The road ahead was long, stretching out like an endless ribbon of dust and stones beneath their feet. The forest they had left behind seemed to be receding into the distance, its towering trees and tangled branches swallowed by the horizon. As Li Wei walked beside Feng Rui, his mind was filled with a thousand questions—questions that had no easy answers.
What was so special about the book? Why had they been attacked? And more than anything, what did this all mean for them, for their future?
Feng Rui, as always, walked with a quiet confidence, his dark eyes scanning the landscape ahead. His pace was steady, but Li Wei noticed the slight tension in his shoulders, the ever-present wariness in his movements. Despite the calm exterior, there was something beneath the surface—something that Li Wei couldn't quite place.
"You've been quiet," Feng Rui said, glancing at Li Wei. "What's on your mind?"
Li Wei hesitated, his gaze lingering on the ground beneath his feet. "I've just been thinking," he began, his voice soft. "About everything. About us. About the road ahead."
Feng Rui's steps slowed, and for a brief moment, he turned his full attention to Li Wei. The look in his eyes was unreadable, but there was a softness there, a quiet understanding that seemed to echo the weight of their journey.
"The road ahead is uncertain," Feng Rui said after a pause. "But we'll face it. Together."
Li Wei's heart fluttered at the words. It wasn't the first time Feng Rui had said something like that, but today, it felt different. There was a depth to his words, a sincerity that Li Wei couldn't ignore.
"I'm not afraid of what's ahead," Li Wei admitted, meeting Feng Rui's gaze. "But I am afraid of losing what we've built… of losing you."
The confession hung in the air between them, and for a brief moment, there was a silence—one that stretched far beyond the words that had been spoken. Li Wei felt his heart race in his chest, the vulnerability of the moment catching him off guard.
Feng Rui stopped walking, turning to face him fully. There was a long moment of stillness before he spoke, his voice steady but filled with an unexpected tenderness.
"You won't lose me," he said simply. "Not as long as we're together. And that's something I'm not willing to let go of."
Li Wei's breath caught in his throat. He had heard many words from Feng Rui—playful words, teasing words, even words of reassurance—but this was different. There was a weight to them, a promise that Li Wei had never dared to believe before.
And yet, somehow, in that moment, he believed him.
The world around them seemed to fade into the background as they stood there, their eyes locked, a quiet understanding passing between them. The dangers that lay ahead, the uncertainty of their journey—it all felt a little more bearable now, knowing that they weren't alone in it. They had each other. And that, Li Wei realized, was enough for now.
Feng Rui gave a small smile, his usual playful expression returning. "Come on, scholar. We've got a long way to go. Let's get moving before I start getting too sentimental."
Li Wei chuckled softly, the tension in his chest easing for the first time in days. As they continued down the road, side by side, the weight of their shared promise lingered in the air, a quiet reminder that no matter what the world threw at them, they would face it together.
For the first time in a long while, Li Wei felt the stirring of something more—something deep and unspoken. And while he couldn't name it yet, he knew that it was something worth protecting, something worth fighting for.
And so, with every step they took, the bond between them grew stronger. They didn't need words to define it. They simply knew.
Together. Always.