The bridal chamber was silent.
Only the soft crackle of candle flames and the distant rustle of night wind against the paper windows could be heard.
Red silk curtains swayed gently around the grand bed, casting moving shadows across the chamber walls. The golden fragrance burner on the jade table released thin strands of sandalwood smoke, filling the room with a calming warmth.
Lin Tianyu stood near the doorway for a long moment.
This was no longer a dream.
No longer a fantasy from the novels he once read during sleepless nights in his previous life.
This was real.
A new world.
A new identity.
A new beginning.
And before him stood Mu Xue'er.
Her silver hair shimmered beneath the candlelight like flowing moonlight, and the crimson bridal robes wrapped around her graceful figure made her seem like an immortal fairy descended from the heavens.
For the first time since entering this world, Lin Tianyu felt something he had not felt in years.
Peace.
In his previous life, he had buried himself beneath responsibility.
Family debts.
Parents' medical bills.
His younger siblings' education.
The family business.
Love had always been something for "later".
But later never came.
Now, standing in this quiet chamber, facing the woman who had become his wife, he silently promised himself—
This life would not be wasted.
Mu Xue'er lowered her gaze.
The cool and composed expression she had maintained all evening had finally begun to crack.
There was uncertainty in her eyes.
And vulnerability.
Lin Tianyu stepped forward slowly.
His voice was calm.
"You do not need to be afraid."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her sleeves.
"I am not afraid," she said softly.
A brief pause.
"I simply… do not know what to expect."
Her honesty surprised him.
But it also made him respect her even more.
Lin Tianyu moved to the jade table and poured two cups of spirit wine.
The clear liquid shimmered faintly with spiritual energy.
He handed one to her.
"In my previous… in my earlier years," he said, correcting himself smoothly, "I spent too much of my life carrying burdens."
His eyes met hers.
"I understand what it means to enter something without choice."
Mu Xue'er's gaze softened.
For the first time, she truly looked at him—not as the Lin clan patriarch, not as a political alliance, but as a man.
They raised their cups.
The traditional bridal toast.
Their arms crossed.
The wine was warm and sweet, carrying a subtle flow of spiritual energy into their meridians.
The atmosphere in the room grew gentler.
Less distant.
Mu Xue'er slowly sat at the edge of the bed.
Lin Tianyu sat beside her, leaving enough space to make her comfortable.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then she asked quietly,
"Why did you do it?"
Lin Tianyu turned to her.
"Do what?"
"Marry me yourself."
Her blue eyes searched his face.
"You could have forced Lin Hao."
The question lingered in the warm candlelight.
Lin Tianyu smiled faintly.
"A marriage forced by resentment becomes poison."
His voice was steady.
"But a marriage built on respect …"
He looked directly into her eyes.
"…can become strength."
For several heartbeats, Mu Xue'er simply stared at him.
Then the faintest smile touched her lips.
It was beautiful.
Like the first bloom of frost lotus beneath moonlight.
The system chimed softly.
[Ding!]
[Mu Xue'er Favorability +15]
[Current Favourability: 80 / 100]
Excellent.
Lin Tianyu's eyes flickered.
The relationship was progressing faster than expected.
But perhaps it was natural.
This woman had nearly been publicly humiliated tonight.
Instead, he had protected her dignity.
Respect was the strongest foundation.
Mu Xue'er slowly leaned closer.
"Then let us become strength for one another."
The words were soft.
But they carried sincerity.
Lin Tianyu felt the atmosphere shift.
The distance between them gradually disappeared.
Their conversation flowed naturally.
About cultivation.
About the burdens of clan expectations.
About dreams left behind.
Mu Xue'er spoke more than he expected.
Behind the cold reputation of the Moon Frost Fairy was a woman who had spent her life living according to duty.
In that sense—
They were not so different.
As the night deepened, the candlelight softened.
The room grew warmer.
And in that quiet moment, beneath red silk curtains and moonlit windows, the first true bond between husband and wife was formed.
Not merely through ceremony.
But through trust.
Time passed.
The spiritual energy in the room suddenly began to swirl.
A cold silver aura rose from Mu Xue'er's body.
Frost patterns spread faintly across the floor.
Lin Tianyu's eyes sharpened.
The Moon Frost Body was reacting.
At the same time, a golden warmth surged through his own meridians.
The two streams of energy began to intertwine.
Silver and gold.
Moonlight and fire.
Yin and yang.
The system exploded with notifications.
[Ding!]
[Successful Dual Cultivation Detected]
[Moon Frost Body synchronised with Host]
[Reward Calculation in Progress …]
A powerful stream of spiritual qi flooded Lin Tianyu's body.
The severe injury on the back of his head healed completely.
His meridians widened.
His dantian roared.
Spiritual energy surged like a tidal wave.
BOOM!
A breakthrough.
His aura rose instantly.
From Nascent Soul 3rd Layer—
to the 4th layer.
The chamber trembled faintly under the pressure.
Mu Xue'er's eyes widened in shock.
Her own cultivation had also risen.
Core Formation 7th Layer—
to the 8th Layer.
The system panel flashed brilliantly.
[First Dual Cultivation Completed]
Rewards Obtained:
Heaven-grade Frost Spirit Pill x3
Moon Frost Sword Art
Cultivation Breakthrough +1 Minor Realm
Lifespan: +50 years
Luck Points +300
Special Reward Chest x1
Lin Tianyu exhaled slowly.
His body felt lighter.
Younger.
Stronger.
He could even feel his lifespan extending.
The system was indeed heaven-defying.
Mu Xue'er looked at him with visible astonishment.
"Our cultivation …"
Lin Tianyu smiled.
"It seems this marriage is more beneficial than either of us expected."
A faint blush coloured her cheeks.
Then the system flashed again.
This time in crimson gold.
[Ding!]
[Major Fate Change Confirmed]
[Son of Heaven Xiao Feng has lost his first fated heroine.]
[Destiny Luck stolen: +500.]
Lin Tianyu's smile slowly deepened.
So it had begun.
Somewhere in Azure Cloud City, the so-called chosen son had just lost the first woman destined to stand beside him.
And this—
It was only the first reward.