Chapter 45 Welcome back to the Secret Pavilion, my most precious, most hard-won...
What is your most precious and unforgettable memory?
Someone asked this in Bai Er's ear.
The surroundings were completely dark. Bai E looked around but couldn't see the source of the sound, so he frowned and became alert.
"Who are you?" he asked instead of answering the other person's question.
The other person seemed to chuckle softly.
"Don't be nervous...it's just a dream. Anything can happen in dreams, right?"
Bai Er was certain that he had never heard that voice.
Her voice was clear and sweet, but her intonation was slightly upturned, carrying a hint of cynicism.
Several jellyfish drifted over, extending their soft tentacles and churning the air around him. Bai E had initially thought he shouldn't believe them, but as he gazed at the jellyfish's mesmerizing colors, his consciousness gradually began to fade…
"The most unforgettable...maybe it's the Elegant Secret Pavilion," he mumbled in a daze.
There was a gentle breeze, his indulgent parents, the chattering villagers, his tacit partners... and you, the one he first met.
"...The story begins in a carefree paradise. Understandable." The voice was unsurprised. "Then I will grant you a beautiful dream, before this long journey begins... She once said to be gentle with you."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "What if the story were different... wouldn't things become even more interesting?"
"Then, sweet dreams."
*
The sound of bagpipes drifted from afar.
Gently, very gently, it swayed near Bai'er's ear.
Something was rubbing against his nose, prickly and slightly itchy.
Bai E suddenly opened his eyes.
The first thing you see is a beautiful rose-colored cloud. The brilliant sunset painted the sky a beautiful orange-yellow, and a few stars peeked out from behind the celestial curtain, appearing translucent.
He froze instantly.
How long has it been since he's seen such a beautiful sunset?
Ohmma was bathed in sunlight all day long, but when he occasionally went outside the city to clear the Black Tide, the boundless night seemed to swallow him whole.
...Such a beautiful scene, such an unreal view, he could only find in—
He turned around blankly and realized that what had been tickling his nose was a wheat ear. The full, golden, heavy grains of wheat bent the stem and leaves, making it hunch over like countless farmers busy in the fields.
—I've only ever seen this at the Elegant Secret Pavilion.
Bai E stood frozen in place.
How could he be here? Wasn't he... preparing to pursue the spark of [the sky]...?
Footsteps came from behind him.
"Xiao Bai, what are you daydreaming about?"
It's you. You, dressed in the attire of the villagers of Ai Li Mi Xie, seem to have completely blended into this field.
Your eyes sparkled, reflecting the burning sunset.
You said, "Don't be silly, your uncle and aunt are waiting for us to come back for dinner."
...
Suddenly, everything went silent, a complete blank. Was it tinnitus?
"……partner."
Bai Er's voice was hoarse. He felt as if he simply couldn't speak.
He wanted to ask you why you were here, why he had suddenly returned, and why you were wearing this type of clothing... It's not that you usually dress badly, but occasionally wearing this local style gave him a feeling that you had finally integrated into this world.
Moreover, the Elegant Secret Pavilion is already...
He tried to open his mouth several times, but could not make a sound.
A few seconds later, he saw you approaching with concern, gesturing for him to lower his head. So, in a daze, he complied with your wish and bent down slightly, while you pressed down on the corners of his eyes.
"Why are you crying?" you asked helplessly.
Bai E then realized that she was already in tears.
"But aren't we on the path to conquering the [sky]...?"
"You rascal, how come you slept so much that you became stupid?"
You chuckled softly, your thumb gently brushing against the mark at the corner of his eye.
"What nonsense are you talking about... Still thinking about your heroic tales? What fire, what world-weary, what golden descendants? Didn't we just come back from Xilian and plan to rest for a while before going home for dinner?"
"I'll let you in on a little secret: I secretly brought a few Liheng coins. Let's go to the market together and buy some malt candy!"
Bai'e grabbed your wrist, subconsciously using a bit of force, and only loosened his grip slightly when he saw your furrowed brow.
He vaguely recalled the voice, but he couldn't remember exactly what it said.
Is this a dream?
But it all feels so real.
He could feel the wind blowing his bangs away, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and bringing the damp coolness of the evening. He could feel your body temperature, your pulse, and your heartbeat. The skin in his palm was warm, a familiar touch, as if he had gently and tenderly caressed that small patch of delicate skin countless times.
He could hear the voices of his fellow villagers chatting not far away. The elderly, the young and middle-aged, the children…
He looked up with a start and saw a shepherd boy playing bagpipes, leading a large flock of sheep bleating as they ran across the hills to the other side of the mountains.
Or is the entire journey to the fire just a dream?
"Why are you crying when you're such a grown-up?"
I hear your sigh.
Bai'er pulled you into his arms and held you tightly, as if he had grasped some kind of anchor point in the world. Only by feeling your body and your breath in his arms could he barely calm down.
His hand moved up the soft fabric of his shirt, gliding over the undulating muscles of his back, until he touched the protruding shoulder blade, which looked like two small wings. He felt as if it would flutter away as soon as he let go.
He brushed aside the stray hairs, placed his hand on the back of his neck, and pinched it.
...But I wasn't satisfied; I still felt empty inside. I needed to get closer—
"My dear, and Bai E too!"
Xi Lian's voice rang out at the edge of the field.
"You left your things with me—oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, did I disturb you?"
She hurriedly covered her mouth.
*
You realize that something is off with your childhood sweetheart.
When you woke up from your afternoon nap today, you felt light and airy all over, as if the pain from those battles in the past had never appeared.
You wrinkled your nose, wondering why you'd dreamt of a train flying through the sky last night—you're not a child anymore. Could it be from reading too many picture books you borrowed from Xilian?
But you didn't pay much attention. When you drew back the curtains, the sky outside was already slightly dark.
I slept for a really, really long time.
It's all Xilian's fault for insisting on swinging with you at noon. You two swung for a long time, panting and exhausted.
"Next time, I want to have a swing race with Xiaolian!"
You proudly declare, "Let Xiaobai be the referee, and let's have a competition to see who can swing the highest!"
Xi Lian didn't find it childish for the two young people to be competing on the swings here at all. Hearing this, she smiled with narrowed eyes and agreed:
"Okay. But whoever loses has to do the big clean-up!"
"Wow—Xiao Lian is so cunning! Even if it's just to slack off, I won't give up!"
"Don't worry, even if you lose, Bai'e and I will sweep the floor with you. We can't bear to see you doing the hard work alone. Isn't that right, Bai'e?"
...
Odatta, the mother of Bai'e, knocked on the door and said, "Could you please go and find Bai? He's gone off to play somewhere again."
You think the places Bai E frequents, besides your house and Xi Lian's house, are that soft, sweet-smelling wheat field?
But when you finally manage to wander into the wheat field and find Bai E deep in the golden wheat ears, you discover that he seems to have lost his soul, staring blankly at you, unable to speak.
Bai E is usually quite well-behaved, but this time he hugged you so intimately, it startled you.
However, considering that you had been in a relationship not long ago, you relaxed, pursed your lips, and felt a little embarrassed.
"Did you have a nightmare?" you simply ask.
Bai E sniffed. "...It wasn't a nightmare. It was...a very long, very sad, but also very heartwarming story."
You blinked, not asking any further questions, "So, are we going home now?"
Xi Lian stood on the edge of the field, hesitating whether to get down. Seeing that you finally let go of her embrace, she lightly jumped down from the wheat field and smoothed her pink hair that had been ruffled by the wind.
As darkness fell, her figure became a pale pinkish-purple outline in the distance.
She tiptoed carefully over the scattered farm tools and annoying weeds, but still accidentally got her skirt wet with dew.
"Really—"
The pink-haired girl complained softly, patting the water stains off her skirt:
"That's the downside of childhood sweethearts. When the two of you are together, the air around you feels sticky, like dough that has just been kneaded and is waiting to rise."
You watched as she ran over, grabbed your hand before Bai E could reach it, and squeezed your palm.
"Have you hugged enough? Now you're mine." She said playfully. "Let's go back and eat together, and ignore Bai E, okay?"
Bai'er reacted quickly and, not to be outdone, grabbed your other hand.
He looked aggrieved, "Partner—we were clearly the partners—"
……here we go again.
The downside of having both a childhood sweetheart and a childhood sweetheart at the same time is...
Although years of experience have honed you into a master of diplomacy, you still find this situation somewhat perplexing. Ah, what a pleasant dilemma!
If you look to your right, you'll see Xi Lian's smiling blue eyes. Noticing your gaze, she gives you a sly wink.
The texture was delicate to the touch. Xi Lian's fingers were slender and felt like a piece of warm jade.
Looking to the left, there was Bai E's pitiful blue eyes, with the corners of her eyes drooping down, like a little dog wagging its tail.
In his hand... no, it should be that he held your hand. This young man is so intimidatingly tall, and his hands are so big that they completely envelop your palm.
Your brain was bombarded with two stunningly beautiful faces in just a few seconds, and it went on strike for a few seconds.
Let's go back together!
In the end, just like countless times before, you chose to have it all.
"What's with all this talk about partners or collaborators?" you said, shaking hands with the two hands of different sizes. "They're both my good partners!"
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