
Sister had hand-stitched their wedding robes. This wedding was no longer a one-woman show—it was real. It was wonderful!
Sensing that the Empress’s emotions were becoming a bit too intense, Shangguan Liqian gently patted her back to soothe her. “You aren’t allowed to let your mind wander like that anymore. I want this wedding because I love you, Wushuang.”
Marrying Wushuang was never a compromise; it was her heartfelt desire.
“Mm-hmm,” Luo Wushuang murmured distractedly. However, her excitement wasn’t something that could be calmed so easily.
Luo Wushuang pulled back slightly from the embrace and, before Liqian could react, she swept her back into her arms and kissed her—hard.
When the kiss finally ended, Shangguan Liqian slumped against her chest, trying to steady her ragged breathing.
But before she could catch her breath, Luo Wushuang pressed her down and kissed her again.
She couldn’t help it. She was simply too thrilled!
If it weren’t for the shred of logic reminding her that Sister had been exhausted the night before, she would have carried her straight to the bed right then and there.
Shangguan Liqian sensed her restraint and froze, not daring to move an inch. She was terrified that a single wrong move would trigger the other woman’s “bestial” nature again.
She could handle the intimacy, but her waist truly couldn’t take any more!
Fortunately, no matter how excited she was, Luo Wushuang maintained that last bit of sanity. She didn’t let this deeply moving atmosphere devolve into a “century-long war of the fingertips.”
Once the initial rush faded, Luo Wushuang reverted to being a clingy puppy. She snuggled against Shangguan Liqian’s side and asked curiously, “Sister, when did you find the time to embroider these? I never even knew.”
The robes were mostly finished, which must have taken an immense amount of time, yet she had remained completely oblivious. Luo Wushuang couldn’t help but reflect—had she not been paying enough attention to her sister?
Luckily, Shangguan Liqian didn’t know what she was thinking, or she would have certainly given her a beautiful eye-roll.
Not enough attention? What more did she want? Did she have to be chained to the bed every day for it to count as “attention”? She could do without that kind of focus!
Shangguan Liqian calmed her breathing, lowering her eyes to avoid Wushuang’s gaze. “Every day while you were at the Morning Court, I would sew for a while,” she said quietly.
A look of realization flashed across Luo Wushuang’s face, but she pressed on, “But when did you start? How did I have no idea?”
Shangguan Liqian glanced at her but didn’t speak.
She had specifically instructed the palace servants not to tell Wushuang. Given her status in the Empress’s heart, no one was foolish enough to run to Wushuang with news that would clearly serve to deepen the bond between the two. That was why Wushuang had been kept in the dark until now.
“Sister, good Sister, just tell me,” Luo Wushuang pleaded, clinging to her arm and acting spoiled.
Shangguan Liqian looked down, hiding the curve of her lips. “I started the day after you almost dropped me on the floor,” she whispered.
Almost dropped Sister on the floor? Me?
Confusion flickered in Luo Wushuang’s eyes before the memory came rushing back.
It was right after Sister had first agreed to the marriage. Wushuang had been so excited that her legs had gone weak, nearly sending her future wife tumbling…
She started the very next day? Does that mean…
The moment she said yes, she began sewing the robes?
Meeting Luo Wushuang’s eager, frantic gaze, Shangguan Liqian nodded slightly, confirming her suspicion.
At that, Luo Wushuang’s joy hit a new peak, her grin practically stretching from ear to ear.
Seeing that the woman was finally appeased, Shangguan Liqian sighed inwardly. It seemed the Princess of the Western Regions’ visit today hadn’t been in vain after all.
Whether it was jealousy or suspicion… resolving these hidden emotional crises was a good thing for both of them. After all, when it came to her, Wushuang’s heart was always exceptionally fragile.
Liqian didn’t want to wake up one day to find Wushuang holding out a tray of chains and asking her to pick her favorite style.
A bird that has tasted freedom has no desire to return to a cage. And people… were much the same.
Even if her “freedom” was different from that of ordinary people.
