Now, however, his gaze lingered on her longer than usual.
"The Eldest Miss… has changed," he murmured under his breath.
That night, under the lantern light, Hua Lian wrote down the vows of her new life:
1. Never again be blinded by Zhao Rui's false affection.
2. Protect her family's honor and strength.
3. Crush those who plotted against her — one by one.
And with a firm hand, she added the fourth line, the one that burned brightest in her heart:
"The flower that once fell shall rise again, with thorns sharper than blades."