"This... if I remember correctly, this was Shen He's old home." Yu Xie surveyed the house in front of him and the surrounding area.
The house appeared to have been abandoned for a long time. Moss covered the stone bricks under the eaves, and the flowerbed beside the house had clearly been neglected for quite some time. The flowers were growing haphazardly, with plenty of weeds among them.
Things have changed; people have changed.
"Shen He?" Upon hearing Yu Xie mention Shen He's name, both Bonanus and Indarias looked at each other in confusion.
They were, of course, familiar with Shen He.
The unfortunate child who had been abandoned by her own father in a cave, and to survive, fought alone against the remnants of a god.
After Liu Yun took Shen He in, Bonanus and Indarias had spent time with her as well, though it took a while to break through the walls Shen He had built around her heart.
"This was Shen He's old home...?" Bonanus walked up next to Yu Xie, studying the house carefully.
"Shen He was the child of a family known for exorcising evil spirits, but her fateful, inauspicious destiny brought her far more suffering than any child should endure." Indarias stepped forward as well.
The atmosphere grew silent. The three of them stood in front of the house, each lost in their thoughts.
After a while, a pleasant voice suddenly rang out.
"Yu Xie, and... Bonanus, Indarias, what are you doing here?"
Hearing the voice, all three turned at once, and there was Shen He, standing before them.
Shen He had arrived at the house, her silver hair flowing in the breeze, the wind gently blowing through it. As she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar house, her expression was complex, like a deep, unfathomable pool, impossible to see the bottom of.
"Shen He, what are you doing here?" Bonanus began, but then paused.
"I wanted to see my old home." Shen He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Actually... once, I came here without telling my Master. That time, I realized that my biological father was already dead, and this house no longer existed."
"Perhaps... from the moment my mother passed away, the home I once knew was already a thing of the past." Shen He added.
"But you still have a home now, don't you?" Yu Xie suddenly spoke up. "You have Xian Yun, and Gan Yu, and everyone else."
These words made Shen He's gaze freeze for a moment. She turned to look at Yu Xie, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips, but it seemed somewhat stiff.
"Are you... smiling?" Yu Xie hesitated, asking.
"Master said that people smile when they are happy. When I heard you say that, I felt a little happy inside, but it seems I've forgotten how to smile. I've seen people smile, and their mouths turn up at the corners, so I tried to copy it."
Shen He's words left the other three momentarily speechless, but soon they all showed faint, reassuring smiles.
......
In the evening, everyone returned to Liyue Harbor. Bonanus and Indarias left, saying they needed to find a place to stay in the city.
Yu Xie and Shen He walked back together.
"Shen He, have you and Xian Yun settled into your place?" Yu Xie asked.
"Mm, Master has already arranged everything." Shen He replied.
"That's good."
After walking for a while, they arrived at Xian Yun's house.
It wasn't a particularly luxurious home. It was a two-story building: the second floor was for living, and the first floor served as a common room. With a little renovation, it could even be turned into a small shop, though Xian Yun probably didn't have any plans to open a business.
They entered, and Shen He called out to the house:
"Master, I'm back."
"Shen He, come upstairs and take a look." Xian Yun's voice came from upstairs.
Yu Xie and Shen He went up together.
The second floor had a small living room, which, compared to the larger hall downstairs, was more compact, but still enough space for two people to move around comfortably.
The furniture was already in place: coffee table, sofa, everything was ready.
"Shen He, come see your room."
Following the voice, Yu Xie and Shen He walked over.
The room was arranged very nicely: neat and space-efficient.
Xian Yun really cared about her disciple, even though sometimes she would say things to appear indifferent.
"How is it? Are you satisfied?"
After asking, Xian Yun suddenly noticed Yu Xie was there as well, and froze for a moment.
At that moment, her hair was down.
Her long hair cascaded down her back, giving a completely different feeling from the usual tied-up ponytail.
Of course, what never changed was her stunning beauty and flawless figure.
"Yu Xie, why are you here too...?" Xian Yun seemed a little flustered when she saw Yu Xie, like a woman caught off guard by an unexpected visit from someone she cared about.
"I came with Shen He to take a look. Is that not welcome?" Yu Xie joked.
"No, it's just..." Xian Yun turned to head toward another room. "Wait for me for a moment."
Seeing Xian Yun act this way, both Yu Xie and Shen He exchanged a glance.
Soon, Xian Yun returned from the other room, her hair now tied up into a high ponytail, back to her usual appearance.
Still beautiful, of course.
"I just bought some new tea leaves. Let me brew some tea." Xian Yun turned to head to the kitchen.
"Master seems nervous. I've been with Master for so long, but I've never seen her act like this." Shen He whispered to Yu Xie as she watched Xian Yun's retreating figure.
Yu Xie wasn't a fool. He could sense Xian Yun's feelings toward him, but he wasn't sure how to answer Shen He's comment.
Shen He didn't really understand this sort of thing yet, and explaining it wasn't going to be easy.
Yu Xie could only smile awkwardly.
.....
That evening, Xian Yun invited Yu Xie to stay for dinner. She cooked a nice meal herself.
After dinner, it was getting late, and Shen He went to rest early.
Yu Xie and Xian Yun went up to the roof, sitting down and enjoying the cool night breeze, watching the distant city lights.
It wasn't quite the time for all the lights to go out, and Liyue Harbor was still brightly lit.
Xian Yun turned her head and gazed affectionately at Yu Xie.
The night wind blew through her hair and clothes, and the soft moonlight made her ethereal presence even more striking.
Like a beautiful fairy descending to the mortal realm.
"Xian Yun, I feel like I may never be able to remember the past. That must be unfair to you, right?" Yu Xie suddenly spoke.
"Not at all." Xian Yun smiled gently and shook her head. "Even if you can't remember the past, it doesn't matter. You are still you, and we have a long future ahead of us."
Yu Xie turned his head, locking eyes with Xian Yun.
"Don't force yourself." Xian Yun continued, "If you can't remember, then don't think about it. The past is gone. As long as we can hold onto the present and the future, I'll be content."
"Xian Yun..." Yu Xie was at a loss for words.
Xian Yun gazed at him, her eyes filled with longing, as though only Yu Xie existed in her world. Everything else around them seemed to fade away.
Xian Yun's heart struggled, and she fought to control her impulse.
End of chapter
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