The whole room became silent and everyone"s waiting for Hongqi"s answer.
Xiulan feels like her armpits were creating a pool from the nervousness since this matter seems to be very serious. Unlike during their wedding, they can create a sweet facade for everyone and a wedding is like a business contract anyway. Also, the most important thing, they don"t have any sweet feelings for each other during that time.
Right now, it"s just a fortune reading but the person in front of them is an old high monk which practices ancient scriptures and divination. He might even have some divine power and can read their minds!
Hongqi"s lips were slightly quivering since his plans will all be ruined because of this monk"s question. He wants to be mad and scold him but he must respect the old and sacred.
"Yes. I love my wife." his answer somewhat came out bland to the ears. It didn"t sound sweet, it didn"t sound cold either but it sounds so unconvincing.
Xiulan stayed quiet. His answer came out unconvincing for her but it made her heart thump a little.
"Hmm..." the monk lowered his eyes on the paper again and he muttered, "Alright, if you say so." he ambiguously remarked but Xiulan caught the gist in his words.
"The monk thinks he"s lying..." she secretly mumbles.
"How about our young lady here? Do you love your husband?" the monk this time put his attention to Xiulan.
Xiulan"s head is blank and she"s not sure if she should lie or be honest. Since they are in front of a high monk, she better be honest.
"I… I don"t love my husband in a romantic way but I cherish him as family."
Xiulan lowered her head and didn"t want to look at Hongqi. For sure he"s giving her an intense look right now.
"Ah… such an honest wife." the monk commented and the corners of his mouth curled. "Cherish… a nice word to hear even though the first sentence is quite tragic. Arranged marriage?"
"Uh… yes." Xiulan meekly answered.
"I see." He looks at Hongqi again and inquired, "Do you love your wife in a romantic way or just business?"
Xiulan"s not sure if this monk is trying to pick a fight with Hongqi but he doesn"t need to ask him stuff like this.
Hongqi looks at his wife with a strange and sad look. "Out of all the s.e.x and sweet moments we have, you still don"t like me romantically?" he secretly thought. Her answer really made him heartbroken.
"I know in my heart that I love my wife romantically. Our bond might be for business at the start, but the more we are together, the more I realize that I fell in love with her. If we are incompatible and the future may look horrendous, I would like to fix that. I want to be with her." Hongqi"s honest answer made the monk create a surprised expression, the same with Xiulan.
The monk didn"t expect such an answer from Hongqi. He suddenly realizes that these two are not yet honest with their feelings. "Oh... an old fool like me is really oblivious." he secretly scolded himself.
The old monk coughed twice to clear his throat and remove the awkward atmosphere, "A wonderful answer from a wonderful husband. Young lady, I hope you give your husband a chance." he looks at Xiulan who seems to be blus.h.i.+ng very hard right now. Her face and ears are red.
He didn"t want to wait for Xiulan"s answer since the couple might need a private moment for it. He quickly went back to his reading, "The two of you are soulmates and the love affair might happen soon as long as the two of you are honest with each other. Just like what the elders always told us, honesty is the best policy." he smiled at the couple.
"I will write a talisman for both of you. Such a lovely couple should stay together for a lifetime." he happily remarked. "I just want to warn the two of you that the future is quite dark especially to the young lady. You will need a lot of patience. The answer to be together for a lifetime is within your power."
Xiulan suddenly felt a cold wind all over her body. The monk is obviously warning her about the predicaments they will have to endure in the future. But the way he said that their continuous ties will depend on her made her feel pressured.
Two pieces of talisman with unreadable scriptures written on it are handed to the couple.
Hongqi looks at the talisman with a grave look, "This will help our relations.h.i.+p, right?"
"Of course. But I can"t control the future, young man. The future is not constant. Everything changes even how much you do good, one mistake can change the whole course of life." the monk said and implied that even the efforts Hongqi do today and onwards can still fail with one mistake.
Xiulan smiled at the monk and took the talisman, "Thank you."
"Young lady, I know you have a lot of patience. I can see that in your energy. I know you will do your best too since you were born with an Earth sign. You are very humble and loyal. I wish well for the both of you." the monk made his last remarks before he lets go of the couple.
Outside the monastery, Xiulan lights up an incense and wished, "Oh, all the deities in the world, please give me strength and patience to solve all the problems and hurdles coming to my life."
She needed this prayer. She can already feel that the future will be very hard on her because of Hongqi"s past.
Hongqi"s quiet ever since they left the high monk"s room. It"s just a superst.i.tious belief but he"s really bothered by it. He expected good outcomes from this trip but this is the first time he wanted to smack an old man just to stop hearing the bad news from his mouth.
"Are you alright? You look so shocked by the monk"s reading." Xiulan grinned and teases her husband. She held onto his arms, "Let"s go?"
Hongqi stares at his wife"s beautiful face. He didn"t move and he seems to be planning something, "Do you think I"m lying to the old monk? I really do love you. I love you."
The h.e.l.l with the romantic and luxurious place to confess. He will say it now.
Xiulan didn"t expect that he will confess right now, her face made a shocked expression. She was teasing him about being shocked but now she"s that person.
"Hongqi..." her heart is beating so fast. It feels like it will come out of her ribcage!
Hongqi held her hands very tightly, not wanting to let go. "No need to answer me. I just want you to know that I love you."
She stares at him with obvious confusion and surprise in her eyes. She knew that he has budding romantic feelings for her but still it"s a bewildering fact.
The sweet husband kisses her forehead and embraces her. "Look at your face, so shocked and baffled." he laughed heartily.
"Hongqi… I… I don"t --" she was about to repeat what she said to the monk earlier but Hongqi quickly interrupted her, not wanting to hear those bitter words from her again.
"I know… I don"t want to hear it. It hurts, my love. Please, just let me love you. Alright?" Hongqi dismissed the bitter words she"s about to say. He just wants to freely love and dote her. With his wife"s character, he now fully understands that courting someone like her will take a long way.
Xiulan"s speechless. She wanted to say a lot of things so they can work this out, truthfully she wanted to make this marriage fruitful. But her mind is muddled right now and she"s not sure where to start.
She let"s go of the embrace and pushes him a little to create some s.p.a.ce in between them, "Hongqi, what about Zhao Lingyu?"
Hongqi was puzzled by her question, "What? Why mention her?"
"You keep mentioning her while you sleep, many times actually. She seems to be very important in your life. Tell me honestly, do you still love her?" Xiulan seriously questioned. Her eyes were full of doubts.
He somewhat feels depressed seeing the doubts and distrust in her eyes. Those feelings are all for him. "Is this one of the reasons why she"s always hesitant to like me?" he secretly thought. He needs to plan on how to make her feel secure.
Hongqi caresses her cheeks, "She"s someone from the past that I don"t think of much anymore. I don"t love her and most importantly, I don"t even think about her. My past seems to be very crazy and incompatible with your conservative past but trust me, my love. The present and future with you are more important. Please, trust me? What should I do to make you feel secure?"
His eyes are pleading, he wants her to believe him. If he managed to get her trust, he will make sure that he won"t ever let go of that trust. He will definitely treasure it.