One detail I just remembered is the significance of the tea conversation between WenShu Ge and QingTian.
QingTian describes Great Snow Mountain tea as being mellower and clearer than Mollie, but lighter than XiGui. In response, WenShu says that QingTian reminds him of Great Snow Mountain tea.
QingTian then replies:
"To reach Great Snow Mountain, one must pass through Dongguo."
I love how layered this exchange is. On the surface, they are simply talking about tea, but beneath that, they are really talking about each other.
Great Snow Mountain tea represents the person QingTian has become-someone gentle, balanced, and mature. He is no longer defined by the weight of his past, but has reached a state of clarity and peace after everything he has experienced.
Dongguo, meanwhile, is more than just a place. It represents the part of QingTian's journey connected to WenShu-the memories, experiences, and emotional growth that shaped him into the person he is today. His meeting with WenShu changed the direction of his life, allowing him to confront his past, let go of what he was holding onto, and move forward.
So when QingTian says, "To reach Great Snow Mountain, one must pass through Dongguo," it feels like he is acknowledging that becoming the person he is today required passing through Dongguo. It was not merely a place he visited, but a necessary stage in his journey.
In this way, Zelia creates a parallel between geography and fate. Just as one cannot reach Great Snow Mountain without passing through Dongguo, QingTian could not become the person he was meant to be without experiencing the part of his life where his path crossed with WenShu. WenShu was not simply someone QingTian met along the way; he was part of the journey that allowed QingTian to grow into someone calmer, more complete, and more at peace with himself.
But only if the journey did not end in Great Snow Mountain. 😭😭😭😭
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