A sharp, hissing roar of falling water swallowed Xuefeng as they landed soon after, touching down on a narrow cliff, hidden behind a curtain of mist. Water fell all around them, veiling the rock face like a liquid tapestry. The ledge jutted a few meters outward, just enough for them to stand side by side without risking a stumble into the depths.
"This is it," Yiren announced softly, her voice almost lost in the constant rush of the waterfall. Water spray clung to her cheeks, dewdrops sparkling in her golden hair. "My little secret spot."
Xuefeng peered around, baffled. Outside of a cliff face and drenching mist, he saw nothing. "Um… no offense, but am I missing something?" he asked, wiping stray droplets from his brow. She merely grinned.
"You have to look closer, dummy," Yiren teased. She waved her arm, conjuring a swirl of Air Qi that parted the waterfall. With the water divided, Xuefeng caught sight of a narrow tunnel carved into the stone behind the sheet of falling water.
A grin tugged at his lips. "You found a cave behind a waterfall. Who even thinks to look there?"
Yiren shrugged, dimples showing as she smiled. "Me," she said simply. "Come on, follow me inside." She ducked beneath the parted waterfall, stepping into the rocky mouth.
Xuefeng followed, the roar of the cascading water muting slightly once they were inside. The cave was dimly lit by small crystals embedded in the walls, or perhaps shaped by Yiren's elemental magic. Whatever the source, it cast faint, shimmering patterns across the walls. The passage stretched back a short distance, then narrowed to a child-sized hole in the rock—just over a meter high.
"Stay close," Yiren instructed, stooping to crawl through. Xuefeng crouched behind her, but halted mid-move: her short skirt rode high on her hips, revealing pale thighs and the slight curve of her rear. A sliver of white silk underwear prevented the view from being truly indecent, but it was enough to make his cheeks burn.
She glanced back when he didn't move. "Are you coming, or do you want to stare at my butt all day?" She was half-laughing, half-scolding.
Xuefeng swallowed thickly, mumbling a half-hearted excuse. "Sorry." But he couldn't deny a certain primal interest. I'm only human, he rationalized, no man would pass up such a sight.
The tunnel stretched on much longer than he'd expected, forcing them into a near-endless crawl. The wet stone grazed his palms, and the ceiling was so low that Yiren's hips were practically in his face if he pushed too close. He kept a short distance to avoid accidental contact, but she suddenly stopped, causing him to crash forward.
His nose collided with her backside in an embarrassing, muffled impact. Caught off-guard, Yiren lunged forward, yelping in surprise as she tumbled out of the tunnel.
"Owww!" she cried once she rolled free, a thump sounding as she banged her head on the rocky floor. "Dummy, if you want to eat me, at least wait until tonight. This is a weird place for… that…" Her words faltered as she felt a bump forming on her forehead.
Xuefeng crawled out and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you stopped." He leaned over her, noticing a trickle of blood slipping from a small scrape near her hairline.
"You promised not to bully me…" she muttered, giving him an accusing pout and pressing her palm over the throbbing bruise. "Now you have to kiss it, so the pain goes away."
Without hesitation, Xuefeng bent to brush his lips against her forehead. With Ling's help, the bruise faded, leaving her smooth skin unblemished.
A startled softness crept into her eyes. "Doesn't hurt anymore. Thanks." She seemed to recall something as she peered at him intently. So that's how he heals…
He offered her a small shrug, pushing his own embarrassment aside. "Let's be careful from now on."
"I will, now close your eyes," Yiren suggested out of nowhere, her voice carrying a lilt of mischief. Before he could even respond, her delicate fingers pressed over his eyelids, plunging him into darkness.
Xuefeng exhaled through his nose, smiling at her antics. "Alright, they're closed," he conceded, letting his hands rest loosely at his sides.
"Good. Now take my hand,and no peeking!" She snatched his palm in hers, small yet surprisingly firm, and began leading him forward.
The uneven stone floor was slick beneath his boots, moisture dripping in steady, rhythmic echoes from the ceiling. It was a sound he expected, given that they were moving beneath the river, but something about it felt oddly deliberate, like the cave itself was breathing.
"You can open them now," Yiren murmured as she came to a stop.
Xuefeng obeyed, and the sight that greeted him stole the air from his lungs.
The chamber they stood in wasn't large, but it didn't need to be. It pulsed with an ethereal glow, an underground cathedral of glittering crystal formations. Hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites stretched toward each other like ancient lovers, their jagged forms exuding a soft, luminescent sheen. And in the center of it all lay a pond, its water so unnaturally clear that it looked like polished glass. A tiny island sat in its heart, cradling a lone Red Blossom Tree with a canopy of fire-red petals.
A shudder ran down his spine. This place was indeed alive.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Yiren beamed, skipping onto a thin wooden bridge leading to the island. "I found it a long time ago. Whenever I was lonely, I'd come here and lie in the petals, thinking about you."
She didn't wait for his reaction. With a delighted sigh, she spun and let herself collapse onto the ground, the petals embracing her like a bed spun from silk.
Xuefeng followed, lowering himself beside her. He plucked a stray blossom from her hair, rolling it between his fingers. "Why me?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer than he expected.
Yiren tilted her head toward him, her eyes reflecting the golden glow of the cavern. "To be honest, I didn't choose you. The Green Void Vine did." A wistful smile tugged at her lips. "But when I saw you, I was happy. It's strange, isn't it? I was always afraid of this moment. Afraid that I'd be bound to someone cruel. But my heart tells me I don't have to be afraid anymore."
Xuefeng's fingers curled into the petals beneath him. "Wouldn't it be easier to leave Eligma and choose someone yourself?"
She shook her head. "The Green Void Vine takes a drop of our blood and finds the person who matches us best. It's never been wrong. If I tried to search on my own, I would never have met you." A teasing glint flickered in her gaze. "Don't you think we look good together?"
A knot twisted in his chest. "But what if I'm not free to give you what you need? I may—" He hesitated, recalling Wuying, Tianshi, and how complicated life already was. "Let's say my heart isn't empty."
An odd glint rose in Yiren's eyes. "Perhaps you're already tied to other women. But if they accept you having more lovers, and you can spare room in your heart for me… that's all I want," she said simply. "I've always wanted sisters, anyway."
He opened his mouth to protest, but Yiren placed a single finger against his lips. "No buts," she said with a playful sternness. "We met not long ago, so let's just spend time getting to know each other. Right?"
Though half his mind objected, he found himself nodding. The atmosphere, the quiet glow of the cave, her earnest expression… all conspired to wear down his defenses.
A new thought flashed in Yiren's eyes. "Close your eyes again, I have another surprise," she said sweetly, withdrawing her finger.
He blinked as he closed his eyes, only for his heart to flutter, feeling her closing in. Her breath lingered just inches away from his face, yet just as her lips were about to brush his, a jarring shout echoed against the cavern walls.
"Aha! So this is where you've been hiding!"
The voice scraped along the chamber, accompanied by a scuff of boots on stone. Yiren stiffened, snapping around. Xuefeng opened his eyes, glimpsing Minori and a handful of other male elves stepping through the tunnel's mouth. The brash young elf wore a bandage around his finger, a fiery hatred smoldering in his gaze.
"You again," Xuefeng muttered under his breath, rising to his feet. He felt Yiren's rage building like an oncoming storm. Petals stirred in the air, dancing around them.
Minori glowered, ignoring Xuefeng. "Thought you'd hole up here for some—"
"SHUT UP!" Yiren's voice cracked like thunder. Instantly, the air in the cavern rippled with surging magic. Her hair paled, and her eyes glowed like embers. Without summoning wings, she lifted from the ground, harnessing the wind that tossed red petals in a wild tempest around her.
"Run—she's using her High Elf Arts!" one of Minori's companions squeaked, whirling to flee. The others broke rank instantly, scattering with terrified urgency. Only Minori lingered a moment too long, shock painting his features.
Before he could bolt, invisible bands of swirling air locked around his limbs, leaving him flailing helplessly. Purple arcs of energy coalesced around him, tightening like shackles. "You ruined our moment again!" Yiren snarled, a faint line of blood trickling from her nose.
She swiped her arm sideways, and Minori's pinned body slammed against the cavern wall with a dull thud. He coughed up blood, eyes bulging in shock.
"I warned you!" Yiren roared, flinging him once more with a vicious flick of her wrist. He collided face-first into another jagged outcrop. "I told you to never bother me again!"
Minori tried to speak, gagging on blood, but Yiren cut off his voice with another surge of her art. If not stopped, she might crush him like a ragdoll. A trickle of crimson ran down her upper lip, and her muscles trembled from pushing past her natural limits.
You have to stop her. Ling's voice resounded in Xuefeng's mind. Her art is too taxing on her body. She'll either kill him or cripple herself.
Snapped out of his shock, Xuefeng lunged forward. "Yiren, stop!" he yelled, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. The wind battered him, blowing his hair and stinging his eyes, but he didn't let go. "You're hurting yourself!"
"He deserves it!" she hissed, eyes flaring with feral anger. Blood now dripped from both nostrils, proof of the strain. She whipped her glare back at him, flinging droplets of red across the swirling petals.
"Do it for me, okay?" he pleaded, voice raw. "Stop this, please. You wanted a kiss, right? Here—"
Desperate, he seized her shoulders and pulled her toward him, pressing his lips against hers. The swirling wind abruptly died, petals fluttering downward like a soft red rain. Yiren's body went rigid for a heartbeat, then she melted into the kiss, tension seeping away with each passing second.