Old Dreams of Jinling

A black-and-white group photo found at a secondhand market

unearths an old dream from the rainy plum-blossom season, eighty years ago.

01.

Yan Ling and Lan Yin first met on a rainy day.

Gray tiles, white walls, and blue bricks.

Black hair, a plain dress, and lilies.

Gold-rimmed glasses and an indigo robe.

Lan Yin was entrusted to Yan Ling's care.

--

They say Yan Ling kept flowers on his desk every day for ten years because he loved lilies.

But in the biography published after his death, Yan Ling gave another answer:

"Lilies break easily. Better to forget each other."

But he couldn't bring himself to accept that "better."

02.

Baozhu received a letter in her room.

Inside was a short note and a black-and-white photograph.

The young man in the photo looked modern and exceptionally handsome.

On the back were a date and a signature.

When Baozhu saw the graceful characters spelling "Lan Tingyue,"

half of her joy instantly drained away.

She didn't want him!

--

Lan Tingyue glanced at the photo.

She wasn't his type at all.

Pointing at himself, he asked his father, almost accusingly, "This is the arranged marriage you set up for me?"

Lan Tingyue was practically devastated.

As a progressive young man of the new age, he couldn't be shackled by outdated traditions!

[Reading Guide]

1. Two main romances: Lan Yin x Fu Yanling, Baozhu x Lan Tingyue (bickering couple)

2. Both couples had tragic endings in their past lives. Only the first couple gets a happy ending in this life.

Theme: Cherish the present. What's before you is already the best.