The Weight of Her Dreams
Su Kang understood immediately. He glanced at the boy, then at the girl clinging to his side. Without a word, he returned the token to the boy.
"Take it. It's yours."
The boy's eyes widened in disbelief before he slowly reached out, accepting it with both hands. A smile of relief and gratitude broke across his face.
"Umm… thank you." His voice was quiet but sincere.
Su Kang placed a firm yet gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't hesitate. Speak from your heart when you give it to them." Then, with a flick of his fingers, a silver tael slowly flew toward the shopkeeper.
"This should be enough. Give the children the change. I trust you won't have second thoughts."
The shopkeeper caught the silver, his face easing into a genuine expression. "It's more than enough, young master. Don't worry—I'm an honest man."
Su Kang nodded, turning to leave without waiting for further thanks. As he walked away, the children's voices carried after him.
"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young lady!"
Bai Yunxi, who had been silently observing the exchange, didn't bother to correct the child's mistaken address. She had too much on her mind.
That night, they returned to the boat. The sky stretched endlessly above them, a vast canvas speckled with stars.
Bai Yunxi sat outside, her thoughts adrift as the river carried them forward. Inside, Su Kang sat alone, lost in memories.
In his previous life, he had often felt like a disappointment to his family, weighed down by expectations he couldn't meet.
Growing up in a society where men were not meant to show vulnerability, he had bottled up his emotions, locking away his gratitude, regrets, and love.
Not once had he spoken the words he should have—words of thanks, of appreciation.
If only he had been honest, even once. If only he had voiced what was in his heart before it was too late.
He let out a slow breath, gazing up at the endless night sky.
Some things couldn't be changed. But in this life, he could at least make sure he would never carry those regrets again.
Bai Yunxi returned late, her steps heavier than usual, but he could sense the shift in her emotions. A quiet sorrow clung to her.
She simply walked past him, disappearing into her room without a word.
Hours passed.
Su Kang stood outside her door, his thoughts lingering on the sadness he had felt in her presence.
"If I want to stand by her, I need to understand her—not just her present, but the past that shaped her."
The weight of that realization settled in his chest. Eventually, he decided and entered.
She lay curled up on the bed, her breathing steady, lost in deep sleep. The faint moonlight from the window traced soft shadows across her face.
Stepping closer, Su Kang raised a hand. Without hesitation, he activated his technique once more. A faint pink glow flickered to life, touching her forehead.
His consciousness sank into the mist. Then, the visions came.
The scent of old parchment filled the small study as a small girl sat on a wooden stool, her tiny feet barely touching the floor. A manual lay open before her, its pages covered in neat, elegant characters.
"Come on, Yunxi," a deep, warm voice urged. "What's the next line?"
She scrunched her brows in concentration, her small hands gripping the edges of the book.
"Umm… A cultivator must temper their body and mind, for only those with both strength and wisdom…"
She paused, her lips pressing together.
"…can withstand the tribulations of the path," her father finished for her, chuckling.
Bai Yunxi pouted. "I knew that!"
"Haha! Of course you did." Her father leaned down, his fingers ruffling her hair. "My little Yunxi is the smartest in Qin City! How could she not know?"
The scene shifted.
She was older now, her mother stood beside him, her hands wringing together anxiously.
"Yunxi, listen carefully." Her father kneeled in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "This elixir will cleanse your meridians. It wasn't easy to get, but it's worth it."
Bai Yunxi stared at the box. She knew how hard her parents worked, how much they sacrificed. A lump formed in her throat, but she nodded firmly.
"I won't let you down, Father."
Her father smiled, patting her head.
The scene shifted again.
A bustling market. Bai Yunxi, a little older now, clung to her mother's hand, eyes shining as they stopped by a stall of silk ribbons.
"Which one do you like, Yunxi?" her mother asked.
She pointed eagerly at a bright red ribbon. "That one!"
Her mother bought it and carefully tied it into Yunxi's hair.
Her mother tapped her nose. "You look very pretty. You'll steal hearts one day."
Her father, carrying baskets, sighed. "Too talented, too beautiful—how will I find a husband worthy of you?"
Yunxi giggled, hugging him. "Then I'll stay with you forever!"
He laughed, patting her head. "That's my girl!"
Another scene.
Bai Yunxi stood quietly by the door, listening as her parents spoke with a visitor from the Bai family—a man who had come from Jinshi City.
"The Qin family is seeking a marriage alliance," the man said. "They wish for Bai Yunxi to marry their young master."
Her parents' expressions darkened.
"No," her father said firmly. "Qin Ming's character is… unacceptable."
The visitor sighed. "But you cannot cultivate her alone. A marriage into a stronger family would secure her future."
Her mother's hands tightened into fists. Her father remained silent for a long moment, his jaw clenched.
Yunxi, hidden in the shadows, watched them struggle with the weight of the decision.
Another scene. Years later.
A messenger arrived, his face solemn as he handed over a sealed letter.
"Your parents… went missing on their return from Jinshi City," he reported. "Their group was ambushed by beasts."
Her legs gave out. The world spun.
Her parents… gone?
She barely registered the wails of her son beside her, the small boy reaching up to her, sensing something was wrong.
"Mother… Father…" Her voice broke. "Why…?"
The tiny hands of her child tugged at her robes. She held him close, as if clutching the last piece of her family, but the void in her heart only deepened.
Time blurred. Days passed in a haze.
Then— a cold, piercing cold spread through her body. It felt like countless needles stabbing into her flesh.
Her consciousness wavered.
When she finally awoke, the pain was dull but constant. She tried to circulate her Qi—only to feel nothing.
A sharp pang shot through her body, confirming her worst fear.
Her meridians were blocked.
Her cultivation future was gone.
The foundation she had built, the future her parents had sacrificed for—gone in an instant.
A strangled sob escaped her lips.
She clutched her chest, gasping, shaking, the reality crashing down on her like a mountain.
This couldn't be real. It had to be a nightmare.
Her father's voice echoed in her mind—his pride, his certainty. "My Yunxi is the smartest in Qin City!"
"Too talented, too beautiful—how will I find a husband worthy of my daughter?"
"I'm sorry… Father… Mother…" Her voice shook, barely more than a whisper. "I failed you."
Her shoulders trembled violently as sobs wracked her body.
"Your daughter is no longer the genius of Qin City…"
Her cries filled the empty room, carrying with them the shattered dreams of the little girl who once believed she could hold the world in her hands.
---
The memory dissolved like mist, fading into the darkness of the present.
Su Kang opened his eyes.
He looked down at her sleeping form. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was still carrying the weight of those memories in her dreams.
Su Kang took a quiet step back, leaving her to rest.
He had seen the hopes and dreams her parents had woven around her, the pride her father had in her talent.
Stepping out of the room, Su Kang let out a slow breath.
Her parents were gone. The poisoning incident had stolen not just her chance to reach Foundation Building but also the future they had envisioned for her.
Their hopes, their pride, their dreams for her—all of it had crumbled that day.
"I can't change her past, but I can make sure her future is better."
Su Kang clenched his fist, gazing at the starry sky as the thought settled in his heart.