wedding

There was silence for a long time, as if to fill the five-year gap bit by bit.

Gu Nanxiao took a deep breath, and with all his courage, he stared into her tearful yet still bright eyes, and asked softly, solemnly, as if swearing an oath:

"Yile... I'm sorry... and..." He paused, as if gathering his last bit of strength, "Can we... start over?"

"Give me a chance... Let me use all the remaining time to make it up to you, take care of you, and protect you... Okay?"

In his eyes, there was deep regret and indelible guilt, but more importantly, there was an almost devout cherishment of what had been lost and regained, and a cautious but incomparably firm expectation for the future.

He no longer escaped, no longer felt overwhelmed by sin, he wanted to seize this miraculous second chance given by fate.

Jiang Yile looked at the man in front of her who had been tormented by the past for many years, and was now as fragile as a lost child in front of her, but trying hard to show responsibility. She looked at the light in his eyes that never went out and shone for her. There was the same deep affection in his eyes as in her memory, but it was quieter and heavier.

She remembered the boy who quietly accompanied her in the studio, the boy who held an umbrella for her on a rainy night, the boy who left a gentle kiss on her forehead, the boy who was in excruciating pain in the hospital and made a heavy promise... She also remembered his father's complicated eyes and the accident that changed everything.

Hatred has long been washed away by time and gratitude for life, leaving behind understanding, forgiveness, and that... heartbeat that has never truly disappeared but has been hidden deep within.

Life is so precious, miracles so rare, why should we let the past continue to imprison the future?

She raised her hand and gently wiped the tears from his face, her movements gentle, just like what she had wanted to do but had not done many years ago on the hospital bed.

Then, under his nervous, expectant, almost breath-holding gaze, she nodded slowly and firmly.

There were tears on her face, but she smiled like the sun after rain, bright and warm, full of new energy.

"good."

A single word, gentle yet resounding, like a spring breeze blowing across a frozen lake, bringing the signal of revival of all things.

Gu Nanxiao suddenly hugged her into his arms, his arms tightened, as if he was embracing the whole world that had been lost and regained, so tightly that he almost wanted to rub her into his bones and blood, never to be separated.

He buried his face in her neck, his hot tears soaking her clothes, his body trembling violently with excitement and ecstasy, like a traveler who had trekked in the desert for too long and finally found an oasis.

Jiang Yile also reached out and hugged his slender waist, feeling his real heartbeat and temperature, feeling the warmth and stability that was five years late and spanned life and death.

Tears are still flowing, but they are no longer tears of sadness, but tears of relief, emotion, celebration of new life, and expectation for the future.

Outside the window, the sun is shining, the sky is clear, and birds are singing on the branches.

The endless, cold rainy season that lasted for more than ten years finally stopped.

The warm and real sunshine penetrated all the haze, shining truly on them, and also into each other's once barren hearts.

One autumn day a year later, Wutong Avenue at Nancheng No. 1 Middle School was still golden and brilliant.

Gu Nanxiao held Jiang Yile's hand and walked past here again.

The sunlight shines through the gaps between the branches and leaves, dancing on them.

Gu Nanxiao stopped and took out a simple yet exquisite velvet box from his pocket.

He knelt on one knee, looking up at the girl who had regained her complexion and eyes that were full of life after being nursed by him. His voice trembled slightly due to nervousness, but his eyes were solemn and clear:

"Yile, I know that the shadow of the past may never completely disappear. I am willing to spend my whole life to make up for and care for the mistakes I made and the harm I caused."

"I dare not pray that you will completely forget the pain, but I beg you to give me a chance to accompany you to face every day in the future. Whether it is sunny or rainy, in health or occasional illness, I want to stand by your side."

"I love you, not because of guilt, but because you are Jiang Yile, the one and only light that illuminates my dark world."

"Marry me, okay? Let me legitimately take care of you and accompany you until the end of my life."

There was no grand scene, no fancy words, only vows that were sincere to the point of being clumsy, and a pair of eyes filled with the stars in the universe and tenderness.

Jiang Yile's tears suddenly welled up, but they were not sad, but happy and relieved.

She looked at the man kneeling in front of her, at their tightly clasped hands, and at the tree-lined avenue that recorded their first meeting, heartbeat, separation, and reunion.

She nodded vigorously, her voice tearful but resolute:

"good."

With one word, the dust settled and a new chapter began for them.

The wedding was not held in a luxurious hotel, but in the "Yuguang" cafe where they got engaged, and a small courtyard full of sunflowers connected to the back.

The sun was shining, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and there were not many guests, only the closest family and friends.

Zhou Xiaowei cried even harder than Jiang Yile, while Zhang Hao patted Gu Nanxiao's shoulder hard and said, "Be nice to our squad leader."

Jiang Yile wore a simple and elegant white wedding dress, her face was rosy and her smile was brighter than any sunflower.

Gu Nanxiao was wearing a neat suit. He looked at his bride who was walking towards him step by step. His eyes were slightly red, but the corners of his mouth raised the most relieved and happiest arc in these years.

When exchanging vows, he said, "I, Gu Nanxiao, swear hereby that from now on, the meaning of my life will be to love you, protect you, accompany you to paint all the scenery you want to paint, and accompany you until the end of time."

She said, "I, Jiang Yile, swear here that from now on, my brush and my life will be shared with you. No matter how many unknowns the future holds, we will face them together."

They kissed amid the blessings of their relatives and friends, and the sunlight cast a golden outline on them, as if even time had gently stopped.

After marriage, life is peaceful and fulfilling.

Although Jiang Yile's health requires more attention than that of ordinary people, he has been in good condition with careful nursing and Gu Nanxiao's meticulous care.

She was admitted to the top art college in the country as she wished and continued to pursue her dream of painting.

After experiencing the test of life and death, her painting style became warmer and more powerful, and sunshine, flowers and scenes full of vitality began to appear in large numbers in her paintings.

She held her own art exhibition called "Sunny Day", and each painting was full of love for life and hope for the future.

Gu Nanxiao did not give up his talent either.

He continued to create while taking care of some family affairs.

His painting style was no longer gloomy and dark, but began to incorporate warm tones and bright light and shadow.

The subject of his paintings is often the same girl - his wife, who appears in various scenes, reading, painting, watering flowers, or even busy in the kitchen... Each painting is filled with love that almost overflows the picture.

He became a well-known painter in the industry with both commercial value and artistic depth, but the identity he cherishes most will always be "Jiang Yile's husband."

They settled down in the south city, with a house that came with a large studio. They often created together in it, without disturbing each other, yet their atmosphere blended together.

Occasionally, Jiang Yile would pick up the paintbrush and add a few strokes for Gu Nanxiao; occasionally, Gu Nanxiao would also give precise suggestions when she encountered a bottleneck.

They are lovers, partners, and confidants who understand each other best.

Every year on their wedding anniversary, they would return to the "Yuguang" coffee shop, sit at the same window seat as before, order two cups of coffee, share a piece of dessert, reminisce about the past and look forward to the future.

Life was once full of thorns, but they worked together and walked out a path paved with flowers.

That rainy night that changed their fate eventually became the heaviest page in their love story, but also the one that made them cherish each other the most.

All the regrets and sorrows will be healed little by little in the long sunny days that will follow, and will turn into a deeper companionship.

They know that the road ahead is still long and there may be storms.

But they also know that as long as they hold each other's hands tightly, they can face everything together.

Taking pleasure in you is not only the throbbing of youth, but also the belief for the rest of my life.

——End of the full text——