The first snow finally came quietly one afternoon, fluttering down like a sky - full of romantic stars.
On that day, Dongfang Yi had just woken up from her afternoon nap. Through the window, she noticed it was unusually bright outside. Opening the window, she found that it was snowing. The ground was already covered with a thin layer of snow, glistening white.
Dongfang Yi immediately wrapped herself in a fox - mink fur and rushed outside. She let the snowflakes fall on her hair while still laughing merrily. The first snow was always a beautiful thing.
Suddenly, she remembered something she had said before, a promise about the first snow she had made to someone. Thinking of this, she immediately ran back to her bedroom.
Sitting in front of the dressing mirror, her face was still a bit flushed, probably from the cold in the snow. She looked at herself in the mirror and then called out towards the outside of the palace.
Xiao Qian rushed in upon hearing the call.
"Do a hair bun for me," she said.
She casually rummaged through the dressing box and took out a pearl hairpin, then continued, "Put this hairpin in my hair too."
Xiao Qian was quite surprised. In her impression, the queen rarely dressed herself up, let alone asking to have her hair done. Usually, it was Donghua who insisted on doing her hair.
Although she thought so, her hands were not idle. In a short while, she had done a coiled - cloud hair bun and helped Dongfang Yi to trim her eyebrows.
Dongfang Yi picked up the rouge and applied it lightly. She instantly became more delicate. Even though it was just a light makeup, she looked extremely charming.
"Your Majesty, you're so beautiful that this maid doesn't even dare to look straight at you!" Xiao Qian said.
She wasn't lying, because the woman in front of her was really eye - catching. Even without makeup, she could be said to be extremely beautiful, not to mention after a touch of makeup.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi blushed slightly and showed a shy smile. Then she chose a long peach - colored dress printed with white peonies and paired it with a pure - white fox - fur mink. Then, accompanied by Xiao Qian, she left the queen's palace.
Along the way, Xiao Qian couldn't help but smile secretly, wondering what had gotten into the queen today that she was going out looking so delicate.
The two walked hurriedly all the way to the imperial garden. After turning a corner, they saw a man standing with his back to them in a pavilion.
He was wearing a black robe and a felt hat. His boots with coiled - cloud - edged trimmings looked extremely luxurious.
Dongfang Yi's heart skipped a beat and she called out, "Helian Qi..."
The man in the distance turned around upon hearing the call. When he saw who it was, his eyes curved into a smile and the corners of his mouth lifted.
Dongfang Yi looked especially different today. Maybe it was because of the light makeup that her whole body seemed to have a peach - colored glow, looking extremely charming.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but reach out his hand and said, "Dong'er, come here."
Dongfang Yi seemed to be under a spell. Her feet moved uncontrollably towards the man.
When they met, she took his hand. Feeling the coldness, she frowned and asked, "How long have you been waiting?"
"I came as soon as the snow started," Helian Qi replied.
When Dongfang Yi had said, "Meet in the imperial garden on the first snow day," he had ordered his guards that once it started snowing, they must tell him immediately.
After it started snowing today, he had rushed here and had probably been standing in this pavilion for about two incense - burning times.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi frowned even more. She kept rubbing the man's hands in front of her and blowing on them to make him warmer.
She had only noticed it was snowing when she woke up from her afternoon nap today and didn't know when it had started. But looking at the thickness of the snow on the ground, it must have been snowing for quite a while.
"Why did you come so early?" she said a bit complainingly.
She was also a bit angry with herself for setting such a vow to meet in the imperial garden, which made him stand in the snow for so long that his hands were freezing cold.
"I was afraid I'd be too late to see you," Helian Qi said with a smile. His eyes were as gentle as the spring breeze.
Dongfang Yi's heart skipped a beat. She reached out and tapped the tip of his nose, whispering "fool", and then threw herself into his arms.
After they hugged for a while, the snow outside became heavier. It had changed from a light flurry at the beginning to big, fluffy snowflakes now.
"The snow is so heavy. I can hardly see the road," Dongfang Yi said.
Helian Qi looked at the woman in front of him. He always felt that her profile seemed to be glowing, making it hard for him to look away.
"Dong'er..." he called out tenderly.
When Dongfang Yi turned around, her lips were captured by something equally soft. Then she saw the man's face getting closer.
"Um..."
She didn't expect Helian Qi to kiss her suddenly without giving her any time to prepare. But she didn't have time to think more and was soon immersed in the kiss.
After the kiss, both of them were out of breath. Their chests were pressed tightly together, and they could feel each other's heartbeat.
"Let's go back," Dongfang Yi said.
Helian Qi nodded, picked up an oil - paper umbrella from the side, held it above their heads, and then walked into the snow.
If seen from afar, this scene would look like a painting.
The red walls against the white snow, a talented man and a beautiful woman walking quietly under an umbrella. The only sounds in the air were the soft landing of the snowflakes and the creaking sound of their footsteps on the ground.
"Helian Qi, have you ever heard a saying?" Dongfang Yi asked.
"Hmm?" Helian Qi tilted his head slightly.
"They say that a man and a woman who walk together in the first snow will grow old together," she continued.
Hearing this, Helian Qi stopped in his tracks and lowered his eyes as if thinking about what she had said.
After a while, he reached up to put away the umbrella and tightly held the woman beside him as he walked forward.
Dongfang Yi obviously didn't expect him to take her words so seriously and put away the umbrella like this. Looking at the snowflakes slowly falling on his felt hat, her heart couldn't help but warm up.
After a while, she heard the man suddenly say, "I want to grow old with you."
In an instant, winter no longer felt like winter. It was as if they had returned to the spring when all the flowers were in bloom. The surrounding wind became gentle, and the snowflakes falling on her forehead melted into her heart, nourishing her soul.
All these feelings came from the man in front of her and his words, "I want to grow old with you."
Dongfang Yi's heart skipped a beat and she stopped walking. The man in front of her was also forced to stop.
The two looked at each other in the snow. For a moment, the air seemed to stand still, and even the snowflakes stopped falling.
"I also want to grow old with you!" Dongfang Yi said.
The smile on her lips seemed to draw people into a dream.