“Are you certain you wish to join the operation? You are permitted to request exemption.”
Time, a fleeting current, had brought them to the hour of their departure for the wedding venue. Xiyin and her companions were engaging in their final communication with the higher echelons of the Global Emergency Organization.
“I am resolute in my participation. Given our status as individuals under keen observation, we are assured access to the main hall of the wedding venue, and an additional presence invariably tips the scales in our favor… However, I have kept this matter from the others; a single intervention from me should suffice.”
With her declaration, the communication from the other end ceased its obstruction.
“Very well. As the number of invitations is finite, only elite operatives will be dispatched to the site. Your presence does not consume a designated slot, therefore, prioritize your personal safety above all else.”
Having concealed the device, Xiyin made her way back to the reception center’s grand hall. She had donned a resplendent white gown, and her typically flowing aqua hair was now gathered into an elaborate half-updo, a style she had once admired on an animated character.
“Xiyin, you look absolutely stunning! Had I known your knack for styling, I would have certainly enlisted your assistance.”
The moment Xiyin emerged, Bai Zhi greeted her with a warm smile. Her flaxen hair, lightly permed, cascaded without a single ornament, lending her an air of gentle domesticity, an unexpected aura for a high school student.
Though complimented on her refined appearance, Xiyin’s spirits remained subdued. A faint twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed an unsettling memory stirring within her.
The truth behind her acquired styling prowess stemmed from a past where fans had clamored for her to cross-dress. She had initially resisted, yet upon beholding gifts valued in the thousands, she conceded that learning a few tricks wouldn’t be amiss. From that point, the practice spiraled into an unstoppable habit…
Ultimately, this was hardly a memory she cherished. It was precisely why, after transforming into a magical girl, she had steadfastly adopted a policy of never appearing on camera—a resolution she never imagined she would have to abandon now.
“Speaking of which, where has Bai Jin gone?”
Her gaze swept across the surroundings, yet Bai Jin’s figure remained absent.
“Bai Jin? She should be emerging any moment. She devoted considerable effort to finding just the right attire.”
A tender, doting smile graced Bai Zhi’s lips. No sooner had her words faded than the adjacent door swung open, revealing an adorable, white-furred sprite. Adorned with her distinctive white twin tails, she wore a black princess gown today, a striking departure from her usual paladin-esque style, evoking the image of a bloodline princess from a fantasy novel.
“I’ve arrived!”
She skipped out vivaciously, her twin tails dancing with her movement, causing the bat-wing-shaped hair clips to flutter.
“Indeed, quite the resemblance.”
Xiyin, observing her, couldn’t help but offer her assessment. As a former “beauty blogger,” she had once cosplayed numerous characters from anime and novels, yet replicating such a relatively diminutive physique had always proven challenging.
Even after becoming a magical girl, granting her superior “physical attributes,” she had taken a solemn vow never to don female attire again. Consequently, despite Bai Zhi’s persistent coaxing, Xiyin remained steadfast in her refusal.
Bai Jin, standing before them, appeared as if she had been sculpted directly from that very white-furred sprite, requiring only minor adjustments to her hairstyle and attire for a flawless replication.
“Ah, it appears everyone has assembled?”
Footsteps echoed from beyond the door. Upon hearing that familiar voice, Xiyin knew precisely who it was without needing to turn.
Hearing the voice, Bai Jin promptly bounded forward to greet him. Clad in her new attire, she was eager to showcase it to everyone. Furthermore, over the preceding days, Li Yan, the executive tasked with guest management, had inexplicably demonstrated a keen understanding of their preferences. Among the group, Bai Jin, in particular, held a rather favorable impression of him.
“Oh? Lady Knight, your ensemble today is rather distinctive, wouldn’t you agree?”
Observing the ready Bai Jin and Bai Zhi, he offered a natural greeting. Though pleased by the compliment, Bai Jin maintained her customary tsundere demeanor.
“Hmph, I am certainly no mere knight today! I am the esteemed Bloodline Princess Bai Jin, who has deigned to grace the wedding of a paltry vixen this very day.”
With hands on her hips, her small face adorned with a faint blush and a mischievous smile, she appeared utterly adorable.
On the other side, Bai Zhi suddenly clapped Xiyin’s back, who was feigning ignorance and busying herself, and whispered softly into her ear.
“Xiyin, your paramour has arrived! Won’t you step out and make an appearance? It hardly suits you to cower here in shyness… Ouch!”
“What ‘paramour’! And who, pray tell, is cowering in shyness?!”
Xiyin’s ears flushed faintly. With a swift movement, she lightly rapped Bai Zhi’s forehead with her knuckles.
She hadn’t truly succumbed to femininity; rather, the mere thought of her current ensemble, so strikingly distinct from her usual wear and profoundly feminine, being unveiled before others—particularly *that man*—filled her with an inexpressible mortification.
The sensation was akin to the acute embarrassment she had felt years ago during her inaugural cross-dressing livestream, when an acquaintance had recognized her.
Yet, as she drew a steadying breath and turned, feigning an air of composure, she discovered that Li Yan had, at some unperceived moment, quietly drawn near.
Today, Li Yan was equally striking.
He had forgone his customary casual attire, designed for ease of movement, in favor of a flawlessly tailored, pristine white suit.
The formal wear perfectly accentuated his commanding physique, bringing forth an inherent elegance that he typically kept concealed.
His golden short hair was meticulously coiffed, and his handsome features bore his characteristic, subtly playful smile, though his gaze held a distinct gravity absent in his usual demeanor. A vibrant red rose, pinned to his breast pocket, completed an image befitting a noble scion plucked from the pages of a classical romance.
His gaze settled upon Xiyin, and within those eyes, typically imbued with a playful glint, a clear spark of genuine astonishment flickered. He paused, momentarily taken aback, before speaking in a voice more formal and resonant than his usual, its tone imbued with a captivating magnetism:
“Miss Star, today… I confess, I barely recognized you. It would appear everyone has unearthed their most cherished sentiments for this wedding.”
His gaze courteously traversed her form, eventually returning to meet her eyes, conveying genuine admiration.
“This ensemble, it suits you remarkably.”
Xiyin felt a distinct warmth suffuse her cheeks. Forcing herself to maintain composure, she strove to imbue her voice with an air of detached elegance and restraint, mindful of the day’s formal gravity:
“Given that this is Qi An’s wedding, I naturally couldn’t arrive in anything less than my best. However, Executive Li Yan, are you perhaps moonlighting as the wedding officiant today?”
Upon hearing this, Li Yan, far from taking offense, merely chuckled softly. He leaned in a fraction, speaking in a low tone audible only to the two of them:
“My primary duty remains the safeguarding of our esteemed guests. Nevertheless, if Miss Star were to desire my exclusive officiating for any particular event, I would not be entirely averse to the proposition.”
The veiled suggestion in his words made Xiyin’s heart flutter. She shot him an exasperated glare, her voice dropping to a murmur.
“I hardly believe there’s anything suitable for me to preside over alongside a depraved traitor such as yourself.”
Observing her revert to her customary, somewhat stubborn demeanor, Li Yan’s smile broadened with satisfaction.
“Come now, Xiyin, cease your playful banter. You’ll have ample opportunity to resume once you’re serving as bridesmaid and groomsman at the venue.”
“Oh… wait, *bridesmaid*?!”
Xiyin offered a simple acknowledgment, ceasing her engagement with him, only to swiftly discern an anomaly.
“Why, the wedding’s bridesmaid and groomsman, naturally!”
Bai Zhi’s expression was utterly self-evident.
“Qi An’s most intimate and trusted confidante is undeniably you. And beside His Majesty the Demon Lord, who else is more closely associated and capable of lending such gravitas to the occasion than Executive Li Yan? Furthermore, the two of you appear to be…”
She cast several meaningful glances, sweeping her gaze between Xiyin and Li Yan.
“…to share quite a rapport. Hence, Qi An directly put forth the suggestion, and I hear Lin Xiao raised no objections either.”
This abrupt revelation left Xiyin utterly dumbfounded. Her gaze instinctively flew to Li Yan, only to be met with an innocent expression that seemed to convey, ‘I’ve only just learned this myself.’ Yet, the subtle upturn of his lips undeniably hinted at a gleeful appreciation for the unfolding spectacle.
“There’s no need to fret, Xiyin; all is well.”
Bai Zhi offered a schadenfreude-laden chuckle, intimately familiar, as she was, with the dynamics between the two. At that moment, Xiyin, whose mind had momentarily seized, finally processed the information.
“Who, precisely, shares a ‘good relationship’ with *him*?!”
Enveloped in an atmosphere both subtle and intricate, the party followed Li Yan, departing the reception center and stepping onto the grand corridor that led to the primary wedding hall.
The labyrinthine passages within the Dawn Star Palace proved far more magnificent and convoluted than their external facade suggested. The very architecture seemed to defy Euclidean geometry, expanding at times into plaza-like expanses and then narrowing into cavernous depths.
Crystals, embedded within the walls and vaulted ceilings, cast a gentle luminescence, illuminating their path while subtly mirroring the varied sentiments of each individual traversing it.
As Xiyin moved with the group, her mind grappled with the explosive revelation of ‘bridesmaid.’ ‘She and Li Yan? Serving as bridesmaid and groomsman? At Qi Yue’an and Lin Xiao’s wedding?’
For days, she had been consumed by the organization’s directives and the intricacies of the Black Sun device, leaving her utterly devoid of time to acquaint herself with any of the wedding arrangements.
It was then that Xiyin abruptly recalled: while engrossed in contacting the organization in her room earlier, a guard had suddenly approached, soliciting her opinion. To avoid revealing her clandestine activities, and not having quite caught the details, she had offered a casual assent.
‘…Oh, good heavens… What is this predicament? The important girl is getting married, yet I am not the groom, but… the bridesmaid?!’
She muttered to herself, yet found herself unable to retract her word. After all, such arrangements demanded considerable time, and though she was utterly unfamiliar with wedding customs, a bridesmaid was not the bride; sometimes, simply hiring two actors would suffice. Moreover, she didn’t particularly mind serving as Qi Yue’an’s bridesmaid… but why, *why* did the groomsman have to be him?
Amidst her internal struggle, Li Yan appeared remarkably composed. He skillfully guided them, circumventing areas visibly protected by barriers or guards, while occasionally offering lighthearted anecdotes about the origins of certain landmarks or trivial curiosities within the Dawn Star Palace.
“Speaking of which, will ‘Miss Star’ become so flustered during the ceremony as bridesmaid that she’ll trip over her own feet? She hardly seems accustomed to such formalities.”
Li Yan turned his head, lowering his voice with a smile as he spoke to Xiyin beside him.
Xiyin immediately shot him a glare:
“Rest assured, ‘Mr. Pervert,’ I at least won’t falter at a crucial moment or stand on the wrong side.”
His meaning understood, he rubbed his nose, a wry smile playing on his lips.
“Regarding that… I owe you an apology. After the wedding, should the opportunity arise…”
“No need.”
Xiyin cut him off curtly, turning her head to gaze out the corridor window at the perpetually shifting, magnificent, yet eerie landscape of the Dawn Star Palace’s domain.
She recognized that the task she had undertaken rendered her, in a sense, no different from Li Yan at that time.
“Our foremost priority now is to ensure Qi An’s safety and happiness.”
Li Yan observed her taut profile, sighing silently, and did not pursue the topic further.
As they ventured deeper, their surroundings began to transform.
The corridor grew progressively more ornate, with walls adorned by an increasing number of wedding-themed decorations.
Ribbons entwined with stardust and night blossoms, crystal lamps suspended in mid-air casting a warm glow, and even a sweet, ethereal fragrance began to permeate the air.
The number of wedding guests visibly swelled, a diverse assembly of demon-kind, a select few invited magical girls, and other beings of unique aura and ambiguous allegiance, converging from various passages into the main thoroughfare.
Their attire varied widely, some ostentatiously grand, others subtly enigmatic, yet all, without exception, exuded immense power.
These gazes, whether curious, scrutinizing, or implicitly hostile, swept over Xiyin and her companions, lingering longest on Xiyin and Li Yan.
Xiyin felt those gazes settle upon her with palpable weight. She involuntarily straightened her back, her face regaining its customary calm and aloofness, quietly unleashing her aura, imbued with the characteristics of ‘Infinity’ and ‘Hero,’ to counter the surrounding attention.
Li Yan, by contrast, appeared entirely at ease. With a faint smile, he nodded calmly to guests, subtly using his body language to shield Xiyin in a relatively secure position, deflecting the majority of overtly direct scrutiny.
“We’re almost there.”
Li Yan’s voice drew Xiyin’s attention forward. At the end of the passage stood an immensely grand, double-leafed gate.
Forged from dark metal and intricately carved with sun, moon, and stars, the gate was now slowly parting inward. Through the widening gap streamed a brighter, more resplendent light, accompanied by the faint strains of solemn, ethereal music.
Beyond the gate lay the wedding venue, where the destinies of many were about to be shaped.
Xiyin drew a deep breath, exchanging a brief, complex glance with Li Yan beside her.
“Let’s go.”
They opened the door, and beyond it, the wedding banquet had already begun.