That night, Xiao Yuhan sat by the bed, meditated, and fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, he suddenly felt someone hug him from behind, lean on his shoulder, and burst into tears.
Behind Xiao Yuhan was only Bai Yao, who had been unconscious for many days. Xiao Yuhan naturally knew that this girl had woken up. Xiao Yuhan felt that her arms were getting tighter and tighter, and her cries were getting louder and louder. It seemed that only in front of her master could she finally cry so unrestrainedly.
There are no weaklings outside of Xiliang. She probably knew this long ago. She wouldn't be the little girl who only knows how to cry if she came back alive. So she never cried. Even when she saw Feng Xi die in front of her, even when she came back alone with her friend's body, she never cried.
But in front of her master, she could no longer pretend. She just wanted to become the innocent little girl she used to be, to lie on her master's back and vent her pain.
She didn't say a word, cried for half the night until her eyes were red and swollen and her voice was hoarse.
Xiao Yuhan didn't say a word, but the sound of her crying seemed to tug at his heartstrings, making him feel extremely sorry for her.
"Master...why...I almost saved her...why..."
Hearing that hoarse voice, Xiao Yuhan felt increasingly uncomfortable, but she could only wait quietly.
He knew Bai Yao was in pain, but there was no point in saying anything at this moment. He could only stay by her side as her closest person.
After a long time, Bai Yao finally stopped crying, but she became very silent. Her pale face was devoid of color, and her eyes were empty and lifeless.
Xiao Yuhan got up and went to the backyard to boil water. After adjusting the water temperature, he said, "Yao'er, go wash up quickly. I didn't know you had grown taller recently, so the clothes I prepared might be too small. Just wear these for now. I'll make you a few more outfits when we get back to Lingsu City. Come out quickly after you've finished your bath. I also made your favorite lotus seed soup."
After saying that, Xiao Yuhan ran to the kitchen to get busy. Although his cooking skills were poor, he still had one or two special skills. For example, the only dishes he could make were lotus seed soup and scrambled eggs. These two dishes were often made for him by his mother when she was alive. However, after his mother passed away, he came to this unfamiliar world.
His memories of his mother consisted of these two dishes, so he often cooked them himself to remember her, and now he is cooking them for his apprentice.
Although Bai Yao was no longer as innocent and carefree as before, she still listened to Xiao Yuhan very well. After taking a bath and getting dressed, she came out. Xiao Yuhan had already prepared a table full of delicious dishes. Although apart from lotus seed soup and scrambled eggs, the rest were all brought from the restaurant next door, it was still a very thoughtful gesture.
Bai Yao walked out pale and disheveled, her long hair loose. When she saw her master, her eyes finally showed some life. Her red and swollen eyes made Xiao Yuhan feel very sorry for her.
"Come on, girl, sit down and eat! No matter what, it's good that you're back alive."
“Master…” Bai Yao was stunned for a moment, then obediently sat down at the table.
Xiao Yuhan placed the lotus seed soup in front of her and said with a wry smile, "My cooking skills are not good, but this lotus seed soup is the only one I can present. You ate it once before and said it was delicious, so I remembered it."
Bai Yao's face remained expressionless, but her eyes softened considerably as she softly said, "Everything Master makes is delicious..."
Xiao Yuhan smiled bitterly, "Girl, when I was little, my mother loved to make this lotus seed soup for me. After she passed away, I never ate such delicious lotus seed soup again, so I tried to make it myself. But no matter what I did, I could never recreate the taste. It wasn't until many years later that I realized it wasn't that my cooking skills were bad, but that it wasn't made by my mother herself. So no matter what, it would never taste the same. Girl, people always have to experience separation. Since you can no longer see the person you miss, then don't forget her. Knowing that you can come back alive, Fengxi will be very happy, right?"
Hearing this, Bai Yao's eyes reddened again, but she couldn't cry anymore. She choked out, "Master... actually, Sister Feng Xi and the others wouldn't have died. It's all because of me. Because I suggested going to investigate, we encountered that person... In the end, Sister Feng Xi was seriously injured while protecting me. If I had just been more careful, she wouldn't have died..."
Xiao Yuhan sighed and patted Bai Yao's head: "Girl, don't blame yourself too much. Since she was willing to risk her life to protect you, it means she hoped you could live well. You should live well, for her sake and for your own. Treat the people around you well in the future, just as she protected you. Protect your friends and family. If she knew this in the afterlife, she would be very happy."
Bai Yao ate with her head down. Her eyes were no longer as lifeless as before. She had been unconscious for several days and was indeed a little hungry. Although cultivators would not die from hunger for a period of time, and powerful cultivators could even abstain from grains, Xiao Yuhan always believed that eating and drinking were the essential flavors of life, so he never missed a meal.
He was very happy to see the little girl eating with an appetite, and waited patiently by her side.
"Master, aren't you going to eat?"
Xiao Yuhan shook her head. "I made all of these for you."
After thinking for a moment, Bai Yao said, "I'm afraid that apart from the lotus seed soup and scrambled eggs, none of the other dishes were made by Master, right?"
"Huh? You figured it out at a glance?" Xiao Yuhan asked.
A smile finally appeared on Bai Yao's face. She smiled and said, "Because Master's cooking skills aren't that good, but of all these dishes, my favorites are the lotus seed soup and the scrambled eggs. Thank you, Master..."
Xiao Yuhan frowned slightly. These words didn't sound like a compliment to her, but they did. She was puzzled for a moment, but something felt off. In the past, Bai Yao would always say that her cooking was delicious, regardless of whether it tasted good or not.
"Girl, are you feeling better now?"
After a satisfying meal, Bai Yao nodded, a bit of color returning to her cool and aloof face. It had been almost a year and a half since Xiao Yuhan last saw her, and Bai Yao had grown into a more and more beautiful young woman. Her former childishness had disappeared, and her cheeks were no longer as fleshy as before. Xiao Yuhan was a little disappointed; she was a grown-up now and couldn't have her cheeks pinched anymore.
Her mood improved considerably. She looked at Xiao Yuhan quietly, as if she had a lot to say, but said nothing. She was no longer as open and honest with her master as before.
Perhaps due to a change in personality, Xiao Yuhan noticed that although the girl was still as obedient and well-behaved as before in front of him, there was a hint of determination in her eyes, as well as a trace of indifference, which made him feel even more guilty.
The Great Wall truly tempers one's character. I myself witnessed many partings and deaths on the Great Wall. This girl must have also experienced a lot of sorrow that she shouldn't have had at this age.
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