"Sometimes I think, what is the point of immortality? Is it watching life slip away in your arms, or being helpless, unable to do anything? After watching the world pass by alone, I reached the end and still couldn't think of anything in this world that could make me stay."
The mountains, rivers, ancient lands, and waterways in Chi Wan's eyes were all an illusion, impossible to touch.
Every step she took followed in someone else's footsteps. Only when she died did she realize she had been a pawn in someone else's scheme all along. The laughable part was that, from beginning to end, she fought desperately to break free, believing she had grasped her freedom.
--
"I've been looking for you for so long that I almost forgot what you looked like. All I remembered was that I had to find someone named Zhang Qiling."
At their first meeting in Kangbaluo, Chi Wan understood that they were alike. She wanted to protect him because they were the same.
Perhaps what she felt for him wasn't love, but a desire to make amends. To make amends for who he had been and who she had been, and even to tell her former self through him that even if you're abandoned, someone will still hold your hand tightly.
But everyone could see how good Chi Wan was to Zhang Qiling, and they envied him.
So, she was willing to stake her life on it.
In the end, that solitary grave became a snowy scene that never melted on Changbai Mountain.
--
"A long dream, just as you wished. Third Young Master Wu, just consider it a dream. When you wake, everything will be as it was at the beginning."
If Wu Xie hadn't watched her die with his own eyes, he probably would have believed all his life that Chi Wan couldn't die.
He didn't understand why some people simply couldn't be kept.
Sometimes he wrote little stories just to remember Chi Wan. Maybe he had forgotten what she looked like, but he would never forget what had happened or her name.
He believed that some people hadn't left. They just hadn't seen each other in a long time.
--
He danced with lotus-like steps, each line seeming to make people age. His heart held a thousand mountains and rivers, and he lamented a life as insignificant as a blade of grass, all because Chi Wan could no longer see them.
In Xie Yuchen's eyes, his aunt had long since become family.
--
"Being blind is great. If I can't see your grave, I'll pretend you never died."
In all the decades he'd known Hei Xiazi, Chi Wan had always thought there was something off about him.
Hei Xiazi thought Chi Wan didn't like smiling; Chi Wan thought Hei Xiazi could only grin like an idiot. They called themselves partners, but they could just as easily have been sworn enemies.
Of their group, Hei Xiazi was the only one who could stand on equal footing with Chi Wan.
--
"Look, you're a bit old. How about we each use our own terms? You call me Fatty, and I'll call you Old Chi."
Wang Pangzi was sometimes someone Chi Wan had no idea how to deal with.
--
The romance in this book is optional and not clearly defined. Affection takes many forms, and romantic love is unlikely. Family and friendship make up most of it, though there may be some sweet interactions.
The story is mostly told from the female protagonist's perspective. Some parts of the original story will be changed; apologies if that's a dealbreaker. I'll do my best to preserve each character's personality, though apologies for any out-of-character moments.
The female protagonist is beautiful, strong, and tragic by design. If that's a dealbreaker, please steer clear.
There may be later changes. The ending could be happy or bad, depending on how it goes.
Theme: The Grave Robbers' Chronicles
Actually, I don't understand how my aunt died.