When Jiang Yun Qiao was fourteen, she had encountered an ethereally beautiful youth during a vast snowfall in Qi Kingdom. This fleeting glimpse had captured her heart, but left no trace of his identity. She searched desperately but found nothing and had to give up.
She told herself he was a divine being who had returned to heaven, beyond mortal desires, burying this longing deep in her heart, never mentioning it to anyone.
At sixteen, following Emperor Hong’s wishes, she married the eldest son of the E Tai Zai family. Her husband was kind, and she tried to love him, but her feelings never progressed beyond mere fondness. Her love remained with the youth she met in the snow, forever unretrievable.
Though loveless, life continued. At eighteen, A’fu was born. She was content and gradually became accustomed to this happiness, casting aside her unrealistic expectations. But at this time, she unexpectedly reunited with that ethereal youth.
However, she was now married with a child, and the youth was not from Nan Rui Kingdom. They could never be together. Her infatuation was unknown to the youth. She understood they could never be, and though her heart was unsettled, she remained outwardly calm, occasionally visiting his location, satisfied just seeing that he was well.
Everything had been fine until the internal unrest in Qi Kingdom disrupted the youth’s life. This unsettled her again. In her conflicting pain, she chose to drink to numb herself and find momentary peace.
So this was Jiang Yun Qiao’s secret. Perhaps the person she loved was just a beautiful image she had created in her mind. What young girl hasn’t had romantic fantasies?
But she was too obsessed, letting her youthful longing become a lock on her heart’s door. Resolving it wasn’t difficult—finding the youth, letting him truly appear in her life might make her realize she didn’t love him as much as she thought.
However, the youth was in Qi Kingdom. Would they kidnap him to Nan Rui just to heal her heartache? This seemed unrealistic. Unable to think of a better solution, I could only advise her to focus more on her consort husband and A’fu, to enjoy family happiness and let time wash away everything.
