As expected, everyone was so focused on what was happening on the stage that nobody but his husband noticed his actions. Leng Jin Yu glanced at him and gave him a smile, grasping his hand before he turned back to the front as well.

From up there, Tian’s voice still traveled over the square, making people recall the first time they had met the one they loved. Whether it was the couple currently getting married, their family members, or even the other guests, it was hard not to think of the past when someone mentioned the things you might be able to remember in such detail.

“Think of the first words you said to him and how he reacted. Remember the look in his eyes and what went through your own mind as you looked into them.”

Qiu Ling had known from the moment he first saw Jing He that this was the person he would marry one day and he had felt that those short hours when they met for the first time had been seared into his memory. How often had he thought of them during the long years of having to wait for Jing He’s decision? It should have been hundreds if not thousands of times. Now, he could recall them crystal clear and every moment still put a bright smile on his lips.

Jing He had also thought back to that time more than once but his memory had never seemed as complete as Qiu Ling’s. He had been too overwhelmed that day, too nervous to truly pay attention to everything when he hardly even knew how to react to the general situation of suddenly being proposed to. Hearing Tian’s voice now and being asked directly to recall specific details about that time, some things seemed to become clearer though.

He naturally still remembered the way Qiu Ling had stood in front of him, his tall figure and sharp features more imposing than any man he’d ever met before. The first words he had said to him were as clear as if it had just happened yesterday. He remembered his own hesitation at the sudden proposal, how he pretended that he didn’t understand and tried to change the subject more than once during the course of their conversation, pulling back bit by bit while the still unfamiliar dragon king seemed intent to push further.

Even now, he could recall the dread from those moments, how he anxiously tried to think of the right thing to say and do but felt like he failed spectacularly every step of the way. His father had been fuming next to them, trying to get involved while Qiu Ling completely ignored him, fueling his own panic further.

He had always thought back to that day, feeling the panic rise again when he immersed himself in the feeling but then also thinking of how much everything had changed later on. Thinking back now, he seemed to remember the way the evening sun had hit Qiu Ling’s face, making those dark eyes sparkle with more than just expectation. They were incredibly beautiful, something he hadn’t realized that day and only came to appreciate much later. Whenever he looked at Qiu Ling now, he only felt the gentleness emanating from his gaze and the familiar features made him feel safe rather than anxious. Yes, so much had changed in these years since they met.

Tian had finished reminding them of that day and moved on to the next part of the meditation. “That was the day you met, the beginning of your journey as lovers. Now, think of the day you fell in love, the time when you realized that this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Think of what you saw and heard, think of the smells surrounding you, and of everything you felt and sensed.”

Qiu Ling cracked his eyes open and looked at Tian in doubt. To him, the day he saw Jing He for the first time and the day he fell in love with him were one and the same. Well, he certainly wouldn’t mind thinking about it even more deeply.

He turned to the side, looking at his beloved. Jing He still had his eyes closed and his breath was even. His whole being radiated a calmness that had been missing during the worry of the last few days. It seemed that Tian was pretty good at heading this kind of ceremony. At least when it came to this part of the rituals, he was doing splendid.

He retracted his gaze and closed his eyes again, simply thinking of those special moments they had shared one after the other. Even if they hadn’t been the moments he originally fell in love, they had deepened his understanding of Jing He and his feelings for him as well. They were indeed part of this path they had shared as lovers.

Meanwhile, Jing He thought of the day of the Jiyi Festival. He wasn’t sure if this was the day he had fallen in love with Qiu Ling. To be honest, it should have been earlier than that. But on that day, he finally realized and he knew that there was no escape from those feelings.

Yes, from that day forth, no matter how he tried, he was unable to extricate himself from the tightly woven web that was his love for Qiu Ling. Not that he wanted to. Being wrapped in those soft strands of gentleness was the most comforting feeling he had ever known. Why would he give up on it?

He didn’t need to ponder much to realize that this was what had made him develop feelings: To have someone who was always around, always showing care for him and being a reassuring presence he could rely on at all times. The trust and reliance that developed from that were the basis of his feelings. They had grown slowly but surely and at some point, they had been impossible to ignore.