"Jiang Yan..." she whispered again, her skinny fingers moving as if trying to grasp at that illusory warmth. Xiaoyue quickly placed the sugar painting next to her. The sweet aroma of syrup lingered in her nose, reminiscent of that afternoon fifty years ago, filled with the cacophony of cicadas. "Grandpa is waiting for you at the sugar painting stall," Xiaoyue whispered, tears soaking her clothes. "He said he'll wait for you at the same place in the next life. He told you to follow the scent of sugar and not get lost..."
How could I get lost? Su Jinli thought. Even if she forgot the whole world, she would still remember the boy who snatched the sugar painting, the starlight in his eyes, the warmth of his palm. In this life, she had turned her grievances into honey. In the next life, she would follow this sweet fragrance to find him and compete with him for the phoenix sugar painting again.
"Okay..." She used up her last bit of strength, gently placing her fingertips on the sugar painting, feeling the faint sweetness. The room suddenly became eerily quiet, with only the clear chirping of birds outside the window, one after another, as if urging her on her way. Nian Li trembled as she reached for her mother's breath, her fingertips touching a coldness. She suddenly collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face: "Mother... Mother is gone..."
Su Heng sank heavily to his knees before the couch with a thud. The toy sword in his hand fell to the ground, its scabbard clattering against the bricks. He wailed like a lost child, tears staining his graying beard. "Sister... why did you leave? I haven't even taken you to see the newly trained horse yet... You said you'd name it 'Xiao Jinli'..."
Su Qingyao leaned on the carved armrests of the armchair, looking at Su Jinli, who lay peacefully with her eyes closed on the couch. It was as if she saw the girl with the stubborn look at her coming-of-age party again. She touched the white hair at her temples and suddenly smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Jinli, your life has been worth it..."
Yes, it was worth it. Su Jinli's consciousness gradually faded, yet she felt a sense of relief she had never felt before. She had the love of her family, the affection of her lover, the joy of having children and grandchildren around her, and words that would be passed down through the ages. The hot soup she couldn't drink in her previous life was now simmered in her family's love; the grievances she endured in her previous life were now transformed into honey by Jiang Yan's gentleness.
Outside, sunlight finally broke through the clouds, catching the grape trellis at the prime minister's residence and the gradually melting sugar-painted phoenix beside the couch. Its twisted shape perfectly resembled their imperfect yet incredibly sweet love—beginning with a street quarrel and ending with a reunion in the clouds, a sweetness that lasted a lifetime and would last into the next. As the last trace of syrup melted into the air, the sweet fragrance lingered, like an eternal promise, lingering in the courtyard of the prime minister's residence and in the memories of every descendant, for generations to come.
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