Chapter 2588: Heaven's One Day, Earth’s One Year

"What wish?" Zu An secretly swore to himself. Since he couldn't save her right now, he vowed to help her fulfill this wish no matter what.

The Mermaid Queen's face flushed slightly, but she still raised her head firmly, her beautiful eyes fixed on him. "We got married in the Chang clan back then, but... the marriage was never truly consummated."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. That day, they had completed all the wedding rituals; the only thing missing was the final... wedding night.

He had initially thought her wish would be incredibly difficult to fulfill, but he never expected it to be this.

The Mermaid Queen looked a little shy. "Brother Zu, am I being shameless by asking this...?"

Before she could finish, Zu An kissed her tightly. Her body stiffened for a moment, then quickly softened completely, and she naturally embraced her lover.

Their lips parted after a long while, her fair cheeks growing even more radiant. With a wave of her hand, '囍' (double happiness) characters appeared on the doors and windows, red lanterns hung at the entrance of Guanghan Palace, the previously icy bed was covered with a thick mandarin duck quilt, and crimson drapes billowed around the plain bed.

The once cold and desolate room instantly became festive and joyous.

Zu An was astonished by this scene. He too knew some illusionary tricks after becoming an immortal, but he could clearly sense that what just happened wasn't an illusion; those items had truly appeared.

The Mermaid Queen said shyly, "I can now control everything in Guanghan Palace, which is how I was able to decorate it like this. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Zu An pulled her into a tight embrace. All of this showed how much it meant to her.

How could a woman not value the most important day of her life?

Thinking of this, he took out some jewelry and accessories he had collected from his Glazed Pearl and put them all on her.

"Oh, that's enough, enough! My head is getting too heavy to lift," the Mermaid Queen giggled sweetly. Brother Zu had haphazardly adorned her, and now jewelry was everywhere on her head.

Seeing the messy pile on her head, Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "You're already so beautiful; I've completely overdone it."

As he spoke, he removed the messy jewelry from her head, then took out a red cloth and gently placed it over her head.

The Mermaid Queen's heart trembled, feeling an inexplicable nervousness.

Her vision obscured by the red, she couldn't help but recall her wedding night with the Chang clan, where she had waited with such trepidation, only for it to end in misfortune.

Would it be the same this time...?

Just then, her vision suddenly brightened. He had already lifted the red veil.

Zu An gazed at the beauty so close to him, feeling a dizzying sense of awe.

The Mermaid Queen was already incredibly beautiful, but now, with her snowy skin reflecting the crimson hue, she was captivating beyond words.

"Suyin, you are truly beautiful!"

"Are you still going to call me Suyin...?" the Mermaid Queen pouted slightly, feigning annoyance.

"My wife!"

"My husband."

That soft and sweet "husband" truly made Zu An's body feel half-numb with delight.

He quickly produced two wine cups, filled them, and seeing her questioning gaze, explained, "This is our human tradition of 'Héjǐnjiǔ,' also known as 'Jiāobēijiǔ,' or 'crossed-cup wine.' On the wedding night, it symbolizes the marriage uniting two people as one."

"Then we must drink it!" The Mermaid Queen's eyes lit up.

She quickly intertwined her hand with his. Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Zu An's heart swelled with even more tenderness, and he eagerly entwined his hand around hers.

After finishing the crossed-cup wine, perhaps flushed by the alcohol, the Mermaid Queen's cheeks grew even rosier. "What happens next?"

Seeing her somewhat innocent expression, Zu An leaned in with a smile, close to her lips. "Now for the main event."

As his face drew infinitely closer, the Mermaid Queen's mind went blank with a 'boom,' and she felt as if her entire being was about to ignite.

On the peak of Mount Wushan, Ji Xiaoxi looked at the strange flowers and exotic plants spread across the mountainside and couldn't help but exclaim, "Goddess, your place is truly beautiful."

Seeing the soft and adorable little girl, the usually aloof Wushan Goddess revealed a faint smile. "You don't need to call me Goddess; you can just call me Yao Ji from now on."

"Okay, Sister Yao Ji." Since the Wushan Goddess already resembled Pei Mianman, Ji Xiaoxi instinctively felt a sense of familiarity and closeness.

At that moment, Xie Daoyun walked over holding a delicate flower. "Xiaoxi, this is the herb you wanted from the cliff."

"Thank you, Sister Xie." Ji Xiaoxi's eyes lit up as she took the beautiful flower.

Hearing her tongue-twisting series of "thank yous," Xie Daoyun and the Wushan Goddess couldn't help but smile.

"By the way, Miss Yao Ji, a month has passed, and Brother Zu still hasn't returned. Is he really not in danger?" Xie Daoyun's eyes were filled with worry. "The person before said that teleportation array only lasts for one day."

"With his abilities, if there were any real danger, he should be able to protect himself. As for Emperor Yao's 'one day,'" the Wushan Goddess looked up at the sky, "one day in heaven is one year on earth. It's quite normal for him not to be able to return for a while."

"Huh?" Both Ji Xiaoxi and Xie Daoyun were stunned. If Brother Zu spent one day in heaven, they would have to wait a whole year down here.

"A year isn't long; it passes quickly. I used to stand on the mountaintop watching the mists, and many years would pass without me even realizing it," the Wushan Goddess said as if speaking of the most ordinary thing. However, she found it a bit strange herself why, this time, something she was used to felt like time was passing a little slowly.

Ji Xiaoxi and Xie Daoyun exchanged glances and couldn't help but stick out their tongues. Clearly, the gods' perception of time was quite alarming.

"By the way, Xiaoxi, how are you going to use this flower you were looking for?" Seeing the Wushan Goddess fall into a melancholic mood and a strange atmosphere pervading the air, Xie Daoyun broke the silence.

"This flower is called 'Beauty's Blood.' I'd only seen it in ancient texts before; I never expected Sister Yao Ji's Mount Wushan to have it," Ji Xiaoxi said, gently peeling the pink-tinged white petals one by one with her delicate hands, revealing the crystal-clear, jade-like fruit inside.

"How beautiful!" Xie Daoyun's eyes widened. The fruit inside was even three parts whiter than her own skin, and its graceful shape truly resembled a beautiful woman.

"But why is it called 'Beauty's Blood'? Is it just because of the bright red color on its petals?"

"Both the petals and the fruit of this flower can be used as medicine, but the most precious part is this," Ji Xiaoxi said, gently pinching the white fruit with her fingernails, like a delicate hand peeling a fresh orange. A trace of dark red, blood-like liquid oozed out.

"That's truly amazing!" Xie Daoyun was marveling at it when her face suddenly flushed, clearly having thought of something.

She secretly spat in disgust. This flower was a bit indecent.

However, looking at the innocent Ji Xiaoxi and the serene Wushan Goddess, she immediately realized that it was she herself who was being indecent.

But recalling that neither of the other two had experienced such things, her lips curled into a faint smile, a subtle sense of superiority rising within her.

At this point, the Wushan Goddess suddenly spoke, "You need to crush the petals and the fruit together to maximize the medicinal properties of Beauty's Blood."

"Thank you for your guidance, Sister." Ji Xiaoxi didn't dare to delay, quickly taking out a mortar to pound the herbs. But even as a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead from exertion, the different ingredients remained stubbornly separate.

Seeing this, the Wushan Goddess gently tapped her finger on it. A cloud of mist enveloped the ingredients, eventually condensing into a single raindrop that fell into the mortar.

The previously stiff petals and fruit completely softened and were quickly pounded into a vibrant red paste.