李晚楚正对着香炉里插着的三支香，手指微微一顿。生辰那天，母亲走得突然，她还记得母亲走前紧紧握住她的手，眼里的光一点点黯淡下去，最后什么都没留下，只给她留了这身衣裳，还有那院里假山后的那株红鸾草。

她记得母亲说过，等她十八岁，等红鸾草开了花，就能嫁出去了。

可现在，香炉里的烟雾升起来，香气浓郁得刺鼻，她却觉得鼻子有点发酸。

“阿楚，你看这珍珠绣球多漂亮，给你娘添的香火，定要稳稳当当。”身后传来一个清脆的声音，带着几分娇俏。

李晚楚回头，就见一个穿着淡绿色襦裙的小姑娘，约莫十六七岁，正仰着脸对她笑，眼睛弯弯的，像月牙。是苏家的小姐，苏清婉。

“嗯。”李晚楚应了一声，目光却不由自主地飘向了院外。

那里，一个穿着玄色衣衫的少年正站在花树下，背对着她，手里拿着一块墨玉，正专注地摩挲着。那衣角绣着的暗纹，像是松针。

沈昭。

李晚楚的生辰，总能遇到他。

沈昭是县里的沈大人嫡子，年纪虽比她小几岁，但身份和气质都远不是她这个嫡庶不显的小姐能比的。就因为他是沈大人唯一的儿子，从小就被捧在手心里，周围的人恨不得都对他好三分。

李晚楚认得他，从她记事起，就总能在这种场合见到他。今天不一样，今天她的生辰， her mother's favorite dress was red silk brocade, embroidered with blood-colored phoenixes. She didn't think much of it at the time. She just thought it was a beautiful dress that would make her look good for the day.

But now, looking at the boy who was absentmindedly rubbing the inkstone, she suddenly understood that her mother had always dressed her in red. Not just for the color, but for that blood-colored phoenix. It was a symbol, a reminder, a warning?