In Heaven, May We Be Birds Flying Wing to Wing; On Earth, May We Be Branches Entwined

The next day

Lin Yu took Xun'er wandering through the streets of Wutan City. He had originally wanted to bring Nalan Yanran along as well; after all, it would not be right to leave her alone at home.

But seeing how close Xiao Xun'er and Lin Yu were, she still felt it was better to stay home.

Xiao Xun'er led Lin Yu into a marketplace. There were many such marketplaces in Wutan City, each controlled by one of the city's three great families. The area Lin Yu had come to happened to be under the Xiao Family's control.

Rather than control, it was more accurate to say that the family maintained order and security in the area. In exchange, the stallholders in the marketplace had to pay the family a commission!

Two Xiao Family guards stood on either side of the marketplace entrance.

The two clearly recognized Lin Yu and Xiao Xun'er. When they saw them arrive, both bowed slightly in respect.

The marketplace streets were fairly spacious, with crowds flowing through them. The shopkeepers and stall owners on both sides of the street beamed as they explained their wares to passing customers.

It was mainly Xiao Xun'er who had dragged Lin Yu out shopping, saying that he had not accompanied her out to have fun in a long time. Helpless, Lin Yu could only indulge her.

After following Xiao Xun'er around for a while, they soon reached the depths of the marketplace. The goods deeper within were more valuable than those on the surface, so the people who came here all possessed some degree of strength!

While Xiao Xun'er was bargaining with a stall owner, Lin Yu walked over to a relatively clean stall nearby.

At the clean stall, he reached out and picked up a pair of white jade hairpins. They were bright and translucent, with faint streaks of milky white within the jade that made them seem even more delicate. Several tassels hung from them, chiming crisply in the breeze.

Lin Yu played with them in his hand for a moment, asked the stall owner for the price, and bought them.

He then engraved one hairpin with:

May we be birds flying wing to wing in heaven

And engraved the other with:

May we be branches entwined upon the earth

By then, Xiao Xun'er had finished bargaining with the vendor and came over to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu handed the hairpin engraved with the line "May we be birds flying wing to wing in heaven" to Xiao Xun'er.

"Xun'er, this is a gift for you. I have another one here—they're a matching pair." As he spoke, he raised the other hairpin in his hand.

Xun'er accepted the hairpin and examined it carefully in her hand.

Then she noticed the tiny words engraved upon it. "May we be birds flying wing to wing in heaven..." Xiao Xun'er softly read aloud.

"Brother Lin Yu, let me see yours!" Xiao Xun'er took the other hairpin from Lin Yu's hand and found the line of tiny words on it.

"May we be branches entwined upon the earth... May we be birds flying wing to wing in heaven, may we be branches entwined upon the earth. What a fine poem!" Xiao Xun'er could not help sighing.

Although this world did not possess the same cultural heritage as Huaxia Country, it still had many literary works, and Xun'er could be considered widely read.

The moment she saw the poem, Xiao Xun'er understood its meaning. It was a metaphor for love that remained steadfast and unchanging.

So this is Brother Lin Yu's intention? I can feel it!

"Thank you, Brother Lin Yu! Xun'er really likes it!" As she spoke, she returned one hairpin to Lin Yu and pinned the other in her hair.

Lin Yu smiled and rubbed Xiao Xun'er's head. "Xun'er, do you know? This poem actually has a legend behind it!"

"Tell me about it, Brother Lin Yu!"

"Legend says that Han Ping, a retainer of King Kang of Song, married He Shi, who was very beautiful. King Kang of Song seized He Shi for himself. Han Ping bore a grudge, so King Kang of Song imprisoned him and sentenced him to the harsh punishment of city-wall labor. He Shi secretly sent Han Ping a letter, deliberately writing it in obscure and roundabout terms. The letter said: 'The long rain will not cease; the river is vast and its waters deep; the sun shines upon my heart.' Before long, King Kang of Song obtained the letter and showed it to his trusted ministers, but none could explain its meaning. His minister Su He replied: 'The unceasing rain means the sorrow in her heart does not end; the vast, deep river means that the two have long been unable to meet; the sun shining upon her heart means she has already resolved to die.' Not long after, Han Ping committed suicide. He Shi threw herself from a terrace and died. King Kang of Song ordered the two buried separately on opposite sides of the road, so that they could not share a room in life, nor a grave in death! Yet a great tree grew from each grave, their crowns intertwined, while two mandarin ducks perched in the trees and cried mournfully without end."

Xiao Xun'er listened beside him until tears streamed down her face. "Brother Lin Yu, they were so pitiful. That King Kang of Song was truly a terrible person!"

"Hehe, but don't you think they were both very great? That kind of love that remained unwavering even through life and death! Especially He Shi's spirit of refusing wealth and rank, and fearing no tyranny."

"Mm-hmm, they truly were great!" Xiao Xun'er nodded without denying it.

"Xun'er, I'll be leaving for a while soon," Lin Yu said seriously to Xiao Xun'er.

"Brother Lin Yu, are you leaving Xun'er?" Xiao Xun'er panicked upon hearing his words. Brother Lin Yu, who had accompanied her for eight years, was going to leave her?

"It won't be for very long. It's difficult to grow stronger by staying here. Even if not for anything else, I should quickly become stronger so that I can marry you!" Lin Yu pinched Xiao Xun'er's cheek with one hand, comforting her.

"Then Xun'er will wait for Brother Lin Yu to return." Xiao Xun'er seemed to have made up her mind. She did not make a fuss about insisting on going with Lin Yu, because she knew that since he had told her he was leaving, he probably did not intend to take her with him.

Actually, if Xiao Xun'er had asked, Lin Yu might have softened and truly taken Xun'er with him!

"When does Brother Lin Yu plan to leave?"

Lin Yu thought for a moment. "A year from now, after the coming-of-age ceremony. That way, I can spend more time with Xun'er as well." He affectionately rubbed Xiao Xun'er's head.

"Wonderful!" Hearing that Lin Yu would not leave until a year later, Xiao Xun'er's previous gloom was swept away, and she returned to her usual lively, adorable self before Lin Yu!