He Lan Tianxia

The Pavilion Master led Princess Yan'er into a winding path lined with snow lotus flowers. The lotuses were dazzling, displaying a vibrant array of colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—each graceful and elegant. Some possessed a verdant elegance, while others exuded a solitary pride in their solitary bloom. A delicate fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing and soothing, creating a serene and otherworldly beauty. The perfect illumination from the fireballs further enhanced the experience, making walking along the path feel like stepping into a fairyland.

"How is it? Is it good?" The Pavilion Master's deep, magnetic voice came from behind, and there was a captivating pull, as if from another world, as if I had heard it somewhere before.

"How beautiful. This is truly a wonderful place." Yan'er smiled slightly, a hint of wonder appearing in her eyes.

"The flowers here have finally found their owner to appreciate them," the pavilion master said calmly, slowing his pace.

"Are you talking about the little girl from my dream?"

"And that little boy." The Pavilion Master's voice remained steady and gentle.

A flutter of emotion swept through Yan'er's heart. She tried to recall any memories of her childhood, but unfortunately, her mind was blank. If that dream was real, then she owed him something in her past life. A sudden wave of emotion washed over Yan'er. She smiled faintly, realizing that "Yan'er's" past and present lives were quite fortunate, with so many people holding her in their hearts. Besides, what kind of longing was this ten thousand years of waiting? Even a stone would have been warmed by such devotion. "Prince Murong, forgive me for this slight emotion. After all, not many people encounter such a ten-thousand-year love." Princess Yan'er gazed at the graceful, swaying snow lotuses and murmured softly:

Several times I sat under the flowers and played the flute.

The Milky Way and red walls stretch into the distance.

The stars tonight are not those of last night.

For whom do I stand in the wind and dew all night long?

Suddenly, the sound of a guqin began to play from behind, slow and gentle, accompanied by the pavilion master's deep, pure voice:

Lingering thoughts, like unraveling a cocoon,

The banana peeled away, its leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

In the third or fifth month of the third or fifth year,

The wine in my cup has not yet been drunk.

…………

The music lingered, and there were several silences. The fireball gradually dimmed, leaving only a faint warmth that seemed to be brewing someone's words. But how pale were words at this moment, so pale that all expression turned into emptiness. Yes, for love, a wait of ten thousand years is not too long, nor is a wait of ten thousand years too short!

Only true love that runs deep in one's bones deserves such longing, right? How beautiful is this encounter at this moment?

But fate is fickle; what exactly is destiny? Even a love that has waited ten thousand years cannot ultimately be bound by a single thread. Regret? No regret? It's enough that we've met.

Who will be the listener tonight?

Neither of them spoke; they simply gazed silently at the snow lotus before them, sitting until the first rays of dawn accompanied by soft music…

The next morning, after breakfast, the Pavilion Master, worried that Princess Yan'er was tired, excused himself to go out and check on her, allowing her to rest. Once Princess Yan'er was lying down, the Pavilion Master went to the small pond of ice lotus flowers from the previous night to continue playing the zither. The music was much clearer and more ethereal than the night before; perhaps it was because he had finally confessed his true feelings to the one he secretly loved. Regardless of the outcome, it was a sense of relief.

The Pavilion Master plucked a snow lotus and held it to his nose, inhaling its faint fragrance—a fragrance he had never experienced before. His initial intention in planting this pond of snow lotuses stemmed from his time as a guard, when he saw Princess Yan'er admiring lotuses by the pond under the full moon. Upon arriving at the Xuanmo Cave and the Lihentian, he spontaneously planted a few, never expecting the snow lotuses to grow so abundantly, reaching towards the sky. Later, after settling in Lihentian, he planted them beside the secluded path, originally as a way to reminisce about the past. Unexpectedly, Yan'er, in her reincarnation, brought them together again. Perhaps the God of Marriage felt indebted, granting him this once-in-a-millennium chance encounter. Although she had long forgotten him, even forgetting his name, Princess Yan'er, you are still the one I cherish in this life.