In the season of March, with grass growing and orioles flying, a warm sun hung in the sky, casting a bright and warm glow over the world. A cat stretched lazily, then curled up comfortably and drifted back to sleep.
Yun Qingxue sat in a quaint, retro-style café, her delicate face devoid of any emotion as she quietly stirred the coffee in front of her.
Across from her, a man in a well-tailored suit exuded an air of vitality.
“Qingxue, I’m sorry. You’re a great girl, but I…”
“You’re not the right one for me!” Yun Qingxue lifted her gaze to meet the man’s eyes—her boyfriend of three years, Ling Wei, who was supposed to walk into marriage with her. Before he could finish, she cut him off.
“Qingxue, you…” Ling Wei looked at her in surprise, opening his mouth but unsure of what to say next.
“What about me?” Yun Qingxue smiled faintly, almost mockingly. “Didn’t you ask me out today to break up?”
“You knew?” Ling Wei frowned, hesitating.
“What? Did you think I was stupid? You’re about to marry that woman, and you expected me to stay in the dark?” Yun Qingxue raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with endless sarcasm. Like a wounded hedgehog, she raised all her spines to protect her vulnerable core.
After a moment of shock, Ling Wei seemed to relax. “Since you already know, I hope you can understand. I don’t deserve you. I’m sorry. I hope we can still be friends, even family…”
“I want to know why,” Yun Qingxue said calmly.
Ling Wei remained silent.
Yun Qingxue chuckled. “What? Too ashamed to say it?”
“Qingxue, don’t be like this. Just think of me as a scumbag. I betrayed you. Please, don’t ask anymore.”
“It’s not your fault,” Yun Qingxue said coldly. “It’s mine!”
Ling Wei stared at her, stunned and guilty. Before he could speak, Yun Qingxue continued, “I was blind, mistaking a rotten fish eye for a pearl. Luckily, heaven gave me a chance to repent—by letting you, the rotten fish eye, roll away from me!”
“Qingxue!” Ling Wei called out, his voice thick with guilt and shame.
But Yun Qingxue kept smiling. “You’re breaking up with me because that woman comes from a wealthy family, right? She can save you years of struggle. Ling Wei, how does it feel to go from a poor peasant to a wealthy landlord? Like winning the lottery?”
“Qingxue, stop!” Ling Wei snapped angrily.
“Truth isn’t measured by volume. Psychology says the weaker one’s confidence, the louder they speak—to mask their guilt.”
Yun Qingxue analyzed the situation with detached amusement, as if she wasn’t the one being dumped.
“Don’t get mad. After today, I hope we never meet again. So, I’ll say everything now.
First, thank you for letting me go before I made the biggest mistake of my life. Second, thank your new love, Lin Momo, for taking you away from me—saving me from a lifetime of regret. Finally, Ling Wei, I hope you succeed in climbing the social ladder. Just remember to hide your rotten nature, or you might get kicked out and left searching for another golden ticket.”
With that, Yun Qingxue stood up and walked away without giving Ling Wei a chance to respond. Her back was straight, her head held high, as if she hadn’t just been heartbroken but had won some kind of victory.
Outside the café, a spring breeze carried the warmth of the sun, yet Yun Qingxue shivered inexplicably. A tear slipped from her eye. Flustered, she quickly hailed a taxi and ducked inside.
She gave an address, and the driver set off in silence. In the backseat, tears streamed down her face as she remembered the first time she met Ling Wei—another spring afternoon, warm sunlight, the orphanage director leading a quiet, pale boy to introduce him.
Ling Wei, a child who lost both parents in a car accident, had been silent and withdrawn when he first arrived, often bullied by other kids. Yun Qingxue, with her innate sense of justice, had protected him, fought for him, and secretly shared food with him. Over time, they grew close, becoming each other’s warmth and support.
She had thought they’d never part—two souls who understood each other’s loneliness, meant to warm each other forever. Yet now, they were walking separate paths.
From now on, Yun Qingxue would be alone in this world, with no one to share warmth with.
“Miss, wipe your tears.” The driver, a kind, middle-aged man with a fatherly smile, handed her a tissue at a red light. “Heartbreak is just part of life. If you don’t go through it now, how will you meet someone better later?”
“Right. I won’t let it break me,” Yun Qingxue replied hoarsely, as much to herself as to the stranger.
That night, Yun Qingxue slept deeply, dreaming again of vast fields of blooming peonies. Amid the endless sea of flowers, a woman in a blue dress stood with her back turned, her dark hair dancing in the breeze. Distant music, ethereal and enchanting, filled the air.
As the melody grew clearer, a group of colorfully dressed women appeared, dancing around the blue-clad figure. Their faces were veiled in purple gauze, revealing only their captivating eyes, filled with reverence for the woman in the center.
Suddenly, a fierce wind rose. The dancers froze, the music vanished, and the sky darkened ominously. A bolt of lightning struck, scorching a patch of the flower field, leaving only wisps of smoke as proof of their existence.
The women looked terrified but quickly steadied themselves. Beams of red, yellow, white, and purple light shot from their chests, converging at the feet of the blue-clad woman.
The sky grew darker.
Another lightning bolt struck—this time, directly at the woman, who was now floating upward, bathed in the colorful light.
“Watch out!” Yun Qingxue tried to scream, but no sound came out. The lightning hit, and the woman vanished.
The dancers collapsed weakly. One faced Yun Qingxue, her lips moving silently. Yun Qingxue somehow understood her words:
“My Queen, we await your return from this trial. You must come back…”
—
Yun Qingxue boarded a pre-booked flight to Luoyang. She had once told Ling Wei about her recurring dream, and they had promised to see the peonies together. Now, though things had changed, she decided to go alone—to witness the blooming splendor she had dreamed of so often.
—
**Xuanling Continent, Nightfall**
A man in black stood by the window of his chamber, lazily admiring the blood-red roses outside, a mocking smile on his lips.
A streak of blue light suddenly pierced the night sky, vanishing like a shooting star. The man’s sharp eyebrows twitched briefly before relaxing.
Soon, hurried footsteps approached. An elderly voice called from outside the door, “Your Majesty, we request an audience!”
“Enter.” Mo Ming turned from the roses to face the door.
The door opened, and a group of officials entered, heads bowed respectfully.
“What urgent matter brings you here?” Mo Ming’s peach-blossom eyes gleamed with lazy amusement.
The elder in orange robes stepped forward. “Your Majesty, did you see the blue light in the sky just now?”
“I did,” Mo Ming replied indifferently.
The elder pressed on. “What does Your Majesty make of it?”
Mo Ming smirked. “And what does Elder Fox think?”
“Root out the weed before it regrows!” the elder said sternly.
Mo Ming hummed but said nothing more. The elder grew impatient. “We must act before she regains strength!”
Mo Ming scoffed. “A mere remnant of a soul has my ministers so frightened?”
“Your Majesty, we fear the demons might—”
“There is no ‘might,’” Mo Ming cut in coldly. “She’s reincarnated nine times, losing a soul or a spirit each time. This is the tenth. A wisp of a remnant is nothing to fear.”
“But this is the perfect chance to end her!” the elder insisted.
Mo Ming’s expression darkened. “A remnant isn’t worth such panic. Focus on strengthening our clan instead.”
The elder hesitated but bowed. “As you command.”
Mo Ming’s unpredictable temper was legendary.
Just as the officials turned to leave, Mo Ming added, “In two days, I’ll visit the Floraclans myself. Rest assured—I’ll handle it.”
Relieved, the elders bowed again. If their king was taking action, even a remnant of the Flower Queen would be dealt with. Their fears could finally be laid to rest.
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