However, what almost made Meng Tuoluo collapse was not the wedding dress. Although that snow white wedding dress had indeed completely crushed the dark shadow crystal skirt on her body, because it almost gathered all the beautiful fantasies and longings that girls have for love and marriage.
What truly pierced her heart was the image of herself in the portrait, herself from five years ago.
In the portrait, she was wearing the most beautiful and most holy wedding dress in the world, holding an artistically gorgeous rose in her hands, simply standing there.
She stood there quietly. Her beautiful eyes were filled with infinite fantasies of happiness, and her peerlessly beautiful face revealed the happiest smile in the world.
That kind of beautiful longing, that kind of sweetness of love, that kind of spiritual energy, that kind of purity, could instantly defeat everyones heart.
This portrait was so lifelike and so dreamy that it was simply truer than reality.
After Meng Tuoluo saw it, she froze instantly.
Her eyes widened to the maximum, and then she just stared blankly, stared, and stared.
Her entire heart was instantly pierced by this scene.
Her mind fell into long lost memories.
That most beautiful, sweetest, and most painful memory.
That wedding, that wedding which gathered all her hopes, that wedding for which she had sacrificed everything.
She was a saintess candidate of the Dragon God Temple, someone who could never fall in love or marry in her lifetime.
For him, she had given up her transcendent identity and abandoned her faith. One must know that once one advanced to become a saintess of the Dragon God Temple, one would be like a fairy and receive the respect and worship of the entire world.
Because he was from an enemy country, her feelings were opposed by everyone in her family. Her parents swore that if she stayed with him, they would immediately sever the father daughter relationship and drive her out of the family.
In order to be with him, she abandoned her faith, abandoned her future, lost her family and kinship, and was almost left with nothing.
But she had no regrets. Because with his love, she possessed the whole world.
Everything she did, all the sacrifices she made, were for that wedding, that wedding which gathered all her longings and hopes.
However, at that wedding, he, as the groom, betrayed her.
At the wedding, he abandoned her just like that. For his future and for power, he married another woman.
All the mockery and all the ridicule swept over her like a tide.
After losing everything, she lost her last love and hope, and truly became left with nothing, becoming the laughing stock of two countries.
From then on, the holiest star in the sky fell. She changed from an angel into the nightmare like Black Widow.
…
Looking at Lanlings portrait and looking at her pure self from several years ago.
In an instant, all the defences in Meng Tuoluos heart were shattered.
The once most painful and most vulnerable wound, which she had thought had already healed, was now torn open naked again. It hurt even more than that night, so painful that she could not breathe.
Ah… Her tears surged out. She screamed, then covered her mouth and fled desperately.
Just like that night, she had also fled out of the wedding hall in the same way.
As for Lanling, he let out a long breath. He knew that he had succeeded by a small half.
With one painting of his, he had recreated Meng Tuoluo from several years ago and instantly pierced her mental defences.
…
In the next two days, Meng Tuoluo did not appear again.
Lanlings portrait had brought her into that infinitely beautiful yet incomparably painful memory. The torn wound was dripping with blood, so she needed to hide in a corner, lick her inner wounds, and let the wound heal again.
After the pain, the gradually sobering Meng Tuoluo began to face up to the artistic talent of the prodigal Suo Luo.
She had to admit that Suo Luo had really surpassed her in painting art. In aesthetic attainment, he also seemed to have surpassed her.
This point instantly stirred Meng Tuoluos competitive spirit. At that time, she and many noble girls, even royal girls, had studied in the Dragon God Temple in Yan Capital, including Princess Zhi Ning and Princess Zhi Yan.
Whether in artistic attainment or aesthetic attainment, her Meng Tuoluos attainment was the highest. Many times although Zhi Ning had the appearance of keeping pace with her, at critical moments it was still her Meng Tuoluos artistic attainment that was a bit more.
The saintess mentor had said that although Zhi Ning was extremely intelligent, she had too many thoughts and was not as pure as her Meng Tuoluo, so at critical moments Zhi Nings artistic level was half a step behind.
Previously, when Zhi Ning sent Suo Luos portrait, she had marvelled at how lifelike the portrait was and at the new painting revolution. She had even felt indignant in her heart, wondering when Zhi Ning, who was obsessed with power tactics, had such high artistic attainment.
Now it seemed that Zhi Ning was just imitating a tiger by drawing a cat. The real pioneer of this painting revolution was the prodigal Suo Luo.
She had not expected that his attainment in art would be so high and that he would surpass her in painting and human body aesthetics. Otherwise he would not have been able to design such a dreamy wedding dress.
Moreover, this person actually understood how to gauge peoples hearts so well and had completely deduced her transformation. That also meant that he had roughly calculated her identity as well.
This Suo Luo wanted to wage a war with her, a war of wisdom, a war of art, a war of mind techniques.
She absolutely could not lose. She absolutely could not lose to a man, especially a talented and handsome man.
Ever since she was betrayed by the man she loved, she had absolutely refused to admit defeat to any man.
She took a deep breath and prepared to go into battle again. This time she wanted to defeat Suo Luo completely, so that she could suck his blood with peace of mind. A man who had been thoroughly defeated by a woman would have no meaning left in living in this world.
This time, she would defeat Suo Luo in the area she was best at.
Meng Tuoluo reached out and stroked her slender jade like hands, then walked out gracefully.
Defeat Suo Luo, then kill him!
…
There were still three days until the wedding.
Lanling finally saw Meng Tuoluo. Today she had changed into another skirt again, a snow white long skirt, which was a response to the wedding dress Lanling had designed.
After she came in, several barbarian people followed behind, carrying a harpsichord.
Lanling could not help but be stunned. It was really not easy to get such a piano in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Suo Luo, do you know where the best artists in the world are? Meng Tuoluo asked.
In the Dragon God Temple. Lanling said.
Correct, in the Dragon God Temple. Meng Tuoluo said, The people with the highest martial arts, the highest artistic attainment, and the highest spiritual attainment are all in the Dragon God Temple, because the people inside do nothing else and study these things every day.
After speaking, Meng Tuoluo gracefully sat down in front of the piano. Her waist and hips instantly bent into an incomparably charming and graceful curve.
Do you understand music? Meng Tuoluo asked.
Lanling nodded and said, A little.
Meng Tuoluo said, The wedding dress you designed last time was very good and indeed surpassed my dark shadow crystal skirt. How about I wear the wedding dress you designed when we hold the wedding ceremony? I have already had someone make it.
Lanling nodded and said, Good.
This meant that in the previous round, Meng Tuoluo had admitted defeat.
Meng Tuoluo continued, However, there should always be music at the wedding, right? Whether in the Nu Lang Kingdom or the Yan Empire, there is music at the wedding banquet. If the bride and groom are talented, it is best to compose a piece themselves, so that the wedding will be unique. Can you compose music?
Yes. Lanling said.
Meng Tuoluo clapped her hands and said, I happen to have composed a piece for our wedding as well. Why do not you compose one too? We will see whose piece is better, and then we will choose that one as our wedding music. How about it?
Lanling knew that this Meng Tuoluo was unwilling to accept being defeated by him in her strongest field, so she was issuing a challenge again.
Last time it was a challenge in aesthetic attainment, and this time it was a challenge in the field of music.
The second battle had begun, and the second step for Lanling to conquer the Black Widow had also begun.
Lanling immediately nodded and said, Good, it is a deal.
Meng Tuoluo said, Is two days enough?
Lanling said, It is enough. However, if I win, is there any benefit?
You will not win. Meng Tuoluo said with full confidence, I believe that not many people surpass me in this aspect.
Lanling said, What if I really win?
Meng Tuoluo said, If you really win, then after the wedding ceremony, we will really consummate the marriage. How about it?
Lanling knew that if he wanted a woman who was determined to kill him to spare his life, he must first win her heart. And to win her heart, he must first win her body.
Good. Lanling said.
It is a deal. Meng Tuoluo said, Let me tell you a secret. I am still a virgin. No man has ever truly possessed me.
Lanling was not surprised at all by this result.
Then Meng Tuoluo said, Are you not afraid that I will go back on my word at that time?
Lanling said, I believe in the noble character of an artist.
Meng Tuoluo said, Then goodbye. I will come again in two days, on the day before the wedding.
Then she left just like that, leaving the harpsichord for Lanling.
…
In the next two days, Meng Tuoluo had barbarian maids listening outside. She even came silently to the outside of Lanlings room herself, wanting to hear the music he created.
However, no piano sound came out at all.
Through the hidden lattice, she discovered that Suo Luo was either lying on the bed in a daze, or closing his eyes and playing imaginary notes with his fingers, or writing and drawing on paper.
In short, he did not play a single note.
Meng Tuoluo immediately felt disdain. This was the music creation method she despised the most, completely making a cart behind closed doors, completely building castles in the air.
In a full two days, he had not produced even a single note.
Although Meng Tuoluo knew that Suo Luo was doomed to lose, she was still extremely disappointed that he could not produce even half a note like this.
Two days flew by. Suo Luo still had not played a single note. Meng Tuoluo secretly mocked herself for feeling competitive against a playboy.
When she walked into Lanlings room again, his hair was messy and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had not slept for two days and two nights.
Suo Luo, have you composed the music? Meng Tuoluo asked.
I have. Lanling said.
Oh, then let us compare and see whose music is better. Meng Tuoluo said, If you win, after the wedding ceremony I will let you sleep with me.
Although her tone was light, it was filled with absolute confidence and strong fighting spirit.
Good. Lanling said.