The valley of eternal spring was a place of beauty , where the peach blossoms never withered, and rivers sang song to the mountains.Yet, for Xu Lian, it was a place of sorrow from the very moment of his birth.
XU Lian's mother, Mei lin, gave birth to him on the brightest day of the year, under the canopy of blooming peach trees.The midwife called it a sign of great fortune.But the joy of his arrival was short-lived, for Mei Lin, weakened by a long and difficult labour slipped away before she could hold jer son.
His father, a once -renowned scholar who had retreated to the quite valley to escape the chaos of the world, was left a broken man.He named his son Xu Lian- "to be pitied"- and from then on, the boy carried the weight of that name like a shroud.
A child who admired Xu Lian as hero, now started sobbing.His crying voice was soft and shaky, as he ask "grand pa" in his deep emotional voice "grand pa, was Xu Lian really misfortune for his loved one"?
Grand pa smiled brightly and said "no my child" Xu Lian was just ordinary human like us who is carrying the weight of his guilt and people's blame.Not only Xu Lian but each one of us here in this land, no one brings misfortune or fortune. It's all the play of destiny and our karma. We all are just a pawn of heavens, everything in this world is heaven's will, so we shouldn't blame eachother.
The child now stop sobbing and smile, ask grandpa to continue the story.
Grandpa continued in his deep voice saying "if there's darkness, there's light". When Xu Lian was seventeen, a travelling merchant's family passed through the valley. Among them was a girl named Li Qingyu. Spirited and full of life, Qingyu was the opposite of everything Xu Lian thought he deserved. She laughed freely, her voice like the chiming of bells, and her eyes sparkled with mischief and warmth.
She found Xu Lian by the river one day, painting the blossoms on a scroll. "You are wasting your talent on flowers", she teased. "Paint something more interesting like me"!!
He looked at her and first time in his life, he smiled without thinking. Qingyu had a way of breaking through the walls he had built around himself. She made him laugh, something he hadn't done in years. She dragged him to festivals, showed him the constellations, and told him stories of the world beyond the valley.
"You aren't cursed", she told him one night as they sat under the stars.
"If not cursed than what i am" Xu Lian asked her making very deep eye contact. They continued stare at eachother for a while. Breaking the eye contact, Qingyu told him that - you're kind, talented and far too serious for your own happiness in this world, and loved passionately because you aren't cursed, specially not for me, you have been looking at yourself with the eyes of people. For once just looked at yourself with the eyes of mine and see how worthy, loved , kind and good you are .
Will you forever see me like this from eyes of yours ? Xu Lian questioned her.
Without hesitation she said - no, not forever because forever is just words and my love isn't bound by words for you , it's beyond universe, beyond the wills of heavens. And yes I'll always see you like this not forever but until i turned into ashes , in each universe, in each life even after life .
Xu Lian questioned again,-" what if i hurt you badly, what of i couldn't love you the way you love ne "?
In her gazing voice looking in his lovingly, she said - "Xu Lian, love isn't always mean to reciprocated, it's about all you can give to the people you love without expectations and keep enduring the hurt and pain itself. And if somehow you couldn't love me, i will. Even if you aren't by my side, i will. I will never let the love inside me die .
Ane for the first time, Xu Lian felt loved -not out of duty or pity, but for who he was. Qingyu became his light. He began to dream of a future beyond the valley, a future where they could explore the world together.