Qin Duan’s scallion-like fingers plucked a string on the guqin. The sound remained the same, yet it had been a long time since he had touched the instrument. Back when he and Xie Zhengming lived in the village, whenever farm work slowed and the two had free time, he would play a tune in the courtyard, watching Xie Zhengming practice sword dancing to the melody.
That figure moving like a dragon, the handsome and spirited face, and those eyes overflowing with affection suddenly overlapped with the image of Xie Zhengming holding him and speaking those words earlier this morning. He seemed to have regained a sliver of that feeling from years ago.
Qin Duan could not describe his current state of mind. It was like a person falling into an icy cavern, gradually losing hope and vitality, who suddenly sees a warm hand reaching toward them. With no room for doubt, they are pulled up; the heart warms, and a person who had been resigned to death instinctively feels the sprout of a desire to live once more.
The sound of the zither drifted into the clouds, concealing countless intricate sentiments. The moment Xie Zhengming stepped into the estate, he halted his footsteps, his eye sockets turning slightly red.
Zhou Ji was stunned and asked curiously:
“Since when did the Prince’s estate hire a zither player?”
Xie Zhengming did not speak. He remembered that when he first arrived in the capital with the Emperor, once the situation had stabilized, his comrades invited him out for drinks—but the location was a pleasure house. At the time, watching the zither player, he had suddenly thought of Qin Duan; he hadn’t heard Qin Duan play in several years.
Qin Duan had followed him through campaigns and battlefields, so he naturally couldn’t carry a zither everywhere. Thus, on his way back to the estate that day, he had gone to a music shop, picked out the finest guqin, and brought it back as a gift for Qin Duan.
He had assumed Qin Duan would be delighted, perhaps even playing a few songs on the spot. But the man had only offered a word of thanks before silently putting the instrument away.
At the time, he had assumed it was late and Qin Duan was simply tired. Later, busy with official duties, he had cast the matter to the back of his mind. Thinking back now, Qin Duan’s refusal to play for him back then was perhaps a silent grievance.
The young man who once played for him had drifted far away; the Prince Ding before his eyes was no longer the person who pitied, loved, and cherished him. And so, he would rather guard the beautiful memories than let them be covered by the reality of forced smiles.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhengming felt a pang of pain. Carefully identifying the melody, he confirmed that it was indeed Qin Duan playing, and tears instantly welled up and fell from his eyes.
Duan’er, his Duan’er, is willing to play the zither he gave him. He still loves him…
His weeping terrified Zhou Ji, who cried out exaggeratedly:
“Your Highness? Your Highness! What is wrong? You can’t be crying just because you were so moved by your own stunt earlier, right?!”
Xie Zhengming glanced at Zhou Ji as if he were a fool, throwing out a single line:
“Go ask the kitchen to prepare some pig brain stew for you later.”
Then, he lifted his foot and headed in the direction of the music.
Zhou Ji blinked, puzzled:
“Does my brain need supplementing? Didn’t I do a pretty good job coordinating earlier?!”
Xie Zhengming walked all the way to the Lotus Pond, where he saw the master and servant in the lakeside pavilion. At this time of year, the lotuses had yet to bloom; only the lush green water provided a backdrop. Xie Zhengming stepped carefully onto the stone bridge leading to the lake pavilion.
He walked with extreme caution. A pavilion that he could normally reach in a single leap, he walked for nearly a quarter of an hour, terrified that his appearance would cause Qin Duan to stop playing. It wasn’t until a biting chill of spring wind blew past that Xie Zhengming quickened his pace.
Reaching Qin Duan’s side, he took off his own cloak and draped it over Qin Duan’s shoulders. Yun’er retreated tactfully, leaving the couple alone in the pavilion, surrounded by lingering affection.
Qin Duan stopped his hand, the warmth of Xie Zhengming’s body still lingering on the cloak.
“You’re back?”
Xie Zhengming said softly:
“Even though it’s spring, the wind is quite chilly. Why are you dressed so thinly? What would happen if you caught a cold?”
Qin Duan smiled.
“I was focused on playing, so I didn’t feel the cold.”
Xie Zhengming lowered his head to look at the guqin on the stone table, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible humbleness:
“Duan’er, could you play one more piece?”
Qin Duan’s heart contracted for a fleeting moment. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he felt that at this very moment, Xie Zhengming seemed to share the exact same feelings he held in his heart.
“Very well.”
Qin Duan sat down again, the melody flowing from his fingertips. The graceful, moving tune, like a soft weeping, pulled Xie Zhengming back to the days of their past, the days of depending on each other and enduring life and death together.
After the song ended, Xie Zhengming couldn’t resist leaning over from behind to embrace Qin Duan’s body.
“Duan’er, let’s get married, okay? Would you? We should have been married long ago… we were supposed to be married…”
In our past life, we should have been husband and wife.
If I had discovered sooner that you were more important to my life than any fame, wealth, or status, we would have been husband and wife long ago in our past life…
Qin Duan’s body trembled. He had never imagined that Xie Zhengming would actually take this matter to heart, pursuing it for two consecutive days.
Get… married? Could he really get married to Xie Zhengming?
“Ah-Zheng, you, what has gotten into you these past two days? Although I don’t know what exactly happened to you, I am a man. Have you really, truly thought this through? Or is it that you simply want to fulfill your promise from back then? To marry me, and then take concubines… If that is the case, there is no need. What I, Qin Duan, seek is a life of true devotion, the two of us against the world. If we cannot have that, then let the marriage go unsaid. I would not hate you for it.”
Hearing this, Xie Zhengming urgently gripped Qin Duan’s hand and said:
“It will definitely be a life of true devotion, just the two of us! Duan’er, trust me! Nothing else can compare to you, and I will never set my heart on anyone else ever again. It is only you, only you.”
Qin Duan was stunned. Xie Zhengming’s promise held not a shred of hesitation. The man’s face was flushed slightly red from the urgency of his words, but the heat in his eyes was undeniable. The eyes that were usually cold and biting were now gathered with an inseparable affection.
This affection was like an inescapable whirlpool, and Qin Duan was involuntarily pulled into those eyes, which were brimming with endless tenderness.
Words of refusal hovered on the tip of his tongue, yet he could not utter a single one. At this very moment, Qin Duan resignedly realized that he had long since fallen deep into this, unable to pull himself out.
Qin Duan let out a sigh, it was resignation, a sense of relief, and the bitterness of long-standing grievances finally meeting the endless joy of finally seeing this day arrive.
“Very well.”
Xie Zhengming was so nervous that he experienced a buzzing in his ears the moment Qin Duan spoke. He cupped Qin Duan’s face, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, as he confirmed once more:
“You… say it again.”
Qin Duan reached out to touch Xie Zhengming’s cheek as well, his voice gentle yet firm:
“Let us get married.”