Seeing these words, my heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if it was about to jump out of my throat. I slowly raised my head and looked straight into his serious and blazing eyes. Those eyes were like a deep lake, reflecting my figure and the glazed tiles of the palace wall behind me. It was as if the whole world was concentrated in these eyes. At this moment, the young marquis suddenly poked his head out of the carriage, and the wooden sword in his hand almost stabbed Jiang Yan's shoulder. He shouted loudly: "Sister! Is Jiang Zhuangyuan proposing to me? I'll lend him this gilded sword as a betrothal gift!"
Jiang Yan laughed loudly, his laughter was hearty and cheerful, as if he wanted to release all his joy. He took out a brocade box from his sleeve and opened it gently. Inside was a bamboo-carved orchid hairpin. The veins of the hairpin were clearly visible, as if each texture told a story. The head of the hairpin was also engraved with a half-opened flower bud, shy and reserved. I recognized it at a glance. It was a perfect match with my paperweight, and an inexplicable emotion welled up in my heart. "My biological mother and your biological mother were classmates at the Imperial College," Jiang Yan's voice became particularly gentle. His fingertips gently brushed across the hairpin, as if touching a precious memory. "Before she died, she asked me to find you, and said that if you meet a poor scholar who always steals your sugar paintings, that would be me."
"What else did she say?" I gently took the hairpin, a chill spreading from my fingertips to my heart. I couldn't help but think of an old story my father once told me: before my mother died, she would stare out the window at the locust tree, her eyes filled with endless longing and concern.
"She said you have a hot temper and would definitely hit me on the head with a candy painting if you saw me." A sly smile flashed in Jiang Yan's eyes. Suddenly, he gently held my hand tightly, as if afraid I would disappear. "But I waited for one hundred and thirty-eight days, and you didn't even throw a piece of candy at me."
The setting sun cast long shadows on us, creating a warm silhouette. The young marquis kept clamoring for sugar paintings in the carriage, his voice clear and resonant, adding a touch of vibrant color to the beautiful scene. My eldest sister gently parted the curtains, handed over a mother-of-pearl box, and said with a smile, "This newly ground 'Zhuangyuanhong' rouge will be perfect with your skirt today." The sweet fragrance of the rouge, mixed with the faint scent of ink from Jiang Yan's body, filled the air like a sweet web. Suddenly, I remembered the loneliness and desolation of my past life at the sickbed. A wave of emotion washed over me, and my eyes warmed slightly.
"I accept the betrothal gift," I carefully placed the sugar dragon into his palm. The dragon's tail perfectly encircled our clasped hands, as if witnessing the beauty of this moment. "But I have to pay it back first. When the bookstore makes money, I want you to set up a ten-mile red wedding with sugar paintings, stretching from the West Market all the way to Zhuque Street."
Jiang Yan lowered his head and smiled, a smile like the warmest spring sunshine, capable of melting all the ice and snow. He placed the bamboo flute against his lips, but didn't play. He simply looked at me quietly, the tenderness in his eyes threatening to overflow, drowning me. "As you command, my Lady Jinxin." His voice was low and gentle, like the sound of nature, softly echoing in my ears.
As the carriage slowly pulled away from the palace, I couldn't help but part the curtains and look back. In the setting sun, the sugar-painted dragon in Jiang Yan's hands trembled gently in the wind, the gold dust in its eyes gleaming with a captivating light, just like the deep, affectionate look he gave me, filled with love and determination. My eldest sister pressed a piece of osmanthus cake into my hand, and the fragrance instantly filled the carriage, making it feel incredibly warm. The young marquis was still excitedly discussing the betrothal gift of a broadsword, his childlike words filled with endless joy. Mo Zhu, holding the empress dowager's imperial brush, smiled from ear to ear, his face brimming with pride and joy.
A gentle breeze twirled the strands of hair at my temples, and I subconsciously touched the bamboo orchid hairpin in my hair, my heart filled with happiness and emotion. Suddenly, I felt that even if the road of this life is paved with thorns, as long as I have my family by my side and my loved ones by my side, I will surely be able to weather the storm and find a path full of flowers. Those who once bullied and insulted me are long gone, no longer even qualified to catch up. And my splendid life has just begun its sweetest chapter, slowly unfolding in the Empress Dowager's calligraphy and Jiang Yan's sugar paintings. In the days ahead, no matter what challenges I face, I will carry this warmth and strength with me, bravely moving forward and writing our own wonderful story.
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