Suddenly, It Was Very Quiet

"Breathing in the forest air can lower cortisol levels, relieve stress, and make you feel refreshed. Don't you feel much better now?"

Seeing Fern release the pressure accumulated during his time in the city and regain his liveliness, Dugu Qing felt that this trip had not been in vain.

Indeed, as clever as I am, there are very few people in the world as smart as me!

"Silly girl, being with you makes everything joyful."

Fern smiled and handed over the snacks in his hand.

Those were snacks the two bought on the way from the food street: jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe), roasted chestnuts, boiled corn, and fried sausages.

When Dugu Qing bought the snacks, she thought she had bought too many.

Now we've arrived at the remote and vast Maple Mountain, where the surroundings are quiet and deserted. Time seems to slow down in the mountains and forests, and there's no longer any hurried urging or troubling goal to strive for.

The snacks suddenly became incredibly precious, allowing people to savor them slowly.

He took the warm jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) and walked slowly along the winding mountain path.

Birds chirped and sang from branch to branch, their clear calls echoing throughout the mountains and fields.

The two enjoyed the delicious food while taking in the natural scenery.

Stepping on the layers of crimson maple leaves scattered on the ground, I climbed the steps one by one to the top of the mountain.

Dugu Qing steadily rises, the world sinks, and his vision broadens.

Azure sky, thousands of acres of white clouds, drifting among the mountains, the wind rises and the clouds surge, flowing endlessly.

Dugu Qing gazed at the surging clouds, her heart overflowing with joy. She leaped into the soft sea of clouds, her body swaying lightly as she danced gracefully.

Fern, with her slender figure, leaned against the only maple tree on the cliff, took out her delicate little lyre, and gently played the tender Scarborough.

Dugu Qing drifted in the sea of clouds for an unknown amount of time, until the weary bird knew to return home.

Fern smiled brightly and placed the zither in Dugu Qing's palm.

She twirled, her robes billowing, her jade-like hands raised high, and began a captivating dance.

The sea of clouds on the cliff surged in like waves, flowing with her figure.

Golden-red maple leaves, blown by the wind, swayed gently around the hem of her skirt.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes, her waist swaying gracefully, raising her hand and swaying her arm, her eyes shimmering with a soft light, containing endless affection.

Dugu Qing held the zither, a gentle smile on her face. Her fingertips lightly plucked the strings, and delicate, clear notes flowed gently, sometimes light and quick, sometimes soaring, sometimes tender and lingering, accompanying her graceful dance steps...

Time seemed to have been paused, and the world became gentler and more tender.

Dugu Qing was filled with emotion and recalled Zhuang Zhou's "Free and Easy Wandering." Inspiration struck him, and based on this, he created a piece of music for the zither, which he played once again.

Fern stared intently at Dugu Qing, his charm filling her eyes and heart, leaving no room for anything else.

A tingling electric current coursed through her body. Fern leaped forward, reaching out like a queen, her jade fingers gently lifting Dugu Qing's chin.

Dugu Qing played the zither, elegantly looking at Fern, as if asking, "Miss, what are you doing?"

"Fool..."

The moment their eyes met, the courage Fern had drawn from the past and future vanished like the receding tide.

She concealed the turbulent emotions in her eyes, her body swaying gently as she gracefully twirled and danced again, stepping lightly on the red leaves.

The dance ends, the music stops.

Dugu Qing put down the zither and clapped her hands gently.

"Excellent! Fern, you dance beautifully, and my piano playing is superb; it's a perfect match, surpassing countless others in the world."

Fern gazed at the maple leaves covering the mountains and the endless white clouds, and was deeply moved.

Let's stay here tonight!

Dugu Qing didn't think much of it, nodded and smiled.

"Okay, but we didn't bring a tent. Please wait a moment while I go back to the hotel and get it."

Fern watched Dugu Qing leave, then searched for stones on the mountaintop, made a stove, collected leaves, and caught a rabbit...

Auwest, Moonlight Hotel.

Dugu Qing entered Frieren's room, opened her suitcase, and searched for the necessary supplies.

Tent, blankets, pillows, sheets, kitchen knife, table, teapot, handkerchiefs...

The unusual sound caught Frieren's attention. She stepped out of her Grimoire and asked:

Are you going camping?

"Yeah! Fern has been under a lot of pressure lately, so I took her out to relax. She won't be back tonight."

Frieren nodded, not thinking anything of it.

Dugu Qing took the supplies and walked out the door.

Stark returned from his walk, he saw Dugu Qing, learned the reason, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Camping together, that's practically cohabitation! How romantic! Is Fern about to launch her all-out offensive...?"

The words fell to the ground, but Dugu Qing had already gone far away and hadn't heard what Stark said at all.

He used his Sage Immortal Magic, moving with agility, and hurried back to Maple Mountain along the street.

Inside Frieren's guest room.

Time slips away silently, leaving no trace.

After Frieren finished reading a book, the room became eerily quiet. The usual lively and warm atmosphere was suddenly filled with an eerie stillness.

"I've only been away for a short while, and I already miss Fern!"

"Very well! Fern, I'm coming."

Frieren nimbly jumped out of bed, dressed, grabbed her suitcase, locked the room, and headed towards Maple Mountain.

As evening fell, a red sun illuminated the lights of countless homes.

In the distance, Auwest is ablaze with flowers.

Fern finished grilling the rabbit, tasted it to check the saltiness, found it to be delicious, sprinkled on some seasoning, and handed it over.

Dugu Qing took it, tasted it, and closed her eyes in satisfaction.

After finishing his meal, Dugu Qing drank a cup of white tea, sat on the old-fashioned chair that had been moved in, watched the sun sink below the horizon, and returned to his tent.

The sky was high and the land was vast, a cool breeze was blowing, and not a single person could be seen.

Fern's shyness vanished, and her courage surged back.

She walked to Dugu Qing's tent, took a deep breath, and was about to open the door.

Suddenly, Frieren's voice echoed in the distant night sky.

"Fern, Dugu Qing, where are you? I've come to visit you."

Fern blushed, quickly took two steps back, and pretended to be nonchalant as she sat down in the chair.

A minute later, Frieren, with her snow-white hair, descended from the sky, her figure graceful as she landed, hands on her hips, a gentle smile on her face, like a girl from a modest family.

"Ms. Frieren, what brings you here?"

"Fern, do you know what human parents are? I was just like a human parent who didn't come home at night, I was so worried about you!"

Frieren placed her hand on Fern's shoulder and patted him gently, showing her concern.

"So, everyone goes through a rebellious phase!" Fern murmured to himself.

The two settled into a tent and fell asleep quickly.

The following day, the morning sun rose with vigor, dispelling the mist from the mountains.

Frieren couldn't get up.

Dugu Qing and Fern sat on the cliff, their four feet bathed in the sea of clouds, enjoying the sunset. After packing up their tent, they took the just-awakened Frieren and explored the beautiful scenery of Maple Mountain before returning to Auwest.