Since returning from the swamp, Liuli had been sullen and often sat in one place lost in thought, her small face filled with sorrow—something she had never done in her more than four hundred years of life. Even when Shichan had hurt her ten years ago during the struggle for the Immortal Fruit, she had only been sad for a few days, or even earlier. When Bailing disappeared, she hadn't been like this, remaining silent and grieving for days on end.
Seeing her like this, Li Molin felt extremely sorry for her. He took her out to relax and tried various local delicacies for her to try, but she remained unhappy. This gave Li Molin a headache, as he didn't know how to help her regain her former liveliness and cheerfulness.
At this moment, Li Molin and Liuli, along with Ahua, were exploring a secluded valley in a mountain range. The scenery here was superb, surrounded by mountains on all sides, covered with lush greenery. On the northern mountain, a waterfall cascaded down, forming a river that flowed gently into the distance.
Liuli took off her shoes and socks, dipping her small feet into the river water, letting the icy water wash over her toes. Her little face was sullen, her eyes staring ahead without focus, lost in thought.
To cheer Liuli up, Li Molin caught a few fish in the river and started a fire to roast them. Ahua was especially happy to see the fish and ran around following Li Molin, even though she couldn't help at all.
Liuli stared straight ahead, her small face expressionless, but the look in her eyes was ever-changing, sometimes bewildered, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes hesitant...
After a while, Liuli suddenly lifted her little foot and slapped the water, splashing up a large spray of water.
She stood up, turned to face Li Molin and Ahua, and announced loudly, "I've made up my mind!"
Li Molin paused in his grilling of the fish, looked up at him in confusion, and asked, "What have you decided?"
Liuli walked a few steps forward barefoot. She came to the fire and looked down at Li Molin and Ahua sitting on the ground. She said firmly, "I'm going to find the little monk. I need to talk to him and make things clear!"
Li Molin's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "You're still thinking about that monk!"
Liuli's expression was exceptionally firm as she said, "I've thought about this for a long time these past few days. I can't go on like this anymore. I've never felt so depressed before. No matter what I do, I can't be happy... I must go and have a proper talk with the little monk, just the two of us. I want to hear his true thoughts. If he really doesn't like me at all, then I'll give up... and never think about him again!"
Li Molin lowered his eyes to look at the grilled fish on the fire, his expression unreadable. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Okay, I'll go with you."
"No." Liuli's face was unusually serious. She shook her head and said, "I said, it's just him and me."
“No!” Li Molin said decisively.
Liuli paused for a moment, then squatted down and looked at Li Molin through the firelight. A pleading look appeared on her small face as she earnestly said, "Li Molin, please let me go..."
“Impossible,” Li Molin said without hesitation. “Unless I go with you.”
“Li Molin…” Liuli frowned and pleaded, “Please.”
Li Molin firmly replied, "No!"
Enraged, Liuli stood up, stomped her foot, turned around, and angrily walked back to the riverbank to sit down.
Li Molin glanced at her retreating figure and shook his head helplessly.
After a while, the fish was cooked. Li Molin coughed lightly and called out, "Liuli, come and eat the fish!"
Liuli sat motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Li Molin frowned, turned to look at Ahua and gave her a wink.
Ahua nodded and skipped over to Liuli's side. She looked up at Liuli and smiled, "Sister, let's go eat fish! The fish that the young master grilled smells so good, it must be delicious."
"Hmph!" Liuli snorted, her small face filled with anger, but she remained unmoved.
"Sister..." Ahua called out in a drawn-out tone, and said coquettishly, "Come on, sister, let's go eat fish."
"I won't eat!" Liuli said indignantly, her eyes glistening with tears on the verge of falling.
Li Molin was quite helpless. He stood up with the grilled fish in his hand and slowly walked towards Liuli. He sat down next to Liuli, smiled, and handed her the grilled fish, saying gently, "Alright, Liuli, don't be angry anymore. Eat the fish quickly."
Liuli was originally sitting with her back to him, but when he sat down next to her and turned to look at her, he saw that tears were streaming down Liuli's face, and her little mouth was pouting, making her look extremely aggrieved.
Li Molin frowned, then stepped over the glass and handed the grilled fish to Ahua, who quickly opened her mouth and took a bite.
Li Molin released the branch from which the grilled fish was skewered, and gently patted Liuli's back with his right hand, saying softly, "Why are you crying again? Don't cry, okay, be good..."
Liuli pouted and said aggrievedly, "Waaah... Why won't you let me go? All I want to do is talk things out with the little monk, why won't you let me go?"
Liuli was already in a bad mood, and now she became even more upset as she spoke, her sobs choking her throat, which made Li Molin feel particularly sorry for her. He quickly comforted her, "I didn't say you couldn't go, I'll go with you."
"I don't want you to come with me..." Liuli cried out, looking up at her face, "I'll go by myself, sob sob sob... I want to go and explain things myself!"
How could Li Molin feel at ease letting her go alone? But judging from Liuli's expression, he knew she was determined to go by herself. Helpless, Li Molin could only rack his brains to comfort her and tell her not to cry, but it was all in vain.
After a long while, Liuli was still crying uncontrollably.
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