Su Xiaowan had faced so many challenges lately, challenges that not everyone could withstand. She really had been strong, truly strong.
Han Dongchen felt both heartache and relief; this was his wife, like a proud and solitary flower growing on a sheer cliff—beautiful, strong, enduring the harsh winds and rain, yet her precarious position tugged at the heartstrings.
Yet, he couldn't build a greenhouse to shelter her, as that would be a desecration and disrespect to her life. All he could do was to be a towering tree, his roots firmly planted beside her, using his sturdy trunk and lush branches to shield her from most of the storms, standing tall together at the edge of the precipice.
This was all the love Han Dongchen could give to Su Xiaowan, a love that was embracing and warm, and not one that imprisoned her under the guise of affection.
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