Late-autumn rain mixed with a biting chill seeped through the lattice window. I clutched half of a warm mutton-fat jade pendant, listening to the ceaseless patter of footsteps outside the bedchamber. This was the token of love that Xiao Lin had carved for me with his own hands, yet now the jade was covered in cracks, much like my shattered heart.
On the Lantern Festival night five years ago, I found a blood-drenched Xiao Lin by the moat. At that time, he was still a down-and-out scholar, chased by enemies and fallen into the river. I used my family's heirloom wound-healing powder to treat him and hid him in the woodshed for a full half-month. On the day he recovered, he pulled this pair of dragon-and-phoenix jade pendants from his tunic: "A-Tang, once I pass the imperial exams and earn an official post, I will surely marry you in a grand sedan chair borne by eight men."
Later on, he indeed placed high on the imperial roster and entered the Hanlin Academy as a top-three scholar. On the day of our wedding, red silk hung all along Zhuque Street, and he rode a tall, spirited horse to welcome me into the Marquis Manor. On our wedding night, as he lifted my red veil, his eyes brimming with warm smiles, he said: "A-Tang, through all the years to come, I will protect you."
Chapter 103