In chaotic times, all the letting go and waiting, all the partings and loves, become a bright spot in the gloom, something to smile about. I adore this story.
—Ruo Meng Ru Xu, Douban Reader

★A breathtakingly beautiful and heartwarming love story crafted by the ultra-popular post-90s beauty writer Su Huaxian.
★A love that defies life and death in turbulent times, an epic tale of passion and vengeance.
★I want you to know — no matter how time passes, no matter how the world changes — there will always be someone waiting for you.

The Republican era is filled with warlords thriving in the chaos, nights drowned in decadence, and the fates of beauties tossed by the tides of war.
Even the misty rains of Jiangnan cannot conceal these reckless passions.
In an ancient Jiangnan town, in the Xiao family mansion, Lu Xiyun awaits her wedding — only for the groom to plummet off a cliff. The once-prosperous great family collapses in an instant.
Seven years later, the fires of war rage, and warlords battle for dominance. The groom of the past returns as a powerful military commander, while the man who once loved her becomes the young marshal ruling over a domain of his own...

Su Huaxian, a post-90s writer currently pursuing her postgraduate studies, is a renowned romance author. A signed writer on Jinjiang Literature City, she has published over 600,000 words of fiction. Her short and serialized stories have appeared in magazines such as "Spark" and "Yilin Light Novel". Specializing in a fresh, realistic style, her writing is refined and delicate. She loves crafting turbulent beginnings and happily-ever-after endings.

Chapter 1: What Night Is Tonight Again
Chapter 2: Night Rain, Wind Fills the Tower
Chapter 3: Dark Wind Creeps Through Cold Windows
Chapter 4: How Deep the Courtyard Lies
Chapter 5: Soaring Up to the Blue Clouds
Chapter 6: Lone Moon Pierces the Cold Pool
Chapter 7: Vast Seas, Who Shall Pity Me?
Chapter 8: Parting Sorrow Startles the Birds
Chapter 9: Lingering on Times Long Past
Chapter 10: Old City, Overgrown with Weeds
Chapter 11: Fallen Flowers, Fragrance Lingers
Chapter 12: Life and Death, Vast and Unknown
Chapter 13: Passing at Last into Your Embrace
Chapter 14: Lush Mulberries on the Path
Chapter 15: Just Waiting for the Twilight to Return

Chapter 1: What Night Is Tonight Again

After an autumn rain, the weather in Wancheng turned even colder.
In a Western-style bedroom, a young man in his twenties lay sleeping. He had just jolted awake from a nightmare, his back drenched in cold sweat.
By then, the sky had lightened to a pale fish-belly hue, and the ringing of trams mingled with the shouts of newspaper vendors, rising and falling in waves. He threw off the covers and strode straight into the bathroom. The showerhead sprayed steaming water, instantly fogging up the glass.
As Xu Bai, an apron tied around his waist, stepped out of the kitchen carrying a freshly made salad, he caught sight of a tall, slender figure descending gracefully from the spiral staircase.
The two-meter-long dining table was already laden with a lavish breakfast. Steam curled from the hot milk, filling the entire living room with a sweet, comforting aroma.
"Old man, I told you I wanted coffee. Why is it always milk?" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Xu Bai tossed an apple at him. Shen Ke tilted his head slightly and caught it effortlessly. He took a big bite — only to immediately grimace at the sourness.
"Look at you, getting more and more unreasonable. Here I am, old as I am, waking up early to cook for you. Who knows what you even learned all those years abroad... Don’t you know anything about gentlemanly manners?"
"My gentlemanly manners are reserved exclusively for society ladies..."
Though Xu Bai’s tone was sharp, he obediently brewed a cup of coffee. Over the years abroad, Xu Bai had grown accustomed to Shen Ke’s obsession with coffee. He had also witnessed firsthand how this young man had clawed his way up entirely on his own. During those sleepless nights, Shen Ke had relied on strong coffee to keep going.
"Here. So damn picky, I swear —"
"What are you looking at?" Xu Bai set the coffee in front of Shen Ke and leaned over for a glance. The newspaper’s bold headline leaped out: "Ke Beichen, Warlord of Chendong, Secures Decisive Victory, Marches into the Central Plains."
"Didn’t expect this Ke fellow to have some real skill. You’d better pick up the pace. Lately, you’re always out at dawn and back at dusk — and you won’t even let me tag along. What the hell are you busy with?"
Shen Ke closed the newspaper and took a slow sip of coffee, the corners of his lips quirking up. He cast an indifferent glance at the photograph on the page. "Patience, old man. You can’t rush hot tofu. Today, I’m heading into the wolf’s den. Care to join me?"
Xu Bai shivered at his eerie smile, suspicion creeping into his voice. "What are you planning?"
Shen Ke wasn’t in a hurry to answer. He leisurely sliced into his steak instead. Used to his capriciousness, Xu Bai took a large gulp of milk, leaving a foamy white ring on his mustache. Shen Ke burst out laughing at the sight, then set down his knife and fork, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door. Xu Bai hastily snatched up a piece of bread and hurried after him.
At dawn, the crabapple blossoms in the Li family garden unfurled their smiles one by one. Lu Xiyun was watering the flowers with a watering can when Xiang Qin suddenly popped up behind her with a mischievous giggle.
"Thinking about your sweetheart?"
Lu Xiyun shot her an exasperated look at the teasing tone. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xiang Qin snatched the watering can from her hands, her grin widening. "You’ve been pouring water all over the ground — don’t tell me you weren’t distracted! Spill it, or I’ll report you to the young mistress."
Lu Xiyun made a playful grab for it, but Xiang Qin dodged nimbly.
"Fine, you can have it back—but only if you tell me what interesting things you saw at the Marshal’s residence yesterday. I bet you saw something, or you wouldn’t have been so absentminded ever since you got back."
"I didn’t see anything special. The Marshal’s residence is just... big and beautiful, that’s all. If you won’t give it back, fine. Keep watering. I’ll go prepare breakfast for the young mistress."
With a soft laugh, Lu Xiyun pushed open the door and stepped inside. The clock had just struck six — of course, the young mistress wasn’t up yet. She passed through the front hall into the kitchen, lighting the stove to boil milk. As white bubbles gurgled to the surface, she stared blankly, her thoughts drifting away once more.