Suddenly, the door of the Holy Monk Temple was pushed open, and an elderly woman walked in through the slightly ajar door. Upon entering, she saw Liuli and Shichan embracing and jokingly said, "So that's why you two haven't gone home for dinner yet! You've been so engrossed in your romance that you've lost track of time!"

Upon hearing this, Liuli blushed with embarrassment. After releasing Shichan, she stood up, skillfully concealing her emotions, and laughed, "Madam is teasing me again."

"You're even shy now!" The mayor's wife covered her mouth and laughed. "Alright, you two can talk about love tomorrow. Now, hurry home and have dinner!"

After saying that, she turned and walked out with a smile.

As soon as the mayor's wife left, the smile on Liuli's face vanished. She looked down at Shichan, and all she could see were his deeply furrowed brows and downcast eyelashes. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Shichan, we should go back for dinner."

Liuli's voice was very low, and Shichan could detect a hint of pleading in it, begging him to give up the idea of ​​going out. He tried his best to clear his mind of the chaotic thoughts, stood up, took Liuli's small hand, and said gently, "Okay, let's go home."

Liuli thought that Shichan had given up the idea of ​​going out, so she breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Let's go."

Shi Chan smiled and nodded, then turned and led Liuli out of the temple.

--

The town of Queqiao was quiet in the dead of night. The lights were off in the mayor's house in the middle of the town. It was the dead of night.

In the left wing room on the first floor of the wooden building, the small room was simply furnished, and Liuli was sleeping on a small bed.

Since arriving in Magpie Bridge Town, Liuli's heart has been at peace, and she sleeps soundly every night, tonight being no exception.

She had only worried about what Shi Chan had said during the day before going to sleep. At this hour, she was sleeping soundly without any dreams or disturbances.

Suddenly, the tightly closed wooden door was gently pushed open a crack, making a creaking sound. The person outside stopped after the door was only pushed open a little, as if testing whether the sound would startle Liuli.

After a long while, the man slowly pushed the wooden door open enough for him to enter, and then he quietly stepped into the house.

Bathed in the soft moonlight streaming through the window, he walked step by step to the innermost part of the house, toward the woman he loved most.

The gentle moonlight shone on his face, illuminating a pair of eyes filled with longing, reluctance, and guilt.

He quickly knelt down on one knee by the bedside, staring intently at her sleeping face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open, and she was breathing steadily.

She looked just like she did many years ago in that dense forest, on that sunny afternoon, clinging to him and refusing to let him go, even while listening to his sermons. He had only spoken a few words before she fell asleep. The sunlight then, dappled through the leaves, shone on her small face, etching her image deeply into his heart.

"Liuli..." he whispered, his voice trembling with suppressed emotions. He slowly reached out, his fingertips trembling as he approached Liuli's small face, wanting to touch her cheek. But his hand quickly froze in mid-air, as if afraid of waking her.

He stared at Liuli for a long, long time, then gently parted his lips and whispered, "Liuli, I'm sorry, wait for me..."

Having said that, he took one last deep look at Liuli, stood up, placed a letter on a round table, walked out slowly, and gently closed the wooden door.