When the Clouds Return at Sunset

A cold late-autumn rain, carrying the scent of osmanthus, swept through the window lattice. Ye Zhen curled up by the head of the bed, listening to the leaves of the old locust tree outside rustle to the ground, as though someone were counting down the days beside her ear. She thought of the ginkgo trees below her modern apartment building. At this time of year, golden leaves blanketed the whole street, crunching beneath her feet. The medicine Lu Jingyuan brought her steamed, its herbal scent mingling with the sweetness of osmanthus. He scooped up a spoonful and held it to her lips. His eyes, reflected in the silver spoon, were filled with obsession. “Drink it, and you won't think about those useless things anymore.”