The Peach Blossom Valley was alive with music and dancing, buzzing with excitement. It was the annual Peach Blossom Festival, and nearly every unmarried man and woman had flocked to the streets, hoping to find their true love. As the sun began to set, everyone knew that once the fireworks lit up the night sky, it would be time for the men to present their handmade peachwood hairpins to the women they admired.
The young man followed closely behind Yaoxi, carefully keeping the peachwood hairpin hidden in his sleeve. Watching Yaoxi, who was completely captivated by the lively scene around them, he couldn't help but smile, feeling content just being near her.
Until...
"You're such a fool! Why are you still following me? Look around—there are so many girls out here today! Go see if you find one you like!" Yaoxi said, her tone a mix of exasperation and concern. "If you find someone to marry, I can leave with peace of mind."
Her words hit the young man like a bucket of cold water, dousing the warmth and joy that had filled his heart. He stood frozen, his face hidden behind the mask, but the pained smile that crept across his lips was unmistakable.
In that moment, everything became painfully clear to him. He realized that everything Yaoxi had done in Peach Blossom Valley—buying property, setting up a life—hadn't been for herself. It was all for him, to ensure he could live a peaceful, worry-free life in the valley.
But Yaoxi had never intended to stay.
She had been preparing for their eventual parting all along.
He had always known that Yaoxi wasn't an ordinary person. Perhaps she truly was a fairy from the heavens who had come down by chance and happened to save him. They were destined to part ways, and now it seemed that moment had arrived.
His dream, as beautiful as it was, was coming to an end.
After a long silence, the young man nodded to Yaoxi and turned away, walking into the crowd. The lively, joyous atmosphere around him felt distant, as if he were in a world of his own, isolated and heavy with sadness.
Yaoxi watched his solitary figure with a strange feeling in her heart. She couldn't shake the unease that had settled over her. Unable to leave him alone, she decided to follow him quietly.
However, her striking appearance soon attracted the attention of several young men, prompting her to buy a mask to avoid further interruptions. With the mask on, she was able to continue tailing him without being noticed.
As she followed him, she noticed that while everyone else was laughing and chatting, the young man stood out, seeming completely out of place, as if he were in a world apart.
Yaoxi couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and worry. "This fool! Why doesn't he just talk to one of the girls?"
Finally, a girl approached him and struck up a conversation. But the young man, tongue-tied and awkward, couldn't manage to say a single word. The girl quickly lost interest and left, disappointed.
With the festival reaching its climax and the fireworks about to start, Yaoxi realized she needed to step in. If she didn't, this fool might never find a wife.
After changing into a different outfit and donning her mask, Yaoxi approached the young man.
"Sir, why do you stand here all alone? Haven't you found a girl you fancy?" she asked, deliberately softening her voice to sound more delicate.
The young man looked at the masked woman in front of him, his eyelashes trembling slightly. He didn't respond. Instead, he slowly reached into his sleeve.
A moment later, he pulled out the roughly carved peachwood hairpin, the one he had worked so hard to make.
Just then, the fireworks began to explode in the sky, painting it with vibrant colors. Under the dazzling display, the young man extended the hairpin to Yaoxi.
"For… you."
Yaoxi was stunned. What did this mean? Was he giving up and just handing the hairpin to the first woman he saw?
Seeing him standing there, holding out the hairpin, Yaoxi didn't know why, but she found herself accepting it almost automatically.
After she took the hairpin, the young man said nothing, simply turned, and walked away.
Yaoxi stared at the hairpin for a long time, her expression complicated. In the end, she decided to keep it, at least for now.
On his way back, the young man ran into their neighbor, Aunt Zhang's daughter, Zhang Yao. Zhang Yao had also hoped to find her match at the festival, but luck hadn't been on her side. When she saw the young man, she approached him out of curiosity.
"Brother Daizi, were you also at the festival today?" she asked, feeling a bit shy. She wasn't used to calling him "Daizi," but since she didn't know his real name and had heard Yaoxi calling him that, she had adopted the nickname.
The young man nodded slightly in response.
With that, Zhang Yao felt relieved. If he was at the festival, then he and Yaoxi couldn't be married. Encouraged by this realization, she started chatting more freely, asking him questions about where he was from and what his relationship with Yaoxi was.
But to all her questions, the young man remained silent.
Frustrated by his lack of response, Zhang Yao huffed, "Brother Daizi, now I see why Sister Yaoxi calls you that! You should talk more—everyone in Peach Blossom Valley is friendly. And you should stop wearing that mask all the time. What do you have to hide?"
With a mischievous grin, Zhang Yao reached out and pulled off the young man's mask.
In that instant, her expression froze as she saw his face. Instinctively, she took two steps back.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of the people around them. As they caught sight of the young man's scarred face, many recoiled in shock.
Whispers and murmurs spread through the growing crowd. The noise grew louder, the pointing and staring more intense.
In the center of it all, the young man felt the world spinning around him. The faces of the onlookers twisted and distorted in his eyes, becoming monstrous and terrifying.
Panicking, he covered his face with his hands, his eyes wide with fear. Stumbling, he tried to escape, desperately searching for a way out of the nightmare closing in on him.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8