Chapter 34
On a weekend morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the sky was a washed-out blue. The late winter chill was dispelled by the sun, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of revival.
Jiang Yu's car pulled up right outside Xia Wan's apartment building. He was dressed casually in a dark jacket and jeans, looking less formal and more fresh and energetic. When Xia Wan came downstairs, he was leaning against the car, holding a cooler bag. His deep eyes lit up instantly when he saw her, and the corners of his lips curled up.
"Good morning." He came over and took her small backpack naturally.
"Good morning." Xia Wan's cheeks flushed slightly. She had specially worn a light blue wool dress today, which made her look very good. Her long hair was loosely tied up, revealing her slender neck. She noticed the thermal bag in his hand and asked, "What is this?"
"Xiao Jiang's secret recipe of red dates and ginger tea, it dispels cold and warms the stomach." Jiang Yu shook the bag, his eyes gentle, "It's cold in the plum garden."
This meticulous consideration warmed Xia Wan's heart once again. She sat in the passenger seat and watched him put away his backpack and cooler bag before moving around to the driver's seat. The car drove steadily towards the suburbs.
The plum garden in the suburbs of Tianjin is quite large, nestled against the hillside. Though nearing the end of its blooming season, many late-blooming varieties are still in full bloom. As soon as the car entered the scenic area, a refreshing, distant fragrance drifted through the car window on the wind, refreshing the soul.
After parking the car, the two walked side by side into the plum garden. The garden was deserted, making it seem even more tranquil. The winding stone paths flanked old plum trees with twisted branches, each in a myriad of shapes and forms. Plum blossoms in shades of pink, white, pale green, and vibrant red clustered on the branches, some in bud, others in full bloom. In this early spring, where the chill had yet to fully fade, they cast a vibrant and aloof hue.
Sunlight streamed through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs. The air was cool and refreshing, and the fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air, refreshing the heart.
"So beautiful." Xia Wan couldn't help but sigh softly, taking a deep breath of the cool and fragrant air, her brows relaxed with pure appreciation and pleasure.
"Yeah." Jiang Yu walked slightly ahead of her, his tall figure shielding her from the occasional cold wind from the side. His eyes fell on her profile, which was particularly vivid against the background of the plum blossoms, his eyes gentle and focused. "Which one do you like?"
Xia Wan's gaze wandered through the plum grove, finally stopping before an old, particularly vigorous tree. Its branches were dark and twisted, as if weathered by frost, yet upon them blossomed large, brilliant red plum blossoms, as red as frozen flames, bursting with astonishing vitality amid the gray-brown branches and the cool air.
"This one." She pointed at the red plum tree, her eyes shining. "It's like being reborn from the ashes."
"Reborn from the ashes..." Jiang Yu repeated softly, his gaze shifting from the red plum tree to Xia Wan's clear eyes. They shone with admiration for life's resilience, reflecting her own perseverance along the way. His heart stirred slightly, as if something had been gently touched.
The two strolled along the path, occasionally chatting in low voices, commenting on the plum blossoms' shapes and colors, sharing poems and allusions about them. The atmosphere was relaxed and natural, with the subtle sweetness and excitement unique to newlyweds. Jiang Yu would promptly hand over a thermos cup. Unscrewing the lid, the sweet aroma of warm red date ginger tea mingled with the fragrance of plum blossoms, sending a warmth deep into their hearts.
We walked to a relatively open plum forest, where several tall green-calyx plum trees were in full bloom, their pale green petals elegant and refined. There were stone tables and benches under the trees.
"Take a break?" Jiang Yu suggested.
"Okay." Xia Wan nodded.
The two of them sat down on a stone bench. The sun shone warmly on them, dispelling the chill. All around them was silence, save for the rustling of the wind through the plum trees and the occasional chirp of birds. The fragrance of the plum blossoms wafted through the air, refreshing the senses.
Jiang Yu unscrewed the thermos, poured out two cups of ginger tea, and handed one to Xia Wan. The lingering steam blurred his vision. He watched her sip the hot tea, her cheeks flushed slightly from the heat, her long eyelashes drooping, a quiet and beautiful sight. A huge sense of satisfaction and cherishment filled his chest.
"Xia Wan." He suddenly spoke, his voice sounding particularly low and clear in the quiet Merlin.
"Hmm?" Xia Wan raised her eyes and looked at him.
"Remember... before, I asked you a question?" Jiang Yu's eyes fell on her face, with a hint of subtle inquiry, "I asked you, what kind of dream did you have about me?"
Xia Wan's grip on the cup tightened imperceptibly! His heart felt as if an invisible hand was gently gripping it. Sure enough... he saw it! He saw the open diary page!
A strong sense of embarrassment instantly surged across her cheeks, and her ears began to burn. She subconsciously wanted to lower her head to avoid his gaze.
"Don't be afraid." Jiang Yu's voice became gentler, carrying a soothing force. "I didn't see anything else. It's just..." He paused, as if choosing his words, "I just accidentally saw in that open diary, it said 'I had a dream, a dream about you...' At that time, I looked at you very puzzled. You were sleeping soundly at the time, so I said to myself, 'Xia Wan, what kind of dream did you have about me?' Later, when you fell asleep in the car and called out 'Jiang Yu', I asked you again..."
Xia Wan's heart was beating fast. He had only seen that one page! He had seen her vague record of her dream and those sleepy mumblings! He didn't know the content of the dream, let alone that diary held the secrets of her entire youth!
After the immense embarrassment, there was a strange feeling of relief and... a hint of secret loss? Relieved that he hadn't seen everything, lost that he couldn't fully understand the weight that dream held in her heart.
She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and met his gentle, inquiring gaze. Now that he had seen it, denying it would seem deliberate.
"Yes... I dreamt about it." Her voice was a little tense, but she tried to remain calm. "It happened in high school. I can't remember the details... very clearly." She chose to keep it vague and cast her gaze towards the blooming red plum tree not far away. "Maybe it's just... the wild thoughts of adolescence." She tried to pass it off in a relaxed tone.
Jiang Yu looked at her slightly flushed face, trying to remain calm. He saw her deliberately averting his gaze, and a flicker of understanding and even deeper heartache flashed in his deep eyes. He knew she was avoiding him, that the dream was more than just a simple "wild fantasy" for her. Her reaction at that moment clearly indicated that the dream, or rather the youthful experience it represented, was extremely important and private to her.
He didn't ask further questions. He respected her ability to preserve her own inner garden. Just as he loved her present brightness and resilience, he also respected her past immaturity and secrecy.
"Hmm," he murmured, not continuing the conversation. He reached out and, perfectly natural, used his fingertips to gently brush away a tiny, pale green plum blossom petal that had fallen on the tip of her hair. His movements were gentle, yet filled with cherished warmth.
"Whatever the dream was," he withdrew his hand, looking at her calmly and intently, his voice low and powerful, "it's all over. Now, you are here." His eyes swept over her, then looked at the blooming plum blossoms and the warm sunshine around them, and finally fell back into her eyes, "I am here too. That's enough."
No fancy promises, no questioning of the past.
There is only the confirmation of the "present moment" and the cherishment of "being together".
Those words, like a warm key, instantly unlocked the door in Xia Wan's heart, tightly closed by shame and secrecy. A surge of warmth, mixed with a bittersweet sense of relief, washed over her. Yes, no matter how much heartache and hopeless secret love that dream represented, no matter how many secrets that diary held, at this moment, she truly sat side by side with him in this springtime plum garden, the sun warming and the plum blossoms fragrant. He was by her side, holding her hand, telling her, "This is enough."
Without warning, tears filled her eyes again, but they were no longer filled with grievance or sadness, but with the immense emotion of being fully accepted and understood. She looked at him, her vision blurred by tears, but she could clearly see the heavy, unspoken understanding and tolerance in his eyes.
"Yeah." She nodded vigorously, her voice nasal but full of relief and complete trust. "That's enough."
Jiang Yu watched the tears rolling down her face, his heart swollen with warmth, softening to a teetering state. He reached out, and this time, instead of brushing away petals, he used his warm fingertips to gently, bit by bit, wipe away the tears from her face. His movements were delicate, as if he were handling a rare treasure.
Sunlight filtered through the densely sparse plum branches, casting golden specks of light that danced across their bodies and faces. The plum fragrance drifted in the air, clear and lingering. At the stone table, they sat facing each other. Tears welled in her eyes, yet she smiled broadly; he wiped them intently, his gaze gentle enough to melt ice and snow.
At this moment, no words are needed.
The tears of the past are wiped away gently.
The deepest thoughts are put to rest in the sunshine.
And in the spring that belongs to them, deep in the fragrance of plum blossoms and in the eyes that gaze into each other's eyes, the most real and warmest flowers are blooming.
The secret territory in Xia Wan's heart, known as "Ten Years of Secret Love," still quietly lingered in the depths of time. But now, it was no longer a heavy burden or a shame to hide, but rather a nourishment that nurtured her soul, making her cherish the real warmth she held in her hands even more. She knew that Jiang Yu might never fully understand the full scope of that territory, but the respect, tolerance, and complete "seeing" he showed her had already allowed that lonely garden to feel the warm light of another soul.
That's enough.
Really, that's enough.
Jiang Yu wiped away her last tear, his fingertips gently lingering for a moment at the corner of her slightly red eyes, filled with endless pity. He withdrew his hand, picked up his cup of ginger tea, and handed it to her lips, his voice low and gentle:
"The tea is cold, have something warm."
Xia Wan took sips of the warm ginger tea from his hand. Sweetness and warmth intertwined, spreading from the tip of her tongue to the deepest recesses of her heart. She looked at him, her lips curved into an incredibly bright, tear-stained, yet brilliant smile.
Deep in the plum forest, spring is in full bloom.
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