Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Jiang Wantang closed the food box and placed it on the nearby table.
She lowered her gaze for a moment, then stood up and walked out.
Looking at the peach tree in the courtyard, its branches weighed down by snow, her eyes flickered slightly.
When she was six years old, kneeling in punishment in the small courtyard, a spirited young man in white robes jumped down from the blooming peach tree…
As if descending from heaven.
Bathed in sunlight, his entire being seemed to glow.
The boy’s smile was warm and pure. He took out a candy wrapped in oiled paper from his sleeve.
He said, “Here, osmanthus candy. Would you like some?”
“It’s sweet, sweet enough to reach your heart.”
From that moment, he entered her heart.
A child who had never tasted sweetness, upon receiving even a tiny bit of candy, would hold it in her mouth, letting it slowly melt, reluctant to swallow.
He had once been the only sweetness in her bitter, difficult days.
But now…
Xiao Jingheng, the candy you gave is no longer sweet.
As she turned to leave, a tear slid down her cheek, freezing instantly in the icy cold.
Stepping out of the Pingyang Marquis Estate, Jiang Wantang gazed at the vast, snow-covered landscape before her, finding it unbearably glaring.
The world was so vast, yet it seemed there was no place for her to belong.
(Reference image for atmosphere)
Jiang Wantang’s inner thoughts: That winter when I was six, I encountered a blizzard. Back then, the wind and snow were bleak, the path ahead uncertain. Now, the wind and snow remain, and I am still alone…
She hated winter, especially snowy winters.
Because in her memory, such days were always cold and unbearable.
……
That night, Jiang Wantang waited for a long time at Zhaiyue Pavilion, but Xiao Jingheng never appeared.
Outside, the wind and snow seemed to grow stronger.
In the lonely night, Jiang Wantang leaned alone against the railing, occasionally reaching out to catch the falling snowflakes. Her slender figure carried an indescribable chill and solitude, a sight that tugged at the heart.
“Miss, the night is deep and the cold is severe. The young marquis must have been delayed by something. Should we return first?” The maid Xiuzhu, seeing her small hands red from the cold and her face pale as paper, urged gently.
Jiang Wantang shook her head. “It’s almost time. The fireworks will start soon. I want to watch them…”
In all her years, she had never seen the dazzling fireworks of Shengjing City.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Suddenly, a loud “boom” echoed through the sky as streams of colorful light streaked across the night, blossoming into vibrant, multicolored flowers like celestial maidens scattering blossoms—a breathtaking sight.
Jiang Wantang looked up, her eyes illuminated by the brilliant display, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “How beautiful!”
“Is this Shengjing City’s ‘Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers, Nightless Sky’?”
(Reference image for atmosphere)
Xiao Jingheng hadn’t lied to her.
It was truly beautiful, truly breathtaking!
The entire Shengjing City was lit up by the dazzling fireworks, as were the “infatuated man and resentful woman” tightly embracing on the long street below.
The woman’s eyes were red, her expression pitiful and aggrieved as she seemed to be pleading, while the man’s gaze was filled with heartache and reluctance.
Under the brilliant glow of the fireworks, Jiang Wantang clearly saw the couple embracing below.
It was her husband, Xiao Jingheng, whom she had waited for so long, and her elder sister, Jiang Wanfu.
Jiang Wanfu clung tightly to Xiao Jingheng from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he made no move to push her away…
The fireworks blooming across the sky seemed to celebrate them.
As Jiang Wantang watched, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
She let out a derisive laugh, her peach-blossom eyes, half-smiling yet not, shimmering with scattered specks of light. Her breathtakingly beautiful face, pale as paper, resembled a bewitching spirit in the darkness.
She looked as if she carried a suffocating sense of fragility and tragic beauty.
It seemed that in the next moment, she would drift away with the swirling snowflakes, vanishing into the vastness of heaven and earth.
The maid, Xiuzhu, gazed at her with a worried expression. “Miss…”
In the silent, cold wind, Jiang Wantang’s face was etched with sorrow. “I’ve known all along—I just couldn’t let go.”
“I should have realized long ago that happiness was always beyond my reach. I thought I, too, could taste sweetness after enduring bitterness, but it was nothing more than a cruel joke…”
“Xiuzhu, the winter in Shengjing is so cold. Could you fetch me another cloak from the carriage?”
“Yes, I’ll go right away.”
Xiuzhu understood that her mistress wanted to be alone for a while, unwilling to let anyone see her vulnerable side.
So delicate, yet so resilient.
As the wind and snow grew fiercer, Jiang Wantang watched the snowflakes drifting down and suddenly let out a low, bitter laugh, her smile tinged with tragic beauty.
“In this lifetime, even the brief moments of tenderness I received were nothing but lies and pretense.”
Those she cared about only cared for her—Jiang Wanfu.
The young man who once promised her a home ultimately did not belong to her…
In this world, in the end, she was left alone, trudging forward in solitude.
With no one to rely on, no home to return to.
…………
Chapter 4: Osmanthus Candy
Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Jiang Wantang closed the food box and placed it on the table to the side.
She looked down for a moment, then stood up and walked outside.
She gazed at the peach tree in the courtyard, its branches weighed down by snow, and her eyes shifted slightly.
When she was six years old, she was being punished by having to kneel in a small courtyard. A spirited young man in white had jumped down from a blooming peach tree…
It was as if he had descended from the heavens.
Under the sunlight, his entire being seemed to glow.
The youth’s smile was warm and clean as he pulled a piece of candy wrapped in an oil paper wrapper from his sleeve.
He said, “Here, Osmanthus Candy. Do you want some?”
“It’s sweet—sweet enough to reach your heart.”
From then on, he entered her heart.
A child who had never tasted sweetness would hold even the tiniest bit of candy in her mouth, letting it melt slowly, reluctant to swallow.
He had once been the only sweetness in her bitter and difficult days.
But now…
Xiao Jingheng, the candy you give is no longer sweet.
The moment she left, a single tear slid down her cheek, instantly freezing into ice in the freezing world.
Stepping out of the Pingyang Marquis Estate, Jiang Wantang gazed at the vast world before her, covered in white snow. It felt exceptionally blinding.
In this vast world, there seemed to be no place for her to call home.
(Atmospheric reference image)
Jiang Wantang’s inner thoughts: On a winter day when I was six, I encountered a blizzard. At that time, the wind and snow were miserable, and the road ahead was uncertain. Now, the wind and snow remain, and I am still alone…
She hated winter, especially those where the snow fell in flurries.
Because such days, in her memory, were all cold and unbearable.
……
In the evening, Jiang Wantang waited at the Zhaiyue Pavilion for a long time, but Xiao Jingheng never appeared.
The wind and snow outside seemed to have intensified.
The night was lonely. Jiang Wantang leaned against the railing alone, occasionally reaching out to catch the falling snow. Her thin figure held an indescribable coldness and solitude that made one’s heart ache.
“Miss, the night is deep and the cold is heavy. The Young Marquis must have been delayed by something. Should we head back first?” Seeing her small hands frozen red and her face as pale as paper, the maid Xiuzhu tried to persuade her.
Jiang Wantang shook her head. “Soon. The fireworks are about to start. I want to see this display…”
In all her years, she had never seen the brilliant fireworks of Shengjing City.
Whiz, whiz, whiz…
Suddenly, a series of loud bangs erupted in the sky. Massive plumes of colored light pierced the night, blooming into vibrant flowers like a celestial maiden scattering blossoms, breathtakingly beautiful.
Jiang Wantang looked up, her eyes illuminated by the dazzling fireworks. She couldn’t help but sigh, “So beautiful!”
“Is this the ‘Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers, Nightless Sky’ of Shengjing City?”
(Atmospheric reference image)
Xiao Jingheng hadn’t lied to her.
It really was beautiful and stunning!
The entire Shengjing City was lit up by the brilliant fireworks, as was the pair of “star-crossed lovers” on the long street below, locked in a tight, inseparable embrace.
The woman’s eyes were red as she spoke with a pitiable and aggrieved expression, while the man appeared full of heartache and reluctance.
Illuminated by the brilliant fireworks, Jiang Wantang clearly saw the man and woman embracing below the pavilion.
It was the husband she had been waiting for so long, Xiao Jingheng, and her elder sister, Jiang Wanfu.
Jiang Wanfu clung to Xiao Jingheng’s waist from behind, and the latter did not push her away…
These fireworks blooming across the sky seemed to be celebrating them.
As Jiang Wantang watched, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
She let out a scoffing laugh. In her peach-blossom eyes, which seemed to smile yet did not, flickered tiny bits of light. Her pale, exquisite face looked like a phantom in the dark night.
It was a sight of suffocating brokenness and tragic beauty.
It felt as if, in the next moment, she would drift away into the world along with the falling snow.
Xiuzhu looked at her with a worried expression. “Miss…”
The cold wind was lonely, and Jiang Wantang’s expression was desolate. “Actually, I knew all along. I just didn’t want to give up hope.”
“I should have understood long ago that happiness was always out of reach for me. I thought my bitterness would finally turn to sweetness, but it was just a joke…”
“Xiuzhu, winter in Shengjing is so cold. Go back to the carriage and bring me another cloak.”
“Yes, I will go right away.”
Xiuzhu understood that her lady wanted to be alone for a while; she didn’t want anyone to see her vulnerable side.
She was such a delicate person, yet so strong.
The wind and snow grew heavier. Jiang Wantang looked at the snowflakes drifting through the air and suddenly laughed softly—a tragic, beautiful laugh.
“In my life, even the fleeting moments of tenderness I received were all hypocritical lies.”
The people she cared about only cared about her (Jiang Wanfu).
The young man who promised her a home, in the end, did not belong to her either…
In this world, after all, only she was left, walking alone.
No one to lean on, no home to return to.
……