Rui smiled at Zou's offer, shaking her head with fond exasperation.
"I'm not as needy as before," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I can walk on my own now."
Zou ignored her decline completely. In one fluid motion, he rose and scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
"Stronger, sure," he said with a grin. "Still doesn't mean I won't carry you."
Despite her initial protest, Rui found herself settling against him, her body recalling the comfort of his embrace.
The familiar weight of her in his arms felt right, as though some small piece of the past had been reclaimed.
They walked for hours, Zou carrying Rui until she insisted on walking herself.
The forest path gradually widened, transforming from wild underbrush to well-worn dirt roads.
As they crested the final hill, Golden Blossom Town spread before them—but not as they remembered.
"It's... enormous," Rui whispered.
