The city lights were just coming on.
Xi Fuhong lay alert in the corner, afraid of being discovered.
The early autumn breeze slipped into her sleeves, and she pulled her clothes tighter, changing her position.
The sound of a carriage moving reached her ears, and she tensed up until the sound faded into the distance, finally daring to breathe a sigh of relief.
What time was it now? She didn’t know, only feeling that the long wait seemed to have lasted a lifetime.
Until… “Xi sister, you’re hiding here, making it hard for me to find you.” A figure in pale yellow appeared before her, Shi Cuiyan removed her mask and said with a playful smile.
Xi Fuhong averted her gaze, slowly stood up, and walked past her out of the blacksmith shop.
There was no moon tonight, the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Under the night sky, Xi Fuhong looked up, a strange sense of melancholy washing over her.
She furrowed her brows, trying to shake off all the sadness.
She was about to meet Gui Po, and soon she would return to Wu Feng Valley, and then… live the peaceful life she once had.
“Why is Xi sister ignoring me?” Shi Cuiyan approached Xi Fuhong from behind, smiling as she spoke.
She turned back and said seriously, “Take me to see Gui Po.” Hearing this, Shi Cuiyan pouted and said no more.
She suddenly wrapped her arms around Xi Fuhong’s waist, but Xi Fuhong struggled violently, her flailing arms almost hitting Shi Cuiyan’s forehead.
Shi Cuiyan deftly dodged to the back, her hands snaking around like water, one arm around the waist, the other restraining the restless arm.
“What are you doing?!” Xi Fuhong exclaimed in shock.
“Calm down, I’m just taking you to see Gui Po, why so tense?” Shi Cuiyan said helplessly.
“Then, let me go.” Xi Fuhong twisted her body, trying to break free from her embrace.
“Fine, you can jump over the city gate and catch up with me.” Shi Cuiyan smirked and let go.
Xi Fuhong’s cheeks flushed red, realizing that Shi Cuiyan intended to take her out of the city.
Suppressing the strange shyness in her heart, she shook her head at Shi Cuiyan.
She didn’t know martial arts, how could she jump out of the city? Shi Cuiyan smiled and nodded at her, her smug expression saying it all.
Wrapping her arms around, Shi Cuiyan whispered, “Hold onto my neck, so you don’t fall.” Xi Fuhong complied, though no matter how she held on, it felt awkward.
Shi Cuiyan ignored her, took a deep breath, and with a push of her legs, they leaped onto the blacksmith shop’s roof.
With a light tap of her toes, they rose another three feet, Shi Cuiyan focused, holding Xi Fuhong as they maneuvered through the branches of a cedar tree.
Suddenly, she flipped in mid-air, running along the city wall, deftly landing on top of it.
Xi Fuhong was so scared her face turned pale.
She had never “flown” like this before, feeling dizzy, and with the unexpected flips, she almost got thrown off.
Luckily, Shi Cuiyan had reminded her to hold on tight, allowing them to land safely on the ten-foot-high city wall.
“Oh dear, Xi sister almost strangled me.” Shi Cuiyan teased.
Looking back, Xi Fuhong realized she was still clinging tightly to her neck, embarrassed and about to let go, but Shi Cuiyan held her tight, jokingly saying something before pulling her along to leap down again.
In an instant, they were airborne, scaring Xi Fuhong into closing her eyes tightly.
After falling over three feet, Shi Cuiyan gracefully flipped three times in the air, then sidestepped to tap the city wall twice before spinning and landing.
Safe and sound.
…though Xi Fuhong’s face was a bit pale.
“Hehe, it’s my fault for scaring you, sister.
There, it’s all right now.” Shi Cuiyan lightly tapped Xi Fuhong’s nose with a smile.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two had already crossed the towering city wall and were outside.
Xi Fuhong let go and stood five steps away from Shi Cuiyan, rubbing her nose where she had been lightly tapped, not too happy.
She didn’t like being touched casually, especially by someone like Shi Cuiyan with her teasing ways.
“Take me to see Gui Po.” She said seriously.
Gui Po again… Shi Cuiyan thought with some annoyance.
When she saw Xi Fuhong again, she was actually very happy.
Although it was wrong to deceive her, there was no need for cold words, right? After she took the Black Dragon Tail Ring and left, she encountered many unlucky events, traveling across the country, being tracked by the Righteous Path, and even being deceived by Master Baili.
Fortunately, she was clever enough not to fall for it, or the Black Dragon Tail Ring would have been given away for nothing.
“Xi sister doesn’t seem like someone asking for a favor, does she?” Shi Cuiyan mischievously smiled, wanting to tease her.
Hearing this, Xi Fuhong’s face immediately darkened.
Was she being deceived again? Seeing this, Shi Cuiyan leaned forward and said, “There are rules for asking for favors.
How about a kiss here, and I’ll take you to see Gui Po?” She pointed to her cheek, smiling brightly.
“…You’re, you’re tricking me?!” Xi Fuhong exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief, feeling deceived once more.
Shi Cuiyan was only joking, not expecting Xi Fuhong to react so strongly, awkwardly waving her hands.
She took a step forward, and Xi Fuhong took two steps back.
Seeing her so guarded, the sadness and pain in her eyes made Shi Cuiyan’s heart ache.
She had heard many things while traveling, knowing that Bi Xuan Palace had sought her out, Luo Qingcheng had detained her, but she didn’t know where she had escaped to afterward.
It was hard to find out she might have come to Tonghui City.
As for who brought her, she initially didn’t care… but now…
“Don’t be afraid, I was joking.
I’ll take you to see Gui Po now, don’t hide.” She reached out to pull Xi Fuhong, awkwardly patting her trembling back.
Feeling Xi Fuhong’s tense body, Shi Cuiyan began to regret her joke, frowning as she held her and started running again.
In less than an hour, they had left Tonghui City far behind, stopping in front of an abandoned old house.
The place was desolate, surrounded by weeds and old trees, with a dried-up pond in the front yard.
The house was almost collapsed, with only one room barely supported by beams, inside flickering with faint candlelight.
“Gui Po, I’ve brought her.” Shi Cuiyan called towards the low door.
Suddenly, the candlelight flickered, and a shadow moved across the tattered paper window.
Xi Fuhong almost held her breath.
The Gui Po she had longed to see was just behind a door, after enduring countless hardships to reach this point.
The figure in her memory, the relative who had accompanied her for ten years, the one who had avenged the massacre of the Ouyang Family, Gui Po…
“…Fu Hong? Is it really you?” The figure in dark blue appeared behind the door.
It was indeed Gui Po! Xi Fuhong stumbled to her knees, looking at the Gui Po who was exactly as she remembered.
Tears flowed like a tide, unable to tell if her heart was filled with sadness or joy, only feeling that the heart that had been trampled almost to pieces had found the purest comfort again.
“Grandma! Grandma! Grandma!…” Crawling forward on her knees, Xi Fuhong clung to the grave, crying out incessantly.
The elderly woman, dressed in exotic clothing with silver ornaments around her neck and a slightly plump figure, was Xi Fuhong’s most beloved relative.
With a distant look in her eyes, she gazed down at the girl crying at her chest, feeling a myriad of emotions.
She couldn’t imagine the hardships Xi Fuhong had endured in the past few months, nor could she understand the torment in her heart.
All she could do was reach out to stroke her head in silent comfort.
Under the night sky, Xi Fuhong cried for a long time, until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.
The gravekeeper, Gui Po, looked at her pale and haggard face, lost in thought.
At this moment, Shi Cuiyan, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward slowly.
Earlier, when she saw Xi Fuhong break down in tears, her heart ached uncontrollably.
For the first time, she wanted to hold someone in her arms and comfort them softly.
For the first time, she doubted whether the decisions she had made were right.
“Shall I carry her inside?” Her voice was a bit hoarse, and Shi Cuiyan tried to muster a friendly smile.
Gui Po did not respond to her suggestion, only saying, “She hates you.” Instantly, Shi Cuiyan’s body stiffened.
Xi Fuhong hates me? Of course, she would hate me.
After all, I tricked her out of the valley, took the Black Dragon Tail Ring, and left her in the wilderness.
Being resented by others was nothing new to her, but this time…
