We first met in a teahouse. At Shuangxi, you gave me a painting. A gifted scholar and a beautiful woman: I'd give up my freedom just to grow old with you. Schemes and plots, hatred for our country and our families: in the end, we couldn't grow old together. To meet and come to know one another is fate; to love and stay together is true affection. Sadly, you and I were fated to share only half a lifetime. You searched for me in the first half, and I searched for you in the second.
I'll wait for you here. If you don't come by summer, I'll wait through autumn. If you don't come within a year, I'll wait two. I believe that one day you'll return. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait here for you, until my body decays and my soul is destroyed.
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
