The rain began to fall harder with no indications that it was going to stop anytime soon, but this did not deter the flocks of horse carriages on their way to the Northern City.

From the Southern City to the Northern City, the wide roads were filled with the people in the welcome party dressed in bright red robes signaling happiness. The fog made it difficult to see, and someone once said that it was ominous to hold weddings in this weather, but this was the date that His Majesty personally set so who would dare to suggest otherwise?

Man Yao sat within the wide and luxurious horse carriage, listening to the rain falling outside onto the carriage, imitating the sounds of dreams shattering.

Because of the rain, it was not convenient for Fu Chou to ride a horse, so he sat with her in the carriage. Sitting across from her, he was in a relaxed and laidback posture.

The  blocked her vision, and she could only see the wedding robes of the man sitting across from her as well as the hands he had resting on his knees. It was that pair of hands that will soon be holding her own when they walked into the prison that was marriage. She could feel his gaze on her as if he was trying to find something.

As the bride, her mood was unusually calm with none of the shyness and excitement of someone that was soon becoming a wife. She had no hopes or desires towards her future husband, no pain or tears from bidding goodbye to her family, no sadness from having to leave her maternal family. From her bones to her skin, everything about her was so calm, it caused others to feel uneasy as if she was actually a bystander going to witness someone else's wedding.

Ling'er sat next to her, being unusually quiet. She occasionally stole some glances at the man across, he was full of charm and intelligent and as gentle as jade, he was definitely one of the few men in the world that match up to her master! If Master marries him, she should be happy right?

The carriage pa.s.sed through a ditch and shook. Man Yao instinctively reached a hand out to steady herself only to find a pair of large hands firmly holding hers. Those hands were a little rough yet warm, and she heard him speak in a gentle voice, “Careful.”

Man Yao lightly nodded her head and steadied herself, “Thank you, General.”

Fu Chou smiled, “You and I will become husband and wife after we complete the wedding ritual, there's no need to be so polite.”

He spoke so casually, without any hint of unfamiliarity. Man Yao pursed her lips, not speaking.

The carriage became steady again, and her hands were still being held by him. The woman's fingers were slender and her smooth skin was cold to the touch, just like the cold rain that would occasionally drop into the carriage. Fu Chou furrowed his brows, “Why are your hands so cold? Are you very cold? I'll tell them to stop the carriage and find you a coat to wear.” Finished, he didn't wait for her to answer before he ordered, “Stop the carriage.”

The carriage stopped, and a servant stepped forward to receive orders, but before they could do so, Ling'er spoke, “This servant knows where Master's coat is, this servant will go to get it right now.”

Instead, Man Yao spoke apathetically, “No need, I'm not cold.” It wasn't spoken intentionally to create distance, but it caused people to feel as if they were separated from her by thousands of miles.

Ling'er's eyes dimmed and she pursed her lips, turning her eyes to Fu Chou.

Fu Chou very naturally held her hands tightly and smiled, “Today is our wedding day, you can't collapse before we even step into the wedding hall. Wear another layer.” Even though he was smiling when he said it, his words carried a commanding tone. Turning his head, he ordered Ling'er, “Go.”

Ling'er happily obeyed, when she stepped down from the carriage, she secretly thought: General is gentle and considerate and he also looks after Master in every possible way. The husband His Majesty(1) picked for Master is a good one!

The two people were left alone in the horse carriage. There was an extremely faint fragrance that lingered at the tip of their nose. It was a very pleasant smell and Fu Chou couldn't help but inhale, trying to breathe in more of it before he suddenly became indifferent.

Man Yao tried many times to retrieve her hand but Fu Chou did not let her, tightening his hold instead as he lightly smiled, “Your hands are too cold, I'll help you warm them up.” No matter if it was his actions or the way he spoke, he was always so natural, as if they were an old married couple.

Cold hands could be warmed up but if a person's heart turned cold, how should one warm that up? She persisted in taking back her hand and smiled indifferently, “Thank you General for you kind intentions! However…I'm already used to this temperature.”

Fu Chou was momentarily stunned. She was the princess that was heavily doted upon by the Emperor of Qiyun, why would she say that she was used to this ice-cold temperature? Even the words she spoke when she smiled revealed the pain she held inside of her. He frowned, looking at his empty hands and switched to sit next to her. Turning her shoulders, separated by a head cover, he spoke lightly, “In the future…you will slowly begin to get used to being warm by my side. Remember…I'm not an outsider, I'm your husband, the person who will walk beside you for the rest of your life.”

His gentle voice held hints of determination, making people feel rea.s.sured. Man Yao couldn't shrug off his hands, and felt two hot rays of his burning gaze through the red head covering, landing squarely on her face, and she stiffly turned her head away.

(1) No mention of which emperor she's referring to, but this translator is a.s.suming the author is referring to the Emperor of Qiyun

Forchen Note: Chapter 43 is longer than the usual chapters so it will be split into two parts. (1/4 owed releases complete)