南栀北散
[nán zhī bĕi sàn]
'Nan Zhi Bei San' contains a metaphor about parting ways due to the different circumstances of individuals ('nan' and 'bei' mean 'south' and 'north', representing two different places or destinations) while the word 'zhí' here represents the gardenia flowers that express purity or farewell, 'san' means dispersed. It is used by people especially youth to describe a pure friendship or love between boys and girls who have finally gone apart because of some irresistible reasons which make them feel distressed, regretful or nostalgic, thus adding a touch of bittersweet romance or sentimentality to their life.