All Alone

Li Xueyue glanced down at the satin box in her hands, closed and flat as before. She passed it to Xiao Hua and smiled at Marquis Qin one last time. Then without another word, she walked out of the pavilion, and headed down the hallway that led to her estate.

She could barely contain her victorious smile. Her lips twitched, and she worked hard to maintain her composure. Biting down on her bottom lip, her mouth still curved into a satisfied smile.

Wordlessly, everyone entered the estate. Li Xueyue took a seat near one of the tables which had a vase made of glass with fresh flowers in it.

"Hydrangeas?" she murmured, touching the petals.

Suddenly, Li Xueyue was glum. Her high spirits fell to the ground, her attention drifted elsewhere. These hydrangeas reminded her of her mother. She missed the Li Family dearly, so much so, that her heart ached a bit at the thought of them. She wished to see them soon, but there were too many social repercussions.