Chapter 8 The Flower That Must Bloom Reluctantly, Even the Smell is Bitter

The gentle wind brushed past the delicate pear branches. The smoke from the kitchen rose lazily into the air. The sunset came down softly...

" Highness, we have arrived."

The old wet nurse gently reminded her, and Mộ Thanh Thư rubbed her eyes. She elegantly waved her silk fan, smiling prettily. Phù Dung Uyển was cold and submerged in snow.

"Sister, I've brought you the osmanthus cake you love..."

She silently gazed at the sparse pear branches, where her cousin had withered away, and it was here that she silently stood. The moonlight was pure but unbearably cold. The guard A Vệ stood beside her, both of them silently watching the snow fall from the sky. A thousand knots seemed to tighten in her heart. Mộ Thanh Thư gently reached into the cold air, half-laughing, half-crying, her voice hoarse.

"A Vệ, my cousin was always the one who treated me the best... she always protected me, she cared for me so much... Nhu Nhi, sister..."

Her eyes reddened, one hand gently propping up her chin, the other lightly tugging at A Vệ's sleeve. She breathed heavily.

"A Vệ, A Vệ... What should I do? I've come too late. Sister will be angry, right?"

Her coughing became more frequent, and A Vệ looked at her with pain, gently brushing the cold snowflakes away. The snow fell heavier and heavier, and Mộ Thanh Thư seemed frozen in place. A Vệ quickly draped his cloak over her, his eyes filled with heartache.

" Highness, she will understand, she will..." he whispered.

The snow continued to fall relentlessly, thick and persistent. Lan Phu Nhân, with gentle eyes, stared at the few pure plum blossoms that bloomed hesitantly, and four years had passed since then... She silently gazed at the dim sky, still waiting, waiting for that young man's return. There had always been rumors in the palace that before entering, Lan Phu Nhân had already had someone she loved before. A flower that must bloom reluctantly, even the fragrance tasted bitter.

"Lan Nhi... You've lost so much weight..."

Lan Phu Nhân was silent for a moment, her cold hands turning red in the snow...

Mộ Yến's heart ached, looking at her.

"Are you still waiting for him...?"

Lan Phu Nhân paused, her gaze drawn to the lifeless sky above, with no trace of sunlight.

"No, I'm not waiting anymore..." she quietly denied.

Mộ Yến's heart ached even more. The Empress had been right: everyone has their destiny, and one shouldn't force things... The more beautiful the dream, the more heartbreaking the awakening...