Qin Ke only gazed at her with gentle tenderness.
The answer needed no words.
"Qingqing, come." Qin Ke extended his hand toward her.
Lu Youqing's fingers, hanging at her sides, curled slightly. For reasons she could not explain, her heartbeat felt uneven.
After a brief pause, she slowly reached out and placed her hand into his broad, powerful palm. Her fingers were slender and long; their hands clasped lightly together.
He led her along the gravel path illuminated by red paper lanterns. The warm glow filtered through the crimson paper, casting a comforting light upon the pale, wintry snowscape.
Snow on the rooftops was stirred by the night wind, drifting softly through the air—falling onto the pavilion, into her hair, onto his shoulders…
If one were granted a lifetime together until old age, this moment would be worth remembering forever.
Qin Ke kept hold of her hand until they entered the room. The interior was warm; stepping in from the wind and snow, the chill lingering on them dissolved in the rising heat.
He lifted the loose strands by her ear and gently removed her milky-white cloak, setting it aside. Earlier, she had crouched in the snow with him to roll snowballs, and the hem of her garment was speckled with snow, now melting into damp patches in the warm air.
Lu Youqing stood quietly, her gaze resting on the brilliance of the lamplight indoors.
It turned out the glow was not limited to the courtyard—inside was the same.
When she turned back, Qin Ke had already hung both cloaks on the rack to dry.
"What are you doing?" Lu Youqing asked softly.
He stood before her, lips pressed together, posture tense, with a trace of shyness. Yet within his lifted gaze surged an unmistakable, restrained intensity.
Shyness? Lu Youqing had thought she might be mistaken—but looking closer, it was unmistakably there.
She had seen that expression before, on the faces of unmarried young women.
"Close your eyes first. I have a gift for you."
Lu Youqing studied him quietly for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes.
Without sight, her hearing sharpened. She heard porcelain lightly clinking, footsteps drawing closer—
And… the sound of someone swallowing nervously.
Her hands resting on her knees clenched tightly into her clothes.
"Qingqing…"
At Qin Ke's soft call, her lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes. Lamplight shimmered in her pale amber gaze.
"How could you do this? Get up—quickly!"
Before her, Qin Ke was kneeling on one knee, holding a small, exquisite jewelry box. Inside lay a delicately crafted ring set in gold filigree, adorned with red and green gemstones.
Startled, Lu Youqing rose, reaching to pull him up. In this world, no man knelt before his own wife.
Yet her strength was insignificant compared to his—no matter how she tugged, she could not move him.
"Qingqing, listen to me." Qin Ke placed one hand over hers, signaling her to relax.
She had no choice but to sit back down, watching him quietly.
Qin Ke swallowed nervously. Perhaps Lu Youqing did not fully understand the importance of this ritual—but he could not suppress his anxiety. After all, across two lifetimes, this was the first time he had ever proposed.
Yes—proposed. Even though, on paper, they were already husband and wife.
But to Qin Ke, theirs had always been a marriage before love. And if love came after marriage, then there was still an essential ritual missing.
"Qingqing, are you willing to be my wife?"
"But aren't we already—" Lu Youqing was momentarily taken aback.
"That's right." Qin Ke nodded, explaining softly. "When we registered our marriage back then, it was a matter of expedience. It was not truly what you wished. Now, I want to ask you properly."
As he spoke, he lifted his head. In his dark pupils was reflected only her figure—his entire heart filled with her, leaving room for nothing else.
"I love you, Qingqing. Are you willing to be my wife?"
Lu Youqing suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind his words, her lips parting slightly.
She was now an official—not the Lu Youqing of the past, whose life and fate had been held in others' hands, helpless to resist.
She had found her footing in the world.
And he—he was giving her the power to refuse.
In the past, had she left the Qin household, she would have had no one to rely on, nowhere to go. If he had asked her then, such concerns would have weighed heavily upon her choice.
But now, she had found her lord, gained official standing. She was no longer alone. This question—she could answer it purely according to her heart.
She could even say no.
But how could she?
It was this very man who had carefully mended her broken body and spirit, who had lifted her upward with all his strength. Even now, he was still so considerate, so gentle.
There was no gentler man in this world.
How could she ever let go?
She did not answer at once. Only the crackle of candle flames filled the room.
"Qingqing…" Qin Ke murmured, unable to restrain himself any longer.
"I am already your wife," Lu Youqing finally replied. "And I am willing to be your wife."
Her voice was soft—gentle like falling snow on a winter's night—yet unexpectedly resolute.
The anxiety that had gripped Qin Ke's face finally melted away, replaced by a radiant smile born straight from his heart.
Brighter than any smile she had seen from him before.
"Wife, give me your hand."
Lu Youqing glanced at the jewelry he still held, then slowly raised her hand before him.
Qin Ke took a deep breath, removed the ring from the box, and gently took her jade-like hand, carefully sliding the ring onto her ring finger. His expression was solemn throughout, as though performing the most important act in the world.
As he looked at her delicate fingers adorned with the ring—the red gemstone making her fair skin appear even more luminous—Qin Ke leaned down and softly kissed it.
The spot where his lips touched felt suddenly hot, and Lu Youqing could not help curling her fingers slightly.
After gazing for a moment, as though finally satisfied, Qin Ke lifted the matching men's ring and held it out to her, speaking gently.
"This ring—my wife must put it on for me."
Lu Youqing felt as though he were conducting a deeply significant ceremony.
Mimicking his earlier movements, she slid the ring onto his finger. Compared to hers, his ring was thicker and more understated, set with a single gemstone red as if it might drip with blood.
Yet it was clear the two rings shared the same design.
"This is… a ring?" Lu Youqing lifted her hand, examining the perfectly fitted golden band, its gemstone sparkling faintly in the candlelight.
"Yes. It's a tradition from my homeland—rings worn between husband and wife."
"Wife, I love you." Qin Ke leaned closer, gazing at her with barely concealed anticipation.
What he was hoping for, Lu Youqing understood perfectly.
She turned her head slightly to avoid his gaze, pressed her lips together, and lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.
After a brief pause, she finally raised both hands to cup his handsome face, steadying her heart as she spoke:
"For this lifetime… I wish only to stay with you."