elikethepurposelessgameschildrenpyed．Onlyaftermillionsofyearsofzigzaggedges，diditetobewhatitwastoday．Hecludedbysayingthatittothoseesteemedstistsandschorspresenttotrace，researdexpinthosedeviousges．AsAishalistened，herrespeincreased．Inafewwordshehad1aiddowntheprinciplesforthereseardmadeaplexprojectseemsimple．Asshegottoknowhimbetter，shewasmesmerizedbyhimandvoluntarilyfollowedhimtohisKingdominthesecludedmountains．GraduallyKingDimitribecamehergreatmentorandsheroudtobeeoneofhistwenty-fourbeauties．

    Aishasighedasshelookedatthephotoonherdesk．Hisnatural,iwanderlustwasastrangecharacteristicthatledhimtoleavethisbeautifulkingdomwithitsmagnifitmountainsandstreams，itsluxuriouspadtwenty-fourbeauties,togorovingaroundlikeanomad．Themaniuregrewyoungerandyounger，untilitbecameanaughtyboyishgrin．SheughedandthoughtDimitriinessencewaslikeaurousboyandwouldehomewheiredofroaming．Thebookcaseswerestilldisorderly，thesoftheputerdispyedfruitsofherthoughts，theheprioppedmomentarily．Awomanwasseenengrossedinherreading．

    Stephanie:

    Therefleoftheswayingbraheweepingwillowsoilesswavesofthegooopersonifyadnguidwoman，half-yielding，half-resisting.Thegoonwasborderedononesidebyasheercliff,withacavefarabovethewaterlevel．Theonlywayofentrywasbyclimbingupastoutrope．AbovethecavewasthecarvedfigureofaTibetanBuddhawithfourhands，eachholdingastrangeon,likeaprotectiveguardiaypreventingevilspiritsfrominvadireatoftheyoungwomanractigprodigiousfeatsofthefleshbody．0ccasionallyshewouldopenherrgealluringeyeswhichseemedtohideamillios．Suchmysteriouselusivenessseemeddestiobewitdehesoulofman．Herlusciousbckhairulledbatoheavybraidsthatshewoundaroundherhead，buttheseverehairstyleonlyplementedhercssidubeautyandaristocraticbearingwhiothingcouldceal．Therefleofthewatershimmeringandglitteringuhesunwasherasbrightnorasillustriousasherfamilyhistory，butshealkedtoanyoneexceptDimitriaboutit．

    2

    ShecalledherselfStephanie，neverrevealirueidentity．Sherincess，daughterofaprihermotherlostfavoranduttodeath．Atthetimeshewasstudyingabroad．Fearingpersecutionfromhermother’senemies，shedidnotdaretoreturive1and.Usedtobeingwaitedonhandandfoot,shedidnotknowhowtotakecareofherself，leastofallhowtomakealiving．Theonlyroadopentoherseemedtobetolivebyheryouthayandtakeuptheoldestprofessionintheworld．Butshesedsuchdegradation,becausetoher,herbodywassacred-themostmagidmysteriouspuzzlewhichshewaoexploreanduwasatthistimethatshemetDimitri，whosekindnessandstraightforwardcharacterattractedher．Dimitritookherinhandandtaughtherthetricksofsurvivalinvagabondage：suchashowtogetfood，howtofindsafehaventopassthenightandtorelieveherselfetc．Thedaystheyspenttogetherroamireets，carefreeandspontaneousastwobirdsflyingintheskywerethehappiestinherlife．Theytalkedaboutanythingahingthatcametomind，happytofindakindredspirit．Sometimes，theywouldshoutiementduringanargumentorburstintohiriousughter，heedlessofthecuriousandsfuleyesofpassersby．

    Oneightinearlyspring，DimitribroughtStephaooneofhisseooks．Itwasieerbetweenawalndatallbuilding，discoveredbyotherhomelesspe

elikethepurposelessgameschildrenpyed．Onlyaftermillionsofyearsofzigzaggedges，diditetobewhatitwastoday．Hecludedbysayingthatittothoseesteemedstistsandschorspresenttotrace，researdexpinthosedeviousges．AsAishalistened，herrespeincreased．Inafewwordshehad1aiddowntheprinciplesforthereseardmadeaplexprojectseemsimple．Asshegottoknowhimbetter，shewasmesmerizedbyhimandvoluntarilyfollowedhimtohisKingdominthesecludedmountains．GraduallyKingDimitribecamehergreatmentorandsheroudtobeeoneofhistwenty-fourbeauties．

    Aishasighedasshelookedatthephotoonherdesk．Hisnatural,iwanderlustwasastrangecharacteristicthatledhimtoleavethisbeautifulkingdomwithitsmagnifitmountainsandstreams，itsluxuriouspadtwenty-fourbeauties,togorovingaroundlikeanomad．Themaniuregrewyoungerandyounger，untilitbecameanaughtyboyishgrin．SheughedandthoughtDimitriinessencewaslikeaurousboyandwouldehomewheiredofroaming．Thebookcaseswerestilldisorderly，thesoftheputerdispyedfruitsofherthoughts，theheprioppedmomentarily．Awomanwasseenengrossedinherreading．

    Stephanie:

    Therefleoftheswayingbraheweepingwillowsoilesswavesofthegooopersonifyadnguidwoman，half-yielding，half-resisting.Thegoonwasborderedononesidebyasheercliff,withacavefarabovethewaterlevel．Theonlywayofentrywasbyclimbingupastoutrope．AbovethecavewasthecarvedfigureofaTibetanBuddhawithfourhands，eachholdingastrangeon,likeaprotectiveguardiaypreventingevilspiritsfrominvadireatoftheyoungwomanractigprodigiousfeatsofthefleshbody．0ccasionallyshewouldopenherrgealluringeyeswhichseemedtohideamillios．Suchmysteriouselusivenessseemeddestiobewitdehesoulofman．Herlusciousbckhairulledbatoheavybraidsthatshewoundaroundherhead，buttheseverehairstyleonlyplementedhercssidubeautyandaristocraticbearingwhiothingcouldceal．Therefleofthewatershimmeringandglitteringuhesunwasherasbrightnorasillustriousasherfamilyhistory，butshealkedtoanyoneexceptDimitriaboutit．

    2

    ShecalledherselfStephanie，neverrevealirueidentity．Sherincess，daughterofaprihermotherlostfavoranduttodeath．Atthetimeshewasstudyingabroad．Fearingpersecutionfromhermother’senemies，shedidnotdaretoreturive1and.Usedtobeingwaitedonhandandfoot,shedidnotknowhowtotakecareofherself，leastofallhowtomakealiving．Theonlyroadopentoherseemedtobetolivebyheryouthayandtakeuptheoldestprofessionintheworld．Butshesedsuchdegradation,becausetoher,herbodywassacred-themostmagidmysteriouspuzzlewhichshewaoexploreanduwasatthistimethatshemetDimitri，whosekindnessandstraightforwardcharacterattractedher．Dimitritookherinhandandtaughtherthetricksofsurvivalinvagabondage：suchashowtogetfood，howtofindsafehaventopassthenightandtorelieveherselfetc．Thedaystheyspenttogetherroamireets，carefreeandspontaneousastwobirdsflyingintheskywerethehappiestinherlife．Theytalkedaboutanythingahingthatcametomind，happytofindakindredspirit．Sometimes，theywouldshoutiementduringanargumentorburstintohiriousughter，heedlessofthecuriousandsfuleyesofpassersby．

    Oneightinearlyspring，DimitribroughtStephaooneofhisseooks．Itwasieerbetweenawalndatallbuilding，discoveredbyotherhomelesspe