Six months later, the freestanding villas of Bright Moon Residential Quarter were decked out in red and green, with lanterns and decorations everywhere. Relatives and friends of both families had gathered for the wedding, and representatives of forces from around the world had come to congratulate the Third Speaker on his happy marriage.
A flying craft shaped like a large red sedan chair descended from the sky. Lu Gang, dressed in festive robes, was officiating the wedding. Seeing that the time was right, he stepped forward and began the ceremony in a deep, resonant voice.
"Let the newlyweds come before us. The guests stand on either side. A talented groom and a lovely bride—let the music ring out across the skies!"
"The red sedan chair has arrived at the gate. We invite the new groom to shoot three arrows at the sedan chair to bring good fortune to the couple! The first arrow, shot to the heavens, brings a blessed union and joy to the whole family! The second arrow, shot to the earth, brings everlasting love and all they could wish for! The third arrow seals their fate: first to the heavens, then to the earth—may their love endure forever!"
After the ceremony, the groom, Luo Feng, beamed with the joy of a wish fulfilled. He took the embroidered ball attached to the other end of the red silk from Xu Xin, who wore a red veil. "My bride, welcome to our home!"
Beneath the red veil, Xu Xin gazed through its hazy fabric and seemed to see once more the shy young man who had watched her from afar back in their school days. After all their trials, they had finally come together. Her cheeks flushed, and tears welled in her eyes as she followed the gentle tug of the red silk toward the hall, where their friends and family had gathered.
The two of them stepped over the brazier, bowed to Heaven and Earth to give thanks for their marriage, thanked their parents for raising them, and finally bowed to each other, wishing to soar together like a pair of lovebirds and share a destined bond.
While the wedding outside was in full swing, Xue Xi served as a bridesmaid throughout the ceremony. After handing Xu Xin over to Luo Feng, she hurried straight to the kitchen, where she prepared dish after dish with her Chef God Domain until all thirty-one courses were ready.
Only after the servers had carried away all the banquet dishes did Xue Xi finally let out a sigh of relief.
As soon as she received Xu Xin's wedding invitation, she had thrown herself into the preparations. She had even strongly recommended a traditional Chinese wedding. Xu Xin and Luo Feng were both born-and-bred Huaxia natives, so they naturally agreed with the suggestion from their chief bridesmaid and kitchen supervisor.
Leaning against an old willow tree with fresh shoots, Xue Xi watched the newlyweds smiling from the heart and fell into a daze.
Suddenly, Thor, prayer beads around his wrist, popped out from behind the tree, his bald head gleaming. "Hey, Fourth Sis, what are you doing standing around here? It's lively in there. Aren't you going to take a look?"
Xue Xi shook her head. "I'll pass. I'm not really fond of crowds, anyway. You know, I used to be socially anxious."
Thor let out an exaggerated gasp. "Socially anxious? You?" He gave Xue Xi a look that said he thought she was joking.
Xue Xi sighed and crouched down on the curb beside the tree, resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. Her eyes filled with memories as she murmured to herself. Thor rubbed his bald head, sat down beside her, and listened to his Fourth Sis's rambling.
"The orphanage director always loved telling us stories about the love lives of immortals. When we were little, we'd keep pestering her to find us an immortal husband, so we could experience the sweet romances of the Weaver Girl, Chang'e, and the other celestial maidens."
"Then she'd look at us kindly and say, 'You'll find someone, all of you. My greatest wish is for each of you to build a new family with someone who loves you. I don't want you to be lonely forever. Even when I'm up in heaven someday, I'll still worry about all my little ones!'"
Thinking back on the orphanage, Xue Xi smiled warmly. "When I look back, that was the happiest time for us—we'd never known the warmth of a home before. What Grandma didn't realize was that we didn't want immortal husbands at all. We just wanted her to stay with us. She was what made it a home."
Thor's playful manner faded, and he spoke earnestly. "Fourth Sis, you've said you don't belong to this world. We looked into it, and it's true that there's no record of you from before. But..."
He paused, then laid a large hand on Xue Xi's long hair, his heart full of sincerity. "You're our Fourth Sis now—my sister, Thor's. If you ever get married, I'll make sure your big brother-in-law-to-be gives you his approval, and I'll make sure the wedding is a grand affair!"
A wave of warmth washed through Xue Xi's heart. She turned her face away with a haughty little huff. "I'm not getting married. I'm going to become the woman who rules the universe!"
Seeing that Xue Xi's spirits had lifted, Thor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled a black giant egg, a full thirteen meters across, out of his World Ring. Its shell was covered in golden lines that formed mysterious patterns.
"Let's not dwell on that. Come on, help your second brother cook this egg. I've tried everything since I found it, but I can't crack it. I even put it in water and blasted it with the fighter jet's ultra-high-temperature flames, and it still wouldn't cook. Think of something for me."
Xue Xi was stunned by the egg, which was as big as a small hill. The largest King Rank Monster in the world, the Unicorn Tyrannosaurus, laid eggs only one or two meters across. What on earth was this thing?
Hearing that even temperatures of tens of thousands of degrees Celsius hadn't cooked it, Xue Xi's instincts as a chef kicked in. Golden flames sprang up in her hand as she wondered whether she should test the limits of her Culinary Spirit Fire.
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