"Su Ke, why don’t you also pin a flower to show your refinent?"
Xue Qian scurried to Su Ke’s side, with a few petals still clinging to his forehead. His hands were even more chaotic, clutching a huge bunch of various flowers.
Su Ke didn’t back down either, fortunately, he held far fewer flowers than Xue Qian did.
Hearing this, he shook the bunch of flowers in his hand, which had been spoiled beyond recognition, and could only make the best of a bad situation by saying, "I did fancy pinning one too, but look! Can you even find a whole one among these flowers?" Even the cluster of lilies couldn’t offer a single complete bloom.
Looking up, it was just a mont of distraction, and Xue Qian’s temples were already filled with five or six flowers, looking comically ridiculous.
Su Ke imdiately burst into laughter.
"What’s so funny, what’s good about laughing? See, isn’t everyone the sa?" Xue Qian complained discontentedly.
Su Ke took a closer look, and sure enough, it was just as Xue Qian had said, all the newly qualified Jinshi scholars had quite a few fresh flowers pinned to their heads. What’s more, so had their entire crowns filled with various fresh flowers, overshadowing their foreheads and paired with beards and stubble on their chins, which were indeed harsh on the eyes.
Su Ke laughed heartily again.
"Yes, yes, everyone is like this, nothing to laugh about really."
"That’s right!" Xue Qian boasted proudly.
Both burst out laughing together, when suddenly they heard soone calling his na not far in front.
He looked up, only to see by the second-floor window on the roadside, several familiar figures waving their hands at him.
Unexpectedly, it was several of Su Family’s cousins!
Even his mother Mrs. Su-Hua was sticking half her body out of the window. Seeing him look over, she shook the handkerchief in her hand like a rattle, laughing as if she had won the whole world!
A wave of exuberance inexplicably surged in Su Ke’s heart!
He halted his horse, also laughing heartily as he waved vigorously back at them.
Having gotten a response, they waved even more enthusiastically.
Even the pretty young ladies up ahead imdiately blushed, giggling and chattering, "It’s the first place outside the first class scholars, he smiled at ! I am so happy, I might faint. Catch ..."
"Nonsense! He was clearly smiling at , look how handso he is, a perfect match for !"
"You’re the ones talking nonsense, can’t you see how young he is, how could he fancy you? He’s clearly looking at , only soone with my beauty is a suitable match for him!"
"..."
Su Ke’s mouth twitched speechlessly, and he hurriedly spurred his horse forward.
Qin Shuan’er was also squeezed among the crowd on both sides of the road, nearly subrged by the people around her.
But when Su Ke rode by, she still caught sight of him at a glance.
However, the crowd was too thick, she desperately pushed forward, but couldn’t reach him, she could only watch helplessly as he slowly approached her position, then moved past her. She wanted to scream, but then she saw Miss Hani give him that flower!
Feelings of loss, disorientation, pain, and heartache... all these emotions intertwined in the depths of her heart.
Her eyes brimd with tears, yet she forced them open wide, determined to imprint this mont’s image of him into her heart.
But she couldn’t control her own legs, moving forward subconsciously with Su Ke, not caring even as she bumped into several people, drawing curses, she chased after Su Ke for such a long distance.
As if sensing sothing, Su Ke, who had already passed by, suddenly turned around, his searching gaze instantly zeroing in on her in the crowd.
Their eyes t across the space, as both fell into a silent wordlessness.
The surrounding scenery and the bustle of the crowd seed to slowly fade away, leaving only each other in the world.
Qin Shuan’er’s eyes, brimming with tears, finally let them fall!
She felt that following him all the way through such hardships had been worth it! She tried to smile, waving at him ardently like everyone else, waving with all her might!
Su Ke smiled back.
Then he turned to speak with the person who was leading his horse before, unexpectedly turning around and slowly making his way toward her position.
As the distance between them narrowed, Qin Shuan’er felt herself trembling with nervousness, shyly lowering her head.
Maidens and young wives by the roadside went into a frenzy! Pushing and shoving, they refused to relent, all stretching out their arms, intending to offer their fresh flowers to the first place outside the first class scholars.
"It’s the first place scholar! He’s actually coming to my side—I can’t believe I get to see him up close, I’m so blessed!"
"The first place scholar should be coming to see ! Get out of the way, don’t push ... let go, quickly let go!"
"It’s him, it’s him! Please, take my flower..."
"Take mine, take mine..."
Amidst the frenzied shouting of the crowd, Su Ke’s gaze and steps moved with the direction in which Qin Shuan’er was being jostled.
"You also ca to watch the Horse Riding Parade today?"
Su Ke’s voice was drowned out by the sounds of the surrounding shouting crowd, but Qin Shuan’er still understood the aning of his words.
She nodded vigorously.
"Yes, I ca to enjoy the lively atmosphere."
Knowing that Su Ke couldn’t hear her speak, recalling the scene she had seen before, Qin Shuan’er bit her lip and suddenly turned to snatch a flower from her maidservant’s hand, mustering her courage to offer it to him.
"For you!"
This seemingly courageous act made Su Ke freeze.
It was a vivid red Pogranate Flower, its petals half-open as if shy and reluctant to bloom, exuding a delicate charm.
Seeing Su Ke surprised and hesitating to take the flower, Qin Shuan’er’s cheeks grew redder. The courage that had sprung from nowhere began to fade, and she awkwardly bit her lip, slowly retracting her hand.
But in the next mont, Su Ke reached out and grabbed the Pogranate Flower, then smiled at her.
That smile, like a gentle breeze across the face, instantly dispersed the gloom in Qin Shuan’er’s heart, making her smile as well.
His gesture inspired the surrounding flower-throwers even more, and a myriad of flowers rained down as if they cost nothing.
The newly qualified Jinshi scholars behind him were urging him on, and Su Ke could only smile and wave at Qin Shuan’er before riding on forward.
As he rode, he silently took the Pogranate Flower and pinned it onto his crown.
This act made Qin Shuan’er blush even more, her eyes, filled with tender emotions, lingered on the gradually fading figure on horseback—her soft gaze enough to lt the iron pride of any man.
Her actions, among the already frenzied throng of maidens and wives, went relatively unnoticed amidst the chaos.
However, a pair of eyes caught the whole episode, a shadow slowly crawling across his face.
He closely watched the two smiling faces of Su Ke and Qin Shuan’er disappear into the crowd.
Su Ke quickly caught up with the others.
Seeing everyone ahead chatting and laughing, he silently took the Pogranate Flower and fastened it onto his hat, looking around.
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