High in the mountains, deep in the forest, the imperial court's annual spring hunt was taking place.
In a deserted corner within the imperial lodge was a small, almost hidden, pavilion.
There, a woman was absently feeding sparrows.
Hearing someone behind her, she said, "I've told you not the enter the pavilion. You always scare the birds away."
A deep voice said, "Lady Lu, I'm not your little maid."
The fistful of grains she was holding fell through her suddenly slack fingers, and scattered to the ground.
She whirled around.
It was him!
That same handsome face, now clean and healthy. That same tall figure, now no longer covered in bleeding wounds. Those eyes, dark as night, but no longer clouded by pain.
She felt her heart jolt violently.
Seeing her expression, his mouth curved into a mocking half smile.
Even this little smile was the same.
But the mockery in it brought her out of her daze.
Coldly, she said, "I'm Madam Chen now."
The smile instantly vanished. Even though the sun was still shining, she felt like she'd been plunged into ice when his eyes met hers.
He advanced on her.
She retreated step-by-step.
Her back hit the railing of the pavilion. In the next moment, he was looming over her.
She tried to avoid his eyes, but he placed a finger under her chin and turned her face up towards his.
Her heart was thundering in her chest.
"Lu Yan," he said softly, and with just this word, the ice in his eyes melted.
After a pause where she didn't dare say anything, he asked, "Have you been well these years?"
Lu Yan was suddenly furious.
Tearing her chin out of his gentle grasp, she violently pushed him away, and ran to the entrance of the pavilion.
A whiff of her perfume reached his nose, and without thinking, he took a deep breath.
Just before she left, she threw back, "General Han, you should respect yourself. I'm married now and have already forgotten the past."
Spitefully, she added, "You should forget too."
Without waiting for a response, she lifted her skirt and ran away.
He could only look at her back as she disappeared between the trees.
---
A few days later, Lu Yan was walking in the gardens with her husband Chen Hai, her elder brother-in-law Chen Yuan and sister-in-law Jiang Xin.
From one of the windows of the lodge, General Han caught sight of the two couples walking and talking together.
They laughed, and despite the distance, the happy sounds drifted to the room where General Han and the ruling regent Ji Jing were playing go and discussing matters.
Seeing Han's distraction, Ji Jing paused and looked towards the window.
"You're too selfish," he said.
Han finally tore his eyes away from that distant figure.
Ji Jing continued, "When she was married off, you remained at the border. Why are you still looking at her?"
"What choice did I have? Could I have left my post?" General Han asked grimly.
Ji Jing wasn't impressed, "You had a choice. And you chose power over her."
Han's face was white, and he clenched his fist tightly around the stone he was holding, "You know it's not just about power."
"I know," Ji Jing nodded easily, "But it doesn't change the facts."
Han stood up suddenly, "If I had really had a choice, do you think I wouldn't have chosen her?"
Ji Jing looked up at him calmly, "Don't corner her again. Don't cause trouble for her. Her elder brother-in-law is not easy to deal with."
For a moment, Han breathed furiously.
Ji Jing gestured.
Han slowly sat down again. His voice was much lower when he said, "Seems you already know everything."
"With your petty skills, you can't hide anything. I'm sure her brother-in-law also knows about the secret meeting between you two."
Han remained silent and looked outside.
The people walking in the garden had disappeared.
He exhaled, suddenly exhausted. Throwing the stone he was holding carelessly on to the board, he stood again and left without another word.
Behind him, Ji Jing looked at the board, "You lost."
---
Galloping on his horse through the forest path, General Han tried not to think of anything.
But the memories were implacable.
He remembered the cage. He had been beaten to the point of death, his wounds left untreated for days.
During this time, he had been delirious, dreaming of times when his mother was still alive.
He could almost feel the warmth of home from his memories.
Happily, he chopped the vegetables for dinner. His mother cooked. His little brother Heng stood on a stool, laughing and talking.
He could forget, for the most part, that he was dying in a cage.
In moments of lucidity, he was tormented by guilt and pain. He kept praying to his mother in heaven, Forgive me mother, in this life your son has failed to avenge you.
Oscillating between extremes of joy and pain, he felt insane. He wished it would all end.
In this personal hell, her saw a figure he knew. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.
But then, why would he dream of Ji Jing's disciple whom he barely knew?
The little girl dressed as a boy kept talking, but he couldn't hear her. He was lost in his memories again.
In the forest, Han came across a clearing filled with wildflowers.
He pulled hard at the reigns and his horse stopped abruptly. Lightly jumping off, Han walked to the big tree in the middle of the clearing.
Kneeling, he dug into the ground with his bare hands.
From the inner pocket of his robes, he produced a simple bracelet. It looked like something a child would wear: colored wooden beads on a string.
He dropped the bracelet into the little hole he had dug.
"Lu Yan, in this life, I'm letting go. I wish you happiness. In our next life, I'll definitely find you and not let go no matter what."
The man remained on his knees for a long time. Around him, birds chirped, leaves twirled, and wildflowers swayed in the breeze.
Finally, he covered the little hole, first with earth, then with fallen leaves.
Mounting his horse, he left without a backwards glance.