When curiosity turns into longing, and gazing turns into action, the Knight of Cups leaps onto his horse. He is an incorrigible romantic, a pursuer of ideals. He holds his holy grail high, seeing no hardship on the road, only the castle of roses in the distance. His pursuit might be naive, but the genuine heart he offers is as pure as a diamond.
The cup with the carved fish became Leo's talisman. He finally plucked up the courage to extend a second invitation to Anna, not to a noisy pub, but to his studio.
When Anna walked into the pure white, cavernous space and saw the cold, magnificent sculptures, what she saw in them was not awe, but a hint of... compassion that was hard to miss. "They're beautiful," she said softly, "but so lonely."
Leo’s heart was struck. It was the first time someone had seen through the layers of hardened armor behind his work. He felt an unprecedented sting of being understood. He almost ran to her, handing her the clay cup. "I... I made this for you," he said, his face burning.
Anna took the cup with surprise. When she saw the small fish on the inner wall, she smiled, and her smile was brighter than all the flowers in her shop combined. "It's speaking to me," she said. Then, she did something completely unexpected. She walked to the window and poured a little water from a small spray bottle she had brought into the cup. Then, from the pot of hyacinths on the windowsill, she picked a small blue flower and gently placed it in the water. The tiny blue flower floated gently on the water's surface like a small boat.
"You see?" Anna said. "Now it's not alone."
In that moment, Leo's world spun. He had spent his life using hard materials to resist emptiness, and she, with just a drop of water and a single flower, made his world complete and gentle.
A powerful, irresistible urge overwhelmed him. He wanted to do something for her, to create a unique piece that would hold all of his emotions at this moment. He was no longer the careful Page holding a cup. He had become a passionate Knight, ready to ride his steed and pluck the moon for his princess.
He locked himself in his studio, working day and night without rest. He abandoned the cold stone and chose a warm walnut wood with the texture of life. He carved a huge, never-fading rose. Each petal of the rose was composed of countless small, interconnected geometric shapes, symbolizing his rational heart trying its hardest to learn how to love. At the center of the rose, he inlaid a smooth, jade-like moonstone that would give off a soft glow in the dark.
This piece consumed all his passion and effort. It might not fit into any artistic genre, but it existed only for one person. When he finally presented the piece, which he named Moonlight and Rose, to Anna, he was as nervous as a prisoner awaiting sentencing. He wasn't just showing her a work of art; he was offering her his heart.
Anna didn't speak. She just reached out and gently touched the cool wooden petals and the warm moonstone. Then, she looked up, tears in her eyes, and whispered, "I received it."
【Echo from the Mirror】
Have you ever, like a "Knight of Cups," pursued a person or an ideal with a reckless and romantic passion? What was the result of that unwavering commitment? Even if it was naive or ended in failure, does that pure heart you once held high still leave you with no regrets when you look back?