Extra: Be well

"Ruixia, I need to go...for a while."

The ending tone, which was originally rising slightly, suddenly dropped when he saw the situation inside the house clearly.

The black-haired boy was lying among a pile of machine parts, his hair disheveled and his eyes closed. Someone who didn't know the situation might have thought he was knocked to the ground by a gangster with a stick.

But during the time they spent together day and night, Ximu had long been accustomed to such scenes.

——Are you staying up late again?

Ruixia is just like that. Once she throws herself into the study of mechanical engineering, she will forget to eat and sleep. If she has any good ideas, she will implement them immediately. Unless she encounters a bottleneck or is forcibly intervened by others, she will never give up halfway.

Judging from his breathing, he should be sleeping soundly right now... It's better not to wake him up.

Ximu picked up Ruixia gently, skillfully avoiding all obstacles, big and small, on the ground, and placed him on a chaise longue for people to take a nap.

It's early summer now. If I cover myself with a blanket, I'll wake up from the heat, right?

After thinking for a moment, Ximu did not get the thin blanket, but simply untied the boy's hair crown so that he could sleep more comfortably.

Leaving a note next to Ruixia saying "I'm going out for a while and will be back soon", the silver-haired girl turned her head to look at the boy who was sleeping sweetly on the couch. In the end, she couldn't help but bent down and kissed his forehead.

+++

This is the border of a small country located on the southern side of the continent. Because adventurers often choose to rest and travel here, over time, a vibrant and fully functional town has gradually been built here.

After both of them officially obtained the title of adventurer, they followed the signal left on their weapons and headed south, wanting to check on Morina and Shiori's current situation first.

That being said, since they had no contact with each other and no prior agreement, their journey was really inefficient.

Stop here, stroll there, and if there are any local activities, you may stay there for half a month.

Look, it’s been more than half a year since they finally reached the southern border, and they have to stay there for several days.

Ximu originally thought Ruixia was the type of person who would plan everything in detail, but he didn't expect that without any deadlines, he would be so relaxed and casual.

They could go wherever they wanted to go and do whatever research they wanted to do. When she casually mentioned that the gems sewn on the robe of a passing magician were very interesting, he immediately began to look up the distribution of nearby mineral veins and trading markets, and said that if she liked it, we could also get a few pieces.

This kind of life where there is something new every day is as beautiful as a dream.

But that day, as she was waiting for Ruixia on a bench outside the machine parts store, carrying a lot of bags, she accidentally noticed some people and learned some information that she didn't want to know.

Some shadows of the past followed, stirring in the hidden corners.

She had to take action.

It was early in the morning and the streets were not yet busy, with not many people walking on the road.

Ximu did not disguise his description at all. He walked on the road with a calm expression, and glanced at the signs that only family members could understand without making any noise. After several twists and turns, he finally slipped into the back door of an ordinary house.

The moment she entered the room, many pairs of eyes looked at her. If their gazes were as sharp as nails, they would probably nail her to death on the spot.

But because they did not directly show their weapons, the girl looked indifferent and did not make any extreme reactions.

She looked calm, raised her eyes slightly, and looked at the leader.

--acquaintance.

He is one of his younger brother Jie Yan's personal guards.

"You're here."

The window facing the backyard was opened, and the boy who was the same mother as Xi Mu raised the teacup in his hand towards her with a casual attitude, as if he didn't notice the tense situation in the yard at all.

"Come in and sit down."

Ximu didn't hesitate. He walked past the wary gazes, opened the door, walked into the room, and sat down opposite his brother very naturally.

The southern border was not cold, and was even a little hot as summer was approaching - but the tea in Jie Yan's cup was smoking, which was out of tune with the current season.

He is still the same...not in good health and can't drink anything too cold.

A cup of tea was already prepared for her on the table.

But looking at his reflection in the cup, Ximu didn't touch it, nor did he exchange any pleasantries. He said directly: "I know why you came. But I can't give you that thing. I need it to survive."

The young man paused in raising his glass, glanced at his sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and did not speak immediately. He just continued to drink his tea slowly.

He had known for a long time that Ximu was not dead.

Seeing that she had not done anything detrimental to the family, the young man who had successfully seized power wanted to turn a blind eye to her for the sake of their blood relationship and let her live a comfortable life outside for another two years.

——But her life was too comfortable.

Every time I hear news about Ximu, a subtle feeling of dissatisfaction always inexplicably arises in my heart.

This time, the routes of their travel happened to overlap, so he released some information along the way, asking Xi Mu to come and see him.

"In that case, let's go back to our family."

He subconsciously turned the ring engraved with the family crest on his finger, his tone casual, and there was a hint of temptation in his eyes.

"Over the years, I've dealt with most of the annoying guys, and Mother has also given me a lot of authority... If you can return with the sacred artifact, our family's position will naturally be as solid as a rock, and there will be nothing to worry about."

Xi Mu didn't say anything, just sat there upright, staring at him without blinking.

"If you need me, you will find a way to find me."

After a moment, unexpectedly, it was Xi Mu who spoke first to break the silence.

The boy, who was always very good at understanding the hidden meaning, raised his eyebrows, tapped his fingers on the table subconsciously, and asked with a smile: "Why, is it so fun outside that you don't even want to go home?"

"Whether that place is considered 'home' or not, you and I both know."

Ximu's eyes were clearly filled with rejection, but she also knew in her heart that Jie Yan was a person who put profit above all else, and he would never give up without any concessions.

"After I left the family, I never used the family name again, nor did I use any resources related to the family. With this as a prerequisite, I can help you if you need me in the future."

"Are you available on call?"

"That's impossible. You have to wait until I'm free."

Jie Yan opened his eyes slightly, as if he saw something new.

——His sister, a hollow girl who had been trained by her family to be an obedient puppet since childhood, actually learned to bargain?!

"You don't think... I'd just sit there and watch the family's sacred artifacts get lost, do you?"

Jie Yan was still smiling, but Xi Mu knew that he was already on guard and that the people outside could rush in at any time.

"You've never lost track of me, so how can you say I'm wandering? Besides, I've never deliberately concealed my whereabouts. When my life is almost over, you can send someone to retrieve the sacred artifact."

Such a young girl talked about death so easily and calmly as if she was discussing the weather.

But this style is very much in line with their family's style - it seems that no matter how comfortable their lives are, the family background is always there.

"Aren't you bullying me? No matter how I look at it, I can't survive you."

It seemed like he was joking, but the boy turned sideways, with half of his face hidden in the shadow of the window, and the atmosphere of the conversation changed.

"Instead of going the long way around...why don't I just kill you right here?"

The moment the words fell, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a little, and a chill with a sense of falling slowly climbed up the skin, like the embodiment of murderous intent.

Yes, that is indeed a way.

And Jie Yan is the kind of person who can do such a thing - after all, the part between them that can be called "emotion" is very thin.

but……

"This isn't your home turf, Jie Yan. And... you should be well aware of who's behind him."

Based on Ximu's understanding of his younger brother, once he is determined to accomplish something, he will definitely lay a tight net and will never leave his prey with even the slightest chance of survival.

If he really intended to surround and kill her here, the limited number of people around the house would not be enough to accomplish the task.

and--

Ever since she escaped from the illusion, she has been in and out with Ruixia. This is probably the reason why Jie Yan has never dared to contact her rashly.

Ruixia's parents are both members of the adventurer organization "Evening Bell of the Night".

The members of this organization are spread all over the continent. Only their companions know who is their own. Moreover, the members are very united, and it is difficult for those who are not aware of the situation to find out the internal information about them.

Even the current head of the Kelinlet family has to treat such an omnipresent yet vague organization with caution.

"You mean, you joined that organization too?"

"yes."

Ximu admitted it generously, even showing a knowing smile on his face.

"They said that if I joined the 'Evening Bell of the Night', I could avoid most wanted and hunted individuals on the continent. Such an offer was really hard for me to refuse."

This town was originally built to serve adventurers, so it is difficult to judge how many people from the "Evening Bell of the Night" are hiding here.

If things finally fall out and Ximu manages to break out, it's hard to say whether it will turn into a small town battle royale and get out of control.

Although Jie Yan has some self-defense methods, his physical condition is average. Unless it is absolutely necessary, he will never let himself get involved in a large-scale human sea battle.

So no matter what he said, at least today, at this moment, it was impossible for him to attack her so rashly.

"……cut."

After thinking about it, it was indeed the case. Jie Yan, who never did business at a loss, rolled his eyes and waved out the window. Unconsciously, the hands that had approached him retreated to a safe distance, and the subtle coldness around Xi Mu also dissipated a lot.

No longer maintaining his upright sitting posture, Jie Yan placed one hand on the back of the chair and leaned back lazily.

"You just said you could continue to contribute to the family... Does 'Evening Bell' allow you to run between the two sides?"

"Yes. There are many people in the organization with their own identities and backgrounds. As long as they don't do anything that harms the organization or their companions, no one will care what they do."

This is something that many people outside know, so Ximu's statement is not considered a leak of secrets.

“…Alright.”

Ximu was not frightened by anything. Jie Yan just felt bored. He drank the tea in the cup in one breath and prepared to leave without any hesitation.

In fact, he probably guessed that this would be the result... Why did he have to invite people to meet him? It was such a waste of effort.

Ximu felt a little emotional as she watched her brother leave.

In fact, he has always been very polite in front of outsiders... As expected, it is only in front of his most hated sister that he would be so honest and show his dislike directly on his face.

"Jie Yan."

At the moment when the boy was about to leave the room, Ximu suddenly called him.

And he actually stopped, turned sideways, and without even asking any questions, just glanced at her impatiently.

At that moment she had something to ask him.

What exactly happened at that festival?

Will the family continue to tame sacrifices like her?

Were you injured during the power struggle? Have you been in better health in recent years?

How is mother now?

——But separated by years of loneliness and completely different choices, Ximu, who has already walked on another path, realized that he has lost the qualification to ask questions.

"……Take care of yourself."

Unexpectedly, what she said at the end was such a sentence. Jie Yan was a little surprised, but he quickly turned it into a sneer on his face.

He didn't answer and disappeared on the other side of the door.

+++

After passing through a series of winding paths and returning to the main road, Ximu bumped into a black-haired boy who came looking for her.

"I saw the note you left when I woke up, but I waited for a long time and you didn't come back, so I checked your location..."

Then he saw her coming to a strange house where she had no relatives or friends, and he became worried, so he hurried over?

"It's okay. My brother might be here on business nearby, so he asked me out to talk for a while."

"Oh... Eh?! That's not..."

Ximu's answer was so calm that Ruixia took a while to react. She was so shocked that she shook her arm and even looked at her to ask if she was okay and whether she needed someone to call immediately.

Sensing that there was no one secretly following him, Ximu smiled and shook his head, then took Ruixia's arm, squinted his eyes, and felt the breeze brushing across his cheeks.

Everyone has their own aspirations.

He chose his path, and she chose hers.

For siblings like them, perhaps only by living apart can they live in peace and contentment.