Ice moon, cold snow, winter plum. A traveler’s tears dripped under the moonlight, melting into the snow, dispersing among the flowers.
Sorrowful dreams came and went, repeatedly entangling endlessly. The emotional pain was like a blue mist, permeating the air. Wanting to forget yet feeling it deep in her bones; wanting to remember yet unable to find a trace. In an instant, fallen flowers and flowing water forgot each other.
“Hao Li, can you hear me?” Xu Qiu’er looked into the mist, softly expressing her longing. Hao Li suppressed the impulse to rush out, clenching his fists, knowing his presence would distress Qiu’er. He thought if she knew he was about to get married, she would hate him.
“My lady, please return. Your health has just recovered. It would be bad if the prince sees you.” Xu Qiu’er followed Guan Yue away. Suddenly, she awoke, sitting up with her hands pressed to her chest, the faint melancholy still tangled in her heart. She felt she had a long dream; the desolate plum flower fragrance lingered near her pillow. There was a sad figure she could not recall. She sighed, shaking her head. Forgotten was forgotten. A dream is a dream, emotions extinguished. Why care so much? Xu Qiu’er came to her senses, feeling her way down from the bed and lighting a red candle. The hourglass showed it was already noon, but hanging ice silk concealed all traces of daylight. Inside the room, day and night were as one.
“Cang Yue.”
“Here, my lady.”
“Go tell the prince I’m awake.”
“Yes.”
He went down.
Ping Wang Mansion –
The rose-colored gauze curtains were torn, the emerald night-light cup rolled onto the carpet, and the sandalwood screen was crooked. The once magnificent chamber was now a mess.
“Outrageous! This is absolutely too much!” Liu Yiwa screamed, her expression filled with anger. She waved her sleeve, and the purple copper candlestick fell with a “clang”: “How could he abandon me, a new bride? How can I ever show my face again?”
“Fujin…” The young maidservant looked anxiously at Liu Yiwa. No one understood what was happening. Wasn’t the young prince dead? How could he suddenly appear with a princess? The prince’s instructions to keep quiet were strange, but wasn’t his survival good news?
“Where is Hao Li?” Liu Yiwa asked fiercely.
