"For me, you're precious as well."
Wang GuiYing chuckled as he pointed out, "We've just met today. If you're gonna lie, at least make it sound believable."
"But I'm not lying," Xin responded firmly and Wang GuiYing could no longer laugh it off.
"Wang GuiYing, I've known you for a long time now," Xin continued and it really didn't look like he was joking nor did it look like he was lying, "Didn't I admit it already? I'm a fan."
Wang GuiYing gulped as he heard this and for some reason, he felt his heart skip a beat but he dare not say anything as a response.
"You're precious to me," Xin spoke and when the man was being this straightforward, how could Wang GuiYing keep his composure?
"Lol you sound like you're in love with me," Wang GuiYing joked but as soon as he had said it, he started regretting it as well because the silence really made that question seem even more awkward than it already was.
"You're right," Xin confessed.
Wang GuiYing's smile immediately dropped and he blinked a few times as he repeated the man's words in his mind just to make sure whether he had heard it right or not.
"So I'll help you," Xin added and there was a soft smile adorned on his handsome face that looked even more dazzling in the soft evening light, "No matter what it is that you want to find, I'll help you, but in the end, I wish you'll be happy. That's all I want."
Wang GuiYing was a bit touched to hear this but he had no idea how he was supposed to react to this. He felt a little guilty for being reminded of Zhou Xinyi even now.
The main reason why he was hanging around this man was because of how much he reminded Wang GuiYing of Zhou Xinyi.
"It would've been so great if you were just Zhou Xinyi," Wang GuiYing closed his eyes and sighed as he commented.
Xin's muscles tensed up as he heard this and his eyes widened a bit but of course, Wang GuiYing, who had his eyes closed, didn't see this reaction.
Xin gulped as he tried to calm down his heart and asked, "If I really was Zhou Xinyi, would everything really be the same?"
"Hmm?"
Xin sighed as he shook his head and closed his eyes, "Forget it. I'm too tired. Let's get some sleep."
Wang GuiYing hummed, already on the verge of falling asleep.
Silence engulfed them once again and while Wang GuiYing fell asleep, Xin silently looked at him.
Xin gulped as he looked down at his hands.
His hands were starting to flicker once again.
He didn't have much time left.
He had a mixed expression plastered on his face, filled with both sadness and fear.
Well, at least he got to see Wang GuiYing one last time. That in itself was enough for him.
"I really missed you too..." Xin muttered as he gazed at Wang GuiYing with eyes that were filled with love and devotion, "Thank you... For coming here."
If Wang GuiYing were to hear these words, it would probably not take him long to realize Xin's true identity, but unfortunately, at the moment, Wang GuiYing was in deep slumber and he could hear nothing.
After a few minutes, Xin stood up and chanted something.
Upon hearing his commands, the winds clashed and collided from all directions before finally settling down around Wang GuiYing, creating a ward to protect the man.
A small smile hung on Xin's face as he turned and headed deeper into the forest, leaving Wang GuiYing behind.
The sun had already disappeared from the sky.
It was now dark with the moon and the stars decorating the night sky.
Normally, most players would not dare to go roaming around at night since it was the time when the beasts in this game would be most active and dangerous.
However, Xin wasn't afraid of the beasts nor did the beasts pose any threat to him. If they dared to attack, they would be reduced to nothing more than dust in just a mere few seconds.
After walking for half an hour, Xin finally reached the place.
He lifted his head up to stare at the tree of life.
It was a tree so tall that it had climbed all the way up to the clouds.
It had no leaves, only dark dry branches.
At first glance, it looked to be lifeless and ominous, however, when Xin suddenly said something, the tree started waking up.
Its dark dry branches started to shine with a soft purple light and slowly, koi fishes made of light started gathering around the tree. The fishes were a mixture of orange, yellow, black, and white. If one looked closely, they could see right through the fishes, after all, these fishes were never fully materialized.
Like a ghost, the fishes swam in the air and surrounded the shining tree of life.
"Is Li Ling here as well?" Xin asked firmly as he looked at the tree with unhesitant eyes.
Suddenly, the fishes started merging together and a body that looked like a human started materializing. The body shone brightly and it was enough to blind people, but Xin didn't flinch even for a second and stared directly at the woman that emerged from that bright collision of light.
When all the fishes had finished merging with the body of the woman, the bright light started to dim down and her face could finally be seen.
She had soft facial features; a nose that wasn't too sharp, a chin that wasn't too defined, and peach blossom eyes that weren't too striking. Her white hair still had a soft glow in them and her lips were as red as raspberry. Her thin golden clothes fluttered with the wind and it added to the ethereal aura that covered her.
Her eyelids gently fluttered open and with a small smile, her dull white irises stared directly at Xin.
"He is here," The woman spoke with a nod. Her voice wasn't too harsh nor too soft.
"Where is he?" Xin asked.
He didn't appear to be shocked by the woman's appearance at all. On the contrary, it almost seemed as if he had met her countless times before.
The woman's eyes shifted towards the right and although she said nothing, there was a profound look in her eyes that Xin could understand.
"The mountains...?" Xin muttered, almost questioning.
"Your life force is fading away," The woman spoke as she didn't bother answering his question and instead, changed the topic, "It's merging with the wind and the earth. Soon, you'll completely become a part of this world. Are you afraid?"
Xin gulped as he heard her words and without missing a beat, he responded, "I refuse."
The woman's smile deepened a little as she heard this and her eyes narrowed down on him.
"What a foolish thought," The woman commented, mocking Xin's words, "It's not a choice, it's a gift."
"I refuse to accept your gift."
"If you don't accept it, you'll die."
"Then I'll accept death."
"..." The woman didn't say anything more and simply nodded her head.
In this whole world, Xin was the only one who could see this tree of life and he was also the only one who could communicate with it.
The woman that he saw was none other than the tree of life taking a form after hearing his call.
Her mere existence was a mystery and although he could guess how she came to be, in the end, he could not conclude anything without proving his guesses.
"Clear the path for me. I'll be heading to the mountains tomorrow morning," Xin spoke, almost sounding as if he was ordering the tree of life, which he certainly was.
"Understood," The woman spoke as she nodded her head without any questions.
"You can go back to sleep now," Xin spoke as he turned around and got ready to leave.
"All the best," The woman spoke from behind him, and for a second there, his footsteps paused before resuming once again.
When he had left the place, the body of the woman once again dispersed into the air and went back to the form of floating ghost fishes.
The soft purple glow of the tree started dying down and the fishes also started disappearing into the night till everything returned to its original state.
The tree once again looked dull and ominous, making one wonder if it really had been this same tree that had been shining with such an ethereal glow just a few minutes ago.
Xin returned to Wang GuiYing's side and found the man still sound asleep.
He dispersed the ward that he had left behind and quietly lied down next to the man.
He stared at him for a few minutes before slowly closing his eyes and falling asleep.
A few minutes passed and this time, it was Wang GuiYing who slowly opened his eyes and stared at the man with an indecipherable expression on his face.
He had woken up just when Xin had returned but he still pretended to be asleep.
He saw the man's body flickering like magic and for some reason, Wang GuiYing didn't look to be that shocked.