In the late afternoon, Lee Dachin released his students from their lessons. While the students were packing their schoolbags, hethought he heard Fang Yaoting's footsteps at the door. He glanced quickly, but there was no one, and his heart was empty again. He walked his students out of the door. The students waved at him as they disappeared into the crowded street. He closed the door of the school and turned to the three young students who lingered.
Lee Dachin smiled at them. "I will send you to Ah Bao."
"Teacher Lee, is Third Master coming home soon?" Xiao Mei asked, looking up at him expectantly.
Lee Dachin smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I don't know, I hope so."
"I don't want him to come back so soon!" Guozhao Zhaohui declared.
Lee Dachin smiled and asked, "Why?"
"I hate doing horse stance," Guozhao Zhaohui frowned. "He always punishes me for the smallest mistake."
Xiao Mei nodded in agreement. "I made a mistake when I practiced sword last time. I was doing horse stances for three hours."
"I like horse stance," Guozhao Bolin said, holding Lee Dachin's left hand, a sign of his unique preference.
The two older children made ugly faces and stuck their tongues out at Guozhao Bolin.
Lee Dachin smiled and said, "Then you should work hard to perfect it. When your Third Master comes back, you won't be punished."
The two older children frowned, "Ah..."
The three children followed Lee Dachin to the house. The family store was not too big; it was decent. Lee Dachin and the children walked in, and Yang Bao was busy putting the dried medicinal materials into the cabinets.
"Teacher Lee, thank you for sending the children back," Yang Bao greeted him warmly.
"I'm on my way home anyway," Lee Dachin replied, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Children," Yang Bao said, "Song nai nai has already cooked; Teacher Lee, stay for dinner."
Lee Dachin refused gently. "Maybe next time. I have papers to correct."
Without Fang Yaoting, Lee Dachin's home felt so big, so empty. He sat at the dining table, staring at the empty seat opposite him. He suddenly lost his appetite, so he picked up the dishes and put them in the kitchen. He then sat in the backyard, diligently marking the students' homework.
At this time, the empty courtyard reminded him of the past; after eating every night, he would sit here to correct the students' homework while listening to Fang Yaoting's sword practice. After that, the two would take a bath, and then they would go to bed together.
That night, he was lying on an empty bed, staring at the ceiling, with warm tears dripping from the corners of his eyes. He never felt that the bed was so big, so vast and cold. He lay there, sobbing softly, his grief overwhelming.
Fang Yaoting had promised that he would return home when Wang Shuchun became pregnant, but as he waited months after months, Fang Yaoting did not return or write to him. It had been a year since he saw Fang Yaoting and heard from Fang Yaoting. He turned to the right, staring at the flickering candlelight, tears constantly falling from his eyes. He knew that there was a high possibility that Fang Yaoting would not return.
He knew that once Fang Yaoting got married and had children, he would have responsibilities. Wang Shuchun was a good woman; Fang Yaoting's family loved her very much. No matter how strong a man was, he was still a man after all, and would eventually lose to the tenderness of a woman. However, deep in his heart, he hoped that one morning, when he opened his eyes, he would see Fang Yaoting's handsome face holding him in his arms.
When he left Fang Yaoting behind at the Fang Residence, he was preparing to face the lonely road ahead alone. He would write to Fang Yaoting every two weeks, but Fang Yaoting never replied, and now he was sure that Fang Yaoting would not come back.
He understood why Master Fang wanted Fang Yaoting to get married. He believed that if Fang Yaoting had a wife, he would become fond of women. After months and months passed, and there was no news from Fang Yaoting, he began to believe that his theory was true. Despite the pains inside his heart, at the same time, he had also given his blessing to Fang Yaoting and Wang Shuchun, a painful acceptance.
He knew that he could not forget Fang Yaoting. If Fang Yaoting decided to be with Wang Shuchun, he would accept it wholeheartedly and would not have any malice towards Wang Shuchun and Fang Yaoting. He was willing to spend his life waiting for Fang Yaoting. The rain dropped on the roof, making a soft clanging sound. He closed his eyes, hoping that he could dream of the special person he had been missing.
Early in the morning, when Yang Bao went to open the store, he found Guozhao Zhiqiang leaning on the door, drunk and drenched, a picture of despair.
Yang Bao rushed to Guozhao Zhiqiang and said strongly, "Senior brother!" He went down and helped Guozhao Zhiqiang up. He put Guozhao Zhiqiang's left arm around his shoulder and helped his senior brother inside the house.
Yang Bao sat Guozhao Zhiqiang on his bed and carefully removed the sword from his back. Yang Bao then gently lay him down.
Guozhao Zhaohui stood at the door, peering in. "Second senior brother, is that senior brother?"
Yang Bao nodded. "Look after him, I will fetch water."
After a while, Yang Bao came in with a basin and towel. He began to wipe Guozhao Zhiqiang's face, wondering how he had become like this. He had never seen his brother look so utterly defeated before.
"Senior brother, what's wrong with you?" Yang Bao asked, his voice filled with concern.
Guozhao Zhiqiang pushed Yang Bao's hand away, his voice rough. "I want to stay alone." He turned to the left and closed his eyes, shutting out the world.
"I'm sending the children to school, and Song nai nai will be here soon," Yang Bao said. "Tell her if you need anything, let her know."
Yang Bao was very worried about Guozhao Zhiqiang, but there was not much he could do because Guozhao Zhiqiang's indifferent attitude made it difficult for anyone to approach him. He was packing medicine for a customer. He looked at the door, and his Shimu, Ping'an, stood there with two small sacks, a welcome sight. The customer paid him, and the customer left.
"How's the business?" Ping'an asked, her voice soft.
"As usual, Shimu," Yang Bao replied. "Masters?"
"Your two Masters went out hunting," Ping'an informed him.
"Shan took a new case?" Yang Bao asked, surprised.
Ping'an smiled and said, "No, it's deer hunting."
Yang Bao put on a long face, crestfallen.
"What's the matter?" Ping'an asked, noticing his change in demeanor.
"Senior brother...he...He is back but not himself. He is in his bedroom," Yang Bao confessed, his voice worried.
"Zhiqiang has returned? He sent a message with Shan, saying he would not be back in a few months!" Ping'an exclaimed, shocked.
"He seems to be dying," Yang Bao said, his voice quiet. Two customers walked into the store. "He's behind, I'll help the guests first."
Ping'an walked to the back of the shop. She put the peach bag in the kitchen and walked to Guozhao Zhiqiang's bedroom. The young teen was sleeping on his left side, facing the wall, a picture of profound sadness.
"Zhiqiang..." Ping'an murmured, her voice gentle.
Guozhao Zhiqiang turned around and saw Ping'an. He slowly sat up on the bed.
Ping'an looked at the young teen, who was very handsome and well-dressed, sitting on the bed, but with a broken spirit. Ping'an walked to the bed and sat beside him.
"What's the matter?" She moved a few strands of hair away from his face, a comforting gesture.
"Shimu," Guozhao Zhiqiang sobbed, his voice raw with pain. He wrapped his arms around Ping'an's waist and cried inside Ping'an's arms, letting go of his carefully constructed barriers.
"What is it?" Ping'an asked, worried. "Peizhi didn't say anything."
Guozhao Zhiqiang sobbed and said, "It hurts, I am very hurt."
"Where did you hurt?" Ping'an asked, searching for a physical wound.
Guozhao Zhiqiang slid down and leaned his head on Ping'an's lap, his body wracked with sobs. "My heart hurts so much, I feel that my heart is shattered."
Ping'an rubbed his head, a comforting motion. "Someone broke your heart?"
He said nothing, unable to speak, and continued to whimper.
"I don't understand what I did wrong," Guozhao Zhiqiang managed to say between sobs.
"Sometimes we did nothing wrong, but we just aren't meant to be," Ping'an replied, her voice soft with understanding.
"If we can't keep our promises, why bother making promises in the first place?" Guozhao Zhiqiang asked, his question a cry of despair.
"Promises are easy, but hard to fulfill," Ping'an said, offering hard-earned wisdom. "To find the person who truly loves you, no mountain is too high for that person to climb, no ocean is too wide for that person to swim across, or no path is too dangerous for that person to walk to reach you. Only that special person deserves your tears."
"Shimu, I want to lie down like this for a while," Guozhao Zhiqiang whispered, his sobs subsiding into quiet whimpers. He continued to cry his heart out, finding release in her presence.
"You go ahead and cry. Cry your heart out and afterward, stop crying. Our Zhiqiang can overcome any difficulties without shedding a tear," Ping'an encouraged, knowing his strength.
It was difficult to watch Guozhao Zhiqiang so broken. He had always been strong-hearted; he did not shed a single tear when he was almost beaten to death, but in the face of love, he was as fragile as an egg.
After a while, Guozhao Zhiqiang fell asleep, exhausted by his grief. Ping'an covered him with a blanket, and then she went to the kitchen. Song nai nai was preparing a meal for the children.
"Ping'an, are you staying for dinner?" Song nai nai asked.
"Yes, let me help you," Ping'an replied. "How about you go ask Dachin to have dinner with us? I will take care of the rest."
That night, Guozhao Zhiqiang lay on the bed and closed his eyes. His memory repeated itself again and again, replaying the moments with Hu Dingxiang. He tried to figure out what he had done wrong. If Hu Dingxiang had no feeling for him, why would he agree to live in Cloud City? He still felt the warmth of Hu Dingxiang's body next to him. He could also feel Hu Dingxiang's soft lips pressing lightly on his lips. He could still feel the smooth skin of Hu Dingxiang on his hands. Only then did he realize that the more he wanted to forget Hu Dingxiang, the harder it was for him to erase the image of Hu Dingxiang from his mind.
He regretted choosing another path, diverging from his masters. He should have come back to home directly from Waterfall City. Instead, he decided to venture to an unknown land alone. In the end, he returned home heartbroken.