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A refreshing, delicate fragrance of the night-blooming cereus drifted in from outside the window; the cereus plants in the yard had bloomed again. Yet this scent overturned the mix of emotions in my heart: the yard was to be demolished and rebuilt, and the epiphyllum would have to be removed; it could no longer grow there. I first came to know the night-blooming cereus through a textbook; I was amazed that such a plant, which looked a bit strange, could produce flowers so beautiful. So, I kept thinking in my mind about when I would be able to see its true appearance. Once, when I was visiting my aunt’s house, I suddenly saw a few plants planted in flower pots on the balcony. The buds to be bloomed are tightly closed, and their slender, curved stalks act like hooks, hanging from the flat, long, and thick green leaves (leafy stems). My cousin said that the epiphyllum blooms at night, with snow-white petals and a delicate fragrance – it’s absolutely beautiful. My cousin kindly cut a few branches for me, and I took them home happily, planting them in a large pot where I took good care of them; after over a year, the plant filled the entire pot. At first glance, the flowers of the night-blooming cereus and the sword lily look very similar, both being large and white. The corolla of the night-blooming cereus is slightly smaller than that of the sword flower; its sepals are dark red, while those of the sword flower are bluish-white. The main stem of the night-blooming cereus is thin and round, while its branches are flat, sheet-like stems. The stems of the sword lily are triangular prism-shaped. The sword flower also has a very masculine name: the Tyrant Flower. The night-blooming cereus is a beauty under the moonlight. The night-blooming cereus, known as the beauty of the moonlight, naturally possesses a serene and elegant grace. Its flowering period is very short; it blooms only at night and withers as soon as day breaks. When the tightly closed bud swells and becomes plump, the flower is about to bloom. To appreciate it, one must stay awake after nightfall. At night, it seems to wait until everything is quiet before slowly, hesitantly, solemnly, and carefully opening itself layer by layer, releasing a faint, delicate fragrance. A cluster of tender yellow petals surrounds a slightly unfurled stamen, shyly peeking out from the half-open bud. The multiple petals gradually unfold; the pure white flowers grow larger and larger, and their fragrance becomes stronger as well. When the flower is in full bloom, its petals are fully unfolded; the overlapping petals resemble layers of snowflakes ; Those pollen-covered stamens, seated in the heart of the flower, resembled a group of little spirits, playfully peeking outwards ; The pure, white stamen core resembles a fairy in white robes, her sleeves fluttering as she dances in the wind. At that moment, the whole room was filled with the rich fragrance of the night-blooming cereus. The fully open epiphyllum is as bright as the moon, and its fragrance is like that of a white lotus. I am utterly immersed in the world of night-blooming cereus, gazing at these sacred and beautiful flowers, feeling both enlightened and lost in thought. It seems as though they know they have only a few hours to live, and so they strive to gather all the beauty in their lives and let it bloom within those few hours, sacrificing their entire existence for the most beautiful moments in order to achieve eternal glory. My soul was deeply moved for a long time by the magnificent and poignant beauty of the night-blooming cereus. Such ordinary branches and leaves give birth to unparalleled beauty. It turns out that every living creature possesses its own magnificent and beautiful glow; nature’s creations are truly amazing. Later, my brother told me that the house was under renovation, and it was no longer possible to keep the epiphyllum plants at home; they had to be thrown away or planted somewhere else. I said, I don’t need it; you take care of it, bro. But I still regretted it; no matter how much I hated him, I couldn’t use the epiphyllum to vent my anger, so I begged my brother to keep the flower. When I got home, I racked my brains and thought that there was a small patch of land next to the Guanyin bamboo in the southwest corner of the yard; if the caretaker agreed, it would be a good place to plant flowers. The uncle is a kind person; he couldn’t resist my persistent pleading and agreed. My brother and I struggled hard to plant the epiphyllum properly. The night-blooming cereus grew wildly there, and within less than two years it formed a large area. One night, hundreds of flowers bloomed there, and it became the most beautiful sight in this area. That day, I learned about him; a friend conveyed his last words to me. His distant cousin was someone he invented in order to make me leave him. He endured and fought against the torment and ravages of the illness alone. I sat there in a daze beneath the epiphyllum plants; it was because of them that I met someone who loved them even more than I did. I still keep his notes on the growth of epiphyllums and his insights on how to take care of them. In a daze, it seemed as though I saw him fertilizing and watering the epiphyllum again. These blooming flowers before me seem, as if, each one to be an incarnation of him. I buried my face in the petals; their softness gently soothed me, as tears fell onto the stamens. The management uncle saw this and came over, saying, \"Don’t be sad. Even though the epiphyllum has withered, it will bloom again. It’s so beautiful; everyone loves it. Some people even come just to take pictures of it. It has taken a place in people’s hearts.\" I wiped away my tears and thanked the uncle for his careful efforts in nurturing and taking care of the epiphyllum over the years. Now, the night-blooming cereus is finally going to leave me. One audience member once said to a sand painting artist, “No matter how good your paintings are, they can’t be preserved.” ”The sand painting artist said, “What could be more beautiful and meaningful than a painting that can not only move people’s hearts but also stay with them in their memories?” Since my paintings already remain in people’s hearts, why should I care whether they can be preserved? ”Isn’t it the same with the night-blooming cereus and him? These beauties, these fragrances, I have deeply engraved in my heart. If one day I also disappear, then please let the wind remember these delicate scents of the magnolia flowers.