He Once Thought

Shen Qinghuan had grown up in the seclusion of a deep estate. She was gentle and mild-tempered, and fell for Xie Linyuan at first sight when she was young.

At the time, Xie Linyuan was a poor scholar from a humble family, dressed in plain cloth, with lofty ambitions hidden in his eyes. Day after day, he studied hard at the academy. She was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites' household, and their stations were worlds apart. She could only bury her feelings deep in her heart. She secretly sent him writing brushes and ink, had a brazier delivered on snowy nights, and quietly came to his defense when others criticized and ostracized him. She hid her name from every gift and every kindness, never daring to let him know.

He once believed her kindness was nothing more than a momentary whim, a noblewoman's fleeting pity.

Proud and strong-willed, he refused to accept any favor from her. He deliberately avoided her, spoke coldly, and made sure to keep his distance. Shen Qinghuan saw this and assumed he had no feelings for her. Little by little, her ardor cooled. Later, when the autumn examination results were announced, Xie Linyuan placed first, entered government service, and rose steadily through the ranks. As political intrigue churned in court, he became absorbed in maneuvering for power, and the two grew more distant.

Just then, the Shen family became embroiled in a political case and was brought down overnight. As the family weathered disaster, Shen Qinghuan left for Jiangnan and cut off all contact. Xie Linyuan secured a high position and gained power over the region. It was only many years later that he happened to learn the whole truth about the past.

Those acts of kindness he had mistaken for pity and charity were actually the wholehearted affection she had carefully offered at the risk of her reputation. His deliberate coldness had shattered every hope she held.

He searched throughout Jiangnan's misty waterways, but could no longer find the quiet girl who had gazed at him.

In his twilight years, the high terrace was lonely and cold. Sitting alone through the long night, Xie Linyuan finally came to his senses.

He had believed she never cared. Little did he know that he had personally pushed away the most sincere love of her youth.

The land stretched wide, but his old love was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a long lifetime filled with regret and longing.

He had believed her tenderness was only pity and had deliberately kept his distance. By the time he realized it had been the entirety of her true feelings, she was already gone, leaving him with a lifetime of regret.

Theme: Historical romance