"She died in a stellar cataclysm. She could have lived as long as I did, or even longer, but she died. In that moment, my heart went cold."
"I have descendants, but none of them are Xixi."
"Over the years, I left Earth, visited the Heavenly Sect, saw the splendor of the world, and experienced things that were wonderful to me. I have no regrets, so I can face death and wait for the end. But that kind of acceptance is a luxury for you."
"You'll never get to wait for a natural death, Lu Yin. I'm sorry."
Lu Yin chuckled. "What do you have to apologize for?"
Zhou Shan closed his eyes. "We're all under your protection, but you can't even choose when you die, while we can live out our natural lives. It's too unfair to you."
Lu Yin took another sip of tea. "You're overthinking it. If you could live, would you choose to die? Eternal life is everyone's pursuit."
Zhou Shan set down his teacup. "I'll do my best to keep living. As long as you need me, even if I have to force myself, I'll hold on until the day you don't want to see me anymore."
"Hahahaha!" Lu Yin burst out laughing.
Zhou Shan laughed too. "Come on, try these. I made them myself. See if they're as good as Miss Long Xi's."
"Long Xi came here?"
"She brought me some pastries."
"Let me try. Hmm, they're not as good as Long Xi's."
"Really? I think they're about the same."
"Not even close."
"These are the ones Long Xi made. I couldn't bear to eat them last time, so I've kept them until now."
Lu Yin was speechless.
Not long after, Bai Xue came too. She was practically the last old friend Zhou Shan