Memories (9)

The most active of them all was Yi Xuan. Almost every day, messages full of vivid imagery would pop up, each one a little "complaint":

"Big Brother! Getting up for school is so scary. I want to sleep in (╥﹏╥)"

"Our math teacher went so fast today. My brain's about to turn to mush..."

"We ran five laps in PE! Yi Xuan's going to become a flat Yi Xuan! I need Big Brother to comfort me so I can puff back up!" She even included a little drawing of a person sprawled on the ground.

Every time, no matter what he was doing, Yun Lan would stop and patiently tap out a reply with fingers accustomed to gripping a sword hilt, their touch a little stiff. Sometimes it was a brief encouragement: "Hang in there. I'll ask Uncle Su to bring you some sweet cakes after school." Other times, it was a helpful suggestion: "Look over the example again and circle anything you don't understand. I'll teach you this weekend." The plain words always managed to cheer the little girl on the other side of the mountain right back up.

By comparison, Yi Jiang's messages were regular and quiet, yet seeped into every corner of his daily life like a gentle stream.

Every morning, just as dawn broke, a message would arrive right on time: "Good morning, Young Master. It's cold in the mountains, so please dress warmly."

In the afternoon, she might send a snapshot she'd taken on a whim—a new sprout on a branch outside the window, or a snack in the cafeteria that looked pretty good—with the caption: "Have you eaten, Young Master?"

At night, just before bed, she would send a simple: "Good night, Young Master. Sweet dreams."

She never said much, but with these almost stubborn daily greetings, she carefully maintained a sense of presence, like a little maid who truly took her duties seriously, quietly fulfilling her obligation to "care" from far away. Yun Lan's replies were usually even shorter—"Mm" or "Got it"—but he never failed to respond.

Besides the two girls, there was also a regular report. Every Friday evening, a message from "Xiao Tang" would arrive right on schedule. It was neatly formatted and clearly organized, like a mission briefing:

"This week's summary: Yi Jiang excelled academically; her Chinese essay was selected as a model composition, though she still struggled in PE. Yi Xuan improved on her math quiz and got along well with her deskmate. She was once caught sneaking snacks in class and made to stand as punishment (already reprimanded). No unusual incidents overall; both are safe. Note: This is the third time this week Yi Xuan has asked her sister, 'When is Big Brother coming back?'"

Whenever Yun Lan read these reports, his expression would unconsciously relax. Through those calm words, he could clearly picture the lively school lives of the two "white-haired fluffballs" down the mountain, and the silent but thorough care of the "homeroom teacher" by their side.

Then, every week, he would come down from the mountain to visit Yi Jiang and Yi Xuan, comfort the two little girls, and take them out to have some fun. You could say that the year the two girls spent in school was Yun Lan's busiest year. Every weekend, he had to go home and visit the two white-haired fluffballs.

Though busy, his life was fulfilling, and it continued like that until Yi Jiang and Yi Xuan graduated from elementary school.

He'd originally planned to have them continue on to middle school, but Yi Jiang and Yi Xuan refused to go, no matter what. They wanted to go up to Yungui Mountain and study under a master, just like him.

I bet studying under a master is just an excuse. They really just want to cling to me.

But when he saw the two white-haired fluffballs looking at him so pitifully, he couldn't bring himself to refuse them. He could only give in and say, "You can go up the mountain and study under a master, as long as you don't neglect your schoolwork."

And so Yun Lan boarded the train with the two little white-haired girls. Before they set off, though, he called Yi Jiang aside.

He said to Yi Jiang, "Yi Jiang, do you want to be free? And take your little sister with you?"

"Young Master, what are you saying~ Yi Jiang and her sister can't thank you enough for saving our lives~ Why would we ever leave you~"

He took out the contract of servitude that Yi Jiang and her mother had signed a year earlier. "Here. This belongs to you, so I'm giving it back. You and Yi Xuan can go study under a master as free people."

Yun Lan had been thinking about this for a long time. He'd never felt comfortable accepting someone else's service as his due, but with his mother watching, there hadn't been much he could do.

Now that he was away from home, he felt it was important to give Yi Jiang the right to choose. He didn't think the contract of servitude was legally binding anyway.

Yi Jiang fell silent. She looked at the Young Master's serious expression, then a hint of a dangerous smile curled across her face.

"I appreciate your kindness, Young Master." Her voice was soft, but each word seemed soaked in the chill of night dew. "But it seems like... you've always wanted my sister and me to leave, haven't you?" She tilted her head slightly, her hair falling over her shoulder. "Why is that?"

Yun Lan felt a familiar sense of helplessness. He tried to explain, his voice carrying a sincerity that even he found feeble. "That's not it. I've never thought that. It's just... at your age, you should have a wider sky to explore and more of the world to see, instead of being my maid."

"Is that so?" Yi Jiang gave a thoughtful little nod, her long lashes lowering to hide a flicker of emotion in her eyes. When she looked up again, she was smiling brightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "But, Young Master, you're the future my sister and I want."

She leaned forward slightly. Candlelight cast a soft shadow across her face, but her tone was firm. "Yi Jiang doesn't want a future without you, Young Master. So you don't dislike my sister and me, do you?" She had deftly shifted the heart of the question.

"Yi Jiang, no one could dislike a girl like you."

"I'm asking about you!!! Not other people!!!" The girl's brows drew together as she answered, enunciating every word.

When Yun Lan didn't respond, Yi Jiang pushed the paper back toward him.

"I'll serve you for the rest of my life." Her voice was calm again, even a little gentle, but it was harder to resist than her sharp questions had been. "You were the only light in my sister's and my world, illuminating a path that had once seemed utterly hopeless. And now you want to walk away and leave us..."

She lifted her eyes and looked straight at Yun Lan. Her gaze was clear as day, yet unfathomable.

"There's no way the world works that nicely."

As I thought.

Looking at the girl's resolute face, Yun Lan felt the faint unease in his heart finally take root, spreading quickly into a tangle of helpless vines. He had thought that giving them their freedom was a gift, but he had never considered that, for some people, if "freedom" meant leaving his side, it would strip their world of all meaning.