Shi Hu was by no means a libertine who didn't know his boundaries, so Li Ying was quite at ease.
She left the door open for A Man. Just as she was about to turn around, a sudden gust of night wind hit her head - on, bringing a bone - chilling cold.
Before Li Ying could gather her clothes tightly, her vision blurred, and she fell into a tight embrace.
The air carried the withered scent of dying plants and a faint desolation of rising dust. It was cold, as if she was surrounded by a wintry mist.
There came soft whispers by her ear, full of weariness from the long journey, but somehow strangely reassuring.
"A Ying, I'm back."
Lu Xunguang buried his face deeply in the crook of her neck. Li Ying looked up and, unsurprisingly, met a pair of blood - shot eyes.
The dense network of blood vessels in those eyes was like silent but passionate outcries of surging longing.
Li Ying's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
When he was away, although there were many things that didn't go as she wished, she had managed them all with ease.
Now, with everything finally settled, seeing Lu Xunguang again, all the exhaustion and heartache of the past days burst out like a raging flood, beyond her control.
Lu Xunguang was looked at by her tear - filled eyes. Even though he was the formidable head of the Lu family, known for his resoluteness and calmness in the face of adversity, he suddenly felt a bit flustered.
"A Ying, I'm late. A Ying, don't be angry with me..."
He was like a clumsy young man, holding her tightly, trembling in his embrace, as if he was afraid of losing her at any moment.
Li Ying listened to his steady heartbeat and let out a contented sigh.
If one day you meet someone, and when you feel the hardships of life weighing you down, the person you think of is not your mother but this person, then marry him.
She thought she might have found that person.
After a long while, she reluctantly pulled away from Lu Xunguang's embrace and asked curiously, "The matters in the capital were resolved so quickly?"
Lu Xunguang nodded and said gently, "I went to pay respects to my mother with my father. I wanted to come back and celebrate the New Year's Eve with you. I rushed all the way, but still arrived late."
"A Ying, Happy New Year."
Li Ying smiled sweetly and said softly, "Why did you rush like this? We have a long time ahead of us."
Although Lu Xunguang let go of her, he still stared at her intently.
"Even if we have a long future, I don't want to miss a single moment with you."
Li Ying was deeply touched. She pulled him into the room and was about to pour him a cup of hot tea to warm him up.
But Lu Xunguang didn't rush to take off his travel - worn clothes. He still held her tightly and casually waved his hand to extinguish the last flickering candle.
The night concealed the faint blush on Li Ying's face. Her soft and slightly cold hands were tightly held by Lu Xunguang. In the silence, she could only hear her own pounding heart, like a thundering war drum.
She simply closed her eyes and gave herself up to him trustingly.
After a long while, there came only a soft chuckle from Lu Xunguang.
"A Ying, I've said that I will never let you suffer the slightest bit of grievance. There's no need to be in a hurry."
Li Ying blushed with embarrassment at her own "self - indulgent assumption". Despite her usual generosity, she now wished she could find a hole to hide in.
With great difficulty, she looked up and opened her eyes. Before she could even pout in annoyance, her eyes widened in shock.
In Lu Xunguang's hand were several delicate glass vials.
He shook the vials gently, and the unremarkable turbid liquid inside instantly emitted a strange and enchanting blue glow, like fireflies.
"What... What is this?"
Li Ying was stunned. In the dim night, Lu Xunguang's face carried a hazy smile. His eyes and the blue fireflies in his hand complemented each other, giving him a touch of irresistible charm that was at odds with his steady features.
"I saw this by chance on my way back. When the horse's hooves stepped on the water, these strange blue stars lit up in the tide."
"I know I can't cut off the vast ocean and give it to you privately, but I still dare to dream of presenting to you all the beautiful scenery I've seen with my own eyes."
Li Ying stared fixedly at the glass vials.
She naturally recognized them.
In the deep sea, there were many fluorescent algae. Plankton that fed on them could emit a faint blue halo.
These sea fireflies had a romantic nickname - "Blue Tears", which were rare and hard to come by.
Seeing her standing there in a daze, Lu Xunguang put down the glass vials.
Without the external impact, the Blue Tears returned to silence, and the room was once again enveloped in a hazy darkness.
Lu Xunguang cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers.
His face suddenly loomed large in front of her, filling every corner of her peripheral vision.
"A Ying, among the boundless waters, you are the one I choose."
"Walking alone in the dark night, only you can light up my world."
"The fireflies in the sea are you, and the stars in the sky are also you."
He murmured softly, and his gentle kisses fell on her eyebrows, eyes, and nose. He tasted a warm tear.
Li Ying stood on tiptoe and passionately planted a burning kiss on his thin, fluttering lips.
The Blue Tears had come at just the right time.
The sea fireflies didn't like heat. The winter in the fishing village was a bit cool but not bone - chilling, which was just suitable for their survival and reproduction.
Early the next morning, Li Ying divided the sea water in the vials brought back by Lu Xunguang into equal parts. She fetched sea water herself and carefully introduced these almost invisible sea fireflies into the sea water of the fishing village for cultivation.
She neatly arranged all the sea fireflies in a space with constant temperature and humidity. These tiny plankton would naturally prey and reproduce in the sea water.
All Li Ying could do was to often change the fresh sea water with her little koi - like daughter and secretly pray that these romantic and mysterious "Blue Tears" could truly settle down in the fishing village.
She eagerly awaited, pouring almost all her enthusiasm into breeding the sea fireflies and coconut snails. Lu Xunguang accompanied her every day.
The two went in and out together, looking like a newly - reunited couple, which made others envy them.
A few days later, the Lu family's caravan also arrived at the fishing village. One sedan - chair after another of betrothal gifts was neatly placed in front of Granny Sun.
Lu Xunguang chose an auspicious day, completed the three letters and six etiquettes, and proposed to Li Ying.
Granny Sun was in tears. Such a double - happiness event naturally led to a three - day feast in the village to celebrate.
The villagers all regarded themselves as Li Ying's family. They were overjoyed and repeatedly told Lu Xunguang to treat A Ying well and never let her suffer any grievances.
Lu Xunguang nodded humbly and agreed to all of them.
The two got engaged, and the villagers were just waiting for the auspicious day to attend their wedding.