Hangfang's eyes fluttered open to a tranquil, surreal world. Snow blanketed the ground in a soft, pristine layer, sparkling under a radiant sun. The air was still, almost sacred, and the towering trees around him exuded an ethereal charm that seemed to whisper untold stories. For a moment, Hangfang sat frozen, overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding him.
As he became aware of himself, he realized he was seated in someone's lap. Slowly tilting his head upward, he met the calm, enigmatic gaze of Xiao Yi, his fiancée. Her expression was serene, but her eyes carried a weight, a depth that hinted at words unspoken.
Hangfang hesitated before finally speaking, his voice tinged with confusion.
"Who are you? And why am I here?"
Xiao Yi regarded him silently, her gaze unwavering. After a pause, she answered softly,
"Do you truly not remember, Hangfang? Have you not realized why you were brought here?"
Her cryptic response only deepened his perplexity. Hangfang glanced around, searching for clarity in his surroundings, but the snow-clad landscape offered no answers. His eyes landed on faint footprints in the snow, trailing behind him and disappearing into the distance. A subtle unease crept into his heart as he noticed the way the footprints seemed to follow him, as if they carried the weight of his past.
Xiao Yi's voice broke the silence, her tone gentle but firm.
"Those footprints, Hangfang… they're the imprints of your decisions. Each step marks a choice you've made, and this place reflects the consequences of those choices."
Hangfang frowned, guilt and anxiety beginning to stir within him. He shook his head as he replied,
"But what have I done? I've only been focused on completing my cultivation circle. I just wanted to push my limits, to grow stronger."
Xiao Yi let out a soft, bitter laugh, her expression tinged with sadness.
"Always chasing strength, Hangfang. Always chasing power. But have you ever stopped to consider that your decisions ripple outward? They touch everyone around you—me included. Your obsession with this cultivation circle created misunderstandings with those two women. Do you think their pain doesn't matter? Or mine?"
Hangfang's brows furrowed, irritation flashing across his face.
"That wasn't my intention! The competition was just a way to push myself further. If those misunderstandings hurt you, I'm sorry. But it wasn't deliberate."
Xiao Yi's face remained impassive, though her eyes carried the ache of unspoken emotions.
"Why, then, did you enter the competition, Hangfang? What were you seeking? When you reached your 596,758th cultivation cycle, I thought—just once—you might think to include me in it. But all I saw was your relentless pursuit of your own goals."
Her words struck something deep within him, and he fell silent. His gaze drifted back to the snow, now tinged with a faint red hue, as if the earth itself bore witness to his guilt. The sight filled him with unease.
Xiao Yi gestured toward the red-stained snow, her voice calm yet heavy with meaning.
"The snow is turning red, Hangfang. It mirrors the guilt buried inside you, the shadows of your choices. You've lived as though your actions affect only you, but they don't. They affect me, too. I wanted to share in your journey, to walk beside you. But you chose to leave me out."
Hangfang's head hung low, his heart heavy. Her words peeled back the layers of his denial, forcing him to confront the truth. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Maybe you're right, Xiao Yi. I was so consumed by my cultivation and my ambitions that I failed to see how much you mattered. I'm sorry. But why do you keep asking about the competition? What does it matter now?"
Xiao Yi sighed softly, her breath misting in the cold air. Her eyes held a mix of cold detachment and quiet understanding as she replied,
"The competition isn't the point, Hangfang. It's a symptom, not the cause. The real question is why you make the choices you do. What drives you, deep down? That's the answer you need to find—not for me, but for yourself."
Hangfang sat in silence, her words echoing in his mind. The stillness of the place pressed against him, heavy with expectation. Xiao Yi watched him with a faint, inscrutable smile, her gaze a mirror of the mystery he now faced within himself.