When Jason Ji saw that it was Lucia Dong who had arrived, he instinctively glanced at Livia Dong beside him. The faint smirk in her eyes told him she was enjoying the scene that was about to unfold.
"Lucia don't rush. What exactly are you upset about?" Livia feigned innocence; her voice laced with curiosity as she looked at her sister with an expression of pure bewilderment.
"You don't know, sister?" Lucia's delicate face was flushed with anger, and her glare at Jason could have set him on fire.
"Know what?" Livia asked, eyes wide and feigning confusion, her innocent expression resembling an angel who'd wandered into the mortal realm by mistake.
Lucia sighed, a look of exasperation washing over her face. "Sister, you really are too naive sometimes!"
Her frustration was palpable as she continued, "Do you know this entire city is in an uproar because of this man?"
"Huh?" Jason raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled as to what she was referring to.
"Don't act innocent!" Lucia shot him a fiery glare. "It's all because of that poem you wrote for Princess Sarah at her birthday banquet. The whole city is talking about it!"
Jason blinked in surprise. He had almost forgotten about that poem, considering it a small part of the larger scheme they were unfolding.
"'To know the pangs of yearning, one must first step into my heart's door,'" Lucia recited the line, her face flushed. She huffed in indignation. "You're shameless! How can you claim to know such yearning when you've barely met Princess Sarah a few times?"
She looked ready to explode, and Jason could only sigh, amused by the intensity of her reaction.
"It was just a gift for the Princess's birthday," Livia said soothingly, taking Lucia's hand. "Nothing more than a poetic gesture."
"Sister!" Lucia objected, her voice brimming with frustration. "If he's merely pining for her, fine! But as your fiancé, he shouldn't be doing this at all! What's worse, Princess Sarah is obviously interested in him too!"
Livia raised an eyebrow and glanced slyly at Jason. "Go on."
Taking a deep breath, Lucia clenched her fists as she explained, "A few days ago, a number of noble ladies offered fortunes to buy Jason's painting and that poem. But Princess Sarah kicked them all out!"
"So?" Livia said, unfazed. She herself was rather impressed by Jason's poetic flair.
Lucia shook her head, sighing. "And just today, Empress Snow formally proposed to the Emperor that Princess Sarah be wed to Jason. I hear His Majesty didn't reject the idea."
The words hung in the air, causing Jason to pause in thought. If things were as Lucia said, it indeed reflected a shift in the royal family's stance.
Lucia huffed; arms folded. "Had it not been for the recent tragedy of the Crown Prince's death, they might have already arranged for Jason and Princess Sarah to marry."
Her eyes flared as she continued, "Now, the people of Chang'an think you and Princess Sarah are destined for each other, and they're saying my sister's the one standing in the way!"
Jason chuckled, watching Lucia's fiery expression, while Livia's lips curved in a faint smile. The irony was almost too rich—a powerful woman misjudged as a naïve beauty, and a headstrong younger sister who'd decided to "protect" that misunderstood sister at all costs.
"Is there something funny about this?" Lucia snapped, her glare darting between them. "Jason, how can you laugh?"
Jason shrugged, holding up his hands in resignation. "Alright, Lucia. How would you like me to fix this?"
His gaze shifted briefly to Livia, who clearly had no intention of revealing their plan to her sister, so he decided to play along.
"Let me be clear, Jason," Lucia declared. "You will marry my sister, no matter what! I don't care what the Emperor says or who else tries to interfere!"
"Whatever you say," Jason replied, nodding obediently, much to her satisfaction.
"But that's not enough! If Princess Sarah gets a poem, then my sister deserves one too!" Lucia insisted, her fierce expression softening only slightly.
"You mean I should write Livia a poem too?" Jason couldn't help but chuckle at the irony, wondering how much longer Lucia would play the role of the doting but slightly Naive sister.
"Of course!" Lucia crossed her arms with a huff. "But forget the painting. You're not nearly skilled enough to capture even a fraction of her beauty."
Livia's eyes gleamed with interest as she exchanged a glance with Jason. Both had already agreed silently to humor Lucia's wishes.
"You have three days to compose an eternal love poem for my sister," Lucia added with finality.
"Three days?" Jason shook his head. "A poem like that doesn't need three days."
Lucia blinked, surprised. "I said an eternal love poem! One that will be remembered for generations."
"Exactly." Jason closed his eyes, letting himself sink into a rare, intense focus. He could feel the emotions churning within him, and after a few moments, he began to recite.
"Tell me, what is love that makes life worth living and death worth giving?"
The first line alone left Lucia awestruck, her usual assertiveness fading as she listened intently. Livia, too, was taken aback. What had begun as a mere act was suddenly charged with genuine sentiment, and she found herself moved in a way she hadn't anticipated.
Jason continued:
"Across the skies we soar as one, / Wings weary from many years gone.
The joy of union, the pain of parting, / Each tear and laugh with hearts still darting.
O who would understand / Such clouds afar, such snowy lands, and one alone, drifting from shore to shore?
The distant melody on Yishui Road, / The desolate echoes of flutes long ago.
Summon back the soul if it dares / Where wind and rain still cling to the tears.
The heavens envy us too, refusing truth / That skylarks and swallows will lie beneath earth's roots.
So let the ages come and pass / With wild songs, wine in glass, / And when we meet on the Crane's Hill, we'll toast the final breath."
The final line hung in the air, Jason's eyes opening as he turned to Lucia and Livia. Both sisters were rendered speechless, struck by the profound beauty of the words.
"So," Jason asked with a slight smile, "how was that?"
Livia's usually composed expression was softened by an almost imperceptible blush, while Lucia simply stared, unable to find the words.
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