An Jin’s heart suddenly tightened.
These past days, she had spent nearly all her time with Gong Yue. How could she possibly have paid much attention to embroidering the wedding dress?
“Mother…”
Panic flashed across her face.
Madam Yao looked at her sternly.
“Wei’er, don’t tell me you think that by refusing to finish the wedding dress, you can delay the wedding and avoid getting married?”
Seeing that her mother had not suspected anything else, An Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“No, Mother.”
She quickly explained,
“My hand was injured before. Holding a needle hurt, so I neglected it for several days.”
Then she hurriedly added,
“But I’m fully recovered now. I’ll work hard on it and won’t delay the matchmaking ceremony after my coming-of-age celebration.”
Only then did Madam Yao’s expression soften.
“Wei’er, you’ve always been sensible.”
“You know how much importance your father places on the embroidery tower matchmaking ceremony.”
“You mustn’t disappoint our expectations.”
Her younger son lacked both literary and martial talent and still had no respectable position. If her daughter married into a powerful family and her future son-in-law helped support the family, only then could she truly rest easy.
An Jin lowered her eyes obediently.
“I understand.”
What Minister Yao cared about was nothing more than his own future.
Madam Yao might have some affection for her daughter, but she also had her own selfish motives.
Surely, after hearing everything from behind the bed curtains, Gong Yue would finally understand her situation and her unwillingness to accept this fate.
As long as she pushed a little harder afterward, he would surely take her away.
The thought of destroying Minister Yao’s years of careful planning filled her with a secret sense of satisfaction.
Yet outwardly she remained obedient.
“I understand.”
“It’s getting late. I’ll head back now.”
“In the future, be more diligent.”
“I’ll have people regularly check the progress of your embroidery.”
“I’ll see Mother out.”
After Madam Yao left, the door was locked once again.
The embroidery tower returned to silence.
Only after confirming she was truly gone did Gong Yue emerge from behind the curtains.
His gaze settled upon the faint redness around the girl’s eyes.
His lips moved slightly.
It seemed he wanted to say something.
Then stopped.
He truly didn’t know how to comfort people.
An Jin, meanwhile, hadn’t noticed his hesitation at all.
The moment she saw him, she threw herself into his arms.
“Yue’er…”
Her eyes glistened with tears.
Although they spent nearly every day together, they rarely engaged in such intimate contact.
Gong Yue’s body stiffened.
Lifting her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze.
“Why are you crying?”
Because of family members who valued profit above affection.
Because of a fate she could not control.
An Jin turned her face away.
Instead of saying any of that, she spoke pitifully,
“Embroidering a wedding dress takes so much time and effort. There’s only half a year left before my coming-of-age ceremony. The deadline is too tight.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to work day and night to finish it.”
“It’s fine.”
“I can help you.”
An Jin stared at him.
“You know embroidery?”
The image of the world’s greatest swordsman sitting in an embroidery tower threading needles was almost impossible to imagine.
“No.”
He answered honestly.
The sadness she had carefully built up instantly collapsed.
A laugh escaped her.
“Then how exactly are you going to help?”
“Your eyesight isn’t very good.”
“I can split the embroidery threads for you.”
An Jin froze.
An indescribable feeling rose inside her chest.
How had he noticed?
Yao Wei had been trapped in this embroidery tower since she was thirteen.
She had no entertainment.
She embroidered during the day.
She embroidered at night when she couldn’t sleep.
The lighting inside the tower was poor. Candles had to remain lit constantly, and flickering candlelight strained the eyes.
Under those conditions, it was hardly surprising that Yao Wei’s vision had deteriorated.
When An Jin first arrived in this world, she had noticed distant objects appeared slightly blurry.
Thankfully, it wasn’t severe.
There were no glasses in this era, so she had been especially careful about protecting her eyesight.
Whenever she wanted to read storybooks, she often found the tiny print exhausting.
Instead, she would pester Gong Yue into reading them aloud to her.
Perhaps that was how he noticed.
In the past, because there were too many people around during the day, Gong Yue usually visited at night.
Now that he had offered to help, he began arriving much earlier.
He spent more and more time inside the embroidery tower.
Even when they worked separately and spoke little, a natural understanding existed between them.
There was almost a feeling of an old married couple living together.
With Gong Yue’s help, progress on the wedding dress accelerated significantly.
The dress was completed five days before An Jin’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Madam Yao was extremely pleased.
She praised her repeatedly and personally delivered the phoenix crown that had been rushed to completion.
The day before An Jin’s coming-of-age ceremony, Madam Yao, who had not visited for some time, spent a long while talking with her.
“My Wei’er is beautiful, intelligent, and virtuous.”
“You should be a model for all women in the capital.”
“If there were an eligible imperial prince, you would be worthy of marrying into the royal family.”
She sighed.
“But the current situation isn’t bad either.”
“Your father says the heir of the Duke’s Manor, the eldest son of the Wang Clan of Langya, and the young marquis from the Grand Princess’s household will all attend tomorrow.”
Taking out a portrait, she handed it to An Jin.
“However, your father favors the Duke’s heir.”
“He excels in both civil and military affairs and serves directly before His Majesty.”
“Once he inherits the title, he’ll become one of the Emperor’s closest ministers.”
“You would become the Duchess.”
“Take a good look.”
“When the time comes, make sure you throw the embroidered ball to him.”
Listening to these arrangements, An Jin felt suffocated.
If they had already chosen a suitable match, why go through the trouble of this matchmaking ceremony?
Why imprison Yao Wei for years?
“A woman must be obedient.”
“You must honor your parents-in-law and serve your husband.”
“The heir is of noble birth.”
“When you marry into his household, don’t argue with him.”
“Give birth to his eldest son as soon as possible.”
“Only then will your position be secure.”
An Jin no longer had the energy to argue.
“I understand, Mother.”
After Madam Yao left, An Jin sat quietly for a long time.
Eventually, she stood and looked toward the wedding dress displayed on its stand.
It was time.
Time to force Gong Yue’s hand.
She changed into the magnificent wedding dress.
The heavy phoenix crown, adorned with pearls and gemstones, rested upon her head.
Sitting before the dressing table, she carefully applied makeup while staring into the bronze mirror.
Just as she finished applying her lipstick, a familiar sound came from the small window.
She turned and smiled.
“Yue’er, you’re here.”
The moment Gong Yue saw her, he froze.
He had known today would likely be the last day he spent with her.
That was why he had arrived early.
Outside, he had watched countless servants come and go through the estate.
Everyone was busy preparing for tomorrow’s ceremony.
He waited until nobody was around before entering.
He had never expected to witness a sight he would remember for the rest of his life.
Girls her age naturally loved beauty.
Just like the first time he had met her.
Every piece of clothing and jewelry she wore then had been exquisite.
Even while fleeing in panic through the mountains, her clothes in disarray, she had retained a grace that seemed engraved into her very bones.
Because she was confined within the embroidery tower, she rarely wore makeup now.
Her clothes were simple.
Sometimes she didn’t even bother arranging her hair properly.
Yet even in such a casual state, she remained stunning.
Now she wore the bright red wedding dress they had completed together.
Her skin appeared even fairer.
Her makeup transformed her beauty into something breathtaking.
Dazzling.
Unforgettable.
She sat before him, smiling gently.
This enchanting appearance was something only a bridegroom should have the privilege of seeing.
Gong Yue slowly closed his eyes.
His fists tightened inside his sleeves.
This was not something he should be witnessing.
He forced himself to look away.
An Jin sighed inwardly.
The man was always restrained.
Always self-controlled.
If she didn’t make the first move, he never would.
So she spoke first.
“Tomorrow is the matchmaking ceremony.”
“Mm.”
“Whoever catches my embroidered ball…”
“I’ll have to marry him.”
After that, she would never return to the embroidery tower.
And they would never see each other again.
“Mm.”
The same response.
An Jin took a deep breath.
“Will you take me away?”
The pupils of Gong Yue’s dark eyes contracted.
Veins stood out along his forearms.
Something wild seemed to stir beneath his calm exterior, like a beast straining against the bars of its cage.
“Why?” he asked.
“I don’t want to marry a stranger.”
“I don’t want to spend my entire life trapped inside a noble household.”
“And most importantly…”
Her voice trembled.
“I like you.”
The confession was bold.
Yet the rapid rise and fall of her chest revealed just how nervous she was.
For a young noblewoman raised under strict rules, speaking such direct words required every ounce of courage she possessed.
Gong Yue’s expression became unreadable.
“The jianghu isn’t suitable for you.”
“Neither am I.”
A rejection.
The blood drained from An Jin’s face.
Her hands turned cold.
Had she been wrong?
Did Gong Yue not like her at all?
Was her very first mission going to fail?
She didn’t know where she found the courage.
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Tears poured from her eyes.
“Whether you’re suitable or not isn’t for you to decide.”
His rough palm gently touched her face, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
“Why do this?”
“You endured so many years already.”
“It’s only one more night.”
“Tomorrow you’ll be free.”
Their statuses were worlds apart.
He had always known that after coming of age, she would marry some noble heir or aristocratic son.
Whether it was rescuing her in the mountains or spending countless nights together in the embroidery tower, he had never imagined a future with her.
When she said she was lonely, he came to keep her company.
When she worried about finishing the wedding dress in time, he helped her.
She would become a duchess.
Or the matriarch of some prestigious household.
He would continue wandering the jianghu alone.
Each would walk their separate path.
He had already prepared himself to accompany her for only a short distance.
He had even accepted the fact that the girl he loved would wear the wedding dress they made together and marry another man.
Yet now she was asking him to take her away.
An Jin’s tears fell endlessly.
“That isn’t freedom.”
“It’s just jumping from one cage into another.”
Looking into her tear-filled eyes, Gong Yue admitted that his resolve had wavered.
She was still young.
Still inexperienced.
She believed love was everything.
But he was no longer a reckless youth.
Young love was fragile.
Eventually it would be consumed by the endless burdens of daily life.
When that day came, she would regret her choice.
She would resent him.
But it would be too late.
The Shangshu Manor would never take her back.
And he would never let her leave.
She would spend the rest of her life regretting him, blaming him for leading her astray.
“Wei’er is beautiful. Only jade and gold are worthy of adorning her.”
Madam Yao’s words suddenly echoed through his mind.
He remembered hiding behind the bed curtains that day.
And remembering what he had thought.
Yes.
A girl as extraordinary as her deserved every treasure beneath heaven.
A noble daughter eloping with a wandering swordsman.
Even storybooks rarely dared write something so outrageous.
“You’ll regret it.”
“I have nothing.”
“I can’t give you fine silks or luxurious feasts.”
“I don’t even have a permanent home.”
This world was already harsh enough toward women.
If she obeyed her parents and married properly, the Shangshu Manor would always stand behind her.
But if she abandoned everything and eloped with him, her only support would be him.
What if he treated her poorly?
What if one day he changed his heart?
What would become of her then?
In the silence, Gong Yue felt something tearing inside his chest.
What had he done to deserve such wholehearted trust?
An Jin looked up through tear-filled eyes.
“If I wanted wealth, why would I ask you to take me away?”
“I want to be with you.”
“Even if we wander without a home.”
“Even if we drift from place to place.”
Gong Yue stared at her.
His eyes were impossibly dark.
He knew one thing.
He had never been capable of refusing her.
He had come to the capital for a mission from Fengyu Tower.
He should have kept a low profile.
Yet when she collapsed before him and begged,
“Save me.”
He had been unable to refuse.
His whereabouts had been exposed.
Though he completed the assassination, he had nearly lost his life in the process.
And now, once again, he knew he should refuse.
If he agreed, what consequences awaited them?
He didn’t know.
But whatever those consequences were…
He would accept them.
Before he could answer, An Jin saw his continued silence.
Gritting her teeth, she suddenly stripped off her wedding robe.
The same girl who had once blushed furiously over a glimpse of her undergarment now removed her outer robe directly in front of him.
It happened so quickly that Gong Yue had no chance to stop her.
Holding the exquisite wedding dress in both hands, she thrust it toward the candle flame.
Fire instantly erupted.
Hungry tongues of flame devoured the red silk.
The room blazed with light.
The flames illuminated her pale, fragile face.
And the unwavering determination within it.
“Yue’er.”
“I have no way back anymore.”
Her voice trembled.
“Please take me away.”