Lu Xuan neither believed nor disbelieved him. He spoke calmly,
"Let's not talk about that. In a little over two months, on the fifteenth of the eighth month, I'm getting married... Will you come?"
Chu Tai's smile froze.
After a long moment, he coughed twice.
"Can I go?"
"You can. You are my elder, after all. You took care of me for seven years. If it weren't for you, I would have frozen to death in the snow years ago."
Chu Tai was silent for a long while before heaving a long sigh. "Child," he said with regret, "Grandpa wants to go, but... it's a shame."
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Those who achieve great things must be free of attachments," Chu Tai said calmly. "Only by severing all your ties of cause and effect can you truly understand your own nature and attain your true self."
He stood up and gently stroked Lu Xuan's head.
