Just Be Happy

Zhi Wei was the fifth child of the Marquis's household.

She was born beneath clear skies and gentle breezes, and everyone praised the double blessing.

They said this child was a fine jade, destined to receive all the goodness in the world.

She lived up to their hopes. Even as a young girl, she showed her talent, looking up to compose poetry.

The world believed Zhi Wei would rise to great heights in a single bound.

But later, she left for the capital and traveled across green hills and clear waters. In a way, she had indeed journeyed a thousand miles.

She saw purple clouds rising in the east, autumn leaves falling in the west wind, and horses released to graze in the southern mountains.

No one knew why Zhi Wei had come, or when she would stop.

"Sister Zhi, if you're so lonely, why keep traveling over mountains and rivers all by yourself?"

At those words, Zhi Wei thought of the true lonely ghost.

Zhi Wei had been very young then, and it was her first time meeting a ghost.

Both of their eyes had been full of tears.

Afterward, a girl and a ghost kept each other company through several springs.

Back then, she had thought it was nothing unusual.

Not until the ghost vanished before her eyes, never to be found again.

"When spring comes next year, I'll find He Yinzhen, and then I won't leave again."

Actually,

she had said the same thing last year.

"And who is He Yinzhen?"

"My beloved."

*

He Yinzhen had long been dead.

He had traded his life for Zhi Wei's glory in this life.

After his death, he became a wandering spirit and stayed by Zhi Wei's side.

He watched her excel in everything and be cherished like a precious pearl.

Countless times, he wanted to softly call out, "Xiao Wu," and reveal himself to her, but all he could do was weep.

The price of meeting again was the dissolution of his soul.

When the time came, his first meeting with Zhi Wei would be their farewell.

But fate was also a red thread, binding the two of them tightly together.

So before Zhi Wei remembered her past life, he brought everything to an end.

That day, Zhi Wei was trapped in the wilderness. He summoned fireflies to light her way.

And to illuminate his own gravestone.

"He... Yinzhen."

Hearing her call his name, He Yinzhen smiled through his tears.

"Xiao Wu, you found me."

As his soul dispersed, he thought back.

He had witnessed Zhi Wei's birth and growth, and spent many years by her side.

He had died for a worthy cause.

[Reading guide]

1. Happy ending.

2. Both leads are each other's only partners.

3. The title comes from Su Shi's "Xing Xiang Zi: Reflections."

4. The story switches to the female lead's perspective starting in Chapter Five.

Theme: Love conquers every hardship