The sun beat down relentlessly, and sweat trickled down Shen Mudan's brow—though it wasn't from the heat; it was from sheer terror. She had never imagined her life would end this way. No one truly expects to be betrayed by their greatest love, only to die framed for a crime they did not commit.
Forced forward, she struggled to maintain her dignity, trying not to kneel, but the executioner kicked her heels, making her stumble onto the platform where she would lose her head. So, this is how it ends, she thought.
Wei Linhong watched her. He was next in line for the blade. He didn't appear as frightened as she was, but she knew the truth; he had shown his vulnerability in the depths of the prison. He seemed like a good man... Why hadn't she chosen him? Could all of this have been avoided if she had?
Among the crowd, she caught a glimpse of him hiding: her husband. Pei Xiaoying's face was bathed in tears, but to Mudan, they were nothing but lies.
However, the axe was not a lie. As the executioner raised the heavy steel, Mudan closed her eyes, whispered her farewell to the world, and looked toward the sun one last time.