244 THE CEREMONY (2)

On the wee hours of the morning of the big day, Xue Jinxu got up and bathed herself in a bathtub with filled with water saturated with pomelo, a Chinese tradition which meant as a cleanser of any evil influence, and a known routine for softening the skin.

Still groggy with sleep, tiredness invading her system even after some unwinding the day prior, Xue Jinxu obediently submerged herself into the tub.

Upon finishing her bath, she donned a red qipao – it's the Chinese traditional wedding dress.

Afterward, the ritual of hairdressing commenced. Her hair was arranged in the style of a married Chinese woman as per custom. It was arranged in an up-do and adorned with a golden phoenix headdress. The contrast of the gold with specks of red from the ruby against her jet-black hair and fair jadeite skin was eye-catching and was such a spectacular sight in itself. Truly, she looked like a princess of noble descent.