Rebirth of Love: Jiang Ciyou's Counterattack Legend

The evening sea breeze, with its salty smell, brushed past the hair by Jiang Ciyou's ears. She leaned on Lu Jingchen's shoulder, looking at the huge sunset where the sea and sky met in the distance. The orange-red halo dyed the sea surface into flowing gold foil. The waves beat rhythmically against the reefs, startling a few white seagulls, whose cries seemed particularly distant under the darkening sky.

Lu Jingchen's fingers gently stroked the wedding ring on her ring finger. The platinum ring reflected the afterglow of the sunset, and drew tiny spots of light in the overlapping shadows of the two. "Do you remember the first time we met in the bar?" Jiang Ciyou suddenly chuckled, with a gentle voice after years of precipitation. "At that time, I was wearing a red dress, standing in front of the bar and drinking a whole glass of whiskey, and you were wearing a wrinkled white shirt, bumping into my sight like a lost deer."

Lu Jingchen lowered his head and kissed her forehead, laughing softly: "But you can't leave this 'little deer' now." His palm covered the back of her hand, and his fingertips rubbed the calluses on her palm - those were the marks left by her years of running charity. The sunset in the distance was slowly sinking, dyeing the clouds into a fiery splendor. He suddenly turned around, knelt on one knee, and took out a velvet gift box from the inner pocket of his suit.

Jiang Ciyou's breath stagnated as she watched him open the gift box. A diamond ring of the same style as her wedding ring lay on the black velvet, with the main diamond surrounded by tiny diamonds, twinkling like stars in the twilight. "Jiang Ciyou," Lu Jingchen looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun, "From being a sponsor to falling in love, from separation to reunion, we have come a long way. Today, I want to formally propose to you once again on this beach that witnessed our first meeting - let me continue to love and protect you for every second of my life."

The sea breeze lifted Jiang Ciyou's skirt, and she looked at the man who knelt for her, and memories came flooding back. The boy she "bought" with money in the bar, the man who gave her warmth when she was most vulnerable, the knight who spent all his wealth and crossed life and death for her, was now holding the ring and gazing at her with all his love.

"Silly," she smiled and wiped away the tears from her eyes, "We have been married for fifty years."

Lu Jingchen shook his head, and gently stroked the wedding ring on her left hand with his fingertips: "I put this ring on you when we hastily remarried. At that time, you always said that you regretted not having a real proposal. Now, I want to make up for all my regrets." His voice was low and firm, "Jiang Ciyou, are you willing to let me continue to be your knight for the rest of my life?"

Jiang Ciyou stretched out her hand tremblingly, and the afterglow of the setting sun just happened to fall on her ring finger, reflecting the light of the new ring. "I do." She said softly, and the sea breeze carried her words to the farther horizon. Lu Jingchen put the ring on her finger, stood up and held her in his arms. The shadows of the two stretched out on the beach, as if they were integrated with the setting sun where the sea and sky met.

Memories: The bar where we first met

As night fell, Lu Jingchen held Jiang Ciyou's hand and walked along the coastline to the bar where they first met. The bar had been completely transformed, with the neon sign replaced with warm yellow lights and a wooden signboard with the words "Time Tavern" hanging on the lintel. When they opened the door, familiar jazz music flowed out, and the bottles displayed behind the bar reflected amber light under the lights.

"Do you remember where you were sitting?" Lu Jingchen whispered in her ear. Jiang Ciyou looked around and her eyes fell on the high stool in the corner - that was where she used to get drunk alone. She nodded, and Lu Jingchen pulled her over and picked up two glasses of whiskey from the bar, which was the brand she drank that year.

"Cheers to our first meeting." He raised his glass and looked at her with burning eyes. Jiang Ciyou chuckled and clinked glasses with him. The moment the wine slid down her throat, the past replayed in her mind like a movie: that night when it was pouring rain, she was abandoned by her husband in her wedding dress, stumbled into the bar, and met him who was also in an awkward situation.

"At that time, I thought you were just a pretty boy who made a living by your looks." She put down the glass and rubbed the rim with her fingertips. Lu Jingchen held her hand and put her palm against his chest: "But you don't know, when I saw you in your wedding dress in the bar, my heart almost stopped. I told myself, this woman, I will protect her for the rest of my life."

Gift of Time: Customized Wedding Dress

When they left the bar, it was already dark. Lu Jingchen smiled mysteriously and took Jiang Ciyou to a white cottage by the sea. When she opened the door, she was stunned - the house was full of various wedding dresses, from retro lace to simple fishtail skirts, each one was exquisite.

"This is a surprise I prepared for you." Lu Jingchen took a wedding dress from the hanger. The style was very similar to the one she wore when she was abandoned, but the details were more luxurious. "I found the best designer and customized it according to your size when you were young." He gently stroked the pearl embroidery on the hem of the skirt. "Tomorrow, we will hold a wedding ceremony at the seaside. It will be just you and me, and the sea will be the witness of our love."

Jiang Ciyou covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. She had never thought that this seemingly cynical man would remember the regrets of her youth. "Lu Jingchen, why are you always like this..." She choked, but couldn't speak.

He held her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head: "Because you deserve all the good things in the world."

Whisper in the middle of the night: Promise of the future

Late at night, the two of them lay on the terrace by the sea, looking up at the starry sky. Jiang Ciyou rested her head on Lu Jingchen's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. "Jingchen, do you think we will meet again in the next life?" she suddenly asked.

Lu Jingchen chuckled, his fingers entwined with her hair, "Silly girl, I haven't loved you enough in this life, how can I think about the next life." He turned over and lay on his side, his nose touching hers, "But, if there really is a next life..." He paused, his eyes full of doting, "I will definitely recognize you at first sight in the crowd, and then fall in love with you again."

Jiang Ciyou looked at his serious expression and suddenly smiled. She thought of the embarrassing night fifty years ago when she was teased by fate. She never thought that one day she would make an eternal vow with her beloved under such starlight.

"Jingchen, thank you." She said softly, "Thank you for making me understand that love is not hurt, but redemption."

Lu Jingchen lowered his head and kissed her lips. The sea breeze swept across the terrace, blending their whispers into the night. The waves in the distance were still tirelessly beating on the beach, as if singing an eternal hymn for this love that spanned half a century.

Dawn Wedding: The Beginning of Eternity

The next morning, when the sun rose from the sea level, Jiang Ciyou stood on the beach in her custom wedding dress. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the sea water was shimmering with light golden light. Lu Jingchen walked towards her in a white suit, holding a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"Ms. Jiang Ciyou," he knelt on one knee and handed her the rose, "Are you willing to let me be your only bridegroom in this life?"

Jiang Ciyou took the bouquet with a smile, the sunlight shining on her face, outlining her gentle features. "I do," she reached out to help him up, "From the moment you walked into the bar fifty years ago, I have been your bride."

They exchanged vows at the place where the sea and the sky met. There were no guests, no applause, only the sea breeze as witness and the waves as blessings. When Lu Jingchen put the ring on her finger, Jiang Ciyou suddenly felt that this ring was not only a testimony of love, but also a medal for them to go through suffering and move towards eternity.

Epilogue: Eternal Vow

After the wedding, the two walked along the coastline. Jiang Ciyou suddenly stopped and took out a yellowed check from her pocket - the same one she gave to Lu Jingchen when she tried to break up fifty years ago. "Now, it's time to give it back to you." She smiled and tore up the check, letting the sea breeze blow the scraps of paper into the sea.

Lu Jingchen looked at her, his eyes full of doting: "You have already paid for everything with your lifelong love." He took her hand and continued to walk forward, leaving two lines of deep and shallow footprints on the beach, which were gradually submerged by the rising tide.

In the distance, a red sun was rising, dyeing the entire sea surface golden. Jiang Ciyou leaned on Lu Jingchen's shoulder and suddenly felt that their love was like this sunrise - after waiting in the darkness, it would eventually bloom with the most brilliant brilliance in the light. And their vows would also be like this eternal sunrise, burning forever in each other's hearts.