Back to the Eve of Our Falling-Out

*Twenty years after the recipient sacrificed himself for the Way alone, the giver returned to the night before the two of them parted ways. 1. When Zong Shu first took Young Ning under his wing, he only wanted to keep a fine jade from being sullied. He watched coolly as the boy endured bullying and exclusion without losing his composure. On a whim, he brought him into his own household. Everyone feared him, but the boy alone spoke to him with heartfelt sincerity and looked at him with genuine respect and admiration. If they supported each other, they could be a harmonious master and student, a fine story for the ages. But when did something so sordid quietly take root in his heart? 2. The boy's confession on a snowy night filled him with joy, and with fear. But the boy had been born so many years after him. He was the elder, the teacher. People's words were terrifying; a multitude of voices could turn truth into falsehood. All he wished was for the boy to spread his wings and fly high, so he gave him nothing but a cold rejection. He never imagined that after they parted... they would be separated forever, one by life and one by death. 3. If he had known that his ruthless rejection would be followed by news of the boy's tragic death, would he still have said those things? Young Ning, Young Ning... I made you endure a lifetime of wandering and hardship. I only hope that in your next life, I can protect you and give you a lifetime of joy and peace. Tips: 1. Ancient setting, teacher and student, older gong, both reborn. 2. The recipient has a slight self-destructive streak, with a touch of compassion for all and a universally disliked flavor. 3. The giver is solitary, cold, and world-weary. 4. Writing this for myself. The core is still "twenty years after the recipient sacrificed himself for the Way alone, the giver returned to the night before the two of them parted ways." Basically, I just want to write the giver reborn and chasing his wife, haha. 5. Practice writing. There may be all sorts of messy inner monologues, perspective shifts that make everyone furious, and bizarre scene transitions, but hopefully it won't be too much of a mind-bender... maybe. *I shall keep my eyes open through the long night, to repay you for all the years you could not smile. Theme: Held in the heart, never forgotten.