The carriage caravan from Yuncheng slowly entered the Xin residence, its wheels leaving deep tracks in the snow. Xin Jiuwei stood on the steps, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her dress, her eyes fixed intently on the lead carriage.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and an elderly man with white hair leaned out. Xin Jiuwei's tears instantly welled up: "Grandfather!"
Forgetting all etiquette, she rushed down the steps and knelt in the snow. The icy snow water soaked through her clothes, but she was oblivious. The old man, trembling, steadied himself on the cart shaft. Seeing his granddaughter kneeling in the snow, tears welled up in his cloudy eyes.
"Vell? Is that my Vera?"
"It's Wei'er, Grandfather, it's me..." Xin Jiuwei's voice choked with sobs, her forehead pressed against the snow.
A pair of wrinkled hands trembled as they touched the top of her head: "Get up quickly, the ground is cold..."
Xin Jiuwei looked up and saw that her grandfather's face looked much older than she remembered, but his loving eyes remained unchanged. She stood up and helped the old man up, feeling the trembling of his arm, and her heart ached again.
A sobbing sound came from behind. Xin Jiuwei turned around and saw her older sister, Xin Xiyao, helping their grandmother get off the carriage. Her grandmother was much thinner than she remembered, her full head of silver hair was neatly combed, but now she was holding Xin Xiyao and crying like a child.
"Yao'er...my Yao'er..."
Mr. Xin stood on the steps, his eyes red-rimmed. Seeing his father-in-law's gaze fall upon him, he quickly descended the steps and bowed deeply: "Father-in-law..."
After a long silence, the grandfather finally reached out and patted Xin's father on the shoulder: "These years... you've had a tough time."
Those seven simple words instantly brought tears to Xin's father's eyes. He straightened up, his lips trembling, unable to speak. Grandfather sighed, "I was too stubborn... If Aning were alive, she would surely resent me..."
Hearing her mother's name, Xin Jiuwei's heart trembled. Aning was her mother's nickname, and no one had mentioned it for many years.
"Father..." A middle-aged man walked out from the carriage behind. He was Xin Jiuwei's eldest uncle. "It's cold outside. Let's go inside first."
"Yes, yes, let's go inside and talk." Mr. Xin, as if waking from a dream, quickly stepped aside. "Father-in-law, please; Mother-in-law, please..."
A group of people escorted the two elderly people into the main hall. Xin Jiuwei lagged behind, watching her relatives support each other's backs, her heart filled with mixed emotions. In her previous life, even until the family's downfall, the grudge between her maternal grandparents and her father remained unresolved. This scene now felt like a dream.
A warm hand quietly took hers. Xin Jiuwei turned her head and saw Xiao Xun standing beside her, his eyes full of gentle smiles.
"That's nice," he said softly.
Xin Jiuwei nodded and squeezed his hand in return: "Yes...it's so nice."
Hot tea and snacks had already been prepared in the main hall. Grandfather sat at the head of the table, looked around, and sighed, "This hall is just as it was when Aning was alive..."
Father Xin respectfully served tea: "I'm glad you like it, Father-in-law. The furnishings in the mansion haven't changed much over the years; I was just thinking... thinking that when Aning comes back, she'll still recognize it..."
A single sentence stirred up everyone's sadness again. The grandmother wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, then took Xin Xiyao and Xin Jiuwei's hands and examined them closely: "Yao'er is looking more and more like your mother when she was young... Wei'er's eyes are exactly like A-Ning's..."
Xin Jiuwei leaned against her grandmother's lap, smelling the faint sandalwood scent on her body, exactly the same as she remembered. Every time she went to Yuncheng when she was a child, her grandmother would wear this fragrance.
"Grandmother, how are you feeling?" she asked softly.
"Good, very good." Grandmother lovingly stroked her hair, "I've been worried about you two sisters... This time, I'll stay for a while longer."
"That's wonderful!" Xin Xiyao said happily, "My sister and I will talk to you every day."
The eldest uncle chimed in with a smile, "Mother has been saying all the way here that she wants to find Yao'er a good marriage."
Xin Xiyao blushed instantly: "Uncle!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly lightened. The younger cousins bombarded Xin Jiuwei with questions, while the older cousins chatted with Xin Yunzhou about martial arts. Watching this lively scene, a warm feeling welled up inside Xin Jiuwei. This was what a home should be like.
The dinner was even more lavish than Xin Jiuwei's birthday celebration a few days prior. Xin's father had specially hired the best chef in Yingzhou to prepare several dishes characteristic of Yuncheng. The maternal grandfather tasted a bite of the braised carp and nodded repeatedly, "That's exactly the taste! Aning used to love it..."
A hint of nostalgia flashed in Xin's father's eyes: "Yes, she always said that the chefs in Yingzhou couldn't make the food taste like the ones in Yuncheng... so I specially found a chef from Yuncheng to learn from..."
These words caused a moment of silence at the table. The grandfather put down his chopsticks and sighed deeply, "My dear son-in-law... all these years, I have wronged you..."
"Father-in-law, you flatter me." Father Xin quickly waved his hand, "It was my fault for failing to protect Aning..."
"It's all in the past," the grandmother interrupted them. "What Aning wanted most was for our family to be together in harmony. Now that we're reunited, she'll be happy in heaven."
Xin Jiuwei quietly wiped her eyes. Yes, her mother would definitely be happy...
The banquet lasted until late at night. After seeing off her slightly tipsy relatives, Xin Jiuwei went to the backyard alone. The snow had stopped, and the moonlight shone on the snow, making the courtyard as bright as day. Several more buds on the old plum tree had opened, releasing a subtle fragrance.
"Why aren't you asleep so late?"
Xiao Xun's voice came from behind. Xin Jiuwei turned around and saw him wearing a dark cloak and holding a hand warmer.
"I can't sleep." She took the hand warmer, the warmth instantly spreading from her palms to her entire body. "Today felt like a dream..."
Xiao Xun stood beside her, and the two of them looked at the plum tree together: "Your maternal grandfather was a reasonable man."
"Yes." Xin Jiuwei nodded, "He just loved his mother too much... After she passed away, he was so ill that he couldn't get out of bed for a while..."
Under the moonlight, Xiao Xun's profile was exceptionally defined. He suddenly turned his head and looked directly into Xin Jiuwei's eyes: "Wei'er, if one day... I mean, if... I do something to hurt you, will you forgive me?"
Xin Jiuwei was taken aback: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"It just... suddenly occurred to me." Xiao Xun looked away, his voice lowering slightly, "Those in the royal family often find themselves without control over their own lives..."
Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. She understood what Xiao Xun was worried about—his status as a prince was destined to bring many changes.
"That depends on what it is," she said casually. "If you dare to betray me, I'll..." She paused, then suddenly pinched his arm, "...strangle you to death!"
Xiao Xun winced in pain, but then laughed, "How fierce!" He grabbed her hand, his expression turning serious again, "I, Xiao Xun, swear that I will never betray you in this life."
Under the moonlight, his eyes shone with an astonishing light. Xin Jiuwei's heart raced, and she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.
"Who, who asked you to swear..." She turned her face away, but the tips of her ears turned red.
Xiao Xun chuckled softly and took out a small brocade box from his robes: "I was originally planning to give it to you in a few days..."
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