Seven-leaf lotus
The next day, before dawn, Chen Bozhou was waiting outside the Yun family courtyard. He was carrying a large backpack filled with items needed for the mountain journey: ropes, a hatchet, dry food, a water bag, and even a bag of emergency medicine.
When Yunwu pushed the door open and came out, she was slightly startled to see him fully armed. "We're just going to collect herbs, there's no need to bring so much."
"It's better to be prepared." Chen Bozhou grinned and took the medicine basket from Yunwu naturally, "I'll carry it."
The morning mist had not yet dissipated as the two walked along the mountain path, one in front of the other. Chen Bozhou deliberately slowed his pace to allow the mist behind him to catch up. The path was rugged, and he often turned back to offer support. The mist was initially resistant, but eventually acquiesced.
"What does seven-leaf lotus look like?" Chen Bozhou asked, trying to find a topic.
"The leaves have seven petals, shaped like a lotus, hence the name Seven-Leaf Lotus," Yunwu explained softly. "It mostly grows in shady crevices in rocks, and prefers moisture to sunlight."
Chen Bozhou took note of it carefully, his eyes constantly scanning the rock wall beside the road. He was eager to find the herb immediately so that he could see Yunwu's happy face.
The deeper into the mountains we went, the harder the path became. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and the forest was filled with the scent of damp grass. Chen Bozhou wielded his hatchet, clearing the way ahead, constantly reminding the clouds behind him to watch their step.
"Are you tired? Take a break." He found a flat stone, wiped it with his sleeve, and let Yunwu sit down.
Yunwu was indeed a little breathless, with beads of sweat on his forehead. He took the water bag handed to him by Chen Bozhou and took a sip, but his eyes were still searching around.
"Don't worry, take your time to look for it." Chen Bozhou sat down beside him and took out some dry food from his backpack. "Eat something first."
It was a sesame cake he had bought specially from town. It was crispy and delicious. Yunwu took it, took a bite, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Is it delicious?" Chen Bozhou asked expectantly.
Yunwu nodded, the corners of her lips slightly raised: "Thank you."
These two simple words made Shen Bozhou feel as sweet as drinking honey. He watched Yunwu eat the cake in small bites, and he felt that the deep mountains and old forests had become lovely.
After a short rest, the two continued on their way. Suddenly, Yunwu stopped and fixed his gaze on a crevice in the rock not far away.
"Found it?" Chen Bozhou followed his gaze.
There was indeed a strange plant growing in the crevice, with seven leaves evenly spread out in the shape of a rosette, and the veins glowed with a faint silver light in the mottled sunlight.
"It's a seven-leaf lotus." Yunwu's voice was filled with rare excitement, "And it's already produced seeds."
Chen Bozhou was overjoyed and was about to go forward to pick them, but was stopped by the clouds and mist.
"The crevice is too narrow, I'll go in." Yunwu said, taking off the medicine basket on his body.
"No, it's too dangerous." Chen Bozhou stopped him, "Let me do it."
While the two men were arguing, Yunwu had already scrambled up the rocks with ease. His figure was indeed more suited to traversing rock crevices than Chenbozhou's, and with a few leaps and bounds, he was close to the seven-petal lotus.
Chen Bozhou watched nervously from below, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
Yunwu carefully dug the roots of the seven-leaf lotus, his movements as gentle as if he were handling some treasure. Just when he was about to succeed, a stone under his feet suddenly loosened.
"Be careful!" Chen Bozhou rushed forward and caught the falling Yunwu at the critical moment.
The two rolled into a ball, Chen Bozhou using his body to protect the person in his arms. The gravel fell and hit his back, but he was completely unaware, only focused on checking whether Yunwu in his arms was injured.
"Are you okay?" they asked each other in unison, and then they were stunned.
Only then did Chen Bozhou realize that Yun Wu was being held tightly in his arms. That thin body was even thinner than he had imagined. Through the thin clothes, he could feel the warm body temperature and rapid heartbeat.
Yunwu's face turned red instantly, and she tried to break free in a hurry, but Chen Bozhou held her tighter.
"Don't move," Shen Bozhou's voice was a little hoarse, "Let me see if you are injured."
He carefully examined Yunwu's hands and feet, confirming only a few scratches, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. However, his back was scratched by the gravel and was burning with pain.
"You are injured." Yunwu frowned and immediately took out medicine from the medicine basket.
"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Chen Bozhou said nonchalantly, but his eyes never left Yunwu's face.
Yun Wu said nothing, but stubbornly asked him to turn around and carefully applied the medicine to him. The cold ointment applied to the wound relieved the pain, but it made Shen Bozhou's heart beat faster.
"Don't take such risks next time." Yunwu said softly, with a rare reproach in his tone.
"Then you can't take the risk." Shen Bozhou turned around and looked at him seriously, "If you get hurt, I'll be heartbroken."
The words were so blunt that Yunwu's hand trembled slightly, and he almost dropped the medicine bottle. He lowered his head, his long eyelashes hiding the emotion in his eyes.
Chen Bozhou mustered up his courage and gently held his hand: "Yunwu, I..."
Just then, a mountain breeze blew by, the seven-petal lily in the cracks of the rocks swayed gently, and a few tiny seeds fell with the wind.
"Seeds!" Yunwu exclaimed and quickly got up to receive them.
Chen Bozhou felt a little disappointed when his words were interrupted, but he also stood up to help. They carefully collected the precious seeds, and Yunwu carefully packed them in a special small cloth bag.
"With these seeds, we can try planting them." Yunwu's tone became brighter. "If it succeeds, we won't have to take the risk of picking them in the future."
Seeing his smile, Chen Bozhou felt that the thrill of the moment was worth it. He helped Yunwu carefully dig out the entire seven-leaf lotus, wrapped it with moss, including the roots and soil, and placed it in the medicine basket.
The way down the mountain seemed much easier than the way up. Chen Bozhou still walked in front, turning back from time to time to support Yunwu. Their hands touched again and again, and again and again, each time making Chen Bozhou's heart beat faster.
When they were almost at the foot of the mountain, Yunwu suddenly spoke: "Just now...what did you want to say?"
Chen Bozhou paused and turned to face him. The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the clouds, and his clear eyes reflected the sunset glow on the horizon, a breathtaking beauty.
"I want to say," Chen Bozhou took a deep breath, "I like you."
The forest was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. Yunwu stared at him blankly, her eyes churning with emotion: surprise, panic, and a hint of complexity that Chen Bozhou couldn't understand.
After a long pause, he whispered, "Do you know what this means?"
"I know." Chen Bozhou nodded firmly, "I don't care about other people's opinions, I only care about you."
Yunwu lowered his head and did not speak for a long time. Just when Shen Bozhou thought he was going to refuse, he gently held Shen Bozhou's hand.
There were no words, but the action said it all.
Chen Bozhou was overjoyed and carefully held the slightly cold hand in his hand. They walked down the mountain hand in hand, the setting sun stretching their shadows very long, tightly intertwining them.
When they returned to the Yun family's house, it was already dark. Grandma Yun was standing at the gate. Seeing them return hand in hand, a glint of understanding flashed in her eyes, but she didn't ask anything. She just smiled and invited them to eat.
That night, Chen Bozhou had dinner at the Yun family's house. At the table, Grandma Yun kept serving him food, her attitude more cordial than ever. And although Yun Wu remained quiet, her eyes, when she looked at him, were more gentle.
Before leaving, Yunwu saw him off to the gate of the courtyard and stuffed the small cloth bag containing the seven-leaf lily seeds into his hands.
"This is..." Chen Bozhou was puzzled.
"Let's plant it together." Yunwu said softly, her ears slightly red.
Chen Bozhou held the small cloth bag tightly, his heart filled with warmth. He knew that this was not just a bag of seeds, but also a promise.
In the moonlight, he looked at Yunwu's pretty face and whispered, "I'll come again tomorrow."
This time, he didn't need any excuses.
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