Li Qingqian only remembered the man's slightly upturned and narrow almond eyes, looking as though they were veiled in a river's worth of mist. His gaze swept around the poor little shack, making sure there weren't any survivors, until it landed on Li Qingqian and his little brother.
Li Qingqian raised his head to stare blankly at this cultivator in green as his brother still cried out loudly, too young, weak, and fevered. It was as if even at this age, he knew they had suffered a catastrophic loss, that there would never again be a Papa who'd make him bamboo dragonflies, never again be a Mama who liked to pinch his nose....
The green-clothed cultivator looked at them for a while before walking over, his eyes drooping from inside that golden mask. He thought for a moment and then took out a bottle of medicine along with some silver pieces. "This medicine can heal most ordinary illnesses,” he said. “Keep it for your brother."
And without another word, he turned around to leave.
Li Qingqian stayed motionless for a moment and then suddenly reacted, quickly grabbing the medicine and the silver. He rushed out and saw that the yard was filled with black-clothed corpses. The green-clothed man seemed to be checking for any remaining survivors.
"Da-gege!" Li Qingqian cried out, kneeling down beside him.
The green-clothed man turned to look at him from behind the mask.
"Da-gege, please, please take us with you!"
The man didn't say anything.
Li Qingqian's eyes were red, choking out sobs. "We've always been running away, always.....but Mama and Papa were still.....still....." he kept crying, "Da-gege, please....."
But in the end, that green-clothed man still didn't take them with him. He simply gave him a sword cultivation manual, saying this style was too weak, too useless for himself. But as long as Li Qingqian diligently worked at it, perhaps he could use this manual to create his own sword path sufficient for self defense.
And now, as he watched Hong Shao crying in the dirt pleading for him not to leave, he abruptly felt as if he could see himself from long ago, as if he could feel the same helplessness and despair.
In the end, he merely sighed and returned to Hong Shao. "Get up."
"....!" Hong Shao saw him leave but then return, and she swallowed down a few more sobs, gazing at him tearfully.
"But as promised, I'm only taking you along. If there's any place that’s nice on the road, somewhere you can stay, then I won't keep you anymore."
Hong Shao couldn't care less. She wiped at her little face and smiled through the mucus, mouth full of affirmatives—she had seen lots of people and knew Li Qingqian's heart was good. If he hadn't abandoned her now, then he was even less likely to in the future. So she nodded energetically, resembling a chicken pecking at rice. "Everything as da-gege says!"
As if.
The first day, she was still obedient, but by the third day, she was already jumping about, climbing trees, and rolling on the ground.
By the third year, she had long gone out of control—whatever Li Qingqian did, she did as well, and it was nothing like what she'd promised; her appetite was plenty large, and she ate a lot.
Every time Li Qingqian noticed their rice-jar was empty again, he'd turn to look at Hong Shao, who would be chasing the dog around in the yard, and sigh with amusement, shaking his head.
It was lucky his little brother had long been accepted as a disciple by a kindly old scholar. Otherwise, if they had another mouth to feed, Li Qingqian would really be in trouble.
Hong Shao had asked about it before. "Da-gege, you're so strong. After killing demons, why don't you accept some of the people's money?"
"Because those people are poor too....." Li Qingqian responded.
"But you could go kill monsters for rich people."
At that time, he hadn't fully developed the Water Parting Sword and could only poorly copy forms from the green-clothed cultivator's manual. Laughing, he said, "First of all, my ability isn't good enough. Second of all, there's this many," he made an exaggerated gesture for Hong Shao, "this many people willing to go work for the rich. But not many are willing to help solve problems in small countries like Lichun."
Hong Shao munched on a steamed bun, nodding. "That's right! You're a good person!"
"My saviour from back then is a good person as well," Li Qingqian said, smiling bashfully. "I don't know his identity, but I have always wanted to become the kind of cultivator he is. But....I definitely won't be as strong as he is. And I will.....probably always be this poor."
Hong Shao wasn't happy with this. Holding the steamed bun in her mouth and drawing a large circle with her hands, she started speaking, her voice muffled by the bun. "No, Dage is the strongest! Dage is....this....this...." She worked hard to use her arms to draw it even bigger, "This strong!"
Li Qingqian laughed out loud and patted her head. "If you talk any more, you'll drop that steam bun."
Hong Shao bit down with a cry, grinning as she chomped down on the steamed bun and happily swung her feet around. On her feet were goose-yellow embroidered shoes, bought by Li Qingqian with his pitiful cowry shells, kept very clean and beautiful. She wore them cautiously, and after so many years, they were old, but rarely dirtied.
Li Qingqian and Hong Shao traveled like this, doing kind things where they could and cultivating the sword together.
In this vision, Hong Shao was in a tree, wildly shaking it for fruits. Li Qingqian stood underneath the tree, suffering from a faint headache but also a suffocating tenderness. But this kind of calm and peaceful life couldn't last. Mo Xi already knew what kind of ending they'd have—looking at their brilliant smiles seemed akin to gazing into a beautiful mirage.
This girl would leave Li Qingqian. He would become famous. Then he would die. In the end, he would be forged into a vicious sword spirit.
What was this series of events caused by?
In the constantly changing vision, each layer of the mystery began to gradually erode, showing the bare truth beneath the sand.
It changed on a day near the end of spring—Hong Shao was sick.
At the time they had just passed by a little village near the Liao Kingdom. The Liao Kingdom's territories were always suffused with demonic energy, which would get even thicker as spring turned to summer. Hong Shao was accidentally infected with demonic miasma, bedridden and unable to get up. She quickly became thin and pallid.
Li Qingqian sought doctors everywhere, but the medicine for this kind of ailment was very expensive. Even regular people couldn't afford it, not to mention poor people like Li Qingqian. Again and again, doctors refused to see him. "If you want medicine, hand over the money first,” the medical cultivators all angrily huffed. “There are patients like this every day. If it were as easy as you think, how could there be enough herbs?"
Although their attitudes were poor, Mo Xi knew they weren’t wrong.
The medicine used for treating this kind of miasma was always in short supply, and each country had their own methods of restricting use. For example, in Chonghua, only nobles could purchase it, which was why Gu Mang had to risk using Murong Lian's name to buy medicine for the village back then.
The Liao Kingdom was slightly more lax and didn't care about bloodlines; they only cared about money.
Li Qingqian had no money.
He sat at Hong Shao's sickbed, who already looked like a shriveled flower and lacked the energy to jump and shout like before. She could only squint at him through red, swollen eyes, her lips moving faintly.
"What do you want to say?" Li Qingqian softly asked.
Hong Shao moved her mouth again.
Li Qingqian had to tilt his head very close. After a while, he heard what she said. She was teasing him. "Heheh, now I eat very little, I can save Li-dage money....."
That day, Li Qingqian waited until she was asleep, walked out of the little reed shack, and crouched down on the steps to spend a while in a daze. Suddenly unable to bear it, he curled up and started to cry. He was afraid to weep too loudly, firstly because men shouldn't cry, and secondly he didn't want to wake Hong Shao, who slept with difficulty.
He thought to himself, What should he do?
What should he do?
He really wasn't as strong as Hong Shao said. He really hadn’t become the green-clothed cultivator of that year. He couldn't even protect the little girl who accompanied him. Other than ambition and empty talk, he had nothing.
Mo Xi felt like he couldn't bear it, but since he knew it had already come to this, their fates could no longer be changed.
The vision was still moving along. The young Li Qingqian blankly and helplessly wandered the busiest markets in the Liao Kingdom, selling off what little he could to bring Hong Shao seven parts of medicine, extending their time together.
By now, they only had one part left. After today, what could they do?
"Come, come! All of you look carefully! The requirements are very strict! Don't try to cheat!"
From a corner of the market came the clamor of drums. Before, Hong Shao loved this kind of noisy environment the best, and whenever they chanced upon one, she'd always drag him over to look around. Absentmindedly, he walked over by habit, like Hong Shao was still there chattering and pulling on his sleeve as she bounced up and down, urgently complaining that she couldn't see, that everything was blocked.
Li Qingqian stared blankly for a moment. When he recovered, just as he was about to leave, he heard shouts from the group of people.
"They'll really give this much money?!"
"Guoshi is seriously too bold, oh my, really makes others jealous."
Li Qingqian used to regard the word “money” as nothing more than wind blowing past, but now whenever he heard it, he would feel as though he had been pricked by needles. He whipped his head around, going over to look with bright eyes.
On the stage, a national-level Liao Kingdom cultivator was walking back and forth, striking the drum to attract attention. Behind him hung a silk portrait, the height of at least three people. Painted upon it was a beautiful and alluring woman, with a birthmark at the end of her eye. From this angle, she unexpectedly looked seven parts like Hong Shao.
Li Qingqian was slightly shocked, hearing the Liao Kingdom cultivator repeatedly shouting, "Guoshi read the will of the stars! All girls who look like this have looks that bring prosperity to the kingdom! Those who conform to these requirements are all accepted in the palace!"
Clang clang went the drum as he continued shouting.
"If chosen, the girl will become a priestess in the palace, and her family will receive a thousand gold cowries."
"For this, we'll only take volunteers. Those interested, please go to the back to be examined!"
Li Qingqian's palms were full of sweat, his Adam's apple rolling, and his eyes widening in both pain and hope. Uncaring of how bad the other side's attitude was, he questioned closely, "So, so if the girl has demonic miasma, you will....you are willing....."
"Didn't I say that fitting the requirements was enough? Demonic miasma, so what? Won't they be lively again with a bit of medicine?! What kind of dog-fart question is this! If you have someone similar, then bring them here to show us! If she isn't alike enough, then get lost! Priestesses have high requirements!"
"Useless beggar,” the cultivator spat. “Rambling on with meaningless talk!"
Li Qingqian remained in shock.
Yes....
What kind of question was that? Demonic miasma was never some incurable disease. Just like the cultivator said, the only thing they needed was a couple parts of spiritual energy medicine.
For a national-level cultivator, they could so easily pick up something he couldn't get even if he dug out his heart and cut open his liver.
Just as he said.
He was simply a useless thing who couldn't even save the life of the girl he loved.
A useless beggar.
Hong Shao shouldn't ever have followed him.
It was he who made her suffer.
Li Qingqian slowly walked back to the little cottage, overthinking but at the same time thinking of nothing. There was a streetside stall owner hawking his wares. "Jade and pearl hairpins, gold flower inlaid necklaces, rouge and powder and all else, everyone come take a look—"
He stopped by the stall, wanting to take a closer look, but due to his empty pockets, he didn't dare come closer.
The seller noticed him and smiled. "This little brother, picking something out for your sweetheart?"
The word "sweetheart" felt like needles violently stabbing at his soul.
Li Qingqian, in his daze, was dragged over enthusiastically. "Look, the best gold and jade hairpins, from Suiye, impossibly clear...."
"I.......I don't have that much money...."
"Not that much money?" The shopkeeper was shocked for a moment, pursing his lips, but still smiled at him. "No problem, no problem. Let's look at the cheaper ones. This rouge, has exquisite texture and scent, the recipe passed down from my great-grandmother's heirloom craft, the price is very reasonable, only twenty white shells."
Li Qingqian's money pouch only held three white cowry shells.
Seeing his poor appearance, the shopkeeper stopped chattering and looked him up and down. Noticing the patches on his clothes, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
But he still lazily took out a humble little fabric flower, both the material and the make were poor, and carelessly tossed it in front of Li Qingqian: "Then how about this, five white cowries."
He raised his swollen eyes to look at him. "Keep the little miss happy, you can't possibly be this stingy."
Li Qingqian was thoroughly embarrassed and lowered his head to silently leave.
The shopkeeper was shocked, thinking that he'd wasted so much talk and this person wasn't even willing to spend five white cowries? He immediately got angry, uncaring of the eyes around him, yelling at Li Qingqian's retreating figure.
"Fuck your mother, are you kidding me? You want to pick up women without spending a single penny, are you good enough for that?! If you don't have money, then don't come out to wander! Blocking this old man's business! Pah!"
Li Qingqian felt like his back was being scorched by fire, and he forged ahead amidst those astonished eyes, scurrying away with his head down.
Eventually, he was out of the city and had left the onlookers behind, but his neck still felt as if it had been snapped, never again able to rise. Walking unsteadily forward, he went to the departure pavilion on the outskirts of the city and dejectedly sat down. He buried his face in his hands.
And so there he sat for many hours. By the time he returned to the reed shack, it was already dusk.
Hong Shao was lying on her side on her sickbed, facing the door. She slept fitfully, cheeks feverishly red, and as soon as she heard the sounds of Li Qingqian's return, she quickly woke up. Her round, kitten-like eyes stared at him. She said as loud as she could, with great effort: "Dage...."
Li Qingqian only remembered the man's slightly upturned and narrow almond eyes, looking as though they were veiled in a river's worth of mist. His gaze swept around the poor little shack, making sure there weren't any survivors, until it landed on Li Qingqian and his little brother.
Li Qingqian raised his head to stare blankly at this cultivator in green as his brother still cried out loudly, too young, weak, and fevered. It was as if even at this age, he knew they had suffered a catastrophic loss, that there would never again be a Papa who'd make him bamboo dragonflies, never again be a Mama who liked to pinch his nose....
The green-clothed cultivator looked at them for a while before walking over, his eyes drooping from inside that golden mask. He thought for a moment and then took out a bottle of medicine along with some silver pieces. "This medicine can heal most ordinary illnesses,” he said. “Keep it for your brother."
And without another word, he turned around to leave.
Li Qingqian stayed motionless for a moment and then suddenly reacted, quickly grabbing the medicine and the silver. He rushed out and saw that the yard was filled with black-clothed corpses. The green-clothed man seemed to be checking for any remaining survivors.
"Da-gege!" Li Qingqian cried out, kneeling down beside him.
The green-clothed man turned to look at him from behind the mask.
"Da-gege, please, please take us with you!"
The man didn't say anything.
Li Qingqian's eyes were red, choking out sobs. "We've always been running away, always.....but Mama and Papa were still.....still....." he kept crying, "Da-gege, please....."
But in the end, that green-clothed man still didn't take them with him. He simply gave him a sword cultivation manual, saying this style was too weak, too useless for himself. But as long as Li Qingqian diligently worked at it, perhaps he could use this manual to create his own sword path sufficient for self defense.
And now, as he watched Hong Shao crying in the dirt pleading for him not to leave, he abruptly felt as if he could see himself from long ago, as if he could feel the same helplessness and despair.
In the end, he merely sighed and returned to Hong Shao. "Get up."
"....!" Hong Shao saw him leave but then return, and she swallowed down a few more sobs, gazing at him tearfully.
"But as promised, I'm only taking you along. If there's any place that’s nice on the road, somewhere you can stay, then I won't keep you anymore."
Hong Shao couldn't care less. She wiped at her little face and smiled through the mucus, mouth full of affirmatives—she had seen lots of people and knew Li Qingqian's heart was good. If he hadn't abandoned her now, then he was even less likely to in the future. So she nodded energetically, resembling a chicken pecking at rice. "Everything as da-gege says!"
As if.
The first day, she was still obedient, but by the third day, she was already jumping about, climbing trees, and rolling on the ground.
By the third year, she had long gone out of control—whatever Li Qingqian did, she did as well, and it was nothing like what she'd promised; her appetite was plenty large, and she ate a lot.
Every time Li Qingqian noticed their rice-jar was empty again, he'd turn to look at Hong Shao, who would be chasing the dog around in the yard, and sigh with amusement, shaking his head.
It was lucky his little brother had long been accepted as a disciple by a kindly old scholar. Otherwise, if they had another mouth to feed, Li Qingqian would really be in trouble.
Hong Shao had asked about it before. "Da-gege, you're so strong. After killing demons, why don't you accept some of the people's money?"
"Because those people are poor too....." Li Qingqian responded.
"But you could go kill monsters for rich people."
At that time, he hadn't fully developed the Water Parting Sword and could only poorly copy forms from the green-clothed cultivator's manual. Laughing, he said, "First of all, my ability isn't good enough. Second of all, there's this many," he made an exaggerated gesture for Hong Shao, "this many people willing to go work for the rich. But not many are willing to help solve problems in small countries like Lichun."
Hong Shao munched on a steamed bun, nodding. "That's right! You're a good person!"
"My saviour from back then is a good person as well," Li Qingqian said, smiling bashfully. "I don't know his identity, but I have always wanted to become the kind of cultivator he is. But....I definitely won't be as strong as he is. And I will.....probably always be this poor."
Hong Shao wasn't happy with this. Holding the steamed bun in her mouth and drawing a large circle with her hands, she started speaking, her voice muffled by the bun. "No, Dage is the strongest! Dage is....this....this...." She worked hard to use her arms to draw it even bigger, "This strong!"
Li Qingqian laughed out loud and patted her head. "If you talk any more, you'll drop that steam bun."
Hong Shao bit down with a cry, grinning as she chomped down on the steamed bun and happily swung her feet around. On her feet were goose-yellow embroidered shoes, bought by Li Qingqian with his pitiful cowry shells, kept very clean and beautiful. She wore them cautiously, and after so many years, they were old, but rarely dirtied.
Li Qingqian and Hong Shao traveled like this, doing kind things where they could and cultivating the sword together.
In this vision, Hong Shao was in a tree, wildly shaking it for fruits. Li Qingqian stood underneath the tree, suffering from a faint headache but also a suffocating tenderness. But this kind of calm and peaceful life couldn't last. Mo Xi already knew what kind of ending they'd have—looking at their brilliant smiles seemed akin to gazing into a beautiful mirage.
This girl would leave Li Qingqian. He would become famous. Then he would die. In the end, he would be forged into a vicious sword spirit.
What was this series of events caused by?
In the constantly changing vision, each layer of the mystery began to gradually erode, showing the bare truth beneath the sand.
It changed on a day near the end of spring—Hong Shao was sick.
At the time they had just passed by a little village near the Liao Kingdom. The Liao Kingdom's territories were always suffused with demonic energy, which would get even thicker as spring turned to summer. Hong Shao was accidentally infected with demonic miasma, bedridden and unable to get up. She quickly became thin and pallid.
Li Qingqian sought doctors everywhere, but the medicine for this kind of ailment was very expensive. Even regular people couldn't afford it, not to mention poor people like Li Qingqian. Again and again, doctors refused to see him. "If you want medicine, hand over the money first,” the medical cultivators all angrily huffed. “There are patients like this every day. If it were as easy as you think, how could there be enough herbs?"
Although their attitudes were poor, Mo Xi knew they weren’t wrong.
The medicine used for treating this kind of miasma was always in short supply, and each country had their own methods of restricting use. For example, in Chonghua, only nobles could purchase it, which was why Gu Mang had to risk using Murong Lian's name to buy medicine for the village back then.
The Liao Kingdom was slightly more lax and didn't care about bloodlines; they only cared about money.
Li Qingqian had no money.
He sat at Hong Shao's sickbed, who already looked like a shriveled flower and lacked the energy to jump and shout like before. She could only squint at him through red, swollen eyes, her lips moving faintly.
"What do you want to say?" Li Qingqian softly asked.
Hong Shao moved her mouth again.
Li Qingqian had to tilt his head very close. After a while, he heard what she said. She was teasing him. "Heheh, now I eat very little, I can save Li-dage money....."
That day, Li Qingqian waited until she was asleep, walked out of the little reed shack, and crouched down on the steps to spend a while in a daze. Suddenly unable to bear it, he curled up and started to cry. He was afraid to weep too loudly, firstly because men shouldn't cry, and secondly he didn't want to wake Hong Shao, who slept with difficulty.
He thought to himself, What should he do?
What should he do?
He really wasn't as strong as Hong Shao said. He really hadn’t become the green-clothed cultivator of that year. He couldn't even protect the little girl who accompanied him. Other than ambition and empty talk, he had nothing.
Mo Xi felt like he couldn't bear it, but since he knew it had already come to this, their fates could no longer be changed.
The vision was still moving along. The young Li Qingqian blankly and helplessly wandered the busiest markets in the Liao Kingdom, selling off what little he could to bring Hong Shao seven parts of medicine, extending their time together.
By now, they only had one part left. After today, what could they do?
"Come, come! All of you look carefully! The requirements are very strict! Don't try to cheat!"
From a corner of the market came the clamor of drums. Before, Hong Shao loved this kind of noisy environment the best, and whenever they chanced upon one, she'd always drag him over to look around. Absentmindedly, he walked over by habit, like Hong Shao was still there chattering and pulling on his sleeve as she bounced up and down, urgently complaining that she couldn't see, that everything was blocked.
Li Qingqian stared blankly for a moment. When he recovered, just as he was about to leave, he heard shouts from the group of people.
"They'll really give this much money?!"
"Guoshi is seriously too bold, oh my, really makes others jealous."
Li Qingqian used to regard the word “money” as nothing more than wind blowing past, but now whenever he heard it, he would feel as though he had been pricked by needles. He whipped his head around, going over to look with bright eyes.
On the stage, a national-level Liao Kingdom cultivator was walking back and forth, striking the drum to attract attention. Behind him hung a silk portrait, the height of at least three people. Painted upon it was a beautiful and alluring woman, with a birthmark at the end of her eye. From this angle, she unexpectedly looked seven parts like Hong Shao.
Li Qingqian was slightly shocked, hearing the Liao Kingdom cultivator repeatedly shouting, "Guoshi read the will of the stars! All girls who look like this have looks that bring prosperity to the kingdom! Those who conform to these requirements are all accepted in the palace!"
Clang clang went the drum as he continued shouting.
"If chosen, the girl will become a priestess in the palace, and her family will receive a thousand gold cowries."
"For this, we'll only take volunteers. Those interested, please go to the back to be examined!"
Li Qingqian's palms were full of sweat, his Adam's apple rolling, and his eyes widening in both pain and hope. Uncaring of how bad the other side's attitude was, he questioned closely, "So, so if the girl has demonic miasma, you will....you are willing....."
"Didn't I say that fitting the requirements was enough? Demonic miasma, so what? Won't they be lively again with a bit of medicine?! What kind of dog-fart question is this! If you have someone similar, then bring them here to show us! If she isn't alike enough, then get lost! Priestesses have high requirements!"
"Useless beggar,” the cultivator spat. “Rambling on with meaningless talk!"
Li Qingqian remained in shock.
Yes....
What kind of question was that? Demonic miasma was never some incurable disease. Just like the cultivator said, the only thing they needed was a couple parts of spiritual energy medicine.
For a national-level cultivator, they could so easily pick up something he couldn't get even if he dug out his heart and cut open his liver.
Just as he said.
He was simply a useless thing who couldn't even save the life of the girl he loved.
A useless beggar.
Hong Shao shouldn't ever have followed him.
It was he who made her suffer.
Li Qingqian slowly walked back to the little cottage, overthinking but at the same time thinking of nothing. There was a streetside stall owner hawking his wares. "Jade and pearl hairpins, gold flower inlaid necklaces, rouge and powder and all else, everyone come take a look—"
He stopped by the stall, wanting to take a closer look, but due to his empty pockets, he didn't dare come closer.
The seller noticed him and smiled. "This little brother, picking something out for your sweetheart?"
The word "sweetheart" felt like needles violently stabbing at his soul.
Li Qingqian, in his daze, was dragged over enthusiastically. "Look, the best gold and jade hairpins, from Suiye, impossibly clear...."
"I.......I don't have that much money...."
"Not that much money?" The shopkeeper was shocked for a moment, pursing his lips, but still smiled at him. "No problem, no problem. Let's look at the cheaper ones. This rouge, has exquisite texture and scent, the recipe passed down from my great-grandmother's heirloom craft, the price is very reasonable, only twenty white shells."
Li Qingqian's money pouch only held three white cowry shells.
Seeing his poor appearance, the shopkeeper stopped chattering and looked him up and down. Noticing the patches on his clothes, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
But he still lazily took out a humble little fabric flower, both the material and the make were poor, and carelessly tossed it in front of Li Qingqian: "Then how about this, five white cowries."
He raised his swollen eyes to look at him. "Keep the little miss happy, you can't possibly be this stingy."
Li Qingqian was thoroughly embarrassed and lowered his head to silently leave.
The shopkeeper was shocked, thinking that he'd wasted so much talk and this person wasn't even willing to spend five white cowries? He immediately got angry, uncaring of the eyes around him, yelling at Li Qingqian's retreating figure.
"Fuck your mother, are you kidding me? You want to pick up women without spending a single penny, are you good enough for that?! If you don't have money, then don't come out to wander! Blocking this old man's business! Pah!"
Li Qingqian felt like his back was being scorched by fire, and he forged ahead amidst those astonished eyes, scurrying away with his head down.
Eventually, he was out of the city and had left the onlookers behind, but his neck still felt as if it had been snapped, never again able to rise. Walking unsteadily forward, he went to the departure pavilion on the outskirts of the city and dejectedly sat down. He buried his face in his hands.
And so there he sat for many hours. By the time he returned to the reed shack, it was already dusk.
Hong Shao was lying on her side on her sickbed, facing the door. She slept fitfully, cheeks feverishly red, and as soon as she heard the sounds of Li Qingqian's return, she quickly woke up. Her round, kitten-like eyes stared at him. She said as loud as she could, with great effort: "Dage...."
