The wind at Jialing Pass carried a faint scent of grass and trees, yet it could not disperse the sorrow hanging over everyone's hearts. Liu Erlong held the letter written to Ah Yin, her fingertips turning slightly pale from the force of her grip. Tears had long been welling in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and falling onto the words "Mother," blurring the ink.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the sob in her throat, and began to read softly. "Mother, by the time you open this letter, your daughter should have already crossed the sands of Jiayu Pass to find Zhi Nian..."
Ah Yin stood beside Tang Hao, both hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes. Her eyes reddened at the very first sentence. Memories surged over her like a tide. It was as though she could see once more that timid little girl from when they had first acknowledged each other, clutching Ah Yin's sleeve and refusing to let go, her eyes filled with dependence and fear. She saw the year she had revived, when Zhi Xia had held her and cried for a long time, calling out "Mother" again and again, her voice full of grievance and joy—after twenty-one years, she had finally had someone to cling to and act spoiled with.
"The year you revived, I had just turned twenty-one. The first time I saw you awaken from the Blue Silver Grass, there was still dew from the blades of grass in your hair. You smiled and called me 'Zhi Xia,' pulling me into your arms as you said, 'From now on, Mother will never leave you again'..."
Liu Erlong's voice was thick with tears, every word piercing Ah Yin's heart. She remembered the sunlight that day, the dew in her hair, Zhi