Vomit

he next day, Li Xue woke up earlier than dawn and began packing her belongings. Not that she had much—just a few simple things. Clothes, shoes, and a little makeup she had sneakily taken from Li Yanyu.

Li Yanyu.

Her hands stilled for a moment as she thought of her. A familiar dull ache settled in her chest. She missed her dearly.

She had only three sets of clothes. Two were plain white, and the third, the only one with a touch of elegance, had light purple embroidery along its edges. She wore it only on special occasions. It was also a gift from Li Yanyu.

Everything she owned was tied to Li Yanyu in some way.

"..."

Shaking her head, she muttered, "Anyway, she left me. I have no reason to think about her anymore." With that, she finished packing and stepped out of the servants' quarters. Before leaving, she quietly slipped a small note under Gu Yixin's pillow.

"I'll come back soon," she whispered.

The corridors were silent as she made her way out. It was still early, and most of the household was asleep. Eventually, she reached the meeting place where Chen Yi had instructed her to wait. It wasn't long before he arrived.

Chen Yi wore a simple blue robe. The color didn't suit his silver eyes at all, yet he still carried an air of effortless elegance.

"Let's go," he said, turning with a flick of his sleeve.

Li Xue found herself questioning why she liked him. He wasn't particularly kind. He barely even looked at her most of the time. Yet, despite everything, she followed him obediently—like a stray puppy finally finding its owner.

"Youth—Young Master," she called out timidly.

Chen Yi responded with a low hum, not bothering to turn around.

"How far is the First Young Master?" she asked.

Chen Yi slowed his steps and glanced at her, clearly confused. "What do you mean?"

Li Xue instantly realized her mistake. Embarrassment surged through her, and she quickly waved her hands. "I—I meant how far do we have to walk?" she corrected hastily, her face burning.

Chen Yi gave her an odd look but didn't press further. "We're taking the Heavenly Rift. It'll take about two days."

Heavenly Rift? Li Xue had no idea what that was, but she didn't ask. She didn't want to annoy him with her questions.

Silence fell between them again as they walked through the city. The once-empty streets gradually came to life, filling with merchants, travelers, and morning bustle.

When they finally arrived, Li Xue stopped in her tracks.

The Heavenly Rift was enormous. A towering platform shimmered under the morning light, humming with an otherworldly energy. She watched in shock as a person standing on it suddenly vanished into thin air.

Her eyes widened.

Chen Yi noticed and, for some reason, found her reaction amusing. The way her lips parted slightly in surprise, the way her fingers curled unconsciously around the hem of her sleeve—it was… cute.

He let out a quiet chuckle.

But Li Xue, lost in awe, didn't even notice.

At that moment, a figure approached them with a gentle expression.

"This humble one's surname is Wei," the man introduced himself politely. "I assume you are the person Master told us about?"

"Yes," Chen Yi nodded.

The attendant gave a satisfied nod. "Right this way."

They followed the attendant, and entered the heavenly rift. Li Xue was very nervous as this was her first time, what if she died? what if something happened? what if she became stranded on a island!? 

Chen Yi could see Li Xue bathing in her sweat, and flicked her head with his fingers, "No need to be nervous, nothing's gonna happen." He gave a soft smile.

Li Xue blushed and nodded, avoiding his gaze. "This servant understands." He just flicked her head!! Ahhhh!

After some time, the machine started operating. The scenery in front of Li Xue changed, and changed, and changed. It showed no signs of stopping, and eventually it started moving vigorously. "What happening!" Li Xue voice was in panic.

Her lips trembled, and her eyes were wide with panic. She suddenly remembered Li Yanyu, "Breath Li Xue." Her angelic voice came. Before Li Xue could think, something warm embraced her.

"Breath Li Xue." Came Chen Yi's cold but comforting, calm voice. Li Xue, whos mind was in a turmoil sensed a scent from Chen Yi.

He smelled fresh and clean, like a lotus blooming by a quiet lake—light, cool, and slightly sweet. His scent wasn't strong, but it lingered just enough to be noticed, calm and refreshing, like a soft breeze after rain. 

Li Xue finally calmed herself down, but her head was spinning. A strange, crawling sensation rose up her throat, like tiny ants biting their way out. Before she could stop it, she lurched forward and—

Vomit.

Right onto Chen Yi's robes.

Chen Yi's face turned pale, his eyes widened in shock as he immediately let go of Li Xue, His light blue robe stained with puke. His face was more then someone just 'disgusted'.

"You!" He trembled, lost in finding the correct words to address her.

Li Xue immediately knelt down, "I am so sorry! Young master. Please punish this slave as per will!"

Unaware of how her back trembled, Li Xue kept kneeling and asking for forgiveness. "Alright, just get up." Chen Yi spoke, "Bring me a set of new robes."

"Eh, you will change here?" Li Xue asked, and Chen Yi responded with his cold silver eyes.

"Ah! Ofcourse!"