That year, during the Lantern Festival, they gazed at each other beneath the lanterns. They watched for a long time, and dreamed for a long time. At last, they met on the Liang Bridge. From that first glance, his heart had already belonged to the girl in red, and he fell deeply in love with her. The following year, on a night when the moon was full and the flowers were in bloom, he danced with the girl in red. Their eyes met, and their hearts had long been moved. Her rouge was a soft red, her brows like autumn leaves, and her smile like a peony. Yet they could not spend their lives together or roam the great rivers and mountains. She later died of illness. His heart grew as heavy as a boulder, and her beauty faded away. After that, he roamed freely between the rivers and lakes and the mountains and forests, alone. Snow fell, and a single white hair dropped into view. He realized he had grown old. The affairs of the past were like dust and smoke, scattered by a single gust of wind. From then on, he drank a jug of liquor each day, drinking cup after cup and living carefree. He could not escape time or evade the years. The only regret was that he had met the girl in red too late. Fish swam in the water, and the peonies bloomed again. He picked a flower and placed it before the girl's grave, bright and lovely, just like the peonies.
Theme: The love and hatred between the male and female leads, in court and among the rivers and lakes
