At dawn, the morning light streamed through the window paper and spilled into the room, carrying a faint warmth.
Before the mirror, Xia Xinyu coiled up her long hair and secured it with a jade hairpin, simple yet elegant.
Ning Chen stood to one side, quietly watching the woman as she dressed herself, the smile on his face growing ever gentler.
He had never imagined that one day he would stand here, watching his own wife prepare herself. It was as though fate had played a trick—after missing each other for thirty years, they had ultimately returned to the starting point.
Once she had finished dressing, Xia Xinyu rose and stepped forward, taking the plain clothes that had long been prepared and helping him change into them. Her gentle, virtuous side was fully revealed before his eyes.
"Are you going to pay respects to Mother Empress today?"
Standing so close they were almost within reach, Xia Xinyu adjusted her husband's robes as she asked softly.
"Yes." Ning Chen nodded.
"I'll go prepare some pastries," Xia Xinyu said.
Ning Chen smiled warmly and nodded once more.
The door opened, and the warmth of the rising sun wrapped around him. A new day, a special beginning.
Xia Xinyu left the room and personally went to prepare the pastries for the memorial offering.
Ning Chen remained in the room, watching her departing back. His calm eyes were like a vast ocean, unfathomably deep.
"She has less than twenty years left to live. Since you agreed to marry her, you must never let her down."
At some point, Qing Ling had arrived outside the room and solemnly reminded him.
"I know."
Ning Chen replied softly.
"For these twenty years, stop concerning yourself with anything else. Stay with her properly," Qing Ling sighed.
"I will."