Zhao Lin often felt as though she were wearing a skin, hiding within herself a yearning for a vast and open world, while playing the noble young lady of an illustrious family, praised by all: respectful and gentle, dignified and virtuous.
Until one day, she saw Pei Linzhang, the heir of the Pei family, warm and refined as jade in public and the very model of an aristocrat, praise Prime Minister Xie's calligraphy to his face, saying, "It has the strength of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, yet also possesses a unique spirit." Then he turned around and tossed the writing into a brazier, burning it to ashes without batting an eye.
Hiding behind a pillar, Zhao Lin thought how awkward Pei Linzhang would be if she jumped out and caught him at it.
Lost in thought, she turned around and found that jade-like face suddenly right in front of her.
The man smiled warmly. "Miss Zhao, what are you doing behind the pillar?"
Zhao Lin calmly smiled back at him, every bit the gentle young lady. "Watching Young Master Pei burn Prime Minister Xie's calligraphy."
Zhao Lin once wrote: I have always felt like a strange tree. They prune my branches and flowers to please the world. Yet day after day, my roots burrow deeper into jagged, rocky ground, striving to spread in every direction, and they remain utterly unaware.
Theme: Pursuing a happy life
