Withered Sleep

(All the characters in this story are based on real people. I once promised her I would write it all down, but that promise came years too late. I can barely remember what happened when I first started high school, and I’ve forgotten exactly how they met and came to know each other. With no other choice, I’ll begin from that point.)

They met in midsummer and parted in late autumn.

Ginkgo leaves always fall, just as love fades when it turns stale.

[Sensitive, steadfast tree marigold × wild, restrained silvergrass]

In the end, the boy was troubled by the ways of the world.

So much was buried by the lakeside that year. All that remained was the dusk and the stone bridge.

Sheng Su had forgotten that once, he too had let go.

[Bittersweet secret crush + tragic ending]

“The ginkgo leaves by Jiucheng Lake had fallen, covering the ground in a thick layer. The last rays of the setting sun spilled over them, and golden light illuminated everything.”