Since we are all reborn, let’s arrest the senior!

The morning mist gradually dissipated at the edge of the cliff, and Jiang Yun leaned against Lu Mingze's chest, gazing at the golden light surging in the sea of ​​clouds.

His palm gently rested on the back of her hand, which was wrapped in the wide sleeves of her Hanfu. His fingertips caressed her ring finger again and again, and his warm breath brushed against the stray hairs by her ear: "Do you want to know what I wished for?"

As Jiang Yun turned around, the mountain breeze ruffled the jade hairpin tassel in her hair, creating delicate ripples between them. She tiptoed to reach his high, straight nose, but he suddenly bit her fingertip with a childlike force: "The place you promised to take me to see, it's not this cliff, is it?"

Lu Mingze smiled and placed her hand on his rapidly heaving chest. With his other hand, he pulled a delicate ginkgo leaf bookmark from the sleeve of his Hanfu. The edges of the leaf were embossed with fine lines, and upon closer inspection, the characters "Jiang" and "Lu" intertwined. "I secretly picked this up last time I went hiking. I ruined more than twenty pieces before I finally succeeded." As he spoke, his eyelashes cast swaying shadows under his eyes, like butterflies fluttering their wings.

Jiang Yun's fingertips traced the gold-embossed patterns, and she suddenly remembered that he always said he was working overtime in his study during video calls. Thinking about it now, those "overtime" nights were probably spent secretly carving leaves in a corner.

She suddenly stood on tiptoe and lightly bit his chin: "Mr. Lu, you've been hiding this well, haven't you?"

The stone path leading down the mountain was covered with fallen leaves. Lu Mingze bent down and picked up a whole maple leaf, tucking it into Jiang Yun's loose hair. As she turned to chase after him, her wide skirt swept across his calves, and their shadows intertwined in the morning light. Passing by an ancient village at the foot of the mountain, Jiang Yun was attracted by the sugar paintings at a roadside stall and tugged at Lu Mingze's sleeve, refusing to leave.

"Dragon or phoenix?" The stall owner was an elderly man with white hair, his bamboo ladle drawing amber arcs in the sugar pot. Jiang Yun tilted her head to look at Lu Mingze, then suddenly reached out and gently poked the back of his hand: "Draw him!"

In the instant Lu Mingze was stunned, Jiang Yun had already taken out her phone to record a video. The sugar threads in the old woman's hands transformed into a smiling profile, with a ginkgo leaf adorning the end of her hair. "This young lady has good taste; the young man is as handsome as if he stepped out of a painting," the old woman said with a smile, handing the sugar painting to Jiang Yun. She then tiptoed and pressed her lips to Lu Mingze's: "Open your mouth."

The sweetness of the sugar melted between their lips, and Lu Mingze deepened the caramel-scented kiss by holding the back of her neck. The onlookers chuckled good-naturedly, and Jiang Yun blushed, hiding in his arms. A maple leaf accidentally drifted down from her hair. Lu Mingze bent down to pick it up, and as he stood up, he swept her up in his arms: "Little glutton, time to go home for lunch."

When Jiang Yun got home, her Hanfu skirt was covered in grass clippings. Lu Mingze squatted down in the entryway to take off her embroidered shoes, and as his fingertips brushed against her ankle, he deliberately tickled it lightly, making her laugh and kick him: "You big bad guy!"

A faint aroma of tomatoes wafted from the kitchen—the slow-cooked beef brisket that Lu Mingze had ordered in advance. Jiang Yun leaned over the counter watching him chop potatoes, then suddenly reached out and dipped her finger in tomato sauce, smearing it on the tip of his nose: "Draw a clown." Lu Mingze pulled her between the counter and himself, the red mark on his nose brushing against her cheek as they kissed: "Now we're both clowns."

At lunchtime, Jiang Yun insisted on coaxing Lu Mingze to eat carrots in a tone similar to feeding a child: "Open your mouth, ah—" He obediently bit the chopsticks she offered, but took the opportunity to put her fingertips in his mouth. Jiang Yun's face instantly turned red, and when she reached out to grab the chopsticks, her wrist was grabbed by him, and his warm tongue swept through her fingers: "This is your reward."

The afternoon sun slanted into the bay window as the two snuggled in a soft blanket watching an old movie. Jiang Yun rested her head on Lu Mingze's lap, her hair falling onto his knees. When the movie reached the scene where the male and female leads kissed in the rain, she suddenly sat up and straddled his lap, the wide sleeves of her Hanfu draped down her sides like unfolded butterfly wings: "Mr. Lu, I also want to try kissing in the rain."

As soon as he finished speaking, a fine drizzle began to fall outside the window. Lu Mingze smiled, picked her up, and carried her to the terrace. Raindrops pattered on the fabric of her Hanfu, creating dark patterns. Jiang Yun's eyelashes were wet with raindrops, and when she tilted her head back, her fair neck was exposed. Lu Mingze lowered his head and gently bit her neck: "Now, have you fulfilled Miss Jiang's wish?"

While taking an evening stroll, Jiang Yun noticed a newly opened flower shop by the roadside. She dragged Lu Mingze inside, insisting that he help her choose roses. "I want nineteen, to symbolize longevity." She tiptoed to reach the bouquet on the higher shelf, and Lu Mingze wrapped his arms around her from behind, reaching out to pluck the most beautiful bloom and tucking it behind her ear: "My little girl is prettier than any flower."

On her way home, Jiang Yun suddenly stopped under a streetlamp. In the warm yellow light, she reached out and unbuttoned Lu Mingze's Hanfu, her fingertips tracing his warm collarbone: "How about we start planning the secret garden tonight?" Her eyelashes fluttered as she spoke, and her earlobes gleamed like pearls under the light.

Lu Mingze's Adam's apple bobbed as he pressed her against a lamppost, his nose brushing against her flushed cheek: "Little Jiang Yun, you were the one who played with fire first." His kiss landed on the hollow of her collarbone, carrying the scent of cedar and rose. "Then let's start by planting roses, filling the whole garden, so that every time you wake up, you can smell our fragrance."

As night deepened, the rain outside the window had transformed into a gentle murmur. Jiang Yun nestled in Lu Mingze's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on his chest.
Jiang Yun was awakened by the scent of roses lingering around her nose.

Lu Mingze had gotten up sometime earlier and was leaning against the bay window flipping through a gardening manual. His linen pajamas were slightly open at the collar, revealing half of his collarbone adorned with a silver necklace. Hearing her rustling movements, he turned around, and a few dried rose petals drifted down from the manual. "Lazybones, time to get up and choose rose varieties."

Jiang Yun rolled to the edge of the bed, wrapped in the blanket, her hair sticking up messily. She reached for his dangling handbook: "So you stay up all night researching this?"

When her fingertips touched his palm, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the top of her head with the scent of cedar: "Let's figure out how to spoil my little princess."

The manual was spread out on their laps, its pages densely covered with annotations detailing the habits of different varieties: "Pink Dragon Sand is suitable for arches, Blue Storm has the strongest fragrance, and then there's this Juliet..."

Lu Mingze's fingers traced the description of "cut roses" before he suddenly leaned close to her ear and said, "It is said that its flower language is 'My heart will always belong to you'."

Jiang Yun's ears instantly turned red, and she reached out to poke his chest: "So even a straight man like you can study the language of flowers?" She tilted her head to look at the photos in the manual, and suddenly her eyes lit up, "Can we build a swing in the rose garden? Just like in 'The Secret Garden'!"

Lu Mingze tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her reddened earlobe: "Of course, we'll also plant climbing roses all around the swing, so you can sit in a sea of ​​flowers when they bloom."

After breakfast, the two drove to the flower market. Jiang Yun flitted among the flower stands like a cheerful butterfly, her skirt brushing against the blooming lilies, startling a few white petals. Lu Mingze followed behind, pushing a cart full of soil and fertilizer, his gaze always following the jade hairpin swaying in her hair.

"Mingze! Look at this!" Jiang Yun suddenly held up a pot of miniature roses, the tiny pink flowers, no bigger than a thumbnail, looked so delicate and fresh. "Shall we plant these? We can put them on the windowsill in the bedroom." She stood on tiptoe and held the flowerpot in front of him, the scent of jasmine from her hair mingling with the sweet fragrance of roses wafting over him.

As Lu Mingze took the flowerpot, his fingertips brushed against her slightly cool wrist. Suddenly, he leaned down, trapping her between himself and the flower stand. A few clusters of pale purple buds hung from the vines overhead, casting dappled shadows between them. "Miss Jiang, buying so many flowers, are you planning to use me as free labor?" His nose brushed against her flushed cheek, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe as he spoke. Jiang Yun reached out and hooked her arms around his neck, deliberately shaking the gardening gloves in her hands. "Didn't Mr. Lu say he was willing to do anything for me?"

On the way back, the trunk was crammed with flowerpots and tools of all sizes. Jiang Yun, holding the miniature rose, suddenly turned her head as if remembering something: "Our rose garden should be named, how about 'Rose Secret Realm'?" Lu Mingze freed one hand to hold hers, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand: "Too ordinary." His voice was alluringly husky, "How about 'Jiang Yun's Exclusive Gentle Haven'?"

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight climbed onto the windowsill, Jiang Yun was awakened by Lu Mingze's kiss. He was wearing the teddy bear apron she had given him, his nose still damp with dirt, and holding a cup of warm honey water: "My gardener, time to get to work." Jiang Yun sat up groggily, her pajamas slipping down to reveal a large expanse of fair skin. Lu Mingze's Adam's apple bobbed as he leaned down and pressed her back onto the pillow. "After we finish planting the roses, I'm going to tie you to a swing..." His kiss landed on the hollow of her collarbone, "so you can only look at me every day."

On the lawn in the backyard, Lu Mingze was carefully marking out areas with a measuring tape, while Jiang Yun squatted beside him, stuffing strawberry-flavored candies into his pocket. "Build an archway here, and a path over there," Lu Mingze's voice mingled with the rustling sound of the measuring tape sliding, "and dig a small pond to raise a few koi." Jiang Yun suddenly grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it on his shoulder: "Hey, chief engineer, clean yourself up first!"

A speck of dirt clung to Lu Mingze's eyelashes, but he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. They tumbled onto the freshly turned earth, Jiang Yun's dress covered in bits of grass, a small, crushed flower still tucked into her hair. "Jiang Yun," Lu Mingze said, looking down into her bright eyes, his voice low and seductive, "do you know what freshly turned earth is best for?" Before she could answer, a warm kiss landed on her lips, carrying the scent of earth and a faint sweetness of strawberries.

The afternoon sun grew scorching, and Jiang Yun lazily hid under the shade of a tree, eating watermelon. Lu Mingze, wearing a straw hat, was digging a hole, sweat trickling down his neck and into his collar. She suddenly stood up and drew a heart on his back with her watermelon-juiced fingers: "Mr. Lu, you've worked hard. Here's a reward for you—a bite." She tried to feed him the watermelon, but he took her fingertip into his mouth. "This is my deserved reward," he said. As Lu Mingze turned around, his straw hat was askew on Jiang Yun's head, obscuring her flushed cheeks.

The day the rose seedlings were planted, the sunset painted the sky a honey color. Jiang Yun swayed on the newly erected swing, her skirt fluttering in the evening breeze. Lu Mingze leaned against the flower stand watching her, toying with a freshly pruned rose branch in his hand. "Mingze! Push me!" Jiang Yun's voice mingled with her clear laughter, "I want to swing until I can touch the stars!"

As Lu Mingze stepped forward, a thorn on a rose branch accidentally scratched his finger. Jiang Yun immediately jumped down, cupped his hand, and blew on it, asking, "Does it hurt?" Her eyelashes brushed against the back of his hand. "It's all these roses' fault. When they bloom, I'll punish them by making them ten times more fragrant!" Lu Mingze suddenly pinned her against the flower stand, and a kiss, tinged with the smell of blood, landed on her lips. "No need to punish them. They're already sweet enough."

Late at night, Jiang Yun was awakened by the sound of rain.

She tiptoed to the window and saw Lu Mingze wearing a raincoat, busy in the backyard.

The newly planted rose seedlings had been bent over by the downpour, and he was braving the rain to straighten them again. Jiang Yun's eyes welled up with tears, and she grabbed an umbrella and rushed into the rain. "Silly boy, why are you making such a fuss in this heavy rain!" Her voice choked with emotion as she reached out to hold the umbrella for him. When Lu Mingze turned his head, raindrops slid down his eyelashes, but he smiled and pulled her into his arms: "My little princess hasn't seen them bloom yet, we can't let them fall."

The rain gradually stopped, and the moonlight climbed back onto the flower trellis. Jiang Yun and Lu Mingze sat on the wet swing, listening to the sound of raindrops falling from the tips of rose petals. "Mingze," Jiang Yun leaned on his shoulder, "when do you think our roses will bloom?" Lu Mingze tightened his arms, holding her even closer: "When the roses bloom, I want to propose to you amidst a sea of ​​flowers." His voice carried the fresh scent of rain-soaked earth, "Let every rose bear witness that my love for you will never fade."

The days slowly passed by as I watered, fertilized, and pruned.

Every morning, Jiang Yun would busy herself in the backyard with a small spray bottle, while Lu Mingze secretly hung many small string lights on the flower stand.

As the first pink dragon fruit bloomed, it was a gentle dusk. Jiang Yun stood under the flower trellis, gazing at the vines adorned with blossoms, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. Lu Mingze wrapped his arms around her from behind, his fingertips lightly tracing the delicate petals: "My girl, do you like it?"

"I love it, I love it so much!" As Jiang Yun turned around, the jade hairpin in her hair caught on a vine.

Lu Mingze bent down to untie her clothes, but then kissed her.

The small string lights on the flower stand suddenly lit up, weaving a dreamy net of light in the night.

The scent of roses surrounded the two of them, and Jiang Yun felt as if she had fallen into a fairytale garden, and the person in front of her was her prince forever.

“Jiang Yun,” Lu Mingze suddenly knelt on one knee, pulling a velvet box from his pocket, “Do you remember the marriage fortune we drew at Yuntai Temple? I finally understand now that the most effective thing isn’t the fortune itself, but every day you’re by my side.” He opened the box, the diamond on the ring sparkling under the light, “Will you accept this rose garden, accept me, and be my bride forever?”

Jiang Yun's tears fell onto the rose petals. She nodded vigorously, and as she reached out, a few petals were swept away by her sleeve. "I do," she said. "From the day we decided to plant roses, I already decided." Lu Mingze put a ring on her finger, stood up, picked her up, and twirled her among the roses. Moonlight, lamplight, the fragrance of flowers, and the sound of their heartbeats intertwined to create the most romantic melody.

(End of this chapter)