Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 152

Coming back to the present, Camellia wiped away the tears on her face. She finally understood that she still
loved the boy, that she didn't want to get married to the rich man at all. "How could I forget? That letter! That
pain! That scene! The regrets!" Being mad at herself, Camellia, at the same time, was glad that she didn't make
the same mistake again. She didn't want to experience regrets ever again. She wasn't sure if she could bear the
heart-wrenching pain once more. Even if Aeneas had already forgotten her, even if he had his own family, even
if she would never see him again, she didn't want to marry the rich man and live up to others' expectations.
Looking at the sparkling three-carat diamond ring, Camellia had never been so clear on her mind. "It's never
too late to be the person you want to be. Treasure your time and do what you want. Live in the present and
make it beautiful," Repeating Aeneas' words in a small voice, Camellia finally made her choice. Without the
slightest hesitation, she took off the dazzling ring and walked into the alley in a different direction, with a
magnolia rested on her hair.
1947, Shanghai.
"I'm proud to stand here to share my book with all of you today. My new book, 'Tales of Magnolia', was actually
my own life story. In this world, life's not always what we want it to be. We're always living up to others'
expectations, and we can't do what we really want to do because of the harsh reality. There might be lots of
regrets in our lives. However, please remember one thing. It's never too late to be the person you want to be.
Stop living for others and live for yourself. You won't know what'll happen tomorrow, so please make good use
of every second to live a beautiful life. Live in the present, and do what you want to do. Remember, you only
live once."
Leaving the book signing venue, Camellia made her way back home. On her way home, she passed by the
magnolia tree once again. "This tree really brought back lots of memories. " she muttered to herself. Over the
past year, Camellia had become a famous writer and was sharing her experiences with people all around the
world. Thinking of what she had been through, Camellia smiled. She was really glad that she made the right
decision here last year. Although she still hadn't found her beloved, she was satisfied with her life. Smiling
confidently, she turned slowly, a bit reluctant to leave.
At that moment, a familiar voice chimed behind her. A voice that she had longed to hear for ten years. "You've
dropped your book, Miss Camellia."
She turned, trembling, and saw him holding a book, her 'Tales of Magnolia'. Their eyes met. For the briefest
moments, sound and space were non-existent, all the past memories appeared before them as if they all
happened just yesterday. The world fell away, drained of all color but him, standing in the sunlight. A tear
slipped down Camellia's cheek, her mouth falling open to the softest of gasps. She smiled through tears, and
spoke softly...
"Welcome back."
And this opened a new page in the tales of old Shanghai.