The Lament of Autumn - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Jade Hairpin Falls to the Earth, How Can It Endure the Biting Snow? The Pear Blossoms Are Covered in Frost, Where Can One Ask of Passion?

Yuzhou

The garden was planted with all manner of flowers and trees; with fields of roses and encircling pines and cypresses, the scenery was excellent. The carved balustrades of the balcony upstairs were engraved with exquisitely beautiful phoenixes. On the rosewood vanity sat a cosmetic box; several drawers were left open, containing nothing more than pearls, diamonds, and the like.

Suddenly, the voice of a maid came from outside the door, "Madam, Mr. Jiang has returned."

Tao Ziyi, however, let out a light huff and tossed the powder puff she was holding into the powder jar on the vanity. Hearing the door open, she didn't even turn her head, continuing to apply her CD lipstick in the mirror, pursing her lips from time to time to carefully check if the color had bled past the lip line.

The moment Jiang Xueting walked in and saw her like this, he smiled slightly, "You’re up. Why not sleep a little longer? You came back so late last night."

Tao Ziyi finally turned her head and cast him a side-glance, "Is Dean Jiang here to throw his official weight around? Investigating my affairs? I only went to the hotel to dance last night, is that not allowed?" Jiang Xueting smiled faintly, "Play to your heart's content; when have I ever investigated you? It’s just that Father and Eldest Sister are coming over tonight, and you really should be home to host them."

Tao Ziyi sneered, "My father and eldest sister are my own family; if they are coming, do I need to host them? On the contrary, your older brother and sister-in-law have been here more than once. Your brother insists on being the governor of the Central Bank—a wealthy country bumpkin who runs a money shop actually daring to make such a request; isn't that absolutely laughable?"

Jiang Xueting looked at Tao Ziyi, and Tao Ziyi giggled, "Am I wrong?" Jiang Xueting smiled calmly, "You are right, you are always right. As for who will hold the position of bank governor, that will depend on Father's arrangements." Tao Ziyi straightened her royal blue georgette cheongsam in the mirror and turned to give Jiang Xueting a charming smile, "Does it look good?"

Seeing several yellow roses in a vase nearby, Jiang Xueting picked one and handed it to Tao Ziyi, smiling, "For you." Tao Ziyi looked up and saw that brilliant yellow rose swaying before her eyes. Jiang Xueting gently tucked the flower into her hair and said with a smile, "It looks wonderful."

Tao Ziyi immediately cheered up. She picked up her handbag and said to Jiang Xueting, "I’ve arranged to see a movie with some friends, so I’m afraid I’ll be back late tonight." Jiang Xueting replied, "But Father and Eldest Sister..." Tao Ziyi pouted, "How annoying. I’ll go call them and tell them not to come."

Jiang Xueting didn't say anything else. Tao Ziyi walked toward the door, pushing it open and calling to the maid outside, "Tell Old Wang to drive the car to the front gate." Since their marriage, Jiang Xueting had been completely obedient to Tao Ziyi, and in the house, Tao Ziyi was the one who had the final say. Hearing her instruction, the maid hurried off to handle it. Before she even stepped out, Tao Ziyi suddenly turned back and said to Jiang Xueting with a smile, "Your sister-in-law brought some pastries. I had the servants put them on the desk in your study. You can go take a look yourself; I, for one, won't eat that sort of thing."

After saying this, she slammed the door shut with a "bang" and headed downstairs.

Jiang Xueting’s gaze remained fixed on that door for a moment. He then reached out, grabbed the remaining roses from the vase, threw them on the floor, and stepped on them, crushing them into a pulp with force. His expression, however, remained calm and indifferent.

From outside the door came the voice of his adjutant, Xue Zhiqi, "Dean Jiang, there have been some issues at the small mansion."

Outside the window, a light breeze blew, causing the wisteria vines wrapped around the balcony to sway in waves. Jiang Xueting raised his head slowly, looking at the vines that had just begun to turn green, his gaze pausing for a moment.

This three-story building, which combined Chinese and Western styles, was located on the south bank of Yuzhou. A Han River divided the city of Yuzhou in two. Compared to the bustling north bank, the south bank was a quiet retreat within the commotion. Most of the high-ranking officials and noble families of the north bank bought small apartments here, and their intentions were naturally glaringly obvious and went without saying.

In March, the weather in Yuzhou was already extremely warm. The balcony of the three-story building faced a small garden in the back. Several gardeners were busy on the lawn. A wall was fashioned out of evergreen trees, and there was an entire row of white jade hairpin flowers that had just sprouted, their green leaves dark and lush, showing at a glance that they had received the utmost care.

In the third-floor bedroom, beside a pleated silk rosewood floor lamp, sat a Western-style soft armchair. A maid walked in carrying a tray with small snacks. She looked at the delicate woman in a coat sitting in the armchair and smiled obsequiously, "Miss, please have some snacks. These are chicken-juice soup dumplings. My master said they are your favorite."

Ye Pingjun turned her head, her gaze revealing a sharp, icy coldness. The maid continued to smile while holding the tray. Ye Pingjun stood up, pushed the maid aside, and hurried out of the room. The maid cried out in a panic, "Miss Ye, you cannot go out."

Pingjun didn't even listen to her and ran downstairs. However, before she had gone more than a few steps, she heard someone say, "Miss Ye, please stay." Beside a door on the other side of the hall, several men approached. The leading man, a refined gentleman, smiled politely at Ye Pingjun, "Miss Ye, if you have any needs, just tell the servants; there is no need to go downstairs yourself."

Pingjun asked indignantly, "Who exactly are you people? What right do you have to keep me under house arrest here?"

The man smiled slightly, "I am a member of the staff here, Zhou Zheng-hai." Pingjun stood there, her gaze clear and cold, "What place is this?"

Zhou Zheng-hai replied politely, "This is Yuzhou."

Pingjun was stunned for a moment. She looked up and glanced outside the hall, seeing several beams of soft sunlight shining in through the main door. Sentries stood straight at the entrance. Zhou Zheng-hai said courteously from the side, "Miss Ye, you must be tired from the journey. It is better to go back upstairs and rest."

Ye Pingjun knew that this place was a cage, and there was no way she could escape. She turned back. The maid had already come down from upstairs; she offered a gentle smile, bowed slightly, and said, "Miss Ye, I am Ruixiang, the maid here. Just tell me if you need anything."

Pingjun pushed her aside and went back upstairs, saying coldly, "Call him!"

Zhou Zheng-hai stepped forward, still very polite, "Miss Ye." Ye Pingjun turned her head, staring at him coldly. Her lips parted, and she spoke each word with distinct, icy detachment, "Tell Jiang Xueting to come and see me."

Jiang Xueting did not arrive at the small mansion until near dusk.

Zhou Zheng-hai led a group of guards to welcome him, but he waved his hand, dismissing them all. He walked upstairs himself, moving so quickly that when he pushed open the door to the bedroom, he saw the heavy dark green curtains by the window held back on both sides by golden hooks. On the side table, there was a bottle of peach blossom branches. She was sitting sideways in the armchair; the reflection of the peach branches against her profile made her look even more gentle and beautiful. He gazed at her as if he had once again stepped into a beautiful, innocent dream that had once belonged to him, and whispered softly, "Pingjun."

She finally turned her head, her fingers trembling. That icy, chilling gaze pierced into his heart in an instant. Her words were as cold as ice, "Jiang Xueting, how dare you treat me like this!"

Jiang Xueting said slowly, "I just wanted you to come back."

She stared at him, the pair of jade pendants on her earlobes shaking incessantly. His eyes showed a look of tenderness, lingering only on her face as if he were seeing her again after a lifetime. He smiled softly as if immersed in a dream, "Pingjun, we are finally together again."

Ye Pingjun stood up from the chair and said indifferently, "Jiang Xueting, you are a prominent figure now; you should act with more integrity. What is the meaning of kidnapping me here for no reason? I want to go back to Jinling!" Her gaze was icy and cold. As she stepped forward to walk out the door, he grabbed her arm, gripping it tightly. She turned her head, and he looked at her, smiling slightly, "Still so prone to anger. I remember every time you were angry with me, you wanted me to apologize to you first. Let me apologize to you again, shall we?"

She tried hard to pull away from his hand, shouting angrily, "Jiang Xueting, have some self-respect!" He gazed into her furious eyes, a smile still hovering at the corners of his lips, like someone sleepwalking, "Pingjun, you have no idea how difficult things are for me now. Every time I am sad, I want to see you. I have never wanted to see anyone so desperately and intensely. I told myself that you were meant to be my woman, and I had to snatch you back."

His gaze made her heart palpitate with fear, and her face turned pale, but a fire of rage seemed to be burning in her chest. Instinctively, she wanted to pull her hand back, but who would have expected that he would come up and embrace her? He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her head, pulling her tightly into his arms. He said infatuatedly, "Pingjun."

Pingjun was being hugged so tightly she couldn't breathe. She pushed hard against his chest with both hands and cursed, "Jiang Xueting, you scoundrel." Yet he still smiled tenderly and whispered, "Pingjun, for you, I am willing to be a scoundrel. I thought I had everything the world had to offer, and even without you, it didn't matter. But now I know that even with the best of everything, without you, it simply won't do!"

She felt as if her whole body were shaking, "Those are things of the past. You have already married Tao Ziyi, and I am already Yu Changxuan’s woman. You clearly know that we have reached this point, and everything is past the point of return!"

He stared intently at her face and said decisively, "I say it can be restored, then it can be restored." He lowered his head and kissed her recklessly. Her face was deathly pale; she used all her strength to hold his chest back, throwing her head back and struggling as if her life depended on it. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her abdomen. She let out an "Ah" and collapsed onto the carpet, clutching her abdomen tightly, her forehead instantly beaded with fine, cold sweat. Jiang Xueting asked in a panic, "What’s wrong? Where do you feel unwell?"

Pingjun couldn't even catch her breath. Her abdomen spasmed with pain, and fine sweat drenched her temples in the blink of an eye. A wave of nausea surged up to her throat. She bowed her head, curling into a ball, dry-heaving in discomfort. Her face was so pale it lacked a trace of color.

Suddenly, her hand was grabbed by someone—with such force that it felt as if they were going to crush her bones. She looked up in terror, only to see Jiang Xueting’s furious face. He looked at her pale, haggard face, and his eyes slowly turned cold. He hated, enunciating each word, "Ye Pingjun!"

She lowered her head, dry-heaving again, her body trembling as if she were having a seizure.

Jiang Xueting turned his head and shouted toward the door, "Someone!" Hearing rapid footsteps, Zhou Zheng-hai said from outside, "Dean Jiang!"

Jiang Xueting shouted through gritted teeth, "Get a doctor, now!" Zhou Zheng-hai went to carry out the order. Jiang Xueting grabbed Pingjun and hauled her up from the carpet, ignoring how haggard and tormented she looked, and dragged her toward the door. Ye Pingjun understood his intention; she knew she couldn't hide it anymore. With a piercing gaze, she said, "You don't need to find anyone to examine me. You guessed right—I am carrying his child! I am his person in life, and I will be his ghost in death!"

Jiang Xueting turned back, his eyes looking as if they were bloodshot. He roared, "Ye Pingjun, you ungrateful wretch!" Without another word, he raised his hand and slapped Ye Pingjun hard across the face. Pingjun staggered from the blow and fell headlong against the foot of the bed. She didn't care about protecting herself, only about clutching her abdomen. She looked back at him, furious, "Yes, I am an ungrateful wretch. I am not worthy of you, so let me go!"

He sneered, suddenly pointing at her, and declared decisively, "Dream on! Even if I have to hack you into ten thousand pieces or crush your bones to ash, I will never let you and Yu Changxuan meet again."

She froze, her whole body turning cold. He stepped forward again, grabbing her. Her hair was disheveled and messy; her face was pale, and her breathing was chaotic. Only those eyes remained as bright as electricity, "Jiang Xueting, if you treat me this way, you will meet with retribution!"

His face turned iron-blue, and a surge of rage overcame him. He grabbed the back of her head and slammed her forehead against the floor with force. She felt her head "buzz," and warm blood began to flow slowly down her temple. Jiang Xueting grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up, and said coldly, "Even if retribution comes, I will deal with the bastard in your belly first!"

Her consciousness seemed to scatter, and she cried out in despair, "Jiang Xueting!"

He pushed her away, turned around, and walked out of the room quickly. The door was slammed shut with a "bang." His angry footsteps echoed all the way down, feeling as if they were stomping hard on her heart. She collapsed in despair on the carpet, a clear line of blood on half of her face, her whole body shivering. This tiny room offered no place that felt safe to her. She stumbled to her feet and moved toward the balcony; it was the third floor—if she jumped, she would never be able to save the child.

Pingjun retreated to the bed, trembling. She placed her hand on her soft belly and scanned the room. Suddenly, she walked quickly to the table, gathered all the apples on the plate, and stuffed them under the bed. She also hid the chicken-juice soup dumplings the maid Ruixiang had brought, along with the tray, under the bed.

She then ran to the coat rack where her coat hung, took out the short sword from her pocket, held it tightly in her hand, and slowly retreated to the bedside to sit. She sat leaning against the bed, holding the short sword in both arms. Only then did her heart rate slow slightly, though her body remained as tense as a strung bow, unable to stop shaking.

"No one is going to touch me or your child," she gritted her teeth and told herself.

She never ate anything Ruixiang brought again, fearing they had laced the food with abortifacients.

From day to night, she spent all her time curled up at the head of the bed, clutching the short sword. The wound on her forehead slowly dried and finally stopped bleeding. At night, Ruixiang brought in a bowl of noodles and tried with all her might to persuade her to eat a bite, but Pingjun wouldn't even look at them. Ruixiang smiled and said, "Miss Ye, do eat a little; don't starve yourself. If Young Master Jiang finds out, he is sure to be heartbroken."

Pingjun turned her head away, her lips pressed tightly shut, not saying a word.

Ruixiang had run into a wall and had nothing else to say, so she could only back out. Pingjun waited until the middle of the night before getting off the bed to take out the few soup dumplings she had hidden. The dumplings had been sitting for a long time and were already cold and dry. She took a few bites, but they tasted like wax; it was impossible to eat them. She had to force herself to swallow. After only a few bites, her stomach churned. She turned her head, crying while vomiting, her mouth filled with a salty and bitter taste.

The pale, cold moonlight shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The rosewood furniture in the room seemed to be covered in a layer of white frost, exuding a chill. She touched her abdomen in silence, tears falling in rows, yet she still brought the dry dumplings to her lips, struggling to swallow them bit by bit.

For the sake of this child, she thought she could persevere.

She held on like this for two days, but her head gradually began to burn, and even her breathing felt searing hot. Darkness clouded her vision, and every time she stood up, the world spun. She could only cover herself completely with a quilt, but she was still burning and trembling uncontrollably, her teeth chattering.

That night, she was sleeping in a daze when she heard the door open. Ruixiang’s voice came through, lowered as much as possible, "Considering you are a qualified doctor, you’ve done this more than once or twice. What are you afraid of? Just do as Young Master Jiang says. As long as your hand is steady and you don't hurt the mother, it will be fine."

A cold hand pressed against her pulse. Someone said above her head, "Fortunately, it’s only been three months, it can still be aborted. Bring me my needle." She tried hard to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand catties. Her heart was on fire, and the darkness before her eyes seemed to be spinning. Everything was spinning. She called to heaven but got no response, she called to the earth but it was deaf to her pleas. A subtle pain slowly pricked into her skin. She felt pain, intense pain, and her body felt as if it were falling straight into an invisible abyss. She cried in a stupor, "...Changxuan... save me..."

There was no reply, no light.

Hot tears flowed down, scorching the skin at the corners of her eyes. Yet no one came to save her. Her world suddenly turned empty. The pain became even more unbearable, but then the cry of an infant sounded. That cry caused her heart to tear in pain, yet the sound grew further and further away, further and further away...

She didn't know where she found the strength, but she suddenly opened her eyes. The doctor holding the thin needle and Ruixiang were both so startled they stepped back. Pingjun had already sat up in bed, disheveled, and shouted at the two of them like a madwoman, "Don't touch my child!"

She pulled her hand from under the quilt, revealing the short sword she was clutching tightly. Caring for nothing, she swung it toward the two of them. The doctor and Ruixiang retreated again and again. Ruixiang’s face was bloodless, trembling, "Miss Ye, please calm down."

Pingjun’s face was flushed red. Seeing that they hadn't retreated and were about to pounce to subdue her at any moment, she thought that she really had to act like a madwoman now, if at least to scare these people away. She screamed in despair, "If you want to harm my child, kill me first!" While holding the dagger, she grabbed a small stool from beside the bed and smashed it against the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony. With a "bang," the window shattered into pieces, falling through the gaps in the third-floor railing to the ground. A cold wind poured in instantly. She shouted at the empty night, "Help—! Help—!"

The night was deathly silent. Her voice seemed to dissipate before it could travel very far. In the distance, the darkness veiled the tall trees, which looked like shadows of ghosts—lost, wandering ghosts all standing there, staring at her expressionlessly, as if waiting for her to die so they could rush up and devour her.

Seeing this, the doctor grabbed his medicine box and ran out, muttering, "She's a lunatic! She's a lunatic!"

Ruixiang still tried to convince Pingjun to calm down, but she saw Pingjun, her hair in total disarray, her skin white and bloodless, rushing toward her with the sword. Pingjun tripped and fell to the floor, yet still struggled to stand up. Ruixiang screamed in terror, turned, and ran out. This had already alerted the guards in the guardroom downstairs. Zhou Zheng-hai led the guards, rushed up, and shouted at Ruixiang, "What happened?"

Ruixiang, while bracing her back against the door, screamed at Zhou Zheng-hai, "It’s terrible, lock this door quickly! Miss Ye has gone mad, she’s going to kill someone!" Zhou Zheng-hai was stunned and turned to the guards beside him, "Go lock the door." The guards immediately stepped forward to help Ruixiang lock it.

Listening to the sound of the door being locked, Pingjun’s heart hammered "thump-thump" in her chest. Her throat burned with pain. She said to herself in her heart, "I won, I won, I drove them away..."

She clutched the short sword and retreated to the bed bit by bit, covering herself again with the quilt. The two shattered panels of the floor-to-ceiling window rattled in the wind. Suddenly, she felt a warmth under her nose. She wiped it with her hand and found a hand full of nosebleed. She tilted her head toward the ceiling, letting the warm blood flow back, but two lines of tears flowed silently from the corners of her eyes...

Her whole body seemed suddenly to be in an agitated state. Her head ached terribly, yet she couldn't sleep. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. She stayed awake like this, watching the window, veiled in the night, gradually lighten. This night, unexpectedly, had passed.

Around eight or nine o'clock in the evening, because the eldest sister, Tao Yayi, had arrived, Tao Ziyi didn't go dancing that night. She stayed at the mansion to eat snacks with her sister. Tao Yayi ate a dish of fruit jelly, but after a few bites, she couldn't help but frown, "A small place like Yuzhou really can't compare to Jinling; they can't even make a decent snack. How is one supposed to eat this?"

Tao Ziyi drank some coffee and said, "I’d rather eat the pagoda-shaped crispy cakes from Jinling." She took a sip of coffee, tapped her small teaspoon lightly on the saucer, and giggled, "Eldest Sister, I heard that Father’s intention is that having two governments divided like this is not good. He wants to reunite with Jinling. Jinling is also willing, and they have already sent representatives to Yuzhou to negotiate, saying they also want to entrust Father with an important responsibility."

Tao Yayi smiled, "That is true, but it won't work just because our father has this intention; there are always those who oppose it, like this Dean Jiang of your household." Tao Ziyi pouted, tossing her small teaspoon down with a "clatter," "Choosing to stay in this dump instead of going to Jinling—I knew his brain was somewhat problematic. I must discipline him."

Tao Yayi quickly waved her hand, "Little sister, don't say such things. Xueting is, after all, an Executive Yuan Dean and Chairman of the Nationalist Government. You don't know how bad Xueting’s temper is now. Even my father-in-law can't sway him. Yesterday, at the regular meeting, he even went so far as to refute our father’s face, reprimanding him with a few words until Father couldn't get off the stage."

When Tao Ziyi heard this, her delicate brows arched high, and she instantly became furious, "What? He dares to treat Father like that? He doesn't stop to think who supported him to get where he is today?!"

Just as she said this, a flurry of footsteps was heard from outside the living room, and a maid said, "Dean Jiang has returned." Before the words had faded, Jiang Xueting had already walked in, followed by Adjutant Xue Zhiqi and several aides. Jiang Xueting looked full of gloom. As soon as he entered the hall and saw Tao Yayi, he said indifferently, "Eldest Sister is here."

Tao Yayi quickly stood up and smiled, "Brother-in-law is back. Have you been busy these past few days?"

Jiang Xueting nodded and said to Tao Ziyi, "You keep Eldest Sister company; I’m going to the study to handle some business." Tao Ziyi let out a "huff" from her nose and said haughtily, "That’s a joke. Do I need you to remind me to accompany my own sister?" Jiang Xueting turned his head and walked toward his study.

Xue Zhiqi turned on the study lights. Jiang Xueting walked in, took his pistol from his coat, and threw it on the table. He said coldly, "This bunch of old fogeys—they run wherever there is a profit to be made. Talking about a 'Jin-Yu Merger,' I want to see how many benefits Yu Zhongquan can give them after they go back!"

Seeing him in such a rage, Xue Zhiqi stood to the side, hesitated slightly, but said, "The Fusang people do seem to have the intention of supporting our Yuzhou government; they even specifically sent an envoy..."

"Shut up!" Jiang Xueting turned around abruptly and roared, "I, Jiang Xueting, have not yet reached the end of my road, needing to rely on the Fusang people to become a traitor!"

Xue Zhiqi quickly kept his mouth shut. Jiang Xueting waved him away. He sat under the lotus-leaf green lamp, irritably lighting a cigarette. He knew that ever since the Jinling representatives arrived, more than half of the Yuzhou government agreed to the merger. Even the Mou and Tao families had inclinations in that direction. In the final analysis, it was only because he, the Dean of the Executive Yuan and Chairman of the Nationalist Government, hadn't given them enough benefits.

Now, the Yu family of Jinling was actually allied with the Xiao family to resist the Fusang army. The fighting on both the western and eastern fronts was very fierce, and national public opinion was entirely on the side of the Jinling government. The Yuzhou government was as redundant as a burden, and how insignificant it had become! Furthermore, the Fusang envoy had repeatedly come to harass him, and there was even speculation in the media that he, Jiang Xueting, harbored the desire to betray the country.

Everyone was pushing him! These people were all pushing him!

He had a splitting headache. Thinking about it in such a chaotic way, the more he thought, the more irritable he became. Looking left and right, he saw no way out. His anger flared up, and unknowingly, he had smoked until the floor was covered with cigarette butts. The grandfather clock chimed twelve times in a row, startling him and making him realize how deep the night had become. He stood up and pushed the study door open to head upstairs. The bedroom light was still on. Tao Ziyi was leaning against the headboard, reading a book. Seeing him come in, she raised the book to cover her entire face.

Jiang Xueting was filled with irritability and ignored her, heading to the washroom to freshen up. When he returned, he saw Tao Ziyi already sitting at the vanity, combing her hair vigorously. Her entire face was tense. He had to suppress his irritation and step forward to touch her shoulder, smiling faintly, "You were lying down perfectly well just now; why are you up again? What if you catch a cold?"

Tao Ziyi said, "I don't need you to care about me!"

Jiang Xueting smiled, "I am my own wife, why wouldn't I care?"

Tao Ziyi turned her head "sharply," picked up the comb in her hand, and threw it at Jiang Xueting’s forehead. Her face was full of anger, and she cursed continuously, "Jiang Xueting, who gave you such guts? You actually dared to reprimand my father at the regular meeting! You ungrateful wretch, if it weren't for our Tao family, would you have today?!"

Jiang Xueting was suddenly stunned as he saw Tao Ziyi pick up the powder jars, foreign perfumes, and other items from the vanity and throw them all at him. He backed away until he reached the door, but Tao Ziyi was unrelenting, trying to come forward to grab him. Jiang Xueting watched her behavior with cold eyes for a long time before saying one sentence: "Have you had enough? You are supposed to be a lady of a distinguished family, yet you behave like a street shrew!"

She sneered, "This is exactly who I am. Don't forget, it was you who begged and pleaded to marry me, otherwise do you really think I would have married such a..." Before she could finish, Jiang Xueting said coldly, "Consider it my mistake in judgment back then! If you don't like it, we might as well part ways." Tao Ziyi was stunned. Jiang Xueting, however, had already slammed the door and walked out. Tao Ziyi’s face turned crimson. Seeing him leave like this, she didn't care about anything else. She chased out barefooted, shouting loudly, "Jiang Xueting, Jiang Xueting!"

Jiang Xueting had already reached the hall downstairs. Everyone in the mansion was startled, but no one dared to walk over. Tao Ziyi stood upstairs, shouting at Jiang Xueting below, "Jiang Xueting, you stop right there!"

Jiang Xueting’s steps paused, and he turned to look at Tao Ziyi. Tao Ziyi’s face was flushed red, and she was shaking with anger. She hadn't expected him to treat her like this; he had always been completely obedient to her. She stamped her foot and cried, "If you want to leave, then go! And don't come back!"

Jiang Xueting let out a cold huff, his expression of gloominess chilling to the heart, and walked straight out. Xue Zhiqi hurriedly led the guards to follow. Tao Ziyi stood frozen upstairs, watching him leave, so angry she couldn't speak. She turned around, picked up a pot of orchids from a plant stand, and threw it straight downstairs!

In the middle of the night, it began to rain. Pingjun heard the raindrops hitting the floor-to-ceiling windows, pattering loudly. She barely managed to eat a few of the apples she had hidden earlier, but her throat felt scorched and dry. Extremely thirsty, she stumbled to the table, picked up a teacup, and braced herself to walk to the window. As soon as she opened it, wind mixed with rain poured in. She couldn't even stand properly and collapsed to one side of the window, leaning her head against the glass. She took a difficult breath and reached out with the teacup to catch the rain falling from the sky. Before she could finish catching a cup of water, she heard the sound of a lock opening from outside.

She turned around. Jiang Xueting walked in, with Ruixiang behind him holding a bunch of keys, closing the door behind him again. His cold gaze swept over her snow-white face. Suddenly, he stepped forward and dragged her from the floor-to-ceiling window. She no longer had a shred of strength; the teacup fell from her hand, and she could only let him drag her, her legs dragging on the floor. When Jiang Xueting let go, she fell silently onto the carpet, her long hair disheveled, like a butterfly with broken wings.

Outside the window was the sound of pouring rain, and cold wind blew in, making one shiver. He turned to close the window and pulled the dark green curtains shut. A red-shaded lamp was on in the room, and her face, illuminated by the light, looked incredibly haggard—so thin that the bones of her wrists jutted out high. Tears slid down the corners of her eyes. She choked and begged, "Xueting, I beg you, for the sake of our old feelings, let me go."

"Did you think of our old feelings when you were with Yu Changxuan?!" He looked at her and suddenly gave a slight laugh, whispering, "You talk to me about old feelings? When we were together before, it was so good. I really miss that time. But you actually went to Yu Changxuan..."

Her breathing was difficult, her breath searing, "I did it back then to save you."

He suddenly flew into a rage, "I would rather have died in prison than be saved like that by you!"

She looked at him in despair, tears falling in lines, landing on the thick carpet, "Even if I was wrong, is that not enough? I beg you, stop torturing me."

He gazed at her, suddenly stepped forward, pulled her up from the carpet, and held her in his arms. His voice dropped, sounding again like sleep-talking, "Pingjun, let’s start over. Do you remember how happy we were? You wore your hair in a beautiful double-raven bun and put the jade hairpin I gave you in it. It looked so good. You were always prone to anger, but you were also very good at talking; you always left me with no way to argue with you. When we were children, I caught crickets for you, and when I picked flowers, I gave them to you... We can always start over..."

She struggled hard to get out of his arms, crying and trembling, "It’s impossible. It really is impossible for us."

He was so temperamental—suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders hard with both hands, pulling her in front of him, and stared angrily into her tear-filled eyes, "Is it that even you look down on me?! Do you also think I will never be as good as Yu Changxuan?!"

She was extremely desperate, "I don't."

He sneered, hating, "Then don't tell me it's impossible again. I told you, even if I have to let you die in my hands and have your bones crushed to ash, I will never let you and Yu Changxuan meet again!"

She was weak to the point of exhaustion, and even breathing became difficult. He suddenly stepped forward to kiss her face. She struggled to break free in despair, hitting him, and even biting him, but none of it had any effect. He pinned her there tightly, kissing her while muttering incoherently, "Pingjun, everyone is pushing me now. I don't want anything else—I only want you."

Her face instantly turned white. She grabbed the short sword hidden on her person and tried to stab him with it, but he grabbed her arm. He seized the sword from her hand, threw it aside, and bowed his head to tear at her clothes. She pushed him away with all her might, crying, "Jiang Xueting, you are not human!"

He didn't care about her scratching or crying; he didn't care at all, only greedily demanding. All her resistance was as futile as a mayfly shaking a tree. He invaded her frantically, finally feeling the warmth in her body—a warmth that seemed to seep into his very bones, making him unable to suppress a vague sigh, "Pingjun..."

He heard her crying in despair beneath him. Afraid of hurting the child in her belly, she struggled to curve her body, not daring to push back with force. She could only emit a very, very faint cry, as fragile as a thin line of silk.

He truly wished he could crush her to pieces right then and there, as long as this warmth didn't leave him again. Since losing her, he had always thought it was no big deal, that he could find someone better, but he simply couldn't. Everyone in the world was betraying him and mocking him. He had endured for too long, lived on his knees for too long; he had had enough. Only at this very moment did he finally know the joy and satisfaction of having his own way—the kind he dominated himself. Even if it meant tearing her out of Yu Changxuan’s world in a bloody mess, even if she died in the next moment, he would achieve his purpose at this moment.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was heavy, sweeping rain. The sound of that heavy rain was like the jujube tree at the door of the home where she once lived. One morning, as she leaned against the door watching him leave, the sound of the branches and leaves rustling above her head, she smiled slightly at him, the scarf wrapped around her neck fluttering in the wind. It was so beautiful.

He still remembered. He had always remembered.

The rain outside the window gradually stopped, and the night retreated, the horizon slowly revealing a hint of blue.

She felt as if she had been broken and then stitched back together, so every part of her body was a wound. There were bloody cracks on her dry, chapped lips, and her throat was scorched and hot. She didn't even have the strength to stand up, so she crawled toward the floor-to-ceiling window bit by bit.

She pushed the window open a small slit. The soft little fluff balls on the curtain slid against her face. That teacup was still sitting outside, containing a cup of icy rainwater. She held the cup in both hands and drank the rainwater with a shudder. The cold water felt like nectar, and her painful throat felt much more comfortable.

Jiang Xueting’s breathing was a bit rapid, "For his child, are you really willing to give up your life? What is the use of you doing this for him?! I’m afraid he has already cast you to the back of his mind!"

She didn't even look at him, just lay there, her disheveled hair sticking softly to her pale cheeks. She raised her eyes to look at the distant horizon, her lips trembling slightly, hot tears flowing over her entire face. This sight was like a fragile wisp of light smoke, ready to vanish at any moment—simply unable to withstand a single blow.

He finally turned his head away, not looking at her again, the corners of his mouth twitching silently, "I will not touch your child again, as long as you live."

The Yu army and the Fusang army had been eyeing each other for a long time, and the situation was tense, like a fuse, ready to ignite at any touch. Since the joint agreement with the Xiao family in the north of the Yangtze in early spring, they had formally declared war on the Fusang army. At the end of March, Commander-in-Chief of the Nine Districts, Yu Changxuan, was ordered to leave urgently for the eastern front. Yu Changxuan was a man of decisive action; as soon as he arrived at the eastern war zone, he quickly built a national defense fortification line from Yunzhou to Chumen, firmly suppressing the Fusang army that was attempting to attack from the south to the north.

This battle was naturally fierce and intense. Yu Changxuan even went to the front line himself to oversee the battle, refusing to retreat even after being struck in the left chest by artillery shrapnel. The two sides were locked in fierce combat for three full months until the International League intervened, threatening reconciliation. Only then did this war, in which the Jinling government and the Xiao family warlords joined forces to resist the Fusang, come to a temporary stop.

At the end of June, inside the Yu family residence in Jinling, the bright red pomegranate flowers were in full bloom, making the scene brilliant. Under the afternoon sun, it was even more dazzling. Qixuan was wearing a moon-white satin robe, hiding under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard, when she heard her father’s voice coming through the window from Yu Zhongquan’s study. He was very angry, "Just for a woman, he is being so reckless with his life. I do not have such a son! It would be cleaner if he had died!"

Madam Yu was equally furious, "Never mind why he is risking his life like this; he has fought a winning battle for you after all. You spend the whole day sulking; he has been in a coma for so long, and you haven't even gone to see him once. What is the meaning of that?!"

Hearing her father and mother arguing, Qixuan’s face showed a distressed look. She heard someone call out softly behind her, "Qixuan, why are you hiding here?" Qixuan turned her head, saw her second sister standing there, and quickly waved her hand, running over, "Second Sister, Father and Mother are fighting." Jinxuan glanced toward the study and said to Qixuan, "Don't worry, Mother always has a way."

Qixuan nodded. Jinxuan said again, "Your Fifth Brother just woke up for a moment; let’s go see him quickly." Qixuan nodded hurriedly. Jinxuan took Qixuan by the hand, headed to the front hall, and went all the way upstairs. When they reached Yu Changxuan’s room, they saw a British doctor tidying his medicine box. Eldest Sister-in-law Minru and Jun Daiti were attending to the bedside. This British doctor had been specifically invited from a church hospital and was very skilled in medicine. Jinxuan went over to ask a few questions, while Qixuan had already run to the bedside and said to Yu Changxuan, "Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, how are you?"

Yu Changxuan had been struck in the chest by artillery shrapnel. Added to that, the medical conditions on the front line were extremely poor, and he had been so reckless with his life that the wound had become significantly infected and inflamed, almost rotting. He had lapsed into a coma and was carried back to Jinling from the front line, a narrow escape from death. Having been cared for meticulously during this period, he had only just started to improve. He lay on the bed, looking at Qixuan’s nervous expression, and smiled slightly, "You little thing, you're causing a scene again. Don't worry, I guarantee I won't die. Otherwise, when you get married in the future, if you don't have a brother to look out for you, what will you do if you get bullied?"

Qixuan pouted, "How annoying. People are so worried about you, and you're still teasing me. You have no idea how anxious I was." Yu Changxuan smiled, "Good sister, I know I was wrong. At worst, next time we bicker, I’ll let you win." He had only said a few words when he felt a sharp pain in his chest, causing him to cough repeatedly, which only made the wound ache more. Jun Daiti, on the side, said in a panic, "Don't talk anymore, just lie down properly."

Yu Changxuan stifled his cough and said to Jun Daiti, "Thank you." Eldest Sister-in-law Minru stepped forward, pulled Daiti in front of Yu Changxuan, and smiled, "If we’re talking about thanks, you owe our sister Daiti even more. Sister Daiti has been taking care of you here every day, literally without unbuttoning her clothes to sleep, unwilling to leave even for a step."

Jinxuan also smiled slightly on the side, "Indeed, my heart aches for Sister Daiti just watching her. When you were in a coma, I saw her sitting by this bed looking at you and shedding tears several times." Yu Changxuan looked at Jun Daiti and smiled again, "Then I will thank you again. When I can stand up, I will bow to you."

Jun Daiti’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head. Hearing this, she looked up at him. Those apricot eyes were filled with tears, and after a long while, she choked out, "I don't want your thanks. As long as you never do that again, I will... I will..." She choked halfway through, tears dropping "plop, plop." Seeing her like this, Yu Changxuan was silent for a moment and said, "I will remember."

Minru gave Daiti a nudge and smiled, "Sister Daiti, don't cry anymore. The way you treat our Fifth Brother is truly worthy of those four words: deep affection and righteousness. If he dares to bully you like he did before in the future, we won't let it slide."

Yu Changxuan nodded and smiled slightly, "Having had such a narrow escape, turning around at the gates of hell, how could I dare to be as unreasonable and ignorant as before?"

Jun Daiti said, "You just woke up, why are you saying all this? Eat your medicine quickly." Jinxuan said "Ah" and smiled, "Sister Daiti is still the most attentive. Yes, yes, eat your medicine first." As she said this, everyone became busy, one getting medicine, another getting water. A moment later, they heard footsteps outside the room and some remote talking—it was Madam Yu arriving.

Yu Changxuan lay in bed for more than half a month. Relying on a good physical foundation and the careful adjustment by those in the mansion, along with Jun Daiti coming back and forth every day to care for him meticulously, the masters and servants in the residence all saw it clearly. Rumors began to spread that the relationship between the Fifth Young Master and the Jun family’s young lady was getting better and better. Before long, talk of an engagement even began to spread. When Eldest Sister-in-law Minru found out, she hauled the old woman who was spreading the rumors into the main courtyard in broad daylight and lectured her severely, declaring that if anyone dared to ruin her cousin’s reputation again, she would take violent action.

One morning, just after Yu Changxuan had changed his dressing and been re-bandaged, Madam Yu sat to the side, looked at his complexion, and thought for a moment before smiling gently, "Daiti is a child who I think is getting better and better."

Yu Changxuan smiled at Madam Yu, "I think she is good too. Mother, why not recognize her as a goddaughter?"

Madam Yu immediately smiled, "Don't I have enough daughters? Why would I go out of my way to recognize another? It’s just that I like this child. I don't need to make her a goddaughter; wouldn't it be better if I made her a daughter-in-law?"

Yu Changxuan was silent for a moment. Madam Yu knew what he was thinking, so she sighed and said softly, "Changxuan, I am really afraid you will get stuck in this dead end. To say something unpleasant, when a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out—when they are gone, they are gone. Why bother dwelling on it like this? Do you really have to make yourself miserable for a lifetime?"

Yu Changxuan turned his head to the side. The floor was covered with a purple velvet cloud-dragon carpet, with patterns that seemed to radiate outward in circles. His military uniform hung on a foreign-style clothes rack on one side; the golden collar badges on the uniform were caught by the sunlight, dazzlingly bright. On the carved rosewood shelf beside the window stood a pot of beautiful white jade hairpin flowers. Swaying in the breeze, a piece of the delicate white jade hairpin flower was blown by the wind and leisurely fell into the pot’s soil.

The window was open. The sound of Zening reciting books with his national studies teacher drifted in from far and near, surprisingly clear, "Who remembers being cool alone in the west wind? With rustling yellow leaves closing the heavy window, meditating on the past while standing in the slanting sun. Do not be startled by the wine-induced heaviness of the spring sleep; gambling on books is worth the fragrance of the tea. At the time, I only considered it ordinary."

His chest felt a pang of agony, and darkness fell before his eyes, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. A look of sorrow emerged in his black eyes. After a long while, he parted his lips and whispered, "At the time, I only considered it ordinary..."

She left in March.

He still remembered. At that time, the pear blossoms had not yet faded, blooming all over the courtyard. She sat by the window facing the pear blossoms, mending a shirt for him, her head slightly lowered, revealing a bend of snow-white neck, some small, jet-black broken hairs scattered softly on her skin. Her focused profile was even more beautiful, like finely carved jade, seeming to emit a warm halo under the light. He sat to the side watching her. The shadows of the two of them were still cast on the wall, side by side. Outside the window, the pear blossoms spread across the ground like frost. After she finished mending, she looked up, nodded at him, gave a gentle and soft smile, and said quietly, "Let me embroider a pear blossom on it for you."

Threads of longing embroidering pear blossoms—at the time, I only considered it ordinary.

Thinking about it now, it was as heart-wrenching as being twisted; it was as if his whole body had been hollowed out, floating and light, without any weight. It was like living a lifetime, then dying a lifetime. He had exhausted all his feelings and energy, and from then on, he dared not hope for anything.

Madam Yu was by his side, seeing his complexion gradually turn pale, and sighed softly, "Changxuan, look at Daiti. She takes care of you with such heart, not even caring for her own reputation. You have to be worthy of her..."

Yu Changxuan’s eyes were filled with hazy light, and suddenly he said softly, "Forget it."

Madam Yu was stunned, not knowing what he meant by "Forget it." Just then, she heard the maid’s voice at the door, "Miss Jun, why are you standing here and not going in?" Madam Yu stood up quickly and shouted toward the door, "Daiti."

Jun Daiti walked in, holding a walnut-wood floral-patterned tray. On it were a white jade porcelain cup and a few pills, all of which the British doctor had instructed to be taken according to the schedule. Seeing this, Madam Yu said, "Let Daiti feed you the medicine first; other things can be discussed later."

Madam Yu walked out. Only then did Jun Daiti carry the tray over. She first handed the medicine to Yu Changxuan’s hand. After he took the pills, she hurriedly brought the water over, waiting for him to drink it before taking the cup back. She didn't speak, just sat there quietly, lowering her head.

Her breathing was slightly heavy, as if she were sobbing. Tears fell, with a "plop" landing on her lap, quickly soaking into the silk surface of her royal blue cheongsam. She choked, "Yu Changxuan, I have done so much for you, loved you, remembered you—is that still not enough?"

Jun Daiti looked up, her face already covered in tears.

Yu Changxuan looked at her. She was wearing a royal blue silk burnout velvet short-sleeved cheongsam, revealing two snow-white arms. On her wrist, she wore a white jade-inlaid string-patterned bracelet. The cheongsam had pipa buttons, and a handkerchief was tied to one of the buttons. He remembered that she always liked to tuck her handkerchief into the bracelet on her wrist, winding it around once. Now, however, the bracelet hung loosely on her wrist, showing that she had lost a significant amount of weight.

He listened to the sound of her sobbing, and after a long time, he just said silently, "It’s enough, more than enough. You have such deep affection and righteousness toward me, how could I ever let you down again!"

In July, the white jade hairpin flowers at the small mansion were all in bloom. Pingjun lay in bed, opening her eyes in a daze. She saw the afternoon sunlight shining in through the Western-style curtains, projecting several thin beams of light onto the carpet, where faint traces of dust could be seen flying randomly. Ruixiang was sitting beside her, concentrating on weaving a flower basket. Scattered white petals danced between her nimble fingers. The flowers were bright and dazzling, as if they were a place in her memory—those pear trees in full bloom.

Her lips parted and closed silently. Ruixiang noticed this, so she leaned over and asked softly, "Miss Ye, how are you feeling? Do you still have a fever?" Her whole body felt heavy, and she couldn't speak. Suddenly, she heard a creak of the door. Ruixiang turned around and saw the housekeeper of the small mansion, Fu Ma, walk in, saying, "So you were hiding here. My heart feels so uneasy; why do I feel like something is going to happen?"

Ruixiang said, "What could happen? Knowing your son is in the Northwest Army, you must be missing him again."

Fu Ma paused, lowering her voice, "When I went to deliver tea yesterday, I saw Dean Jiang burning things in the study. It seemed like documents. Mr. Jiang’s complexion these past few days is... ugly as hell. They say outside that the Yuzhou government is about to be forced to collapse by the Jinling government."

Ruixiang said, "What do you know? That’s not called collapsing; it’s called merging." Fu Ma nodded, "Whether it’s collapsing or merging, as long as there is no war, that’s fine. How is this one?" Ruixiang looked at Pingjun sleeping on the bed and gave a giggle, "Four more months until she gives birth."

As they talked like this, Pingjun let out a light groan. Ruixiang hurriedly stood up and said, "Miss Ye, have some water." Fu Ma quickly poured a cup of water over. Ruixiang helped Pingjun up and had just fed her a sip when they heard a flurry of footsteps outside. The door was kicked open with a "bang." Ruixiang was so startled her hand shook, and she looked back in panic to see the two sisters, Tao Ziyi and Tao Yayi, standing aggressively at the door. Ruixiang’s soul nearly left her body, "Madam Jiang!"

Tao Ziyi’s gaze landed on Ye Pingjun’s face. In the blink of an eye, her willow eyebrows arched in anger. She threw the handbag in her hand at Pingjun and roared in a towering rage, "You bitch, I want your life!"

By the afternoon, within the red-brick gate pillars, the rose of Sharon flowers were blooming profusely. The sunlight shone down through the gaps in the branches, making shadows of flowers sway all over the ground. On the path paved with cobblestones, footsteps came toward this side. The sentry at the door shouted, "Who is it?!" and then with a "bang," he was punched in the face. In the end, one could still hear the sentry’s fearful voice, "Dean Jiang!"

The group passed the sentry post and went straight to the hall. This was Tao Yayi’s private residence in Yuzhou, where very few people usually came. Suddenly having such commotion was a first. Zhou Zheng-hai led a row of guards and escorted Jiang Xueting into the hall. He saw the Tao sisters sitting on the sofa in the hall. As soon as Tao Ziyi saw Jiang Xueting enter, she stood up abruptly from the sofa. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked at Jiang Xueting, gritting her teeth, "Jiang Xueting!"

Jiang Xueting’s gaze looked as if it were about to devour someone, "What did you do to her?"

As soon as Tao Ziyi heard this, her anger reached the brim, and she cursed angrily, "What do you mean by 'what did I do to her'? She is such a vixen; even if I killed her, what could you do to me?!" Jiang Xueting’s face immediately manifested a piercing coldness, his teeth gnashing, "You killed her?!"

Tao Yayi saw the situation and felt anxious, hurriedly grabbing Tao Ziyi, repeatedly trying to persuade her, "Little sister, don't say angry words. You are husband and wife; anything can be discussed properly sitting down. There is no need to make such a scene over an outsider. Xueting, you also don't—"

Jiang Xueting pointed his hand toward Tao Yayi, his face showing a horrifying aura, "Shut your mouth!"

Tao Yayi froze abruptly. Tao Ziyi’s eyes filled with tears; she grabbed a soft cushion from the sofa and threw it at Jiang Xueting, crying and cursing, "Jiang Xueting, you ungrateful dog thing! Tell me, whose child is in her belly? You actually let her have your child! You’ve been lying to me all these years! Don't think I don't know that you’ve been lying to me all these years!"

Jiang Xueting sneered, "Yes, I was lying to you! Are you even worthy of giving birth to my children?! You aren't even worth a single hair of hers!" Tao Ziyi was trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, "You dare to humiliate me like this? Then I am determined to take her life!”

Jiang Xueting’s gaze was icy, as fierce as a wolf’s eyes, "If you dare to touch her, I will take your life first!" Without another word, he was about to step forward. Zhou Zheng-hai on the side hurriedly brought men forward to hold him down, repeatedly saying, "Dean Jiang, you must not!"

Tao Ziyi watched Jiang Xueting’s gaze, which was practically breathing fire. The guards couldn't restrain him. Feeling hatred and pain, like churning seas, she cried out hysterically, "Jiang Xueting, kill me! If you have the guts, kill me! You’ve ruined me—what is the point of me living anymore?"

Tao Yayi was also so scared that her face turned white. She never expected Jiang Xueting to be so out of control. She desperately pulled Tao Ziyi back. They saw an aide-de-camp run in quickly from outside and shout, "Report!" Zhou Zheng-hai said, "Come here!" The aide-de-camp walked over. Jiang Xueting looked at the aide, and his grip slackened, "Did you find them?" The aide stood at attention, "Found them. The people of the Second Battalion found them at the ferry."

Jiang Xueting looked back at Tao Ziyi. Tao Ziyi gripped her hands tightly, glaring at him without admitting defeat. Jiang Xueting looked at her coldly and said, "Your father has already joined the Jinling government. Aren't you dying to go back to Jinling? Then go now, and don't come back!"

After he finished speaking, he led the guards and turned to walk out.

Tao Ziyi stood there blankly for a moment, listening as his footsteps grew further and further away. Her face suddenly turned pale, as if she had been startled out of a dream. She ran out rapidly. Tao Yayi called out in astonishment, "Second Sister!" But she had already run out of the hall, chasing along the cobblestone path. She saw Jiang Xueting’s figure ahead and called out in panic, "Xueting—"

The distant figure paused, but did not turn his head back.

She said, "I’m not going back to Jinling."

The sky was a deep, deep blue. All around were fields of rose of Sharon, bright and colorful, blooming heavily on the branches, weighing them down so much that the flower-laden branches bent, curling straight toward the ground. She looked at his back. A hot wind blew, enveloping her without warning. She choked, "Don't go."

He didn't even look back and just walked straight away.

Tao Ziyi stood alone among the rose of Sharon bushes. In front of her, a flower branch, weighed down by the flourishing blossoms, bent and hung low. The double-petaled rose of Sharon at the top dipped into a pool of muddy water at the roots. It had been dipped for a long time; the flower had not yet withered, but most of it had already wilted.

She reached out to touch the tears on her face. The cool teardrops felt as sharp as thorns, just like in those extravagant days of the past when she wore floor-length gowns with luxurious hairpins tucked into her hair, spinning in circles on the dance floor. How peerless and brilliant she had been. The long, beaded tassels of the hairpin hung down, brushing against her embroidered collar with a "sash," occasionally touching her neck—it was also this cool.

So, this was how flowers withered—just like the brilliant, reckless years of her youth, which had come to an end, just like this.