Since that's the case... she has no choice but to leave.
Philsa's breathing was very even, indicating he was fast asleep. Gelu quietly lifted the coat covering them, carefully rose, and made no sound.
"Can't you sleep?"
"I...I..."
Philsa could clearly hear the sob in her voice; she must have been whimpering earlier. He had been sleeping lightly, not daring to let his guard down, but even so, he would sometimes drift into dreams.
His companion's slightest movement woke him up. It wasn't a big deal at first, but then he realized something was wrong with his companion. "Are you crying?"
"I'm sorry... I... I... I have to go now." With that, Jelu prepared to get up and leave.
Philsa grabbed her hand tightly and quickly stopped her.
"Where are you going so late? Didn't we agree to rest first?" He already had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
“I…don’t want to…hold you back anymore. I lost the Wind Vortex Stone…and I’ve held you back too…”
"What are you talking about? Go to sleep." Philsa urged, then pulled her down.
Unexpectedly, she managed to break free.
"Actually, you have doubts about me."
Philsa listened with a surprised expression, all sleepiness gone. "That Midnight Slayer is talking nonsense, don't mind him. He's already dead by my sword."
"But you certainly haven't forgotten what he said."
"..."
“Anyone would have been suspicious too,” Jelu said firmly, leaving her companion at a loss for words.
At this point, she continued talking to herself, sobbing, "I've always been a hindrance, unable to help at all. It's you who's always been taking care of me. Someone like me, a burden..."
"Don't overthink it!" Philsa interrupted loudly.
Jielu was startled: "So you really are angry..."
He realized he had never drunk with his companions like this before, and felt somewhat agitated and at a loss for what to do. Indeed, he had always been very uneasy, and as time went on, it only grew stronger, that much was undeniable.
He saw that Gelu was about to stand up again; this time, it was truly time to part. If he didn't do something soon, he would lose an important companion. With no other choice, he took his companion's hand, pulled her back, and hugged her tightly.
Jielu was completely stunned, stopped thinking, only knowing that her heart was pounding and that she felt an unprecedented warmth, but this made her feel even more guilty.
"Let me go..."
"Then don't leave."
Philsa felt that her companion’s body was so delicate and soft that she could feel her trembling and sobbing, as well as her increasingly rapid breathing.
Time passed, and the two remained silent until he realized that a strange emotion was beginning to sprout within him—an emotion different from that of ordinary companions.
"sorry……"
"Don't say anything."
"I'm so sorry..."
"Listen to me, don't say anything, don't overthink anything."
A longing also ignited within Jelu. She wanted to "atone." However, she refused to admit that this was merely an excuse, a pretext to vent the true feelings that had been deeply buried in her heart.
She took his hand. "Do you want to know... what I look like now?"
Philsa nodded slightly. He bit off his left glove with his teeth, his right hand unwilling to let go of his companion in his arms, afraid that if he let go, she would escape.
The hand slowly approached, and she did not flinch, waiting quietly. The rough fingers touched Jielu's face, slightly warm, and fragile enough to break with a flick of the finger.
He first touched the pointed chin, then the cheeks—smooth and delicate, without any stickiness of makeup powder, as flawless as solidified cream;
He lightly ran his thumb across the corner of her mouth, then across her small nose, and then along the sides and bridge of her nose to her tightly closed eyes, unintentionally wiping away the tears left in the corners of her eyes.
He touched the double eyelids and the long eyelashes.
At this moment, he was holding an extremely rare and precious jade in his hands.
"You're beautiful, I know." He suddenly remembered Shirley... No, no, the person he was facing wasn't Shirley, it was best not to think too much.
"I'm not pretty, you...you're lying to me." Jielu's cheeks were burning, and she murmured, but she didn't push his hand away.
"How could that be?"
Jielu felt a little dizzy, unsure whether it was from exhaustion or excessive tension. She almost buried her face in her companion's chest, but her mind remained clear.
She looked up again and found their faces very close, able to feel each other's increasingly rapid breathing. They weren't looking at each other; after all, the eyes aren't the only bridge to convey feelings.
Then, finally certain of each other's feelings, neither wanting to let go nor miss out, their lips met in a swift exchange. In a blissful ecstasy, his mind began to race, and he pushed Jelu down onto the ground.
That night, the two disregarded everything and did something that should never have happened.
The fleeting moment of pleasure made Philsa and Jelu completely forget the cold of the wilderness.
Forget your unease.
Forget about the future.
Forget about time.
Forget everything except each other.
4. The residual heat remains.
"Will you tell her what happened just now?"
Felsa remained silent. Jelu knew he wasn't asleep, but was just not answering, so she sulked and huffed.
After a long while, she muttered, "We absolutely mustn't tell her. This is an absolute secret between the two of us."
Philsa turned over and hugged his companion tightly.
Before she knew it, the night had gradually faded. Jielu slept for a while, then woke up again, her mind filled with the memories of what had just happened.
The air grew colder, but warmth arose from within. Leaning against my companion, I could feel his even and steady breathing, and that was enough for me.
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