Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Translator: Silvery ButterflyztdfQAoCzrqEhPVHClxMJZVTwHKjTW

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Evening clouds withdrawn, pure cold air floods the sky;rkXrqVjsDQRgcwoNRuwPJQIdcwysbl

The River of Stars mute, a jade plate turns on high.nVhjxAClYsjketEMgkDbMYPUgPmEbU

How often can we enjoy a fine mid-autumn night?QtCMlZuuQFytTTZiHryPxkEJDHlaMx

Where shall we view next year silver moon so bright? ¹RRtEBAczIQxjQktyvLIXHuOCtGbBYV

This life….. this night….. the bright moon……next year?YtzkzqMcaBqSyETCABTtzgxhXahNHf

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His hand, stained with mud and grime, reached up above his head, just managing to grasp a sliver of moonlight that filtered through the vent. It was so pure, so unblemished, like a still reflection in jade. Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival, the night of the full moon, yet he could only glimpse it through this tiny opening. What must the scene outside look like? What was it like in previous years?VrTxHIqtpuVHHDmEiSAIGeZMavJFnZ

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In past years, the Jin family mansion would be bustling with activity during this time. From early morning, the granaries would open to distribute food, and the line of people waiting to receive grain would stretch for miles. The entire Jin Mansion would be decorated with lanterns and streamers, with the scent of osmanthus flowers wafting through the courtyard. In the evening, guests from all around would be entertained, and the doorway would be worn down by the constant flow of people bringing gifts.rGnBQhMxMYbeRKzXhZAHKiYlwMWfkk

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He never imagined that there would be a Mid-Autumn Festival where he would find himself lying in a deathly silent prison cell, trying to move fingers that had only just regained sensation under the moonlight.YzESTOgaUvZQmmktfguidJvopMOCCF

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The puncture wounds in his joints, as Qi Xiao Bin had said, were almost invisible after two days. However, there wasn’t a single joint in his body that didn’t feel cold. Although it was already Mid-Autumn, the weather was fortunately not too chilly, but the dampness of the cell made it difficult for him to sleep for two days. The cold seeped out from his bones, and while the sunlight during the day provided some relief, once the sun set, he would toss and turn in discomfort. His body felt as if it had been broken apart and put back together, and his knees would start shaking as soon as he tried to stand. Even sitting made his hips and pelvis feel weak. He felt like a crippled man already.mgbsrPuSNNpAGnOGvpCILHuihTbyfA

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His father lay beside him. After Qi Xiao Bin left that day, someone came to treat his father, taking his pulse and administering medicine with great care, as if they were truly afraid something might happen to him. After settling his father, they thoroughly checked Xiao Bao over, ensuring there were no external injuries, and then fed him a few pills before leaving. The medicine alleviated much of his pain.VWqefkqmmGhfCGLSHcXgSYpHpjJdgz

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His mother had fallen asleep next to his father. She hadn’t slept for several days either, and her tears had hardly stopped. She seemed to be in a daze, sometimes laughing in the middle of crying, which made Xiao Bao both anxious and afraid.JtwrVovdUByvZpEAngpRFJINAawcvy

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He felt physically exhausted, yet no matter what he did, he couldn’t sleep. Thinking about leaving this place tomorrow and facing an unknown fate, he no longer felt fear.CvqEngPSqvCVbGdXjZroSABVBnRctN

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He looked at his hands, dirty, with blood stains and mud in the crevices. It was from his own scratching. If he looked closely, he could see tiny red dots under the moonlight. Fourteen needles in one hand….. densely packed….. The pain in his fingers was the worst, especially now when any slight movement still hurt. His hands felt stiff, no longer like his own. He remembered someone who seemed to really like these hands, lying on his lap, playing with them, pinching them one moment, biting them the next, and then lifting their chin, flashing those bright, black eyes, and teasingly calling them pig trotters……AtaQlOVCqjKvmxAQNXqKGiCcWgSjdu

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His hands covered his eyes, and scalding tears slid down his cheeks, soaking into the dry straw beneath him, disappearing without a trace.DmOyhLvEJURoOaShRqtMuamVLlktfA

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From the place of detention to the outskirts of Suzhou’s city gate, Xiao Bao walked the longest road of his life.pbCQrkwsHKpTwPlmnRwGevdDeSFAhp

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In truth, he had traveled this road countless times—sometimes in a luxurious carriage, sometimes on a fine steed, and occasionally just strolling along. No matter how he traveled it, he was always surrounded by an entourage, brimming with confidence. Never had he imagined that one day, he would be sitting in a prison cart, shackled and under heavy guard, being taken to the capital to face execution.PactDwyKijjqYlucwiYRXnvcOxxIQL

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The citizens of Suzhou, anyone with eyes, would recognize him. Fortunately, he had not committed any grievous crimes, so most people only pointed and mocked. However, as they passed through the commercial street, the atmosphere changed drastically. The Jin family’s business had grown so large that it had driven many others to the brink of ruin. Seizing the chance to kick them when they were down, the crowd hurled filthy objects at them. The soldiers escorting them tried to stop it a few times but, seeing that it caused no real harm, eventually turned a blind eye. The raw, blatant humiliation made the three prisoners too ashamed to even open their eyes. Every object that struck them felt like a thousand-pound hammer, the pain unbearable.aRGniJghPTzYFPoSRzvSVgdEapumUB

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The crowd was so thick that the procession moved at a snail’s pace. By the time they were out of the city, it was nearly dark.WIRZbOXCDoYdMevkHcYfKnWzsNFQSd

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The cold poison in his body was beginning to react to the changing weather, its symptoms subtly surfacing. Remembering Qi Xiao Bin’s words that when it flared up, it would be even more painful than when the needles were inserted, Xiao Bao was terrified, wishing he could just bash his head in to escape it. He curled up tightly in the prison cart, hugging himself, counting the seconds until the sun would rise.CelbwRRLScPNUqmnJlpwHsdiKXCUSa

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The unexpected occurred at noon on the second day.CPcrJhbCvhQOjZuuLObfTGqfvyosBj

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The group had stopped to rest under some trees when the clear sound of swords being drawn pierced the stifling air. In the blink of an eye, a dozen black-clad figures descended upon them like a dark storm. Xiao Bao turned his head with difficulty inside the cart and immediately recognized familiar figures.EvSqTfgCGbxJuPFUFUSIzzCdWGQEBu

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Zhao Cai and Jin Bao!SYdpRHzBeNrJdJCXQYlSMhFmAgdeab

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Though both were masked, he would recognize those physiques and movements anywhere.QJHjYSxgSoyWbKeWVbgXKkYtZTRTjT

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The black-clad men clashed fiercely with the soldiers. The soldiers, already outnumbered, were quickly overwhelmed, and soon only a few were left standing.SRCJpnmnZDVwmjUrWAFnEVjXGGOelo

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The prison cart he was in suddenly jolted violently, followed by a deafening crash. In an instant, the wooden bars of the cart shattered around him, but not a single piece struck him. A strong hand encircled his waist, lifting him effortlessly into the air. Xiao Bao turned sharply, locking eyes with a pair he knew all too well. The inner corners of those eyes slanted downward, while the outer edges arched upward, framed by sharp, elongated brows. The curling lashes cast a small shadow over the narrowed, almond-shaped eyes, which always carried a hint of aristocratic arrogance and carefree charm. But now, those eyes were filled with a fierce, burning rage.XBzXIUFQocwztyVpSWDVacbyjbJHVA

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Xiao Bao gasped in a hoarse voice, “Su Yin!”TXZTmFnskmuAELsidkniGUSpGlqhVb

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SB’s Note: Thanks so much for the Ko-fi, Laura Wilke! I’ve uploaded an extra chapter just for you—hope you enjoy it! ❤️❤️JyAUTWvXadhpAISwwBKowHjEgehydJ