Chapter 77 - 76: Talk to me

Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Talk to me

For a while, Yichen remained beneath the great tree without saying anything.

The flowers swayed gently around them, their petals brushing against his clothes whenever the breeze passed through the field.

Xiaoyu lay against his lap, her face was turned toward him, and the faint smile on her lips had not changed.

Yichen held one of her hands between his own. With the other, he continued guiding his spiritual energy into her body, directing it carefully toward her injuries in an effort to slow the bleeding.

The flow was weak and unsteady.

The maze’s suppression made it difficult to circulate his energy, and what little he managed to gather was quickly consumed.

Even so, he persisted, drawing what he could from his depleted reserves and sending it into her wounds.

He knew he could not heal her like this. His energy could only help slow the loss of blood and keep her condition from worsening for a little longer.

It was a small thing, perhaps an almost meaningless one, but it was all he could offer her at the moment.

So he continued.

Whenever the flow weakened, he gathered himself and forced it onward. Whenever exhaustion threatened to make his concentration falter, he looked at her and tried again.

He did not want to stop.

"Talk to me."

The sudden whisper made Yichen lower his gaze.

Xiaoyu was looking at him, her amber eyes resting quietly on his face. Her lips had barely moved, and the words seemed to have taken more strength than she could afford.

"Talk?" he repeated. He tried to smile. "What should I talk about?"

"Anything..."

He looked at her for a while, searching for something ordinary enough to say. Yet the more he tried, the harder it became. He knew so little about her.

They had travelled together for nearly a month, but most of what he remembered were small things: her quiet presence, her occasional remarks, the way she would sometimes look at something for a little longer than the others.

His gaze drifted toward the flowers.

"I- I remember seeing you in the medicinal field once," he said after a moment. "You were tending to the plants there. I thought you.... looked rather careful."

In truth, he had never seen her there. He had only wanted to find something to talk about, but as the words left his mouth, he found himself thinking about something he had been unable to put into words for some time.

"There was a plant near the edge of the field," he continued. "I couldn’t tell what it was. You seemed to be taking special care of it, though. I wondered if it was particularly valuable."

Xiaoyu watched him silently.

"Perhaps it was difficult to grow," he added. "Or perhaps you simply liked it."

Her gaze remained on him for a long moment. Then her lips moved.

"Why... lie?"

Yichen’s words stopped.

He looked at her, and for a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then a faint chuckle escaped Xiaoyu. It was barely more than a breath, so weak that it seemed to disappear among the rustling flowers.

Yichen did not look embarrassed. Instead, his smile softened, and he lowered his eyes to the hand resting between his own.

"Was it that obvious?"

Xiaoyu’s smile remained. She did not answer, seemingly too exhausted to do more than watch him.

Yichen rubbed his thumb gently across her knuckles.

"I just needed something to talk about," he admitted. "I couldn’t think of anything else."

He paused, looking at her face.

"Actually... I’ve been feeling rather strange these past few days."

His smile faded a little, though his voice remained gentle.

"It’s like I don’t know you, and yet, somehow, I feel as though I know you very well."

He glanced toward the flowers, then back at her.

"The past month we’ve travelled together... you’ve been beside us the entire time, but I don’t think I’ve ever properly understood you. Sometimes you say something that makes me wonder what you’re thinking. Other times, you just quietly watch everyone, as though you’ve noticed something the rest of us haven’t."

His fingers tightened slightly around hers, then relaxed when he remembered how little strength she had left.

"You are... one strange person, Xiaoyu."

A faint, breathy chuckle escaped her again.

Yichen smiled at the sound.

It was so fragile that he almost wished he could keep it there, suspended between them, where the maze and her injuries could not reach it.

"See? You’re laughing at me again."

Xiaoyu’s lips moved, but no sound came at first. After a moment, she managed a whisper.

"You’re... strange too."

"Am I?"

She gave the smallest nod.

Yichen lowered his head, looking at her with an expression that was almost amused.

"Then I suppose we’re even."

Her eyes remained on him, and the faint smile did not disappear.

He wanted to say more, but he could not find anything that felt sufficient.

There were so many things he wished he had asked her during their journey, so many ordinary conversations he had never thought to have because he had assumed there would always be another opportunity.

There was no another day.

He looked at the flowers around them.

"That plant I mentioned," he said eventually, his voice quieter now. "I wonder what it really was."

He paused.

"Perhaps, when we get out, you can show me. The actual one, I mean. You can tell me whether I was even close."

Xiaoyu’s fingers moved faintly in his grasp.

"...Perhaps."

The answer was almost inaudible, but Yichen heard it.

His smile returned, a little brighter this time.

"Then I’ll hold you to that."

He continued watching her for a moment before turning his gaze toward the passage at the far end of the flower field.

"We should get going soon," he said softly. "Minghao and Yuexin are probably still looking for us."

He shifted slightly, preparing to lift her, but Xiaoyu’s fingers moved weakly against his hand.

"Can I... rest a little longer?"

Yichen abruptly stopped.

He looked at her, then toward the passage again. He knew they could not remain here forever.

More than anything, Xiaoyu needed treatment.

Every moment they spent underground was another moment her condition might worsen.

He knew all of that.

Yet when he looked back at her, the words he had been about to say would not come.

"Of course," he answered at last.

He did not know what else he could do.

Yichen settled back beneath the tree, keeping her hand in his while continuing to circulate his spiritual energy.

The flow had grown fainter, and he could feel how little he had left, but he refused to let it stop.

The two remained beneath the tree.

Yichen watched the flowers moving in the breeze. From time to time, he looked down at Xiaoyu, checking her face and the faint rise of her chest.

Each time, he found her looking at him with that same quiet expression.

He wondered what she was thinking.

Perhaps she was simply tired. Perhaps she was watching the flowers, or listening to the wind moving through the branches.

Eventually, he lowered his head.

"Are you ready?"

"...I’m ready," she answered weakly.

Yichen nodded and carefully gathered her into his arms. He took care not to disturb her injured legs, though even the smallest movement caused her body to tense.

Once he had settled her against his chest, he resumed guiding his spiritual energy toward her wounds, maintaining the flow as he adjusted his hold.

"Keep talking to me," Xiaoyu whispered.

"I will."

He looked down at her once more before turning toward the passage.

His steps were slow...

The weak light he had summoned trembled ahead of them, illuminating the stone walls and the uneven path beneath his feet.

"I remember thinking that the medicinal field must take quite a bit of work. There are so many different plants to look after, and I imagine each one needs something different. Some probably need more water, while others might not grow properly unless they receive enough sunlight."

He adjusted Xiaoyu in his arms when her weight shifted slightly.

His hand remained against her, and he continued directing his spiritual energy into her injuries.

The strain spread through his body, making his arms feel heavier with every step. Still, whenever the flow faltered, he forced it onward.

"Perhaps you could show me around after we get out," he said. "I might even try growing something myself. Though, knowing me, I would probably end up killing it before it had the chance to grow."

There was no answer.

Yichen glanced down.

Xiaoyu was still looking at him.

Her lips held the same faint smile, and her amber eyes remained fixed on his face.

He thought she might simply be too tired to respond, so he continued speaking, keeping his voice light.

"Actually, maybe I should start with something easy. A plant that doesn’t need much care. That way, even if I forget about it for a day or two, it might survive."

He waited briefly.

"Or perhaps I should ask you to choose one for me. You would know better."

Still, she said nothing.

His steps gradually slowed.

He looked at her face more closely. There was something about her stillness that unsettled him, though he could not immediately understand what it was.

Her expression had not changed. Her eyes were still resting on him, and that small, beautiful smile remained upon her lips.

But her fingers were no longer moving against his clothes.

Yichen lowered his gaze. He watched her chest, waiting for the faint rise and fall he had been checking from beneath the tree.

Nothing changed.

He waited a little longer, his eyes fixed on her.

Perhaps the movement was too faint for him to notice while walking.

Perhaps the angle was wrong.

"Xiaoyu?"

Her expression remained unchanged.

"You’re just tired," he murmured.

He adjusted his hold and continued walking.

"I understand. You can rest. I’ll keep talking."

His lips curved into a smile, though he could no longer tell whether he was smiling or simply trying to keep himself from falling apart.

"We’re almost there. Once we find Minghao and Yuexin, we’ll get out of here. Then we’ll find someone who can treat your injuries properly. You don’t need to worry about anything else."

He kept directing his spiritual energy into her wounds, unable to bring himself to stop, even when he no longer knew what he was hoping to accomplish.

"You said you would dance again, remember?" he continued. "I haven’t forgotten. When you’re better, I’ll find somewhere peaceful for us to go."

He looked down at her.

"And we’ll eat something good. You can choose what you want. I won’t complain, even if you choose something I’ve never eaten before."

The passage stretched ahead, and the weak light continued to tremble against its walls.

Yichen kept walking.

Xiaoyu’s smile remained unchanged. Her amber eyes still rested on him, as though she were listening to every word.

He looked at her for a long moment, searching her face for something he could recognize, something that might reassure him that he had misunderstood.

But there was nothing.

He raised his gaze before he could look any longer.

"I wonder how long Minghao and Yuexin have been searching," he said. "They might be worried about us. We should hurry, shouldn’t we?"

He gave a small laugh.

It sounded wrong in the empty passage.

"Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything when we find them."

His vision began to blur. At first, he thought it was the light trembling before him, but then he felt something warm slide down his cheek.

He blinked, and another tear followed.

He tried to wipe them away, but his hands were occupied, and he could not bring himself to loosen his hold on her.

One tear slipped from his chin and fell onto Xiaoyu’s still face.

Yichen looked down at her.

The smile was still there.

For a brief moment, he seemed to forget how to breathe. Then he drew in a shaky breath, tightened his arms around her, and continued forward.

"Just a little farther," he whispered.

His voice broke, but he forced himself to continue.

"We’re almost there."