When love draws near, it's like snow

Chapter 68

"As long as you're happy." I breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but feel happy for her—after so many twists and turns, with the person she loves by her side, her future path shouldn't be so winding anymore, right?

"Why do you two have so much to say?" Huaiyuan, dressed in a dark blue robe, frowned, his handsome face showing obvious displeasure, and stepped in. "Why haven't you taken your medicine yet? It's getting cold!"

"Sister Qingyang dislikes the bitterness of the medicine." Xiuyu gave me a mischievous smile, then swayed her slender waist as she walked out. "I'm trying to persuade her. Hero Jiang's arrival is just in time, so I'll leave Sister Qingyang to you."

"Are you deliberately trying to mess with me?" Knowing I couldn't avoid it, I couldn't help but glare hatefully at the "culprit" in front of me—I wonder if this guy's medical skills are reliable at all? He's only read a few medical books haphazardly; have I trusted him too much?!

"What? Isn't your body gradually recovering?" Huaiyuan smiled faintly, choosing to ignore my "hatred".

"At this snail's pace?" I curled my lip in disdain, determined to argue with him. "I'd rather take a few injections and antibiotics; I'd be bouncing around again in three days!"—Sigh! I still don't trust traditional Chinese medicine. What's more, I might have run into a quack doctor; how can I even begin to describe my fear?!

"Oh, so you prefer needles?" Huaiyuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, a smile with a hint of danger that I couldn't quite put my finger on. "I thought all women were afraid of pain!"

"As the saying goes, 'a short pain is worse than a long one.' Rather than drinking this dark, black liquid every day, I'd rather suffer a little physical pain." I complained, pouting, completely unaware that danger was approaching.

Huaiyuan opened an exquisitely carved and gold-flecked wooden box that he had taken out from somewhere, revealing dozens of gleaming silver needles of varying lengths. He casually picked one up, slowly walked towards me, and smiled at me: "Then, shall we begin acupuncture today?"

"Huh?" I stared wide-eyed at the two-inch-long, thin silver needle, instinctively hugging my arms and shrinking back into the bed. "Uh, no thanks! You're kidding, sticking it in the wrong place could kill someone!"

"Whether you'll die or not, you'll only know after you try." Huaiyuan chuckled, pressed down on my waist, grabbed my feet, and dragged me out of the bed.

"No, I don't want you to treat me anymore!" Seeing that I couldn't escape, I panicked and rolled over, throwing myself into Huaiyuan's arms. I hugged his strong, thin waist with both hands, buried my head in his waist, and accused him in a coquettish voice, "You're so bad! You're treating me like a guinea pig!"

“Qing’er,” Huaiyuan’s voice suddenly turned low. He held my hand and whispered, “Let go of me first.”

"No!" I shook my head haphazardly, refusing his suggestion, hugging him tighter and burying my face even deeper: "Let go, you'll prick me!"

"Qing'er, stop fooling around!" Huaiyuan shouted at me sternly.

"Why did you give birth to such a big one..." I was startled by the severity in his words, and I let go of his hand in a daze, raising my head to look at him with a wronged expression. His breathing was obviously unsteady, and the slender fingers that were lightly holding my wrist were trembling slightly. His eyes were narrowed and he was staring at me intently, his gaze as dark and deep as a pool of turbulent currents.

“Huaiyuan…” When I met his lustful, slightly aggressive gaze, my heart pounded, my face flushed, and a blush instantly spread across my cheeks and then throughout my body—this Huaiyuan was so unfamiliar!

The next second, I was pulled into a broad and warm embrace. His heartbeat was amplified countless times, pounding rapidly in my ears and striking my heartstrings—just when I thought he was going to do something to me, he took a deep breath and, surprisingly, did nothing, simply letting me go!

"Drink your medicine," Huaiyuan said calmly, handing over the bowl of medicine.

"Oh." I took it blankly and poured it into my mouth without tasting it. The medicine was already a bit cold, and it was so bitter! —He was clearly very interested in me just now, how come he's so calm and collected in the blink of an eye? Does he think I have absolutely no appeal to him?!

"Qing'er." Huaiyuan sighed softly, bending down to kiss away the medicine stains on my lips. He gently pulled me into his arms, pressing his forehead against mine, and teased in a low voice, "Don't look at me with that disappointed look, that's the most serious accusation against me! Once you're better, I... let's get married!"

"Who's disappointed?!" I blushed deeply and playfully punched his chest. "Who said I was going to marry you? Humph!"

"Qing'er." Huaiyuan smiled brightly, his voice filled with unprecedented ease and joy: "There's a plum grove in the backyard, blooming beautifully under the moonlight right now. Would you like to come with me to explore it in the snow...?"

The bright moonlight softly bathed the pristine white snow in its silvery glow. Huaiyuan and I strolled hand in hand through the sparse, shadowy plum grove. A delicate fragrance lingered around us, quietly seeping into my heart. My heart was filled with an unprecedented peace and tranquility. I realized that happiness is simply walking hand-in-hand with the one you love through life! Happiness is really that simple, right here within my reach!

"Cough, cough!" The early spring night wind, carrying a hint of chill, seeped into my bones, and I couldn't help but cough lightly.

"Are you cold?" Huaiyuan pulled my coat tighter around my neck, looking at me with concern. "No, let's go back."

"No, I want to walk around a bit more." I gently shook Huaiyuan's hand and pleaded softly with him—after being cooped up in the room for so many days, I finally have a chance to go out and about, how can I go back so soon?!

"Then, wait here for me, I'll get you some clothes." Huaiyuan had no choice but to agree—yay!

Watching Huaiyuan's tall figure disappear quickly into the woods, I turned around with a satisfied smile and slowly walked into the depths of the plum grove, my feet sinking into the snow...

[Volume 4 Finale: Chapter 13 The Fragrance of Clothes on the Wide Streets]

Tonight, the moonlight is like water, the snow like silver, a gentle breeze carries the intoxicating fragrance of flowers… I walk on the thick snow, a dreamlike smile on my face, as if I'm walking on clouds. Huaiyuan said he wants to marry me—that means he formally proposed!

Wow! I never dreamed I'd be getting married so soon. But the moment I heard Huaiyuan's deep, gentle voice whisper in my ear, "Let's get married!" it felt like heavenly music. I felt lightheaded, as if I'd drunk fine wine, my mind and soul intoxicated... Marriage really does seem like a great idea!

"Mom and Dad, can you see this from heaven? Your Qingqing has grown up, and she's getting married! She's marrying someone she loves! Your Qingqing has finally found the person she can spend her life with, and she's found her own happiness! You must be so happy!" I looked up at the bright moon in the sky, my eyes gradually filling with tears—I thought, these must be tears of joy!

I tiptoed and plucked a plum blossom, bowing my head to gently inhale its elegant fragrance. Seeing no one around, I finally couldn't suppress the countless bubbles of happiness welling up from the depths of my heart, and began to dance gracefully under the deserted moonlight. I hummed a cheerful tune, stretching my limbs freely, twirling, leaping, and soaring lightly… like a joyful lark, nimbly and freely weaving between heaven and earth, on the snow, and under the moonlight. Countless beautiful petals fell like rain onto my hair, shoulders, and clothes… I couldn't resist lifting my wide skirt to catch those fluttering flower fairies, my clear laughter echoing softly like silver bells in the silent night…

"Sigh..." A barely audible sigh suddenly struck my ears, startling me awake—oh no! There were other people present?!

I turned around and looked in the direction of the sound. A tall, slender figure leaned against a strange old plum tree. Dressed in white, he was handsome and otherworldly. Who else could it be but Liu Wufeng? Good heavens! My face instantly burned with embarrassment, and I turned to run away.

"Don't go!" Wu Feng stared intently at me, his delicate brows furrowing slightly in distress, and pleaded softly, "Qing'er, please, don't go!"

I was shocked by the intense pain in his words and bewitched by the deep pleading in his eyes. I couldn't help but forget my shyness, stop in my tracks, and brace myself to look back at him: "Uh! What a coincidence, you're here to admire the plum blossoms too?"

Liu Wufeng remained silent, only staring intently at me—what was wrong with him? Was he sick? Could it be that he… I dared not think any further, forcing a smile: “Wufeng, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going!”

“That day, I received news that Uncle Zhou had appeared in Wushan, and I rushed over, thinking I could find my elder brother who had been missing for six years. But,” Wufeng sighed softly and began to murmur to himself, “just like every search in the past six years, I found nothing. I came to Lu Family Manor with a heart full of loss, sadness and despair. I finally escaped the forced marriage by the old master of Lu Family Manor and hid in the peach grove of Yaoyue Pavilion to grieve alone—that was the place where my elder brother and I used to love to stay whenever we were in Lu Family Manor.”

I was touched by the sadness in his voice and drawn in by the story he was telling, and I gradually walked towards him—he seemed unaware, lost in his memories.

"Just when I was at my most heartbroken and desperate, you came, gracefully strolling among the flowers and willows. Treading on fallen petals, accompanied by the murmuring stream, with an innocent smile, you gently climbed a peach branch, bowed your head to smell the fragrance, your smile so full of bliss and contentment. You, so suddenly, entered my sight, stormed into my heart." Wu Feng's gaze was unfocused, passing through me and projecting onto the distant night sky.

"You mistook me for Jianfeng and naively asked me to perform a sword dance to entertain you while you were drinking, thinking it would make me back down," Wufeng smiled gently. "As a result, you couldn't hold your liquor and got completely drunk, which made me feel guilty. Then Rumei appeared, and you argued with her for my sake, someone you had only met once, and almost lost your life under Rumei's Love-Locking Whip, which made me feel even more guilty. After that, you suddenly disappeared without a trace, which made me worry about you because you don't know martial arts."

Huh? So this is what Wufeng thinks of me? I couldn't help but blush. How could I be as good as he makes me out to be? —Actually, asking him to perform the sword dance was more of a prank, well, there was also an element of wanting to see a handsome man! Sigh! So naive, so naive!

"Things took a sudden turn for the better. I never expected to see you again in Jiangning! And the fact that you and my elder brother are old acquaintances makes me both surprised and delighted." Wufeng glanced at me lightly, his smile tinged with helplessness: "You moved into the manor, barged into Caiyun Residence to savor tea and discuss tea, your spirits soaring; you argued vehemently with Grandpa Guan, loudly declaring that you wanted to find the one true love of your life; you jumped into the water without hesitation to save Rumei, your actions so shocking; I discovered that your surprise at being a woman hadn't yet subsided, and then I suddenly saw my elder brother in his room, affectionately wiping your hair; you and my elder brother standing together were such a perfect match, making me feel ashamed of myself..."

"Wu Feng, stop talking..." I murmured, startled by his sudden confession.

"Then you misunderstood your elder brother and stormed off; I witnessed my most respected elder brother become haggard and distraught for you; for you, he abandoned everything in the manor, disguised himself, and went to Cizhou; for you, he was willing to risk his life, venturing deep into the Jin camp." Wu Feng let out a long breath, his eyes filled with understanding: "Faced with his unwavering devotion and deep affection, I am ashamed of myself. Tonight, you are so joyful because your elder brother is about to marry you, right? Ha, that blockhead! I thought that with his personality, he would at least remain silent for another year or two. It seems that Wanyan Zongwang has really provoked him!"

"Huh? No, no." I stammered, my face flushed, but my voice was so weak I didn't even believe it myself—judging from his eyes, he must have overheard what I said to my parents! Ugh!

"Heh, I thought this feeling would be buried deep in my heart forever, and I would never have the chance to tell you about it." Wu Feng's eyes gradually cleared, and he smiled faintly at me, a smile like a spring flower in full bloom, carrying a sense of relief and a fleeting cunning: "Qing'er, thank you for giving me this opportunity! May I hug you?"