Shen Nanwei had a dream.
In the dream, she saw the day Yan Qingzhui was poisoned.
The summer sun that year was so bright that it was blinding, with wisps of smoke seeming to rise from the ground and enter her eyes, turning into tears.
She was running down the palace corridor, her brightly colored long skirt fluttering behind her.
Quicker.
Even quicker.
Heart-punishing Flame.
The name of the poison.
She feared that she had to see him one last time.
For the first time in her life, she did not go to the Buddhist temple under the coercion of the Empress Dowager.
She bowed and prayed.
Copied scriptures and chanted sutras.
She did not believe in Buddhism, but she didn't know where else to rely on.
She did not know how long she had been living in this daze until those beautiful starry-like eyes opened and looked at her. It was as if it was their first meeting, naive, without focus, unknowingly shedding tears.
When she woke up from her dream, her pillow was all wet.