Clervie looked at Yu Xie, her mind a swirl of conflicting thoughts.
It felt as though many emotions suddenly surged from the depths of her heart, too overwhelming to be sorted through in time. She smiled, her lips curving upward, and without hesitation, she nodded decisively.
"Alright, let's go together!"
The wind blew into the indoor training ground, and outside, the breeze rustled through the trees, their leaves whispering. The two figures soared over the walls, heading toward their destination.
Mont Esus.
It was the highest peak within the Fontaine region. From the summit, one could see the entire landscape of Fontaine, and even catch a distant view of Sumeru and Liyue.
After leaving Hearth Manor, Yu Xie and Clervie spent a significant amount of time before reaching the top of the mountain.
From this vantage point, the streets of Fontaine City crisscrossed below, resembling a giant web.
"Yu Xie, look over there! There seems to be a really big tree, and it looks like it's glowing!" Clervie pointed toward the distance, her eyes sparkling.
"That's the Vourukasha Oasis in Sumeru," Yu Xie explained.
"And over there, I think I can faintly see a pavilion floating in the air!"
"That's Liyue. The pavilion is one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, Tianquan Star's residence—Jade Chamber."
Clervie continued to gaze in every direction, her eyes taking in scenes she had only ever read about in books. Although she could only see them from afar, a radiant smile spread across her face.
"It's so beautiful..."
The gentle breeze brushed against Clervie's face, tousling her hair and the hem of her skirt.
In her eyes, it seemed like the whole world was reflected.
"From now on, we're going to visit many places together and see all those breathtaking views!" Clervie sat down on the ground, letting the wind blow toward her face.
"Mm." Yu Xie nodded gently, sitting down beside her. "Clervie, your dream will definitely come true."
"Mm, it will!" Clervie nodded with a smile.
But for some reason, even though Yu Xie's words were meant to be encouraging, Clervie couldn't help but sense a trace of sadness in his tone.
Clervie turned to look at Yu Xie, whose face was still smiling.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it, Clervie thought to herself, and decided not to dwell on it any longer.
Time passed slowly. Clervie gazed at the distant, admired scenery as the sun gradually sank toward the western sky, diving into the clouds and painting them a fiery red.
The twilight glow bathed them both. Clervie stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes.
"It's getting late. Let's head back," she said, tilting her head and giving Yu Xie a warm smile.
"Mm, let's go back."
The rules of Hearth Manor still applied. As long as they weren't caught sneaking out, there would be no punishment. However, if they were absent when it was time for bed, it would be considered an escape.
Hearth Manor does not tolerate betrayal. Once someone attempts to escape, Crucabena will show no mercy.
As long as Crucabena remains in power, running away will not lead to freedom.
To resolve the issues of Hearth Manor, the source and root of the problem must be dealt with directly.
And Yu Xie had already decided what to do. For nearly eleven years, he had been preparing for this very moment.
...
The next morning.
Today was the day when Crucabena would evaluate the children's training progress.
All the children of Hearth Manor gathered in the training field.
Peruere and Clervie naturally stood together.
Around them were many familiar faces, as well as some unfamiliar ones—newcomers who had recently joined Hearth Manor.
"Where's Yu Xie?" Clervie scanned the crowd but couldn't find him, and the "performance evaluation" was about to begin.
"Don't worry, he'll be here soon," Peruere said. "He's done this many times before, always showing up just in time."
"Form up!" a soldier from the Fatui shouted.
"No need," Crucabena replied, "We don't have to be so formal today. Let's keep it casual."
Crucabena slowly walked to the front of the children, the sound of her high heels clicking on the ground carrying a certain air of pressure.
"Yu Xie, step forward."
At her words, the children began searching the crowd for Yu Xie's figure.
"Yu Xie?" Crucabena frowned slightly, seemingly displeased.
Still, there was no response.
Clervie began to feel anxious.
"Peipei, where is Yu Xie? Did he forget today was the evaluation day?"
"No, he wouldn't forget... Could it be that he's deliberately not coming..." A hint of confusion appeared in Peruere's eyes.
At this moment, Crucabena called out the names of Peruere and Clervie, her tone already clearly showing her displeasure.
"Peruere, Clervie, where is Yu Xie?"
"Mother..." Clervie hesitated for a moment, "We don't know..."
"Aren't you two the closest to Yu Xie? Go and bring him here." Crucabena's expression turned icy.
No one had ever dared to skip out like this; it was a direct challenge to the rules she had set.
Peruere and Clervie turned and left the training ground, heading to Yu Xie's room.
They knocked on the door, but there was no response.
They tried to open the door directly but found it was locked.
After a moment of thought, Peruere and Clervie went around to the back and entered the room through the partially open window.
Though the room was on a higher floor, this posed no challenge for Peruere and Clervie.
The room was very tidy, spotless as if it had been cleaned meticulously.
But Yu Xie was not there.
"Let's check the park, and other places he might go. We'll split up," Peruere suddenly felt a strange unease, as though something was wrong. She was afraid.
It wasn't that she was afraid Yu Xie would face punishment from Crucabena, but rather that she was afraid she might not see him again.
Clervie didn't say much either and immediately set off.
The two of them searched all over the Hearth Manor.
They checked every place Yu Xie might have gone, but they couldn't find any trace of him.
There could only be one explanation: Yu Xie had left the Hearth Manor.
Silently, and alone, he had gone.
Peruere suddenly understood. No wonder she had felt a sense of farewell in his words the day before.
So, this was something Yu Xie had planned all along...
In the corridor, Peruere and Clervie gathered together.
"Peipei, Yu Xie, he..."
"He's not in the Hearth Manor anymore."
"But... if he just leaves like this, Mother will definitely bring him back. And then he..." Clervie didn't finish her sentence, her eyes filled with worry.
The rest of the words didn't need to be said—they both knew what would happen.
"I think Yu Xie..." Peruere began to say that Yu Xie probably wouldn't be caught, but then she felt that his departure was too suspicious.
Did Yu Xie really leave just like that?
If he truly wanted to leave the Hearth Manor this way, he would have consulted with the two of them first, and wouldn't have left quietly by himself.
Moreover, if Yu Xie really had the intention to escape, with his abilities, how could he have waited until now? And why would he choose to leave on a day when he would be discovered the very next morning?
This doesn't make sense.
Sure enough, this was something Yu Xie had planned from the start, but it was definitely not a plan to escape.
"Clervie, let's head back to the training ground," Peruere said. "Don't worry, trust Yu Xie."
Clervie took a deep breath, calming herself down.
She understood Yu Xie well, and knew that he was not the kind of person to act recklessly.
"You're right... Let's trust him."
End of chapter
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