The Divine Eagle: Blossoms Along the Road

I remember Haruki Murakami once said: If I love you, and you happen to love me too, when your hair is messy, I will smile and gently brush it back for you. Then my hand will linger in your hair for a few extra seconds. But if I love you, and you happen not to love me, when your hair is messy, I will only quietly tell you, "Your hair is messy." This is probably the purest view of love: if you love each other, then stay hand in hand until old age; if you miss your chance, then wish them well and keep them safe. Seeing that last line, I couldn't help thinking of Yang Guo, Xiao Longnu, and Guo Fu from The Return of the Condor Heroes. Yang Guo stayed hand in hand with Xiao Longnu until old age, but as for Guo Fu, didn't he also do all he could to keep her safe and well? Nalan Xingde put it so well with the line, "Back then, I thought it was all quite ordinary." It captures our regrets: we don't cherish what we have until it's gone, and when we look back, love has turned to ashes. But how often does fate let us return to those days? Sometimes I wonder what kind of story Yang Guo and Guo Fu might have had if they could go back to the past. The thought inspired me to write this story, The Flowers Bloom Slowly on the Roadside. I hope you enjoy it. If it differs from the original, please don't throw bricks at me. Just treat it as a new story to pass the time.