Near Meaning Hard to Separate

Antonymously Two Broken

Interpretation The lotus root has been broken, but there are still a lot of threads connecting it. It is a metaphor for a relationship that has not been completely severed. It is often used to refer to the difficulty of severing a relationship between a man and a woman.

Source: Tang Meng Jiao's poem "Going to the Woman": "The lotus root of the concubine's heart has many threads in it, but they are still connected even though they are broken."

Usage Example Forget it, you don't have to look too hard, they are ~ anyway. (Ouyang Shan's "Three Family Lane" II.2)