Liyue, Mt. Aocang.
A beautiful woman with a high ponytail stood by the pond at the top of the mountain, gazing at her reflection in the water. Her clothes fluttered gently in the breeze.
It had been many years, and she was familiar with the wind here, familiar with every tree, flower, and blade of grass in this place.
Happiness is the most fleeting, and sorrow fades with time. After all these years, Liu Yun had thought that she had let go of many things. However, when that long-forgotten name once again reached her ears, she found her heart trembling uncontrollably.
When she learned from Zhong Li that Yu Xie was still alive but had forgotten everything, Liu Yun stood stunned for a long time, as if time itself had stopped flowing for her.
After a long while, she regained her senses, only to find that she was filled with confusion and fear.
She didn't know what kind of expression she should wear when meeting Yu Xie, nor did she want him to leave again without a trace.
Then, another feeling surfaced in her heart.
"We will meet again."
It felt as if Yu Xie himself had whispered these words into her ear. Liu Yun was sure that, in the future, Yu Xie would appear in her life again.
Liu Yun had never been one to believe in "gut feelings," but this time, she had no doubts. It felt like destiny.
Of course, after learning that Yu Xie was alive, she had considered going to find him. But after much hesitation, she ultimately could not bring herself to take action.
She hadn't yet sorted out her emotions, and this sorting had taken almost a hundred years.
But she still had plenty of time; she could wait.
The reunion would eventually come.
At this moment, the sound of two light footsteps approached from the side. Liu Yun turned her gaze away from the pond and looked in that direction.
Bonanus and Indarias had arrived at Mt. Aocang.
"Lord Liu Yun!" Bonanus called out, waving to her with a smile.
The three of them sat down on a stone bench under the tree.
"How have you been recently, Lord Liu Yun?" Bonanus hesitated, as if unable to think of a suitable topic, and asked this instead.
"Same as usual. Mt. Aocang is very quiet, and no one bothers me. I enjoy myself here, studying mechanisms and arts in peace," Liu Yun replied.
"What about Gan Yu? Has she returned recently?" Indarias asked.
"Gan Yu… She said in her letter that she's very busy with work, so she hasn't been able to come back as often," Liu Yun said nonchalantly.
"I see... Oh, by the way, Lord Liu Yun, we brought you a little gift." Indarias smiled as he took out some finely wrapped gifts.
The square, delicate packaging was a clear sign that a lot of thought had gone into it.
"You didn't have to bring gifts," Liu Yun said.
"It's just some materials for mechanism arts that we thought you might need," Indarias said with a smile.
Mechanism materials... Liu Yun suddenly remembered that when she had gone out to find a certain material, she had come across Yu Xie in the freezing snow, nearly frozen stiff.
Her thoughts returned to the present. As for what was happening with Yu Xie now, everyone had already discussed it.
Each of them had the same feeling—they would reunite.
One person thinking this might be a mere illusion, but since everyone thought the same way, it couldn't just be a coincidence.
In the unspoken silence, they reached a tacit understanding—prepare your emotions and patiently wait for the moment of reunion.
At that time, you will no longer be able to leave without a trace.
.....
Yu Xie waited for a moment in the Grand Shrine of Narukami. Soon, he heard that familiar sound of footsteps.
He turned his head to see Kitsune Saiguu approaching him, wearing a smile.
"Couldn't wait to see me, so you came here to find me?"
"I didn't have anything to do, so I thought I'd come see," Yu Xie replied.
"So, you didn't come here specifically to find me? I'm a little disappointed." The smile on Kitsune Saiguu's face faded, replaced by a look that seemed to express disappointment.
"Of course, it was also my idea to find you." Although he knew Kitsune Saiguu was joking, Yu Xie went along with her teasing.
Upon hearing this, Kitsune Saiguu's smile returned. She glanced around, confirming that no one was nearby, and then leaned in close to Yu Xie's ear, whispering softly:
"I knew it, Young Master still cares about me. Don't worry, once I finish my work, I'll be back soon, ready for whatever you need."
Since the joke they shared after the Khaenri'ah War, Kitsune Saiguu had been living in Yu Xie's mansion.
Yu Xie felt a bit helpless. That title of "Young Master," no matter what, Kitsune Saiguu refused to stop calling him by it.
Seeing Yu Xie's helpless expression, Kitsune Saiguu covered her mouth and smiled lightly.
She seemed to enjoy it, but deep down, she knew she was using this behavior to hide her own timidity.
Though many years had passed, and she occasionally said some ambiguous things to Yu Xie, she still did not dare take the next step.
But that was fine. She could take things slowly.
Yu Xie was still doing well, and there was still so much time ahead.
"I'm over a hundred years old now. The title of 'Young Master' doesn't really suit me anymore," Yu Xie said.
"Only a little over a hundred? To me, you're still just a young one." Kitsune Saiguu said smugly.
Indeed, for Kitsune Saiguu, Yu Xie was still very young.
Not just for her, but also for Makoto and Ei, and even for Chiyo.
A hundred years in their lives was but the blink of an eye.
"So, Young Master Yu Xie, do you need me to warm your bed for you tonight? Foxes are quite good at that, you know." Kitsune Saiguu whispered teasingly into Yu Xie's ear.
Yu Xie patted Kitsune Saiguu on the head, then turned away, gazing out at the distant sea.
"What about Yae Miko?"
"Young Master, you're so heartless. I'm telling you something important, and you're thinking about other women," Kitsune Saiguu said with a look of mock indignation.
"Stop messing around."
"Alright." Kitsune Saiguu smiled and then sighed softly. "She doesn't have much work today, so she's probably resting somewhere. I still haven't convinced her to take over as the head priestess of the Grand Shrine of Narukami."
"Do you want to retire?"
"Not really, but there does need to be a successor."
"How about I go talk to Yae Miko for you?"
"Hmm..." Kitsune Saiguu thought for a moment. "That could work. She might listen to you more than to me."
"I can't make any promises, though. I'll give it a try, but I won't guarantee anything."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Young Master."
Yu Xie smiled helplessly, then turned and walked away.
It wasn't easy to find someone in the vast Grand Shrine of Narukami without a specific destination in mind. Yu Xie searched for a while but still hadn't spotted Yae Miko.
Could it be that Yae Miko had transformed into a pink-haired fox and was napping in some corner?
Just as Yu Xie thought this, he suddenly saw a pink, fluffy fox tail swishing around the corner under a roof.
He walked over slowly, and sure enough, Yae Miko had transformed into a small fox and appeared to be sound asleep.
End of chapter
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