Yue stood outside the house, carefully hanging freshly washed clothes on a wooden line. The sun was warm on her skin, the breeze carrying the scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers. Lian sat nearby, doodling in the dirt with a small stick, humming a soft tune to herself.
Shen Xu sat on the porch, sharpening a small knife with slow strokes. He glanced at Yue occasionally, her focused expression, the way strands of her dark hair slipped free from their tie, the gentle curve of her bare feet pressing into the soft grass.
Then, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the peace.
Yue tensed, her fingers pausing on the cloth she was hanging.
A group of three men strode into the clearing, their presence immediately unwelcome. They were dressed in rough, travel-worn clothes, their faces shadowed with stubble and hardened expressions. The tallest of them, a man with a jagged scar running down his cheek, grinned upon seeing Yue.
"Well, well," he drawled, crossing his arms. "It really is you."
Yue's hands clenched into fists.
Shen Xu's gaze sharpened, He said nothing, but his presence became heavier.
The man smirked at Yue's silence. "What, no warm greeting for an old acquaintance?" He took a step forward, his eyes glinting with something unsettling. "You left in such a hurry last time. We've been looking for you, you know."
Yue's expression remained unreadable, but Shen Xu could see the tension in her shoulders.
Lian, sensing the change in the air, looked up from her drawings, her bright eyes flicking between Yue and the strangers. She immediately scurried closer to Yue's side, gripping the edge of her robe.
"You should leave," Yue said finally, her voice calm but firm.
The man with the scar laughed, a rough, grating sound. "Come on, now. Don't be like that. We had some unfinished business, remember?"
Shen Xu slowly stood up, sliding the knife he had been sharpening into the sleeve of his robe. His dark eyes locked onto the man.
The man seemed to finally take notice of him. "And who's this?" he asked, tilting his head. "Didn't take you for the type to settle down, Yue." His gaze flicked over to Lian, and his smirk widened. "Picked up a little pet, too?"
Yue stepped forward slightly, placing herself between Lian and the men. "Leave. Now."
The man's expression darkened. "You think you can just tell me what to do?" He took another step forward. "You owe me, Yue."
Shen Xu finally spoke, his voice quiet but carrying an undeniable weight. "She owes you nothing."
The man turned to him fully, his amusement replaced with mild annoyance. "Listen here.. "
His words cut off abruptly when Shen Xu moved.
It wasn't much just a shift in posture, a single step forward but something about it sent a ripple of unease through the air. The way he carried himself, the way his eyes darkened ever so slightly it was enough to make even the other two men glance at each other uneasily.
Scarface scoffed, but there was a flicker of hesitation in his expression. "Tch. Fine. We'll be back." He gave Yue one last smirk. "You can't run from us."
With that, he turned and motioned for the others to follow. They retreated, but not before casting lingering glances back at them.
Yue watched them disappear down the path, her fists still clenched at her sides.
Shen Xu didn't look away from the trees where the men had vanished.
Lian tugged at Yue's robe. "Who were they?"
Yue forced a small smile and stroked Lian's hair. "No one important."
But Shen Xu knew better.
And later that night, long after Yue and Lian had gone to sleep, he disappeared into the darkness, following the path the men had taken.
The night was thick with silence, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant call of an owl. The moon, half-veiled by shifting clouds, cast fleeting silver light upon the forest path. Shen Xu moved like a shadow.
He had followed their trail with ease.
Now, he stood just outside the glow of their campfire, watching.
The three men sat around the flickering flames, passing a flask between them. Scarface lounged against a fallen log, his boots stretched out as he took a long swig. The other two murmured to each other in hushed voices, their laughter coarse.
"She's still as pretty as ever," Scarface mused, wiping his mouth. "Damn shame she ran. Could've made things easy for her."
One of the men, a burly fellow with a crooked nose, chuckled. "You think she's got a thing with that guy?"
Scarface scoffed. "Tch. Doesn't matter. Women like her, they act strong, but in the end, they always break." He smirked, taking another drink. "She'll come crawling back eventually."
Shen Xu's fingers curled around the hilt of his dagger.
He stepped forward.
The fire crackled, Scarface must have sensed something some primal instinct warning him. His eyes flicked up, but by then, it was already too late.
A gust of wind stirred the flames.
The next moment, the crooked-nosed man let out a choked gasp, clutching his throat as he collapsed forward. Blood seeped through his fingers, dark and glistening in the firelight.
The third man barely had time to register what had happened before something sharp sliced across his ribs, sending him sprawling.
Scarface scrambled to his feet, reaching for the knife at his belt. "What the..?!"
Shen Xu's cold gaze met his.
"You shouldn't have annoyed me" he murmured.
Scarface swung wildly, but Shen Xu sidestepped with ease. In one fluid motion, he caught the man's wrist, twisting it sharply. The knife clattered to the ground.
The man grunted in pain, trying to wrench free, but Shen Xu was too strong.
"Please," Scarface panted, his bravado crumbling. "We..we were just talking, that's all! I wasn't gonna.."
Shen Xu silenced him with a sharp twist of his arm, sending him to his knees.
"You won't bother her again" he said softly.
Scarface nodded frantically. "Y-yeah! Yeah, I swear! I won't..!"
"Sheeee"
Before he could finish Shen Xu put a dagger in his throat, blood came out like fountain as the Scarface eyes looked in shock at Shen Xu.
"A good enemy is a dead one.. now she won't be sad" murmured Shen Xu
By the time Scarface body fell, the shadow that had descended was already gone.
The forest swallowed Shen Xu whole, erasing his presence like he had never been there.
---
The next morning, Yue woke to the scent of fresh tea and the quiet rustling of fabric. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and found Shen Xu sitting at the table, pouring a cup of tea.
Something about him felt different.
"Morning," she murmured, stretching.
He nodded in response, sliding a cup toward her.
Lian was still curled up in her blankets, sleeping soundly. The house was peaceful.
Yue studied Shen Xu for a moment, noticing the faint dampness on the hem of his robe. The forest had been wet with dew this morning.
Her fingers curled around the warm cup.