bamboo forest

A girl in a white dress lay among the dead gardenia-yellow leaves, her black hair scattered all over the ground, her slender and graceful figure rising and falling slightly with her breathing.

A gust of wind blew by, and a few fallen leaves drifted down from the sky, swirling in the air before slowly landing on the girl's cheek. The dry leaves were brittle and thin, sliding gently across her face, bringing a slight tingling sensation.

The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a long time she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the sky that was mostly blocked by bamboo.

The light mist in the mountains was dyed purple like smoke in the twilight. A few clouds were moving in the sky, and sometimes the distant sound of birds could be heard.

She slowly sat up, and some dead leaves fell from her body, creating slight ripples in the quiet bamboo forest.

Where is this?

The girl felt a little confused for a moment and couldn't remember how she got here.

Wait, who am I?

Another question quickly arose in my mind, and suddenly many images flashed through my mind, some peaceful, some noisy, some shocking, and so on. But these images were fragmented, and although there was a sense of familiarity, it was still difficult to sort out any useful information.

Shaking her dizzy head, she slowly got up, reached behind her back, brushed off the scattered dead leaves and debris, and walked a few steps in the woods before she became much more sober.

Only then did she feel a little hungry.

She looked up and around, and there seemed to be nothing to eat, so she began to walk in the woods.

The rugged mountain terrain, which was originally covered with gravel, tree roots, and potholes, did not become an obstacle when she was walking. Instead, she was familiar with it, as if it was her instinct.

As she walked, it wasn't long before she heard the faint sound of flowing water in the distance.

Following the sound of water, she quickened her pace slightly and walked closer. Soon, a small mountain stream appeared in her sight.

A clear stream flowed between the mossy rocks, making a gurgling sound. When she approached, she felt a burst of cool water vapor on her skin.

Slowly squatting down by the stream, she looked down at herself in the water. She estimated herself to be around 17.

The face reflected in the ripples on the water wasn't clear, it was rippled through the flowing water, and it was getting a little dim as the sun got closer to setting.

It seems I need to find a place to sleep first, the girl thought, and put her white fingers into the water, and the slightly cool touch swirled around her fingertips.

She simply washed her face with clean water, fixed her hair and clothes, and then observed herself.

She looked very beautiful, but the stream was not clear, so she didn't know what she looked like exactly, but her facial features were very regular and soft.

This should be what I look like, she thought uncertainly, but she seemed to feel something was wrong.

Although there were some fragmented images of the past in her mind at this moment, they were not systematic, which made her a little unsure. However, she felt clearer now than before.

As night fell, the forest gradually became colder. The girl stood up and let the evening breeze gently blow on her body, lifting up her skirt a little and swaying slightly in the wind.

When night fell, some of the rocks in the stream emitted a faint glow, like jade. This surprised the girl a little, because according to her common sense, rocks usually didn't glow.

He reached his hand into the cold stream again, felt for a rounded stone in the current, pried it gently, and took it out of the water.

The stone was about the size of a girl's fist, just the right size to hold in her palm, and it was still stained with a little dew.

She held the stone before her eyes and examined it carefully. It was translucent, emitting a pale greenish-white glow in the night. A closer look revealed a certain energy flowing within it.

Hmm, what's energy called? The girl felt she should know, but unfortunately she couldn't remember the name for the moment.

Just when she was feeling a little distressed, a virtual translucent border appeared in her field of vision.

[Cold Smoke Jade] (Silver grade, excellent quality): This extraordinary material can be used to make utensils and jewelry. When worn, it can help to calm the mind.

The girl blinked, looking at the virtual screen in bewilderment. She tried to touch it, but couldn't, so she gave up. As she turned her attention elsewhere, the screen dissipated like smoke.

This seems to be a good thing, it is helping me. The girl felt a little fond of this screen.

At this time, the sky had completely darkened. The scattered pieces of jade of various sizes in the stream emitted bursts of light in the water, illuminating the stream.

Like a band of light, it stretches through the mountains and forests, extending into the distance and disappearing among the layers of leaves.

The faint light at the bottom of the stream illuminated the girl's face and clothes, and the treetops on both sides of the stream were also dyed with a faint moonlight white in this light.

Holding a piece of Hanyan jade, the girl walked through the mountains and forests, searching for some dead branches and firewood. She returned to the stream and found a thicker tree, where she piled the dead branches together. Then, holding the jade in one hand, she tilted her head, as if wondering how to ignite the firewood. Her fingers twirled in the air nervously, and only a flicker of flame could be seen rising from the pile.

Is it that easy? The girl thought to herself, even though she couldn't remember a lot of things, it didn't seem like something that ordinary people could do, but she could do it just by thinking about it.

The flame finally lit up, illuminating the girl's body with a warm red light. Although the jade stones at the bottom of the stream could also provide light, it was ultimately not warm enough.

The girl sat by the fire, took out a few pine nuts she had picked up in the woods, placed them on the stones next to the fire, toasted them slightly, then took out one of them and slowly peeled it.

Although pine nuts are not big, the oil in them is very delicious and not greasy. The small pine nuts swirl around the tip of the tongue, and a faint fragrance lingers in the mouth.

After settling down for a while, the girl began to think about her life experience and past.

It was strange, I always seemed to have trouble remembering the past, yet I still retained some common sense. She shook her head slightly, her soft hair brushing against her shoulders.

After eating the pine nuts, although she couldn't say she was full, at least she wasn't very hungry anymore. Then the girl hugged her knees and sat by the fire.

The crimson flames reflected in her eyes, swaying slightly in the wind, occasionally letting out a reassuring crackle, making the surroundings less monotonous. As the fire warmed her, the night breeze seemed no longer cold, but instead brought a slight comfort, like the softest lullaby, lulling the young girl slowly into sleep amidst the trees.

It was a quiet night, a moonless sky, dotted with stars, and occasionally a small meteor streaked across the sky and fell into an unknown forest.