While Zixin was out taking a nice, relaxing stroll across Daisal's streets, Hope was working diligently, completing commissions and healing others; after all, she was the Village Doctor.
Zixin halted in his tracks, staring at the clear blue sky. Birds flocking wings, the voices of youth, the rambling of old men, the rings of bells, and the rolling of wheels filled the street. Upon noticing all of this, he felt a sudden intrigue, like a moon's realization towards enlightenment; he felt understanding. Standing there, observing like an onlooker, made him feel a sense of complete peace, but it lasted no longer than a minute, as a carriage halted in its tracks, the frightened expression of the driver meeting Zixin's gaze.
"Look where you're going! I almost hit you!" The driver shouted, almost fearful. Those dull eyes of Zixin awakened a deep fear inside him, almost like a primordial sin.
"Tsk!" The driver snickered, driving away in a hurry, the carriage rushing through the road.
The crowd watched as Zixin returned his gaze to the sky, wondering, I wonder, why is everything happening? Sigh, why am I pondering this question? I'm no philosopher, I am nothing more than a feeble scholar… truth be told, I already have an answer, but it's a topic for another day. A carriage almost crashed into me, so I'd better move. This is fun yet exhausting.
As he strolled, he reminisced about the days when he was but a mere child. He ran across the library without worries, with Jinhua by his side to keep his worries at bay and his Mother to guide him; he lived a peaceful childhood.
Life is truly fascinating; these turns of events are completely unpredictable to me, yet they occurred. I respect scholars who study probability; it must be such a difficult topic to understand, but I understand why they pursue such a path. All of us seek knowledge, for our own aims… and yet here I am, the pawn of Fang Hau and perhaps more individuals that I haven't met yet. His thoughts wandered like the tides; his thoughts pondered like fish in the ocean, but I suppose if my ambition requires me to learn endlessly, I wouldn't mind after all, learning is a bliss.
He laughed inwardly as his thoughts continued, My curiosity–my desire for knowledge is all I have known and what I will continue to follow. These are perhaps my only reasons for living, my Hope.
His steps halted as he realized what he had just said. He eagerly shook his head, his face flushing red from "exhaustion."
Idiot. Never say that again. He planned, taking deep breaths to regain his composure.
Fortunately, he found a nearby bench, took his seat, and relaxed under the sun. Unknowingly, however, Hope found him, sitting next to him as she pinched his cheeks.
She tilted her head, voicing her concern, "Are you fine? Your face looks like a tomato because of how flushed it is."
Why is it that out of everyone, it is you that I trusted most? I still barely know her, yet I already trust her this much. Is it because she saved me? No, that's unlikely, I know well enough the difference between gratitude and trustworthiness. Odd–truly an odd tale, but somehow, it makes me feel comfort, such a rare feeling. I should thank her one of these days, maybe after this whole business with Fang Hau is over. Now that I think about it, I wonder what would happen to him if we complete it. Would he die, or does he still have a backup plan? Zixin let his thoughts wander, staring at her deeply, causing Hope to stare back just as hard, like a comedic skit you'd see on the street.
Zixin continued to let his thoughts wander a while longer: Is it companionship that I hope to obtain? Or do I simply want someone to converse freely with? These subconscious desires of mine are just as interesting as the concepts that I wish to comprehend. This is indeed enjoyable.
Hope sighed, her expression telling him more than her words could at the moment. Her gaze drifted among the passersby before landing on the sky. She spoke, letting herself become vulnerable for just this one time, "When I was still really young, my Father and I would usually travel around the Land, exploring different cities, and meeting new people. It's what made me want to break out of the Contract to begin with; maybe this is also what my Father wants. Either way, it no longer matters now. On my last trip, we visited… You know what, I'll let you guess before I continue?"
Zixin's lips fell silent, his gaze steadied, and his mind raced. Something about guessing it correctly made him feel thrilled, and so his thoughts moved: Correctly guessing is nearly impossible, but I can still try to… how do I do this? Oh, perhaps I could go through the process of elimination? In that case, I'll rule out any dangerous areas, on the assumption that her Father wouldn't dare take such risks. I'll also take out areas that are inaccessible to her. That brings me to about fifty-nine percent of all areas in the Land. Hmm… she did mention having gone to cities, but that seems like a general remark; is it a clue? If so, that brings me to about twenty-two percent. Don't tell me that it's a city governed by one of the Major Bloodlines? If that were the case, then I would have about a fourteen percent chance of guessing correctly. It's probably a random city…
He pinched his lips before answering, appearing uncertain, "I've made some terrible deductions, but is it Dawn Heart?"
"Well, isn't that generic? That's your home, I wouldn't have let you guess if it was so simple. The correct answer is–Fournia." She smiled lightly, a little disappointed by his predictable answer.
She began elaborating, rising to her feet and walking about as she spoke, "During my visit, I saw something that most would probably pass off after witnessing it over countless times–a sunset. But somehow in some way, it awakened a deep longing–understanding within me."
She halted her steps, offering her hand to Zixin as she spoke, both reminiscing and hopeful, "The end should not be feared, neither should it be embraced; it should be cherished for this moment would drift by like a piece of plank, stranded on the ocean."
She took his hand, pulling him as she continued, "To me, my freedom is nothing more than a bargaining chip to witness even more endings. Many would have gone mad if they were in my stead, but I persevered because the Contract's end is something I longed for after my enlightenment."
Zixin's lips curled up unknowingly, his thoughts stable like still water: Hope is already leagues ahead of me. I never expected her to have such a profound belief at such a young age–wait, I'm only a year older. Did I just indirectly call myself old?
"Where are we going?" He asked, noticing the passersby's attention on them. He glanced at them before returning his gaze to her.
"Towards the Xiaoshop we go!" Hope proudly proclaimed, back to her usually chaotic self. It almost felt like a dream how fast she could change her mind.
…
Inside the Xiaoshop, they walked across the halls, eventually reaching a certain room. The door stood still, yet it was slightly opened, and after giving it a quick look, Zixin saw Xiaoxiao hard at work, planning and processing her next course of action.
Arbane tugged at Zixin's clothes, almost like a kitten lost on the streets. Zixin glanced back momentarily, listening to Arbane's words, "Sister Xiao is currently working, so please don't interrupt her. If you need anything, you could come later when she's free, but otherwise, no entry for now."
Hope's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint as she began pushing them, "I'll do the talking, for now, the two of you can enjoy your time together. Try and get to know each other better, after all, allies are invaluable."
And with that, Hope pushed them out of the workshop, closing the room and laughing maniacally inside–they even heard it.
Zixin muttered in utter shock, "How does she even have a key?"
"Sister Xiao must have given her one as a keepsake. She probably didn't expect that it would be used like this." Arbane subconsciously spoke his thoughts out loud.
Forced with no options left other than walking around with Arbane or heading back, Zixin decided to go with the former. Arbane laughed lightly, subconsciously choosing to guide Zixin on their way.
I wonder if Hope would be able to persuade Xiaoxiao alone, but I suppose they know each other well enough. I shouldn't doubt her; it's Fang Hau whom I should be wary of, although from our last interactions, he seemed quite normal… uh… do I even know what normal means? My view on this word almost certainly varies greatly from others' interpretations. I suppose the aspects that I find normal are his motives, but I am biased. Forget it, this is supposed to be a bonding moment. Zixin's thoughts wandered about, eventually stopping once he shook his head.
While they walked, Arbane chose to bring up a question. He asked as kindly as he could, "Since we're already at it, what is your lifestyle? Like, what are your habits, likes, dislikes, and stuff?"
What an oddly vague question. But what is my lifestyle, huh? I suppose for likes, my favorite food is soup since I'm not a very picky eater. I also like reading, although they are mainly educational books. Maybe I should read a novel one of these days. The last one that I read is already at about ten volumes–I'd better catch up. I suppose reading is also my habit. I sound boring… sigh, I haven't read much or anything at all these days because of Hope, Fang Hau, and this whole plan. Is there a bookstore somewhere? Wait, I remember that there isn't any above ground, but purchasing any book here in the market sounds risky. Huh? I went off topic again… I should probably give my reply now. Zixin's thoughts wandered off once more, but thankfully, he had already concluded–a decent answer.
"If I were to describe my lifestyle, I suppose it would be ordinary, but you could make the argument that it's curiosity-driven. After all, I am here today because my curiosity led me to certain events, eventually ending up where I am today." Zixin spoke plainly, but when he turned to observe Arbane's reaction, his eyes were glimmering with brilliance.
Huh? Did I say something wrong? This is… worrying… He commented inwardly, confused to no end.
"Liar!" He proclaimed before elaborating with incredible confidence, so much so that Zixin's confusion only continued to rise, asking himself: Where is his confidence coming from?
"How can you, a member of the prestigious Longevity Bloodline, be living such a normal life? It sounds unreal, it even reminded me of those ghost stories that Sister Xiao used to tell me, since they were all fictional!" Arbane puffed up his chest, once again misunderstanding Zixin's words as a form of deceit.
I'm surprised he can still trust me so easily like this. Are my social skills so terrible that we two always end up in a misunderstanding, or am I not at fault? This sure is weird. Zixin pondered for a second before Arbane stretched his arms, rubbing his eyes in drowsiness.
"We could head back now if you're feeling sleepy. Health is more important than most things." Zixin advised calmly, but Arbane shook his head, giving a reply.
"No can do. I might never have another chance of conversing with you like this. Plus, the night is still too short." Arbane laughed, walking forward with his gleaming smile.
He turned back, calling out to Zixin energetically, "Rest is unnecessary when I can still run."