The morning sun streamed through the window of the small cabin, and Yuxie tightened his coat as he got up to extinguish the fire in front of him.
Last night, he had spent the night in this forest cabin.
The cabin appeared to be a former outpost for a ranger, but it seemed abandoned for quite some time; cobwebs covered the corners, and the only table was thick with dust.
Yuxie had a long way to go, and it was impossible to reach his destination in one night. He had to find a place to rest, and while this cabin was small, it at least sheltered him from the wind and snow.
He opened the door and stepped outside.
The snow and wind had stopped, and the forest was covered in a blanket of snow, silent and serene.
At that moment, Yuxie heard someone speaking.
"Young man, you should know it's wartime. Running around alone isn't wise; you could lose your life at any moment."
Yuxie turned to look in the direction of the voice.
A bearded man, looking like a rugged uncle, stood nearby, rolling tobacco in his hands.
"You're out here alone too; aren't you afraid of losing your life?" Yuxie replied.
"I've been guarding this forest my whole life. If I had to go elsewhere, I'd rather stay here alone. If I die, no one would mourn for me."
The uncle finished rolling the tobacco, lit it, took a deep puff, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
"Is this cabin yours?" Yuxie glanced back at the little house.
"Yes, I built it many years ago, but I haven't been here in a long time. I didn't expect to find you here today." The uncle took another puff.
"It's a nice place. If it weren't for this cabin, I would have frozen last night."
"What brings you out here alone?" the uncle asked.
Yuxie didn't answer immediately; instead, he looked up at the sun in the sky.
The winter sun shone down, causing snow to drop from the treetops.
"I'm here to take care of something."
"Is there something that can't wait until winter is over? Why do you have to do it in this weather?"
"If I don't take care of it now, I fear it might be too late."
"You young folks are always in such a hurry." The uncle flicked the ash off his cigarette. "But what's with your white hair? Is it natural?"
"It just turned white on its own."
"I see. When I was younger, there was someone in my village about your age. His family went through a huge change, and he turned gray overnight. Looks like you have your own struggles." The uncle took another deep puff, the smoke swirling around him.
"Uncle, you should smoke less; it's bad for your health," Yuxie suggested.
"I know this stuff is bad for my health, but I don't have many other pleasures left in life. Speaking of which, it's fate that we met. Where are you going? Let me escort you out of the forest. There are wild beasts around; if you're unlucky and run into one, you won't know how to handle it."
"No need," Yuxie said, looking north. "I don't want to trouble you."
"Really, you don't want me to help?"
"Really don't," Yuxie turned to leave. "Smoke less, uncle. It's always better to live a few more years."
The uncle chuckled and took another deep puff.
"Is what you're going to do very important?"
"Yes, very important," Yuxie replied without turning back. "If I don't do it, I won't be able to rest easy even in death."
"I'll still escort you a bit; I feel we get along pretty well. And young man, don't always talk about 'death.' No matter how big the issue, life is more precious."
"Uncle, I really might die."
...
The golden evening sun cast a dreamlike glow.
Gecheng sat under the eaves of Yuxie's house, cradling the music box in her hands, her eyelids lowered, silent.
She had been waiting since morning, and Yuxie still hadn't returned.
In truth, Gecheng had long sensed that something was amiss, but she didn't dare to believe it, nor did she want to.
Despite a strong premonition that Yuxie might not come back, she tried to convince herself otherwise.
Would Yuxie leave without a word? Why would he do that?
Without any reason or message, he just left?
You are the deputy commander of the Guili Assembly; how could you just walk away like this?
At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard.
Gecheng's eyes brightened instantly, and she looked up, but her heart's excitement was quickly extinguished.
It wasn't Yuxie who came; it was Indarias.
"Gecheng, is it really you? Where's Yuxie? I came to empty his wine cellar as promised."
"I have a feeling that Yuxie... might have left."
...
Liuyun sat at her workbench, carefully attaching the final component to the small mechanical crane.
With a click, the piece fit together perfectly, completing it.
Liuyun sighed in relief, picking up the mechanism to examine it closely.
Every part had been meticulously designed; it was her proudest creation to date.
She slowly raised one hand and infused it with her celestial power.
A soft blue light flickered, and a gentle breeze swirled around.
Soon, the small mechanical crane flapped its wings and took to the air.
It looked completely alive, not like a mere machine.
Watching the little device, Liuyun couldn't help but smile, imagining Yuxie's expression when he received this gift.
A faint smile lingered on her lips, revealing a youthful sentiment.
"Master, what are you smiling about?"
Ganyu's innocent voice interrupted Liuyun's thoughts, causing her to withdraw her smile.
"Ahem, it's nothing."
"Is this the latest mechanism you created, Master?" Ganyu looked up at the crane hovering in the air. "It's so beautiful."
"Ganyu likes it?"
"Yes!" Ganyu nodded enthusiastically.
"Then I'll make one for you next time."
"Okay! Thank you, Master!" Ganyu beamed, but soon seemed to realize something. "So, who is this mechanism for?"
"This... that's none of your concern," Liuyun replied.
Just then, a loud call came from outside.
"Liuyun—"
Hearing the voice, Liuyun put away the mechanical crane and went outside with Ganyu.
Gecheng and Indarias hurriedly rushed over, looking anxious.
"What's wrong?" Liuyun asked. "Why do you look so urgent?"
"Liuyun, do you know where Yuxie has gone?" Gecheng's eyes betrayed an unmistakable gloom, her bad feeling intensifying.
She had likely accepted the reality of Yuxie's sudden departure, yet she still held on to an unshakeable hope.
What if Yuxie just went out to clear his mind and lost track of time?
Or perhaps he had something to take care of, and he would come back once it was done.
"Liuyun, Yuxie might have left the Guili Assembly," Indarias said anxiously. "He may have left last night and hasn't returned yet. We asked the soldiers at the gate, and no one has seen him."
"What?" Liuyun paused. "Yuxie... has left?"
The news struck her like a heavy blow to the chest.
No, this couldn't be right.
How could this happen? Yuxie was the deputy commander, a man who could move mountains with his mortal body!
He understood the responsibilities on his shoulders and cared deeply for the Guili Assembly.
So how could he just leave without a word?
End of chapter
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