Suxiaoxiao, seeing that Ruan Yu was a man of fine appearance and exceptional talent, was also delighted in her heart and sang a song for him:
"I ride in a carriage with oiled jade-inlaid wheels, my beloved rides a piebald horse. Where shall we tie our hearts together? Beneath the pines and cypresses of Xiling."
"After Ruan Yu returned home, he reported this to his parents and intended to redeem Suxiaoxiao from her courtesan status, but he met with the utmost opposition from his family. Ruan Yu's father was holding office in Jinling, so he took Ruan Yu away to Jinling and arranged a marriage for him with a prominent, wealthy family of Jinling. Ruan Yu refused stubbornly, even to the death, going on a hunger strike in protest. Helpless, his father had no choice but to let him return to Qiantang."
"The moment Ruan Yu arrived in Qiantang, he rushed anxiously to find Suxiaoxiao. Regrettably, upon the painted pleasure boats on the lake, Suxiaoxiao was no more; only beneath the pines and cypresses of Xiling had a lonely, masterless grave appeared."
Chapter 329