Red silk
Yunwei slowly opened her eyes, her vision was blurry.
She blinked, and the scene before her gradually became clear.
A simple thatched roof, rough mud walls, and a hard wooden bed beneath him.
Where is this?
She remembered her heart being pierced by the Lone Goose Sword, her clothes soaked with blood; she remembered Xie Lanchen's tears mixed with raindrops falling on her face, burning hot; she remembered breaking the life-sharing pact with her own hands, looking into the boy's despairing eyes, and feeling the pain of her soul slowly dissipating.
Logically speaking, she should have been completely annihilated.
Yunwei tried to move her fingers, and a slight pain came from her chest.
The pain felt so real that she couldn't help but furrow her brow.
Why didn't she die?
The thought had barely formed in her mind when she heard a cold voice beside her:
"Don't move."
She slowly turned her head and met a pair of cobalt blue eyes.
Xie Lanchen was sitting on a wooden stool by the bed, leaning slightly forward. He held her arm with one hand and carefully tucked the blanket around her with the other, afraid that even a wisp of cold air would get in.
His movements were so gentle they were almost cautious, a stark contrast to the gloomy and cold boy he usually was.
Yunwei stared at him blankly, unsure how to react.
She remembered that before her last consciousness faded, she saw the boy's bloodshot eyes and the tears rolling down his face.
Such a vulnerable expression appearing on the face of this usually cold and hard boy was truly alarming.
The boy's face was frighteningly pale, with faint dark circles under his eyes, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his cobalt blue eyes staring intently at her without blinking.
Yunwei had never seen him like this before.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat too dry to make a sound.
Just as she was struggling to get up, he gently pressed her back onto the bed.
"I told you not to move." His tone remained cold and hard, but the force in his hand was extremely light. "You are badly injured."
Just then, the door creaked open, and the rich aroma of herbs instantly filled the entire room.
Ah Nian carefully walked in carrying a bowl of dark brown medicine. The rising steam from the bowl blurred her youthful face.
"Sister, you're awake?" Anian exclaimed in surprise, quickly coming closer. "How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
She struggled to sit up, and Xie Lanchen immediately placed a pillow behind her.
"How long have I been asleep?" Yunwei's voice was terribly hoarse.
“For three whole days,” Anian answered quickly, her eyes red.
Only then did she learn that after Xu E used the millennium elixir to protect her heart meridian that day, Xie Lanchen originally intended to go to the far north to find the Reincarnation Lotus.
Xu E issued an urgent order, stating that if anyone could present the Reincarnation Lotus, Biyue Manor would exchange it for three of its most prized treasures.
Biyue Manor has stood for hundreds of years, and its treasures are all rare and precious items that countless people dream of owning.
Yunwei keenly caught the key question: "How was the Reincarnation Lotus obtained?"
She looked at Xie Lanchen, trying to discern something from his face, but all she saw were his taut jawline and tightly pursed thin lips.
"It was sent by the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons." Xie Lanchen said calmly, but deliberately avoided her gaze.
Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons?
How could Aya know that she needed the Reincarnation Lotus?
She then thought that perhaps Aya was not aware of her situation.
The news that Biyue Manor had exchanged three of its most prized possessions for the Reincarnation Lotus spread far and wide. As a place renowned for both medicine and poison, Wandu Valley naturally paid special attention to such a rare and precious treasure.
Perhaps Aya heard the news and, out of a doctor's compassion, or perhaps for other reasons, asked someone to send the Reincarnation Lotus over.
Thinking this, she looked up at Xie Lanchen: "Where is Xu Eren?"
Upon hearing this, the boy's face suddenly darkened.
He snatched the medicine bowl from Anian's hand, stirred the dark green medicine vigorously with a wooden spoon a few times, and said in a stiff tone: "There was something important at Biyue Manor, so he went back yesterday."
Seeing this, Anian quickly added, "Before leaving, Master Xu specifically instructed that you should rest well and not push yourself. He will definitely come to help you once he has finished dealing with the affairs of the manor!"
Yunwei keenly sensed the unusual tone in Xie Lanchen's voice, but did not point it out.
Xu E's hasty departure suggests that something truly important must have happened at Biyue Manor.
I just don't know if this matter is related to the Reincarnation Lotus?
She glanced at Xie Lanchen again; he was stirring the medicine spoon with his head down, his profile tense, clearly unwilling to talk about Xu E.
Before she could speak, Anian, who was standing to the side, said again, "Sister, I know that you are the benefactor who saved me back then... After what you went through, you certainly don't want to be recognized... But I have never blamed you for keeping it from me. I know you must have your own reasons."
Upon hearing this, Yunwei's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
She looked up at Anian, her eyes brimming with tears, a genuine sight.
Yes, there are still people in this world who remember Yunwei.
Xie Lanchen looked at her profile, his eyes darkening. He swallowed the words he was about to say and instead held the medicine spoon to her lips, his tone firm: "Drink your medicine quickly."
But when he brought the medicine spoon to her lips, he instinctively pulled it back.
The boy lowered his head and blew on it several times to make sure the temperature was right before carefully feeding it to her.
“This medicine…” She frowned slightly, keenly sensing the unusual spiritual energy in the medicinal liquid.
A-Nian quickly answered, "This medicine contains Blood Spirit Mushroom and Dragon Saliva Grass, both of which are..."
"Shut up." Xie Lanchen coldly interrupted her, pushing the medicine spoon forward slightly, almost touching Yun Wei's lips. "Just drink the medicine I told you to. Why ask so many questions?"
His tone carried a hint of annoyance, as if he was annoyed that she wouldn't drink her medicine obediently, or perhaps annoyed that Anian talked too much.
Yun Wei understood immediately; these precious medicinal herbs must have been painstakingly sought out by Xie Lanchen.
Looking at the boy's tense profile, she suddenly said, "The far north... if you really go there, what are your chances of returning?"
Xie Lanchen paused, turning his face away: "Ten out of ten."
“You’re lying,” Yun Wei said softly. “Xu E is right. The far north is extremely dangerous. Even you might not be able to escape unscathed.”
The boy turned to look at her abruptly, his eyes swirling with emotion: "So what? It's better than watching you die in my arms..." He suddenly stopped, slamming the medicine spoon back into the empty bowl with a sharp, resounding thud.
Yunwei stared at him blankly, speechless for a moment.
She naturally knew the young man's feelings for her. From their initial mutual testing in the Lone Goose Sword to his later choice to stand by her side even though he knew she was there for revenge.
Now, he's even willing to risk his life to save her.
Her fingers, hanging by her sides, curled up quietly, and the pressure of her fingertips pressing against her palm brought her a bit of clarity.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at him and asked softly, "Has there been any unusual activity from the Guiyun Sect these past few days?"
Xie Lanchen snorted coldly upon hearing this, his eyes flashing with icy coldness: "You're about to lose your life, and you're still thinking about revenge?"
Yunwei looked up at him, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
She was well aware that she was still seriously injured and should not be so fixated on revenge.
But whenever he closes his eyes, the image of his mother dying unjustly appears before him, and the humiliation of being falsely accused of falling into demonic ways is still vivid in his mind.
"I will never forget this deep-seated hatred," she said softly.
Seeing this, Anian quickly changed the subject, saying, "Sister, there's a thousand-year-old sacred tree outside our town. It's said that the tree was formed from the Bodhi seed left behind by an ancient high monk when he passed away. It's very spiritual after a thousand years of cultivation. People who sincerely pray for blessings can hang a red silk knot under the tree, and their wishes will come true after the wind and rain have passed."
Yunwei was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
She didn't believe in these things at first, but then she thought that since this tree had a thousand years of cultivation, it might be able to sense some of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
She is currently recovering from serious injuries and desperately needs a way to speed up her recovery. If this divine tree truly possesses some secrets, perhaps it can help her recover sooner.
Besides... she also wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Xie Lanchen alone.
"Alright," she replied softly.
Upon hearing this, Anian happily ran out and retrieved two red silk ribbons, which she then placed in Yunwei and Xie Lanchen's hands: "Go and pray for peace!"
The boy wanted to refuse, but seeing that Yunwei had already accepted the red silk, he silently accepted it as well.
It was early winter, and the wind outside was biting cold.
Xie Lanchen carefully tied the cloak around her and wrapped her up tightly before helping her out of the house.
Yun slightly tilted her head back, feeling the biting cold wind brush against her cheeks.
The chill was biting, but she felt that the real touch made her even more awake.
"Are you cold?" Xie Lanchen immediately noticed and took off his outer robe to put it on her.
Yunwei pressed his hand down: "No need." Although she was still recovering from serious injuries, she was not that delicate.
She was preoccupied with her thoughts, and her steps unconsciously slowed down.
The boy followed half a step behind, his eyes fixed on her, ready to reach out and help her at any moment.
"Xie Lanchen, you don't need to be so nervous," Yun Wei said softly, her voice tinged with helplessness. "Now that I'm awake, I won't die."
The boy pursed his lips and after a long while whispered, "If I hadn't been bound by the Soul-Binding Lock, you wouldn't have..." Before he could finish speaking, he fell silent.
He recalled the day he had injured her with his sword, and his heart ached as if it were being stabbed.
He had clearly sworn to protect her, yet it was he who personally plunged the sword into her heart.
Yunwei stopped and turned to look at him.
When their eyes met, she saw the lingering shock and pain in his eyes.
“That sword strike wasn’t your fault,” she said, her tone devoid of any resentment. “You went to great lengths to save me. I’m afraid I can’t repay Xu E’s favor.”
Xie Lanchen suddenly looked up, his eyes churning with emotion: "What is the Reincarnation Lotus? What is human kindness? Even if it costs me my life..."
"What would I do with your life?" Yunwei interrupted him, her tone unusually gentle. "Your life is more important than anything else."
Xie Lanchen's expression froze for a moment, as if something had gently bumped into his heart, making him feel suffocated, yet also filled with a warmth that was hard to describe.
The boy's ears turned slightly red, and he turned his face away, giving a muffled "hmm".
For him, these words were worth more than a thousand words.
Yunwei chuckled inwardly. She was indeed still so easy to coax.
The divine tree soon came into view.
It was a towering ancient tree, its branches gnarled and twisted, blocking out the sun, with countless red ribbons tied to its branches.
The boy looked at the tree full of red ribbons. He had never believed in gods or Buddhas and thought these wish-making behaviors were utterly ridiculous.
Is there really such a thing as wish fulfillment in this world? It's all just self-deception.
But when he turned his head and saw Yun Wei's focused profile, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Fine, since she wants to come, he'll accompany her.
Moreover... he glanced at the red silk in his hand. If it really worked, he also had a wish he wanted to have fulfilled.
Yunwei stood under the tree, looking up at the fluttering red ribbons.
The cold wind blew her hair and also stirred the red ribbons on the trees.
She held a red silk ribbon in her left hand and used her right hand as a pen, slowly writing down her wishes.
May I personally slay my enemy and prove my innocence.
willing……
Her fingertips paused slightly as she glanced at the person beside her.
The boy was writing with his eyes lowered, his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyes, his focused expression touching.
May those around me have their wishes fulfilled.
Perhaps she herself did not realize that her eyes softened for a moment when she wrote down her last wish.
She was not oblivious to this affection.
Xie Lanchen had already written his own red ribbon and naturally reached out, saying, "Let me tie it for you."
Yun nodded slightly and handed over the red silk. Her gaze inadvertently swept over his slender fingers, only to see him glance at her written wish as if by accident.
The boy's eyes lit up instantly, and his tightly pursed lips involuntarily turned up slightly, but he suppressed it, afraid of revealing his joy.
She actually wrote him into her wish...
Thinking of this, he quickly lowered his head to hide it, but still couldn't help but reveal a very faint smile.
The smile dispelled the gloom between his brows, revealing a rare youthful spirit.
Xie Lanchen carefully grasped her red silk, twisted the two pieces together, tied a knot with his nimble fingers, and lightly hung it on the highest branch of the tree.
If she had looked more closely, she would have noticed that it was clearly a love knot.
Two strands of red silk were tightly intertwined, swaying gently in the cold wind, seemingly destined to be entangled for life.
"Don't you want to know what I wished for?" Xie Lanchen asked suddenly after tying the red ribbon.
Yunwei turned her head to look at him and saw that the young man was unusually focused and had taken two steps closer to her without her noticing.
Those usually gloomy eyes were now surprisingly bright, staring straight at her as if trying to etch her image into their hearts.
"If you want to say it, you will," she said calmly, her expression remaining serene.
Xie Lanchen took another step forward, and the distance between the two suddenly became extremely close.
He leaned down slightly, his breath almost brushing against her cheek, carrying a cool, refreshing scent.
"I made three wishes." The boy's voice was deep, his eyes burning like fire, and he spoke each word with utmost seriousness. "I wish Yunwei a peaceful and joyful life, I wish I could always be by her side, and I wish that after she avenges her great enemy, I could have a chance to stay by her side."
Yunwei stared blankly at the boy who was so close to her.
His gaze was so intense that she could hardly look him in the eye.
"I know that only revenge remains in your heart." He gently stroked a strand of her hair, the usual coldness in his eyes dispelled by a faint smile, his tone soft, "I won't advise you to let go. But—"
He suddenly leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear: "You have to live well."
"You have to agree to that." Xie Lanchen lowered his eyes and stared at her, his eyes surging with emotion. "There's no room for discussion."
The two were so close that Yunwei could see the shadows cast by his long, thick eyelashes under his eyes and feel his warm breath gently brushing against her cheek.
A cold wind blew by, swirling up fallen leaves all over the ground.
She suddenly felt that having someone like this by her side for the rest of her life might not be such a bad thing.
Just then, a faint light suddenly appeared among the red ribbons covering the tree.
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