Farewell

In Lord Xu's study, Xu Lian knelt, knowing she had to explain but fearing the truth. 

"Father," she murmured. "It's my fault… I took Xu Hanyu out…" 

Lord Xu sighed, upset. "Lian'er, I forbade your brother from leaving. Why did you disobey?" 

"I wanted him to experience outside, but… I lost him."

"Lost him? How?" 

Xu Lian hesitated, then fabricated, "I took him to the market. It was crowded, and when I looked back, he was gone. I searched everywhere."

Lord Xu's mind raced. If he was lost in the market, someone should have found him. 

But for now, he chose to trust her. 

While she lowered her head while thinking. Father, I know I shouldn't have taken that risk. But I also don't want this situation to escalate because of our involvement. 

"Go find Xu Hanyu and don't return until you do. That will be your punishment." 

"Yes, Father…" she replied softly. 

Though frustrated, Lord Xu's expression softened; he wanted to teach her responsibility without being too harsh. 

After she left, he gazed at the sky, lost in thought. 

Han'er, where are you now? 

… 

Chan Chan opened her eyes, panicking as she realized she was tangled with Xu Hanyu. Her heart raced. What is happening? 

An arm wrapped around her. 

He's holding me? 

Heat flooded her face as she pushed against his chest, but his grip was strong. 

How bold! 

But looking at him, his beauty was undeniable, even with this ugly mark on his arm. How could someone like you carry something so unpleasant? 

Without thinking, her fingers reached for his face, drawn by an odd urge. Just as her fingertips brushed his skin, Xu Hanyu's eyes flew open. 

For a moment, silence enveloped them. 

Their gazes locked. 

His eyes, like the universe, still dazed with sleep, widened slightly as he became aware of their position—bodies pressed together, arms instinctively wrapped around each other. His warmth sent a strange thrill through Chan Chan's chest. 

Then—

Wham!

Her lips parted, mind blank. 

Then— 

Wham! 

Xu Hanyu gasped, pain shooting through him as he doubled over, clutching himself. 

"Aaah—!" he cried, face contorted in agony. 

Chan Chan sat up, eyes wide with shock, hands flying to her mouth. 

What did I just do…? 

Xu Hanyu groaned, breathless. "What the hell—?" he gasped, disbelief etched on his face. 

"Why did you kick me?!" 

Chan Chan jumped, flustered. "How dare you touch me!?" she shot back, moving away. "Are you trying to take advantage of me?!" 

His brow furrowed. "Take advantage of you?! What are you talking about?! We—" He winced as another wave of pain hit. 

"Didn't you hold onto me too?" he accused, though still in pain. "And you even kicked me in the—!" He clenched his jaw, unable to finish. 

Chan Chan stiffened. "Ha! Me?!" She scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Yes. Didn't you?" he pressed, still bent over. 

She opened her mouth to respond, then quickly closed it. 

"…Never mind," she muttered, looking away, arms crossed.

Xu Hanyu groaned, still rubbing his sore spot. "That fast?"

"Yes. So leave!"

"Alright, alright—" he sighed, dragging himself up. He staggered slightly before taking a few steps away and slumping onto a nearby rock, still massaging his temples.

The pain lingered, but something else troubled Xu Hanyu—an unfamiliar feeling. He had woken up with Chan Chan in his arms, their bodies instinctively seeking warmth. Despite his attempts to ignore it, her presence stayed with him.

He glanced at Chan Chan, who sat rigidly with her eyes closed, deep in meditation, though her tense shoulders betrayed her. 

'You two were holding onto each other so tightly last night, even the cold couldn't reach you... Heh, and here you are, rubbing that sore spot. Are you sure she's not leaving a mark on your heart too?'

A voice.

It was as if someone had whispered right in his ear. But there was no other person in there. 

What the hell was that? Who—who said that?

He looked frantically around, but the forest was eerily quiet. No sign of anyone.

"Who..who's there…!?" He muttered, while his eyes wandered around. 

Chan Chan, noticing his strange behavior, opened her eyes, raised an eyebrow to him. 

"What?" she snapped.

"Ahh…n-nothing…" he stammered, quickly looking away. 

She returned to her meditation, but the playful voice echoed in Xu Hanyu's mind, leaving him restless. Chan Chan noticed his discomfort and crossed her arms, narrowing her gaze. What was going on with him?

Xu Hanyu simply shrugged it off and leaned against the wall. This situation was going to be uncomfortable for a while. He sat in silence, deep in thought. 

It felt like days had gone by since he fell, and no one had come to find him.

A quiet sigh slipped from his lips as he wondered about his sister, Xu Lian. He was sure their father had realized he had escaped. Exhaustion began to take over, and he closed his eyes.

Later, as he drifted off again, he felt a sudden change in the air. A strong gust rushed by, waking him up just in time to hear a loud whoosh, as if someone had taken off. He blinked and noticed Chan Chan was gone. Panic hit him hard. "HEY!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "Where are you?! You can't just leave me here!" His voice echoed down the cliff. "Chan Chan!"

He heard a scoff nearby. Tch. He turned around but found no one there. "Hey—! Chan Chan, is this how you thank me for saving you?!" he shouted in frustration, his voice carried away by the wind. 

Not far off, Chan Chan clenched her fists. Why does he always make me feel guilty? She took a deep breath, then with a huff, she gracefully descended in front of him. 

Xu Hanyu frowned. "Wait, why didn't you tell me you could fly? We could have left together!" 

Chan Chan crossed her arms, her eyes sharp. "Hmph. You didn't ask." 

He stared at her, confused. "What?! Who would think to ask that?" 

"And besides," she added, brushing off her sleeve, "I'm still too hurt to fly." 

Xu Hanyu sighed, rubbing his temples. "So what now? You were just going to leave me here?" 

"That's your problem." 

"Oh, so saving you is a crime now?" 

She scoffed. "It was reckless."

Xu Hanyu sighed and shook his head. "Well, it happened. We were both stuck." He looked up at the rock face. "Unless you have another way out?"

Chan Chan shot him a frosty look. " You can't atleast fly?"

"…What?"

With her arms crossed, she replied bluntly, "From your clothes, you must belong to a clan. Why can't you at least float?"

He paused. "…I told you I can't cultivate, so I can't fly."

Silence followed, and Chan Chan's expression softened for a moment before she turned away.

Xu Hanyu frowned, expecting a retort, but she sighed and approached him deliberately.

"Stay still," she said.

Xu Hanyu tensed. "Wait—what are you doing?"

She stopped in front of him, tilting her head. "I'm carrying you back up." With a slight smirk, she added, "Unless you've changed your mind?"

He blinked, taken aback. "Not a chance."

"Hmph. Then don't make this hard."

Without waiting for his response, she placed a hand on his shoulder, her energy enveloping them. A gust of wind lifted them off the ground.

As they rose effortlessly, Xu Hanyu felt light, but his thoughts lingered on the moment when Chan Chan's usual sharpness had softened.

They reached a narrow ledge near the top. Chan Chan landed softly, setting him down gently before stepping back, arms crossed and cold as ever.

Silence hung between them as Chan Chan's hand slipped from Xu Hanyu's shoulder, leaving him with a strange emptiness. She glanced at him, her gaze softening before stepping back with a sigh.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly.

"Don't expect this often," she replied, a small smile breaking through.

The atmosphere felt heavy, and Xu Hanyu hesitated, an unnamed force holding him back. "Take care," he said instinctively.

Chan Chan paused but didn't reply, walking away and leaving him with a lingering emptiness. He sighed, looking up at the sky. "Time to go home… but how?"

Shaking his head, he resolved to figure it out. "It should be over there," he said, pointing right. "Let's go!" He ran but quickly stopped. "Wait… maybe this way?" He turned left, then halted again. "Not this way either…" 

Frustrated, he scratched his head. "Okay, over there? Definitely over there?" He pointed in yet another direction, looking lost.

Groaning, he slapped his forehead. "Am I cursed? I just want to get out of here! Where do I go? Do I need a map or a miracle?"

…

"Have you found him yet?" Lord Xu's voice cut through the tension, his worn face revealing sleepless nights. 

A clan member bowed, resigned. "We've searched everywhere, Lord Xu. No trace of him."

Nearby, Xu Liao and Xu Jie whispered. 

"Can you believe they still haven't found that useless kid?" Xu Liao scoffed. 

Xu Jie grinned. "It's been four days since he disappeared." 

"Tch." Xu Liao clicked his tongue. "He's probably dead by now." 

Lord Xu turned sharply, frustration evident. 

Rubbing his forehead, he said, "We've been searching for days. Is Xu Lian's information trustworthy?" 

"Lian'er would never deceive me," Lord Xu replied, then urged the clan members, "Keep searching until sunset!"

"Understood!" they responded, scattering to continue the hunt.

Elder Xu Ting suggested, "Xu Dan, maybe you should rest. We'll inform you when we find him."

"No. I can't rest until Xu Hanyu is found." 

With that, he turned sharply, resuming his search. The three elders stood still, concern etched on their faces. 

"Xu Dan!"

Elder Xu Jia called out, his voice filled with concern and annoyance, but Lord Xu ignored him, continuing on without looking back. 

Elder Xu Bai scoffed, adjusting his robe. "Ha! Let that fool search for his worthless son. Four days gone? The boy is probably dead." 

Elder Xu Ting, standing nearby, let out a resigned sigh, shaking his head as he felt compelled to follow Lord Xu's orders.