Crimson Farewell

Name: Crimson Farewell
ISBN: 9787541169229

十清杳Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaApr 2024

3.4

Word count: 142K words
Chapters: 16
ISBN: 9787541169229

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Summary

Sincere youth Beijiang × cool white moonlight Nanzhi, south of the mountains and north of the waters, one glance for ten thousand years. Between her and her youth lie endless mountains. At their first meeting, she smiles brightly: “My name is Nanzhi, nan as in south.” The youth looks up, clutching his hem: “My name is Beijiang, bei as in north.” A first meeting in summer, the air hot and dry, stirring youthful longing and fervor. A parting in winter, that “see you next time” both a wish and a promise.

Yet when the person he longs for day and night stands not far away, he lacks the courage to take another step forward. Night falls, and she stands deep in the alley, never receiving her moon. They breathe the same wind, walk the same road, but love can only be hidden in the heart.

Editor's review

Red Parting is a long romance novel grounded in youthful regret. The story revolves around Nanzhi and Beijiang, two youths whose names hide a sense of direction, tracing from a summer encounter to a winter parting, laying bare the timidity and helplessness of young people facing their feelings. The author's touch is cool and restrained, skilled at using seasons, wind, alleys, and other images to heighten emotion, rendering the tug-of-war of “liking someone yet not daring to approach” in fine, palpable detail; the “red” and “parting” in the title correspond exactly to sincerity and separation. Readers used to fast-paced narrative will need some patience with the slow unfolding, but if you favor youth stories strong in atmosphere and lingering in emotion, it offers a long aftertaste in several key scenes. Best finished on a quiet night or between legs of a journey; afterward, take time to recall the words from your own youth that were never spoken.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like youth campus themes and the aesthetic of regret
Romance readers used to slow pacing who value atmosphere and prose
Young readers who want to recall youthful feelings and seek emotional resonance
Literature lovers who enjoy seasons and place names carrying emotion

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot twists and fast-paced gratification
Readers with low tolerance for open or regretful endings who want a fulfilling resolution
Readers who prefer mature workplace settings and have limited interest in campus youth themes

Reading tips

Read the whole book first, then go back to the summer encounter and winter parting scenes to compare the characters' shifts in mood.
While reading, note the sense of direction in Nanzhi's and Beijiang's names and consider the distance the author conveys through them.
Keep a pen to mark lines that move you, and after finishing, write a paragraph of your own youthful memory in response.
If you become deeply immersed emotionally, read it in two or three sittings, leaving time to digest the aftertaste.

About the publisher

Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publishing institution. It mainly publishes books on contemporary and modern literature, foreign literature, poetry and prose, music and art, and literary theory. Judging from the books in the database, the house places considerable emphasis on classic works and foreign literature. Representative titles include Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Its translator resources include Deng Jiawan, Shi Zhongge, Du Yunci, and Zhu Shenghao. Common categories include social fiction, classic works, foreign literature, world classics, literary appreciation, and classical poetry, reflecting a publishing profile that balances Chinese and foreign literary classics with literary appreciation.

版权信息
01 世界上最遥远的距离
02 那段最温暖的时光
03 梦是独属于自己的秘密
04 一切都蕴藏着生机
05 人生像漫长的单行道
06 想看那同一片风景
07 没有路时的选择
08 前行，不应放弃
09 弥足珍贵的回忆
10 第一次，也是唯一
11 千万个相同的夏天
12 是少年，或是永远
13 注定相遇又错过
14 现实是最无解的谎言
15 那一日，我来接你

FAQ

What does the title Red Parting mean?

“Red” points to the youth's sincerity and ardor, while “parting” marks separation and regret. Placed together, they sum up Nanzhi and Beijiang's emotional trajectory from a summer encounter to a winter parting, and hint that the story's core is the youthful proposition that “a sincere heart struggles against the parting of reality.”

What is special about Nanzhi's and Beijiang's names?

Nanzhi introduces herself as “nan as in south” and Beijiang as “bei as in north”; the names carry a sense of direction, suggesting the distance that always lies between them. This naming echoes the book's line about “endless mountains” between them, reinforcing the emotional tone of being close yet unable to reach each other.

Is the book's ending a happy one?

From the materials, the story leans toward regret: as night falls, Nanzhi waits deep in the alley but her moon never comes, and Beijiang lacks the courage to step forward, so love can only be hidden in the heart. The overall tone is a restrained, unfinished youth story; readers can judge from this whether it matches their expectations.

Is it better to read it in one sitting or in several?

The book is strong in atmosphere and lingering in emotion; reading it in two or three sittings makes it easier to feel the subtle changes in season and mood. If you have plenty of time you can read it through, but leave time afterward to savor it and revisit the key scenes of the summer encounter and winter parting.

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About the author

十清杳 Author

Shi Qingyao is a writer of youth literature active on Chinese online literature platforms, with her works first published on Jinjiang Literature City. Her writing centers on modern romance and youth literature, commonly categorized as modern romance, youth literature, and fine fiction, and four of her works are currently included in the collection. Her representative works include the short story collection White Paper and Liking, along with Lost Winter and Scarlet Farewell, as well as a collected two-volume set, BE Aesthetics Bittersweet Tear-Jerker Set. She focuses largely on campus crush themes, using restrained and delicate prose to portray adolescent feelings and regretful emotions, forming a bittersweet style that readers call "BE aesthetics." White Paper and Liking was published by Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House in 2022 and collects eight bittersweet crush stories, offering a representative example of her style. As public information is limited, details of her personal life, nationality, and dates of birth and death remain unclear, and readers chiefly know her through her works.