Chapter8

Later, Peregrine truly buried Evangeline under the Lilac tree. He didn't leave the small town but stayed in that courtyard, watering the Lilac tree every morning, sitting in the wicker chair in the evening, looking at the headstone, talking to Evangeline. He never touched gang business again. He opened a small noodle shop in town. The business wasn't booming, but it was stable. Every year when the Lilac bloomed, he would pick some blossoms, brew a pot of Lilac wine, and place it in front of Evangeline's grave, saying softly, "Evangeline, this year's Lilac wine is ready. Taste it; it's still the same as before." Sometimes, Grandma Margot would visit him, urging him to find another girl and live a good life. He would always smile and shake his head, saying, "Evangeline is enough for me." He guarded that courtyard, that Lilac tree, and his memories of Evangeline until he grew old. One day, the Lilac bloomed again, its sweet fragrance filling the entire courtyard. Peregrine leaned