Ziqing looked down and saw that the foot of the mountain was already a vast sea of people. The isolated island’s clan members had all dressed themselves in Nanzhao’s distinctive festive attire—some crowded at the dock, preparing to welcome their son-in-law, while another group lined the path up the mountain in two rows, seemingly ready to line the way in welcome!
And right there on the path, a small flower boy dressed in splendid attire, a wreath of flowers crowning his head, walked step by step up the mountain, carrying a massive treasure chest in both hands.
“My son!”
The words burst from Ziqing in a rush of delighted surprise, all her longing suddenly welling up at once. In that same instant, she sensed something oddly amiss—she felt as though it had been a very, very long time since she’d last seen her son!
Why would she feel that way? Hadn’t her son always been right by her side?
Where was she? Where had she been before this?
Suddenly, Ziqing froze in place, and just then, Hongyi grabbed her hand hard, so excited she nearly jumped. “Mistress, that must be the betrothal gift the prince has sent!”
Only then did Ziqing snap back to herself, that strange sensation from a moment ago flickering through her mind and vanishing just as quickly—she had no time to dwell on it further.
Because her son had already arrived before her.
Xiong Xiaobao, no more than seven or eight years old, still carried a touch of childish innocence, yet already looked every bit the spirited young lad. Dressed in dignified splendor, crowned with a wreath of woven flowers, he looked both handsome and endearingly small—Ziqing adored him utterly at the sight!
An overwhelming urge rose in her to sweep him into her arms—and it was that very urge that sent her mind reeling once more, that same unmistakable sense that something wasn’t right!
But this time, it was Xiong Xiaobao himself who interrupted her thoughts. “Mommy, Daddy told me to bring something to lead the way!”
With that, he dropped to one knee and presented the large treasure chest with both hands.
Ziqing froze for a moment, but the faint unease dissolved instantly, replaced by delighted laughter, both surprised and touched, as she looked at the chest, unable to guess what might be inside!
“It’s definitely the betrothal gold!” Hongyi chimed in.
“Let Mommy guess herself!” Xiong Xiaobao said loudly, quite seriously.
“Betrothal gold, then,” Ziqing guessed too.
“What kind of betrothal gold?” Xiong Xiaobao pressed further.
“Betrothal gold is betrothal gold—what other kind is there?” Ziqing laughed, her heart brimming so full of joy it nearly overflowed.
“Mommy! There are lots of different kinds of betrothal gifts!” Xiong Xiaobao said solemnly, his overly serious little expression so much like a tiny adult that it made both Ziqing and Hongyi burst out laughing.
Ziqing was about to speak when, just then, a deep, pleasant voice suddenly spoke up from nearby. “Why don’t we all take a guess?”
Ziqing froze, turning quickly to look, and saw Xuanyuan Lige and Baili Weisheng walking over.
“Tsk tsk tsk, little Qingqing, so you really are a great beauty after all!” Baili Weisheng’s gaze roamed exaggeratedly up and down Ziqing, like a miser gazing upon gold.
Ziqing shot him several dirty looks before he finally reined in his gaze, cheerfully saying, quite earnestly, “Han Ziqing, congratulations!”
“Thank you!” Ziqing replied just as earnestly, though her serious little face could hold for only a moment before breaking into laughter.
“Look at that, being a bride really does bring happiness—she can’t stop smiling,” Baili Weisheng teased, reaching out to pat the treasure chest Xiong Xiaobao held. “Come on, little bear, don’t keep us in suspense—let everyone see just how generous your old man’s being!”
“This is for my mommy!” Xiong Xiaobao pouted, clearly displeased at these two troublemakers showing up to interfere, especially Baili Weisheng.
This set everyone laughing uncontrollably, and Baili Weisheng quickly said, “Don’t worry, even if you gave this to us, we wouldn’t want it!”
“Hmph!” Xiong Xiaobao shot him a glance and ignored him, turning back to Ziqing with a bright, radiant smile once more. “Mommy, guess! I bet you can’t guess it!”
Uh…
Ziqing found it both funny and exasperating. “You already know I can’t guess, and you still want me to try?”
At this, Xiong Xiaobao suddenly had nothing to say, blushing with embarrassment, but quickly cleared his throat and said seriously, “Prince Yao’s betrothal gift—please examine it, Miss Han!”
Miss Han?
Everyone present froze at once—no matter how you heard those three words, they sounded strangely off!
Xiong Xiaobao, oh Xiong Xiaobao—is that really how a son should address his own mother? Does your father know about this?
Ziqing was utterly defeated by her own son. “She was just about to step forward and open the chest.”
Just then, Xuanyuan Lige, who had been quietly watching it all, suddenly spoke up. “Why don’t I take a guess?”
“You won’t be able to guess it either!” Xiong Xiaobao said with certainty.
“And if I do guess it?” Xuanyuan Lige countered, his clear eyes carrying a hint of reluctance as he glanced at Xiong Xiaobao, then at Ziqing, and even at Baili Weisheng.
Yet everyone was so lost in the joyful celebration that no one noticed it at all.
“You just can’t guess it!” Xiong Xiaobao insisted stubbornly.
Xuanyuan Lige smiled, slowly turning to look at Ziqing, his gaze soft, as though carrying something deep within it, some inexpressible sentiment.
In that instant, Ziqing felt as though something had brushed against her heart—a strange sensation spreading out from its very tip, indescribably odd.
She was clearly happy—clearly, Xuanyuan Lige seemed happy for her too—so why, in this very moment, did her heart suddenly sink, beyond her own control?
Strangely, everything around her seemed to grow quiet in that moment. Everyone was clearly still there, Ziqing could clearly see them laughing, talking—yet somehow everything felt as though it had gone silent, as if the entire world contained nothing but herself and Xuanyuan Lige.
“Ziqing, if I were to marry you, I’d want nothing less than the realm as matchmaker, the nation as betrothal gift—if it can’t be that, then don’t marry at all. Is that alright?” Xuanyuan Lige asked, as though half in jest, half in earnest. Ziqing realized that despite knowing him for so long, this was the first time she truly couldn’t read him at all.
“The realm as matchmaker, the nation as betrothal gift…” Ziqing murmured to herself, and without her noticing, the lively bustle around her began to pick back up once more.
Ziqing couldn’t help but furrow her brow, looking toward Xuanyuan Lige—yet by now, Xuanyuan Lige, just like Baili Weisheng, was smiling at her, sharing in everyone’s joy just the same!
Had she simply been lost in thought for a moment?
“Mommy, open it already! I actually don’t know what it is either!” Xiong Xiaobao urged anxiously.
Only then did Ziqing realize her hands were already resting on the treasure chest.
Something truly felt wrong to Ziqing, yet she couldn’t trace the feeling to its source. She glanced around—Xiong Bao, Hongyi, Baili Weisheng, and Xuanyuan Lige were all staring intently at her hands, all waiting, every one of them looking even more eager than she felt.
“Little Qingqing, are you going to open it or not?” Baili Weisheng finally couldn’t hold back his impatience.
“Mistress, stop keeping us all in suspense—open it up quickly so we can see! Whatever betrothal gift Prince Yao’s sent, it’s bound to make us all envious to death!” Hongyi urged as well.
“Ziqing, go ahead and open it,” Xuanyuan Lige said too, his heart full of joy masking all his reluctance underneath.
Ziqing took a deep breath, and at last, slowly began to open the treasure chest…