Jiang Li felt a tickle on her nose and slowly opened her eyes. She saw a pale, washed-out green bamboo ceiling and heard the crisp chirping of birds and the sound of flowing water. Sunlight streamed through the window, making the room feel warm and cozy.
She sat up, her head feeling heavy, as if stuffed with cotton.
"Awake? Drink your medicine first."
Cang Yaochen walked in. He wore a moon-white robe, his hair held up by a simple wooden hairpin, making him look clean and gentle. He held a steaming bowl of medicine in his hands.
Jiang Li stared at him for a long time, her throat feeling dry. "Cang Yaochen?"
"Call me Senior Brother." Cang Yaochen sat by the couch, tested the temperature of the medicine, and held it to her lips. "You went to the back mountain to gather herbs a few days ago and slipped into the cold pool. You've had a fever for days; you were practically delirious."
Jiang Li took the bowl, the bitter scent drifting into her nose. She looked down at her hands—fair, slender, with neatly trimmed nails.
"Have we always lived here?" Jiang Li asked.
"For five years now." Cang Yaochen reached out and brushed a stray hair from her ear, his voice soft. "You said you hated the strife of the outside world and wanted a quiet place to live. So, I accompanied you here to Peach Spring Mountain. Usually, it's just the two of us and A-Mu, along with the occasional hunter from the back mountain who comes to trade for herbs."
As she drank the medicine, Jiang Li felt a sense of strangeness. In her subconscious, the world should be dark and damp, and she should be running for her life. Yet the sunlight on her skin felt so real that she didn't dare speak.
"Senior Brother, I had a dream." Jiang Li set down the bowl. "In the dream, you were an incredibly powerful monk, and I was a Demon Seed. The whole world was trying to catch us."
Cang Yaochen took the empty bowl and smiled, pinching her cheek. "That was just a hallucination from the fever. I am your Senior Brother, and you are my Junior Sister. From now on, we'll just watch over this peach orchard. Don't let your mind wander."
Jiang Li remained silent, looking at him. His eyes were filled with a smile, a gaze that made her feel grounded.
After taking her medicine, Cang Yaochen helped her out of bed to walk around. The courtyard was swept clean. A-Mu sat by the stone mill; his mechanical hand had been repaired and was carved with several flowers. He was splitting wood, but when he saw Jiang Li come out, his movements stiffened for a moment before he quickly lowered his head.
"Why isn't A-Mu speaking?" Jiang Li asked.
"He had a fall a while back and damaged his throat," Cang Yaochen explained from her side.
Over the next few days, life moved slowly.
In the mornings, Jiang Li woke to the sound of birds. Cang Yaochen would have breakfast ready—usually a bowl of plain porridge and two plates of salted vegetables. After breakfast, he would take her to the back mountain to identify herbs. He was very patient, repeatedly explaining the name and properties of every plant. Jiang Li had a good memory and quickly learned to distinguish between Rehmannia and Angelica.
In the afternoons, sunlight bathed the courtyard. Cang Yaochen would sit under the tree leafing through old books while Jiang Li sat on a grass mat at his feet mending clothes. She wasn't very good at needlework and often pricked her fingers. Whenever that happened, Cang Yaochen would set down his book, take her hand, give it a gentle blow, and then take over the needle to finish the mending. His fingers were long and slender, and he worked quickly.
In the evenings, Cang Yaochen would heat water to wash Jiang Li's feet. He sat on a small stool, rolled up his sleeves, and cradled her small feet in his large hands, massaging them with just the right amount of pressure.
"Senior Brother, you're so good to me," Jiang Li said, wiggling her toes and splashing water onto his robe.
Cang Yaochen looked up, his profile looking exceptionally tender under the lamplight. "I should be good to you."
Life was happy, and Jiang Li felt she should be satisfied. Yet every night before sleep, she would stare at the peach orchard outside the window for a long time. The trees grew too neatly; every single one looked almost identical.
Taking advantage of a time when Cang Yaochen went to fetch water from the back mountain, Jiang Li sneaked into the study. The room was tidy, filled with medical texts. On the bottom shelf, she found a wooden box. Opening it, she saw a broken fragment of a mirror.
The moment she saw the mirror, Jiang Li felt a sharp pain in her chest.
"Li'er, what are you looking for?"
Cang Yaochen was back, standing at the door. He held a water bucket, a smile on his face, but the purple light in his eyes flickered intensely.
Jiang Li jumped, nearly dropping the fragment. "I was just rummaging."
Cang Yaochen walked over, took the fragment, and locked it in a drawer.
"That's just some old junk I picked up; it could easily cut your hand." He took her hand and found it ice-cold. He wrapped it in his own to warm it. "Tomorrow, let's go to the market at the foot of the mountain and buy you some new clothes."
The next day, Cang Yaochen took her to the market.
It was crowded, filled with the cries of vendors. Cang Yaochen held her hand tightly, buying her candied haws and choosing beautiful hairpins. People on the street greeted him politely, calling him "Mr. Cang." Looking at the vibrant faces and listening to the noisy bustle, most of Jiang Li's doubts vanished.
Perhaps those bloody memories really were just a nightmare.
Back at the bamboo house that evening, Cang Yaochen was cooking in the kitchen. Jiang Li sat on the threshold, watching the sun set.
"Senior Brother, let's live like this forever!" Jiang Li shouted.
The sound of steady chopping came from the kitchen.
"Alright, forever," Cang Yaochen's voice drifted out.
Jiang Li leaned against the doorframe and smiled. She didn't see Cang Yaochen leaning heavily against the cutting board. His face was deathly pale, and purple blood seeped from the old wound on his thigh, staining his robe.
The cost of maintaining this illusion was immense; every moment drained his life force. But he didn't care. As long as Jiang Li kept smiling at him and didn't remember the pain, he was willing to hold on forever.
He brought out the finished noodles, topped with the dried bamboo shoots she loved.
"Eat up, before they get cold."
Jiang Li took the noodles and ate heartily. They tasted wonderful—so wonderful her eyes grew moist.
That night, Jiang Li slept exceptionally soundly. Cang Yaochen sat by the bed, looking at the sleeping girl. He reached out to touch her face. "No one will ever take you away," he whispered.
The system issued warning sounds in his consciousness, reminding him that his origin was nearly exhausted. He looked at the moon outside the window and smiled with satisfaction.