Jingrui’s birthdays were always grand affairs, celebrations full of laughter and love from two families. It was all enough for Yujin to spend at least half a shichen each year on the day feeling envious, or so he thought. Now, of course Yujin understood; each year, Jingrui’s birthday and the accompanying grand party represented another sigh of relief from Grand Princess Liyang that her son had lived through yet another year under her husband’s roof.
Sometimes, Yujin wondered whether his father even remembered his birthday. Starting from when he was old enough to ride alone to Xie Manor to spend the day with Jingrui and Xie Bi instead, his father either hid away in his alchemy room or, later, didn’t bother returning to Jinling at all. Now, of course Yujin understood; he was born on this day of reunited lovers, and yet his very existence a daily reminder to his father that he would never again reunite with the woman he loved, that in both this world and perhaps even the next, Yan Que and Lin Yueyao were forever more lost to each other.
This year, however, his father remained in the manor on Yujin’s birthday, and Yujin didn’t ride to to the Xie’s (well, he would go to Liyang Manor, now) at first light, damning all appearances of politeness. However, when a servant came into the room where Yujin and his father were breakfasting, to announce the arrival of Su Zhe at their gates, Yujin almost told the servant to turn the man away, really damning all appearances of politeness. For though he once so eagerly hinted to Sir Su that he expected attentions on his birthday, now looking back at the birthday gift that Sir Su presented Jingrui with just barely three months ago, Yujin wasn’t sure a gift from the house of Su should be that coveted after all.
Nirvana in Fire (9 sentences, only makes sense if you know canon)
Sometimes, Yujin wondered whether his father even remembered his birthday. Starting from when he was old enough to ride alone to Xie Manor to spend the day with Jingrui and Xie Bi instead, his father either hid away in his alchemy room or, later, didn’t bother returning to Jinling at all. Now, of course Yujin understood; he was born on this day of reunited lovers, and yet his very existence a daily reminder to his father that he would never again reunite with the woman he loved, that in both this world and perhaps even the next, Yan Que and Lin Yueyao were forever more lost to each other.
This year, however, his father remained in the manor on Yujin’s birthday, and Yujin didn’t ride to to the Xie’s (well, he would go to Liyang Manor, now) at first light, damning all appearances of politeness. However, when a servant came into the room where Yujin and his father were breakfasting, to announce the arrival of Su Zhe at their gates, Yujin almost told the servant to turn the man away, really damning all appearances of politeness. For though he once so eagerly hinted to Sir Su that he expected attentions on his birthday, now looking back at the birthday gift that Sir Su presented Jingrui with just barely three months ago, Yujin wasn’t sure a gift from the house of Su should be that coveted after all.