She carefully created a detailed wedding plan in her office space.
This time, she planned to marry her little husband with a traditional-style wedding unique to this world.
The full ceremony—three letters and six rituals, ten bridal sets in red, and the full look with a phoenix crown and red robe.
Jewel had already prepared Xavi's dowry—eighty-eight chests in total, enough to cover two long streets.
She also picked out all kinds of jewelry and clothes for her husband, neatly packed into his bridal chest.
However, Xavi still didn't know what kind of wedding was being prepared for him.
That was perfect!
Weddings should have surprises.
○
That night, the streets of Chong'an Town were lively with a bustling night market. The moon was bright, the wind was gentle, and the stars filled the sky.
Xavi was already lying on the bed in their home, covered in a blanket, reading a new story while waiting for his wife to return.
Ever since he cried while reading "Scholar Yang and Lin Wen," Jewel had stopped casually buying storybooks for him.
Now, she would carefully search for books herself, read them over a day or two, and only bring them home if the plot and ending were pleasant—making sure her Xavi wouldn't feel sad.
Right now, Xavi was deeply enjoying a sweet romantic story called The Beloved Little Husband. Jewel had found this gem among many others. It was set in a matriarchal world where women had the lead, and it was a 1v1 romance.
Xavi was reading a part where the Liu family's lady and the Zhang family's young master started falling in love.
Suddenly—creak—the door opened.
"Xavi, something urgent came up!"
As soon as Xavi heard Jewel's voice, he immediately left the world of the story behind.
"Wife, what's wrong?"
"No time to explain. Come with me!"
Jewel quickly helped him put on a coat and, in a rush, brought him onto the business carriage she used for her work.
Xavi started to feel nervous…
What could've happened?
Why was his wife taking him out so late at night?
"Wife, where are we going?"
Jewel pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, folded it into a strip, and gently tied it over his eyes to cover them.
Xavi watched her quietly, confused, but didn't resist.
"Xavi, I'm taking you somewhere special. Just trust me and don't ask questions, okay?"
He didn't know what Jewel was planning, but he believed she wouldn't lie to him. So he nodded and followed her lead.
Seeing him nod, Jewel comforted him again:
"Don't be scared. You'll understand when we get there."
To keep him calm, since he couldn't see, she made sure he held tightly to the corner of her coat while she drove the carriage.
The carriage sped down the road and eventually arrived at a tea garden just outside Chong'an Town.
Xavi felt the carriage bumping around. At first, he could hear the noisy crowd and vendors—it must have been the night market.
But soon, it became quiet, with no voices floating through the air.
Jewel stopped the carriage and gently carried him down.
After a few months of good food, Xavi had gained a little weight.
He was no longer the skinny boy from the Xie family, but not too plump either—he now had the perfect build.
Carrying her now more well-rounded and beautiful husband, Jewel walked directly to their destination.
"All right, you can open your eyes now."
She set him down, helped him stand steadily, then gently untied the blindfold.
As soon as the handkerchief came off, Xavi could feel a warm light even through his closed eyelids. A soft floral scent touched his nose.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw a small path covered in red carpet beneath his feet.
The carpet was decorated with tiny osmanthus petals that he loved, and a few scattered white lilies here and there.
On both sides of the path, red candles glowed with golden light, making the road ahead bright and beautiful.
Xavi looked up and saw they were in a newly renovated courtyard. It was large, and the walls were decorated with colorful lanterns all around.
At that moment, under the starlit sky, his delicate face looked even more gentle and radiant in the light of the moon and candles.
"Wife, this place is beautiful."
His eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at Jewel, who was gazing at him with deep affection.
"Do you like it?"
Xavi beamed with joy and nodded.
"I love it."
"This is a surprise I prepared just for you," Jewel said with a smile.
Then she asked softly, "Do you know why I brought you here?"
"Hmm... You prepared this courtyard and lanterns just for me to see?"
Xavi was genuinely happy. He had never heard of any wife treating her husband with so much thought and care.
Only his wife would do this for him.
It was even more romantic than what the Liu family's lady did for the Zhang family's son in the book he was reading...
"You're half right. But I'm not just showing you the lights," Jewel said gently.
She knew in this world, women proposed and men married into the woman's family, so it was usually the woman who took the lead.
So she had also prepared a proposal, following the traditions from her old world!
Red carpet, flowers, candles, fireworks…
Sure, it might be a bit cliché, but it worked. And what really mattered wasn't how fancy it looked, but the thought behind it.
Sometimes, it's not the ceremony that's important, but whether the person organizing it really cares.
"Wife… what's the other half?"
Xavi couldn't guess. After all, in this world, there weren't any such traditions.
Here, women would just propose directly, then follow the usual steps and get married. Very few women would put in extra effort to make the man feel special.
"I want to give you a different kind of ceremony."
Jewel tried to explain "proposal" in a way he could understand. "Once this is done, we'll have our official wedding in a month."
"What do you want to do...?"
Xavi felt a bit shy as Jewel looked at him like that.
Jewel took a firework signal from her sleeve, aimed it at the sky, and pulled the string.
A bright arc shot across the starlit night sky.
Soon, the entire countryside outside Chong'an Town lit up!
Whoosh—bang—bang bang bang…
A whole ring around the courtyard exploded with brilliant fireworks lighting up the sky!
Jewel could see her reflection in Xavi's clear eyes, along with all the colorful lights behind her.