Xu Liang stepped out of the grand fu, the grand mansion of the Liang family, with a deep sigh, the weight of his noble lineage pressing down on him like a heavy cloak. 
The cool air of the late afternoon did little to calm his troubled mind. He longed for a moment of peace, to be free from the endless responsibilities that came with his family name, but no matter how far he walked, his thoughts followed him. 
He wasn't yet ready to leave for the west, to the Lotus Garden. He hesitated, feeling a heaviness in his chest that made his legs slow and his steps unsure. Something was gnawing at him from within. He was troubled, deeply troubled. 
The reason was clear to him: he had overheard a conversation just yesterday, a conversation that now haunted him. His father, Shun Liang, was planning to meet with another wealthy businessman today—Zhou Ming from Jiangsu province. The purpose of this meeting? To arrange his marriage to Zhou Ming’s daughter.
The sun cast a warm glow over the expansive Liang estate, illuminating the garden with a golden hue, but it offered no solace to Xu Liang. The carefully arranged flowerbeds and tranquil paths usually brought him peace, but today they seemed distant, their beauty hollow. 
His mind, instead of being soothed, was a tangle of thorny thoughts, like a garden overtaken by weeds. What was he to do? He wandered aimlessly toward his favorite corner of the garden, a secluded spot surrounded by tall mudan bushes, where he had often escaped the pressures of his life. But today, even this sanctuary seemed inadequate for the storm brewing inside him.
As he approached his haven, he heard voices—his father’s deep tone and the unfamiliar sound of another man’s speech. Xu Liang quickly slipped behind the broad, fragrant leaves of the mudan bushes, their natural screen hiding him from sight.
From his concealed position, he saw his father seated on a huabing, an intricately carved wooden bench imported from another province. Opposite him sat Zhou Ming, the businessman from Jiangsu.
Xu Liang's heart sank. So, it was true. This man, Zhou Ming, had come to arrange a marriage, and Xu Liang was the pawn in this game of alliances. His father’s voice was calm, steady, as he spoke of family honor, of the strength that such a union would bring to the Liang family. Xu Liang could feel the expectation in every word, the unspoken pressure for him to accept his fate without question.
He felt a wave of anger rise up inside him. Marry Zhou Ming’s daughter? Was that his future? Was that all his life would amount to—a transaction between two families? He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. 
His father spoke of tradition, of duty, of the fortune that men of their status were born into. But what fortune was this, really? Xu Liang hated the wealth, the status, the endless ceremonies, and titles that defined his existence.
He despised the expectations placed on him as the heir to the Liang name. What he wanted more than anything was to be free of it all, to live a life of simplicity, as a commoner, without the suffocating weight of his family’s legacy.
What did his father expect him to do? To smile and nod, to marry a woman he had never met, to carry on the family name like a dutiful son? The very thought made him sick. 
He was not like other men. He had always known this, though he had kept it buried deep inside, hidden from the world. He could not love Zhou Ming’s daughter—or any woman, for that matter. His heart, his desires, lay elsewhere, with someone no one in his family would ever accept. He was a man who could only love another man.
But here, in this world of strict norms and rigid traditions, his love was forbidden, unspeakable. He was trapped, mute by his own accord, unable to voice his truth. To do so would bring shame not only upon himself but upon his entire family. 
He knew his father would never understand, and his mother—Lady Mei—would be devastated. The expectations of his family and society left him no choice, no room for his own happiness. He felt as though he was suffocating under the weight of it all.
“I saw her once, she was goddess. But, I can’t marry her,” Xu Liang whispered to himself, his voice barely audible amidst the rustling leaves. “I can’t force myself to live that lie. I can’t subject her to a marriage without love, and I can’t deny who I am.”
He swallowed hard, his chest tight with emotion. But what was he to do? Refusing the marriage would bring disgrace to his family, and yet going through with it would condemn him to a life of misery, pretending to be someone he was not. His thoughts spiraled, each one more troubling than the last.
From his hiding spot, he could still hear his father’s voice, now joined by Zhou Ming’s. They were discussing details, arrangements, dowries, and other matters that felt trivial in comparison to the storm raging in Xu Liang’s heart. His future was being decided without him, as though he were nothing more than a piece in a grand game of chess, to be moved and sacrificed as necessary.
“I have to do something,” he whispered again, this time more urgently. But what? He had no answers, only more questions, more uncertainty. The thought of confronting his father or mother was terrifying, yet the idea of living a lie was unbearable. He was caught in a web of expectations and tradition, with no clear way out.
Xu Liang pressed his forehead against the rough bark of a tree, trying to steady his racing heart. He needed time to think, to plan. But time was running out. His father was speaking of a meeting with Zhou Ming’s daughter in the coming days, and the wedding would follow soon after. If he did nothing, his fate would be sealed.
“I need to find a way,” he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists once more. “There has to be another way.”