Qin Moyu blinked. In front of him, a woman reached out to another man wearing a dark brown coat, while he slumped down behind the man. The two of them started talking as if they couldn't see him.
"Thank you... Um... My name is Qin, what's your name, miss..." the man said shyly, looking dazed as if he had just woken up from a dream.
"feather."
The woman was not surprised by his behavior; she had come here specifically to pick him up.
She helped the man up and opened the oil-paper umbrella she carried with her.
The oil-paper umbrella is the simplest and most elegant white umbrella, but the handle looks a bit unusual.
"Let's go?" she asked.
"This is troublesome!" The man nodded quickly.
They walked into the swirling snow under an oil-paper umbrella, leaving Qin Moyu standing alone in the same spot.
Qin Moyu got up from the ground, bewildered, and fell into confusion once again.
The wind and snow suddenly intensified without warning, making it impossible for Qin Moyu to open his eyes. After the wind and snow subsided, something new appeared before his eyes.
The landscape was still covered in snow, but this time there was a village among the snow.
Qin Moyu strolled through the village, which was extremely quiet, except for the distant sounds of people talking.
He followed the sounds and saw a lively wedding.
It was a simply decorated wedding, but everyone present had a smile on their face. These people were of all ages, men and women, and their clothes varied. Some had patterns on their faces, and some had animal parts that were clearly not human.
The main characters of the wedding were a man and a woman, the same two people Qin Moyu had seen earlier.
The man accepted everyone's blessings with a silly grin, while the woman also gave a faint smile.
Without a doubt, they are very happy.
Everyone sang and danced, but beneath this joy lay a lingering gloom.
The snow started again.
Qin Moyu closed her eyes and waited for the wind and snow to pass before slowly opening them.
This time, what he saw before him was not a village, but two people arguing amidst a swirling snowstorm.
The couple, who were just receiving blessings from everyone, are now at each other's throats.
"Do you really have to go?" Yu gripped the umbrella handle tightly, her expression almost pleading for the first time. "Why... why do you have to leave here when... you already have...?"
Towards the end, she could no longer distinguish between sadness and resentment.
Qin looked at her deeply and said in a low voice, "It is precisely because of him... and for you, that I am going to give it a try."
Yu gave a sorrowful laugh.
"Even if it means losing your life for that elusive freedom?" She was furious, her eyes welling up with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let a single tear fall.
"Yes," Qin said firmly, "I have to go."
She closed her eyes, and facing her resolute lover, she gave up: "If you insist on going... then go..."
"I..." Qin saw his wife in such pain and hesitated to speak. His heart felt like it was being torn apart, but as he said, he had a reason to go.
Yu stopped him, taking a deep breath and speaking decisively:
"Then I'll assume you're dead. This child was born without a father."
Yu left with those words, turned around, and left without looking back.
Qin instinctively wanted to chase after her, but could only watch her receding figure. He knew it was impossible, but he couldn't bring himself to lower the outstretched hand that was trying to hold onto his lover.
"sorry……"
He muttered to himself, his eyes reddening, yet he resolutely embarked on the unknown path.
The heavy snow gradually subsided as they walked in opposite directions into the snowstorm and disappeared from sight.
The air was still cold. After the snow and wind subsided, Yu stood in front of Qin Moyu, holding an umbrella.
Despite having never met before, Qin Moyu could feel a strange flutter in his heart.
Their eyes met; it was an unexpected reunion.
Finally, she broke the silence.
“Mo, is the road.” She reached out and gently stroked Qin Moyu’s face, her eyes filled with boundless tenderness, dispelling all the coldness and leaving only the purest love.
"It is the path that connects me and him, called love."
Qin Moyu felt a lump in his throat. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes welled up with tears, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you as you grew up.
We're sorry, we made you think you were abandoned.
Too much guilt was buried deep in her heart, something she and he could never make up for in this lifetime.