Ashley Hess

“Hua Cheng let out a small laugh and maintained that posture of one knee on the ground, and that remaining eye gazed at him deeply. "Your Highness, I've always watched you."

(...)

All of the sudden, thousands of emotions, millions of words swarmed into his head. There was gratefulness, there was shame, there was heartache, there was wild joy, but above all else, there was incurable love.”
― Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù, 天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú]

“Hua Cheng said quietly, "Your Highness, I understand your everything.

"Your courage, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hate; your intelligence, your foolishness.

"If I could, I would have you use me as your stepping stone, the bridge you take apart after crossing, the corpse bones you need to trample to climb up, the sinner who deserved the butchering of a million knives. But, I know you wouldn't allow it."

(...)

However, Hua Cheng only replied, "To die in battle for you is my greatest honour."

Those words were like a fatal blow. The tears in Xie Lian's eyes could no longer be restrained, and they came pouring out.

Like he was hanging on the thread of his life, he pleaded, "You said you would never leave me."

However, Hua Cheng replied, "There is no banquet in this world that doesn't come to an end."

Xie Lian bowed his head and buried it deep into his chest, his heart and throat in constricted agony, unable to speak.

Yet soon after, he heard Hua Cheng say above him, "But, I will never leave you."

Hearing this, Xie Lian's head shot up.

Hua Cheng said to him, "I will come back. Your Highness, believe me.”
― Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù, 天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú]

“Those who have known each other for decades can become strangers in a day. We met by chance, and we may part by chance. If we like each other then we shall continue to meet; if we don’t then we shall part. There’s no banquet in the world that doesn’t come to an end, so I’ll say what I want to say.”
― Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù, 天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú]

“Then, Your Highness, let me ask you: if the heavens really do condemn you, will you apologize then?"

"If that should happen, then the heavens are in the wrong.”
― 墨香铜臭, 天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú]