"Will you please cut it out?!"
The Master's voice thundered through the forest, birds scattering into the crimson dusk sky.
Xi Youran stopped mid-sprint, hands raised innocently. "But Master—"
"No buts! You've been chasing me for half an hour! I'm a spirit, not a deer for you to tag!"
"Fine," she puffed, plopping dramatically onto the ground. "You're no fun."
Leaves rustled softly as her little companion peeked out from her travel bag. The tiny beast—still in its kitten form—yawned sleepily.
[Beast (half-asleep):My master is staring at me... Maybe it's because I'm so cute~]
Youran sighed. "Yes, yes, you're adorable, now go back to sleep."
"Master," she called after a moment, lifting her head. "How far are we going again?"
The old man floated ahead lazily, his long silver hair glimmering faintly under the moonlight. "Two more mountains," he replied, as if that number wasn't outrageous at all.
"T-two more?!" Youran's eyes widened in despair.
"Yes. You want to change your fate, don't you?"
"...I hate my determination sometimes," she muttered, dragging her feet as she followed.
Each step she took felt heavy—yet beneath that exhaustion, her heart pulsed with quiet resolve.Every breath, every footfall, was rewriting her destiny bit by bit.She didn't know it yet… but fate was already bending around her will.
Back at the Jiang Mansion, chaos reigned.
"MOTHER!!! Sister is gone!"
Xi Yue's cries echoed through the hall, her cheeks stained with tears.Xi Jia tried to calm her down while exchanging helpless glances with his wife.
At that very moment, Prince Tian Zi arrived again, his elegant robes fluttering as he stepped through the courtyard.
"Your Highness," Xi Jia bowed respectfully, panic carefully hidden behind a polite smile. "Lady Xi Youran is… not feeling well today. She cannot greet you."
"Not feeling well?" Tian Zi's expression faltered.
His gaze flickered toward the garden where he had seen her laughing just yesterday.
"Then it cannot be helped," he said quietly, his tone colder than he meant it to be. "I will visit again when I am free."
As he turned to leave, his mind raced with questions.
'She was fine just yesterday… Did something happen? Does she hate me? Or is she… avoiding me?'
His hands clenched at his side, and a bitter smile crossed his lips.In the quiet of his golden carriage, he whispered to himself, almost too softly for the wind to carry—
"If only back then, I treated you a little better… we could've been happy together."
Meanwhile, far from the palace…
"Master… let's take a break," Youran groaned, staggering onto a mossy rock. "We'll continue tomorrow… I-I'm dying~"
Her face was so drained she looked like a hundred-year-old grandma.
The Master floated nearby, laughing so hard he almost lost his spectral balance."Pathetic! You've only crossed one mountain! At this rate, you'll ascend to the heavens by crawling!"
Youran flopped onto the ground dramatically, ignoring him completely.
"Hey! At least lie down properly! What if a wild beast attacks?!" the Master scolded.
She rolled over lazily, pulling her bag close. "If a beast attacks, maybe it'll carry me home. Sounds efficient."
"This disciple—!" He facepalmed and flicked his finger in frustration. A spark of light flared into existence, turning into a small bonfire beside them.
As the flames flickered, his expression softened.He looked down at her sleeping face—peaceful, stubborn, and quietly scarred by the past.
'She's… interesting,' he mused silently. 'A returner, just like him. But her path… feels different.'
For a brief moment, something unreadable flashed in his ancient eyes.
"There's a memory missing," he murmured. "But perhaps that's for the best. She won't walk the same road of tragedy again."
With that, his form shimmered and disappeared into the night mist.
[Beast (awakened slightly):Don't worry, Master. I'll guard you tonight.]
The tiny creature curled up beside Youran's shoulder, its fur glowing faintly gold.
That night, Youran dreamed again.
But this time, she wasn't inside the dream.
She saw a man and a woman standing amid a blizzard of white snow, their figures half-hidden by the storm.
"I will never forget who you are," the woman said softly, turning away, "but I may forget your name while trying to find you."
Her silhouette faded into the storm.
The man stood alone, snow gathering on his shoulders, eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow.
And Xi Youran, watching from the edge of that dream, could only whisper—
"...Who were you to me?"
The wind swallowed her words.