On the occasion of collapse

"Last year you left without saying goodbye, I thought you wouldn't come back. Niya's mother said you would come back next spring." Pour peach blossom stuffing into his bowl, the girl said slowly, as if It was an expression of dissatisfaction with Him for leaving without saying goodbye.

"Well, I had some urgent matters at the time, so I left in a bit of a hurry." He picked up the wine bowl and took a sip of the wine.

What He missed was not the taste of the wine at all, but the person who made it.

"That's right, but that's right, my benefactor is so powerful, you must have a lot of things to do." The girl said slowly, she could understand what he said was urgent.

"So be it." Without explaining anything, he slowly drank the wine and tasted the delicacies made by her.

This kind of life seems not bad?

Looking up at the scenery outside the window, he turned his head and looked at the girl beside him who was smiling lightly.

No, isn't this the life He dreamed of?

Being able to have a glass of wine with her on a mild afternoon and chatting about some insignificant topics.

the most important is....

Being able to be with her...

She even believed that such a life could go on forever.

......

In the spring of the following year, He returned here just as they had promised.

She seemed to have known that He was coming for a long time. She had already set up tables and chairs under the peach blossom tree outside the house and poured some peach blossom wine brewed last year.

But the difference is that this year He will also make wine with her.

"First add salt to the water, then soak the peach blossoms in the salt water for 15 minutes. Don't add too much salt, otherwise it will have a strange taste."

"But, because the soaked peach blossoms need to be left to dry overnight, I actually prepared them last night. I also prepared the glutinous rice."

Speaking slowly, the girl took out two jars from one side.

"Look, these are the dried peach blossoms and soaked glutinous rice." The girl put the two jars on the table and said with a smile.

He looked at the girl's appearance, and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.

"So we can start right away." The girl said slowly as she took out a pot from the house.

"Yes." He nodded slowly. As long as he was with her, He would have endless patience.

"First add water to the pot, and then sprinkle a handful of peach blossoms into the water. Ah, by the way, there must be no oil in the pot." The girl stood aside and carefully guided him on the steps of making peach blossom stuffing.

"Then put the steamer on, remember to put a steaming cloth on the bottom, and then put a layer of peach blossoms on it." He followed the girl's instructions step by step, without any sign of impatience.

"Cover the soaked glutinous rice on the peach blossoms, and then poke some holes in the glutinous rice for ventilation, otherwise some rice may not be steamed."

"Finally, spread the remaining peach blossoms on the glutinous rice, put it in a pot with cold water, and steam it for about 10 minutes."

"If you feel the glutinous rice is not cooked yet, you can steam it for a while longer."

Speaking slowly, the girl watched him making peach blossom wine step by step according to the steps she told him, and she felt peaceful for some reason.

As the fire was lit, the two people's eyes met together inadvertently.

Four or ten minutes passed quickly, and the glutinous rice in the pot was completely steamed.

"Put out the glutinous rice and peach blossoms, spread them out in a container without oil or water, and let them cool down a little." The girl took a basin that had been prepared from one side and placed it in front of Him.

"When it is not hot to the touch but not completely cold, add water little by little and separate the glutinous rice. Remember not to use raw water, use cool boiled water."

"After completing this step, sprinkle the distiller's yeast on top, then stir evenly, then put it into a clean, oil-free and water-free container, press it firmly and make a hole in the middle. Finally, seal the container and wait until It can be opened in a month." The girl said with a smile as she watched him seal the wine jar.

"How's it going? It's your first time making wine. How does it feel?"

"It's very good." He didn't lie, it was indeed very good, because with her, no matter what he did, it was very good.

"Well, wait until next spring, how about we drink the wine you made?" The girl said slowly. She knew that He would not stay here for a month, so the last step of steaming the wine could only be It's up to her to do it.

"Okay." He said slowly, and agreed to the girl's words without any hesitation.

"Then let's make an agreement. Tomorrow's spring, let's taste the wine you brewed together." The girl's smile was deeply imprinted in his mind, and he would never forget it.

"Well, we've made an appointment."

........

But in the spring of the following year, He failed to drink this jar of wine with her...

The jar of wine was finally drunk.

War broke out.

The old emperor's body was declining day by day, but he had not decided on a heir apparent.

Several princes have their own hidden agendas, and they all think that they are the next emperor.

The ministers in the court also stood in line, and the princes were constantly recruiting anyone who could increase their chances of winning.

Among them, Niya is no longer a general.

When He came here again, the army had already approached the capital, and the peach blossom forest had been leveled by the cavalry.

"General Niya, please stop resisting." A man who looked like a general sat on a horse and spoke slowly to the elderly woman.

"I'm no longer a general, and you don't need to call me that." Standing in the yard, even though her back was bent, her aura was still the same as that of the general back then.

"This is my respect for you, General Niya. As long as you stand with the second prince, His Highness can guarantee that it will not affect your life and even meet all your requirements." The general said slowly, trying to Convince the woman.

"I won't stand on anyone's side." The woman knew that she was old now, and what those princes needed was their prestige and reputation in the military.

"In that case, I'm sorry, old general." Seeing Niya's unrestrained appearance, the general closed his eyes and waved to the hundreds of soldiers and horses behind him.

"Mother Niya!" The girl who sensed something was wrong ran out of the house and stood in front of the woman.

"What are you doing out here! Go back quickly!" The woman who had been motionless looked a little flustered when she saw the girl.

"charge!"

The cavalry behind him had already raised the spear in his hand, and the horse beneath him began to gallop. The general seemed to have seen the woman and girl being torn into pieces.

However, a sudden change occurred.

A woman did not know when she appeared in front of the woman and the girl, and no one noticed when she appeared.

He slowly raised his hand, and waves that were imperceptible to the naked eye emanated from his hand. The cavalrymen who were touched by it were instantly stunned.

Seeing the magical scene, the woman and girl widened their eyes.

But the next moment, the stationary cavalry and war horses turned into a mist of blood as if they had suffered a heavy blow.

"Huh?" Looking at the scarlet rain, the girl's pupils trembled slightly.

"You're okay..." But he didn't feel anything about it. He turned around to make sure the girl was okay, but saw those eyes full of fear.

That look was too familiar to him.

In the end, He didn't say anything and left without a trace just like when He came.

————————————————————

"........"

"You said you still want to hear the rest of the story?" He picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a shallow sip of the wine.

"Why do you think there is another story behind it? Isn't it nice to end it like this?" He said slowly after finishing the wine in the glass.

"........"

"Tell me, you think I won't give up easily?"

Putting down the empty wine glass in his hand, he picked up the wine jar on one side and poured out the light pink wine.

"You guessed it right, at that time, I didn't want to give up on someone so similar to her so easily."

"But that was a long, long time ago..."

"When I go back next spring..."

.......

The peach tree was moved down last year, but the house is still there.

The girl was sitting under the only peach blossom tree that had been preserved outside the house. On the table was the wine that the girl and Him had brewed together the year before.

The two bowls filled with wine were also placed on the table by the girl.

He walked over slowly, even though he knew that the situation in front of him was obviously very wrong.

"You're here..." When the girl saw him walking to the table, she didn't stand up, but said in a low mood.

"Well..." He could see that something was obviously wrong with the girl's emotions, but he was unwilling to delve into it.

"Please sit down, remember, we agreed the year before last that we would drink this jar of wine together." Pushing the bowl in front of Him, the girl said slowly.

"However, it seems that I didn't drink it last year. This year, let's drink it." The girl also knew that she could not deceive Him, so she just silently picked up the bowl of wine in front of her and drank it all in one gulp.

Watching the girl finish the wine, his eyes dropped slightly.

But He didn't say anything. He just picked up the wine silently and drank the wine in the bowl.

Slightly sour and slightly sweet, with the fragrance of peach blossoms.

He loves it.

"It tastes good." He said slowly and gave his own evaluation.

"Really, that's good. I was worried that you wouldn't like it..." the girl said slowly. The conversation between the two was like the scene when they sat together for the first time to taste wine, but it was a bit... A little different.

"..." As these words fell, He did not speak any more, and the girl did not speak either.

After a long time, the girl slowly stood up.

He looked at the girl standing in front of him, pretending that he didn't notice her hands behind her back.

"Actually, I noticed it when we first met. When you looked at me, you were actually missing someone, right?" She said slowly, and the girl knew from the beginning that the look in his eyes when he looked at her was Looking at others through her.

"I know, but I don't know why, but I have an inexplicable fondness for you. Even if I know that you are looking at another person through me, I don't feel disgusted at all." The girl said slowly, turning a He put a hand on his chest.

"If possible, could you please give me a hug?" The girl closed her eyes and said slowly. She had no other choice.

"...Okay." He approached the girl as if he didn't know anything, stretched out his hand and slowly held her in his arms.

"It's so warm..." Feeling the warmth in His arms, the girl sniffed, as if suppressing her emotions.

"Bah."

The sound of a sharp knife penetrating flesh was heard, and even a very small sound still sounded harsh in His ears.

He lowered his head and looked at the girl's crying face.

"I'm sorry, they caught Niya's mother and everyone, I can only do this." The girl's choked voice reached His ears, but it was so harsh.

Abandoning control of this body, He allowed it to bleed like an ordinary person and then slowly fall down.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I have no choice..." The girl knelt beside Him and kept repeating the words.

He looked at the girl and said nothing, but there was no tenderness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Covering her head, the girl's tears fell on his face, and he could still feel the temperature of the tears.

He didn't speak or move. Soon, the body lost its body temperature and its pupils dilated like a human being.

Really dead.

And the real Him stood in the imaginary space, looking at the crying girl.

After a long time, the girl stopped crying. She looked at the dead body in front of her, and as if she had made up her mind, she stabbed the dagger in her hand hard into her chest.

"Ahem." Blood spurted out from her mouth. The girl pulled out the dagger, threw it aside, and then lay quietly on the body.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." As the blood drained, the girl's voice became smaller and smaller.

In the end, she seemed to have fallen asleep and became completely quiet...

The glutinous rice beside the table was scattered all over the floor, and the peach blossoms on the tree fell with the wind and landed in the middle of the white glutinous rice.

Pink and white, two pure colors come together...

----------------------

"The story is completely over here. If you still want to hear it... I will tell you when I am in a good mood." Putting down the empty wine glass in his hand, He casually took the empty wine jar Thrown into the space turbulence.