Feng Tianlan’s hands shook, reading a letter of such bittersweet love. With a light tap of her feet, her form flickered, disappearing in the direction of the ruins from which she came.
It had only been 35 minutes since she left, and yet, the ruins were covered in a layer of powdery snow. She took in the sight of the ruins and the fireworks blooming in its backdrop whilst clutching Chen Xinyi’s final words in her hand.
“I’m sorry.” Feng Tianlan’s voice trembled as she whispered her apology, the falling snow weighing heavily atop her shoulders. She could say nothing else…
The driving snow did not abate. Instead, it grew in strength, and soon it would become a blizzard. Fireworks continued to bloom in the night sky like the vibrant petals of a flower blossoming and withering away. Amidst the ruins stained in blood and painted in flesh stood the lonely figure of a woman filled with guilt and crushing regret.
Bang!
As the final spark vanished in the cold night air, it left behind a grey fog that stretched beyond the horizon.
Xi Lin arrived a short while after. Seeing Feng Tianlan motionlessly staring at the ruins with blank eyes, her body coated in a thick layer of snow, she could not help but be reminded of a snowman. Xi Lin strode towards her friend and gently patted the snow off of her. “Tianlan.”
Feng Tianlan choked back a sob. “… Sister Lin, I didn’t even have the chance to collect her body or entomb her ashes.”
There was no doubt that the person who had undergone self-combustion the previous night was Chen Xinyi. She used her own body as a catalyst to destroy the Peony Gate Sect – a sect Feng Tianlan had never heard of, but one who had culled her whole family.
A person who undergoes self-combustion has their body reduced into a fine powder before disappearing completely. No flesh or bone is left behind.
“Chen Xinyi wouldn’t have wanted her ashes mixed with these… people.” Xi Lin had yet to recover from her shock upon learning the contents of Chen Xinyi’s letter to Feng Tianlan. Although she could not imagine how much guilt Tianlan was in, she knew she had to do her best to support her. Chen Xinyi was dead – nothing could change that fact. They had to move on.
Feng Tian Lan wanted to say something, but she could not find the words to express herself. It was as if she had lost her voice.
Xi Lin stood silently by her side, accompanying Tianlan in quiet companionship for the friend they had just lost. As the snow piled up on her friend’s grieving form, she helped sweep it away.
What her friend needed the most was not words of sympathy. She needed a shoulder she could cry on, and Xin Lin was determined to be there for her.
“It is my greatest fortune having met you. I… I thank you for your love.” Feng Tianlan bowed deeply, facing the epicentre of the explosion as she did so.
She hoped that after hearing this, Chen Xinyi would be able to rest in peace.
Feng Tianlan and Xi Lin returned to the palace and went to Chen Xinyi’s place. They asked Chen Xinyi’s maidservant about her favourite clothes and jewellery and put them away. In the end, they thought about it and decided to build a cenotaph for her.
He Lianhuang, who had not seen her for a few days, had just finished tidying up. His face was a little dark yellow. He walked in with a dull expression and sat there tiredly. “I heard that Chen Xinyi died?”
Feng Tianlan glanced at him and turned to look at Xi Lin, who had her head lowered in silence. “Helian, I’m leaving.”
“Must I die for you before I eke out a place in your heart?” He Lianhuang’s bloodshot eyes shone with a manic glint.
Feng Tianlan and Xi Lin were stunned by his words. Had he gone mad?
“Xi Jin committed suicide because of you, and you risked your life to save him. Now, Chen Xinyi has died for you, and she, too, has won a place in your heart. I can do that too!”
Hearing He Lianhuang’s words, Feng Tianlan pursed her lips and said in a soft voice, “He Lianhuang, you’re my friend. I don’t want you to die.”
“Bah! Friends are dispensable. They don’t hold any importance in your heart.” He Lianhuang acted as if Xi Lin was not there and directed his pointed words solely at Feng Tianlan.
