He looked at me, nodding forcefully, promising repeatedly. But I knew his promises were invalid and would never be valid again.
Yin Can watched with a smile from beginning to end, observing Qiu’s promises to me, witnessing my resolute speech. I thought his purpose was finally achieved, and my happiness was destroyed once again.
In fact, I was clear that Qiu’s agreement with Yin Can was not because of the poison on me. Perhaps, as Qiu said, Cang Kingdom had responsibilities he could not let go. But the most important thought was that woman called Ran Hui’er. They were half doing this for her. They could not forgive Cang Lian for harming her.
Actually, a month is not long for someone accustomed to waiting. I was already used to waiting, had been waiting long enough. Before, I waited to grow up, waited to recover memories, then waited for freedom, now waiting for my happiness.
But my happiness ultimately flew away. A month passed, and Qiu did not return, not even a bit of news. I knew my happiness had truly left me. There was nothing between Qiu and me anymore.
For a month, I watched the Zi flower buds every day. It seemed the Zi flowers in front of our house were growing especially slowly. In a year’s time, only a tiny tender shoot had grown. Perhaps Qiu and I were destined never to hold hands and grow old together in the Zi flower sea.
A month later, I did not wait for Water Zi Qiu, but for Wu Hen, that good-looking man.
When I was still carrying Qiu’s clothes back from the river, I saw him. For a month, I had been deceiving myself, telling myself Qiu was still by my side. I would take Qiu’s clothes to wash by the river, prepare meals for two, then speak to the empty chair, “Time to eat.”
But Wu Hen’s appearance completely destroyed that last bit of imagination, and even the faintest hope disappeared.
“Come in! I didn’t expect you to find me here!” I said numbly, beckoning him inside. Then I casually hung out my clothes.
