Forced to Love (GL) - Final Chapter

The sun was bright, the temperature was just right. Lingxi leaned against the tree as the wind blew, causing the pear blossom petals, as white as snow, to gently fall onto her.

People carrying chrysanthemums passed by her one after another, yet no one could see her.

“This cemetery is so big.”

A light voice came from above. Soon, the person standing on the branch fell along with the petals. Although she landed steadily, Lingxi still reached out to catch her.

Sui felt Lingxi’s hand around her waist and smiled. “So you buried me here?”

Lingxi looked at her and smiled as well. “Not you, but the Shen Sui from back then.”

Sui leaned closer, pressing against Lingxi’s chin. “Isn’t Shen Sui me?”

Lingxi laughed again. “Yes, yes, it’s you.”

Sui half-leaned against Lingxi. The sunlight filtering through the leaves cast dappled light on her face. She squinted slightly and asked, “Will anyone really come?”

Lingxi shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Sui tilted her head to look at Lingxi. “What were you thinking back then?”

“Thinking about what?” Lingxi pondered for a moment. “You mean the organ donation?”

Sui lifted her hand, placed a fallen petal from Lingxi’s hair into her palm, and hummed in response.

Lingxi tightened her arms around Sui’s waist. “I didn’t think too much. I just wanted someone to take my place and keep you company, to have someone visit every year, bring fresh flowers, and clear away the weeds.”

Sui looked at Lingxi for a long time before lightly kissing her lips. “Even if Shen Sui was just a fragment of my soul?”

Her warm breath brushed against Lingxi’s lips. Lingxi repeated her words softly, “Yes, even if just a fragment.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Lingxi saw something and said, “Sui, someone’s coming.”

It was a family of three. They stopped in front of Shen Sui’s tombstone. The woman placed a bouquet of flowers down, while the man squatted beside her, carefully removing the weeds.

The woman held a little girl’s hand and said, “Look, this is the sister who saved your grandmother’s eyes.”

The little girl wobbled as she bowed deeply to the tombstone and said in a soft voice, “Thank you, Sister.”

The woman asked, “Will Xiaoying visit Sister for Mommy in the future?”

“Yes!” The little girl looked at the tombstone again. “Sister, I will come to see you every year.”

Her crisp voice blended with the wind. Like drifting snow, the pear blossoms floated past.

Sui retracted her fingertips slightly and gently caressed Lingxi’s cheek.

Lingxi smiled and kissed her before she could speak.

The kiss lasted a long time. When Lingxi opened her eyes again, the silence around her had been replaced by the noise of a bustling market.

They were standing in a crowded street, surrounded by countless people, yet no one could see them.

A wine shop’s flag swayed in the wind ahead. The calligraphic character “Qing” on it stood out prominently. Even though Lingxi was still some distance away, she could smell the lingering fragrance of wine.

Sui looked at Lingxi and smiled. “Lord Lu, do you still remember this place?”

Lingxi’s eyes shone with warmth. The aroma of wine filled her senses as she whispered, “Your Highness.”

“It’s Guangling, your fief.”

They exchanged a smile. Lingxi held Sui’s hand and walked forward. “How could I forget? In the second month of the eighth year of Datang’s prosperity, you personally wrote the name of this wine shop, calling it Qingling.”

“And their wine, Qingling Wine, became famous across Datang because of Guangling’s rich lands and fine grains.”

Lingxi stopped and gazed up at the plaque of the wine shop. Memories surfaced in her mind.

It was her flowing sleeves, the graceful strokes of her calligraphy, the poised yet forceful finishing touch of her brush.

Amid the cheers of the people, they had once tasted the clear and sweet wine together.

For some reason, Lingxi felt nostalgic. She wanted to hold the person beside her, to tell her how glad she was that they could return here and drink this wine together once more.

Sui smiled and asked, “Are you ready?”

Lingxi asked, “For what?”

In the next moment, a waiter from the wine shop approached them enthusiastically, inviting them in and leading the way.

Ah, they could be seen now.

Sui asked, “Do you have a private room?”

The waiter laughed heartily. “Yes, please come in. You’re in luck today—there’s a storyteller performing.”

Lingxi asked, “What story is being told?”

“You must not be locals. Do you know about Princess Guangling?”

The two exchanged a smile and replied, “We know.”

“Today’s story is about Princess Guangling’s contributions. If you’re lucky, you might even hear about how she named this wine shop.”

The waiter led them to a private room. Lingxi ordered some dishes to go with the wine and requested the best Qingling Wine before dismissing the waiter.

Once the waiter left, they laughed again.

As they sipped the mellow and smooth Qingling Wine, Lingxi sighed. “It’s really good.”

The storyteller was recounting how, in the seventh year of Datang, the eldest princess quelled a rebellion in the capital and returned to Guangling with her consort to build water channels and promote agriculture, ensuring abundant harvests year after year.

Sui propped her chin up slightly as she sipped her wine. “So this is what it feels like to hear one’s own story from future generations.”

Lingxi poured her more wine. “And what does it feel like?”

Sui held Lingxi’s hand and smiled. “Like I’ve gone back to the days when you were always with me.”

Lingxi smiled. “This time, I can stay with you even longer—forever.”

A crisp sound interrupted them—the storyteller struck the table with his wooden block.

“But speaking of which, the princess’s consort was known to be quite afraid of her!”

The wine shop burst into laughter.

Lingxi choked on her wine. “This doesn’t feel so good.”

Sui chuckled and wiped the wine from Lingxi’s chin. “Why not?”

Lingxi had no time to reply before the storyteller continued: “It is said that whenever the princess gave her consort a look, no matter the situation, he would immediately surrender.”

Laughter erupted once again.

Lingxi sighed, downed her wine, and looked at the woman smiling lazily in her arms. “Your Highness, this was your great plan.”

Sui chuckled, her eyes sparkling. She leaned in, pressing against Lingxi’s neck. “And do you like it?”

Her voice was soft, teasing, as her lips brushed against Lingxi’s skin.

The scent of wine lingered. In the next moment, the mist in their vision faded, and they were back in a world beyond worlds.

Sui rested in Lingxi’s embrace beneath the ancient tree. The golden sunset cast their shadows together, merging them into one.

Lingxi gazed at the horizon, then back at Sui. After a long time, she smiled. “It’s really good.”

Sui laughed softly. “What is?”

Lingxi’s eyes sparkled. “No matter the past, present, or future—I will always be with you.”

Sui smiled. “For a long, long time?”

Lingxi nodded. “Yes, a long, long time.”

Sui gently held her hand. “Is this your promise?”

Lingxi knelt on one knee, pressing Sui’s hand to her heart. “Yes. It is my sincerest love and my firmest promise.”

Sui smiled and sealed the vow with a kiss.

As the last light of the sunset faded, the ancient tree bore witness to their moment—one that belonged only to them.