Bang...
As the door closed, Xiu Yuan and Kazuha exchanged a glance and let out deep sighs of relief.
The mortifying embarrassment had all but made Kazuha forget his earlier anger. Too drained to do anything, he lay helplessly on the bed.
"Well... shall we sleep?" Xiu Yuan asked.
"Yeah."
Xiu Yuan switched off the light and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"You're not sleeping?"
"In a bit."
"All right."
With everything around him quiet, Xiu Yuan's Tranquility Mantra was much more effective.
That made meditating at night twice as effective for half the effort.
"The night stretches on; I toss and turn, unable to sleep."
Long after night had fallen, a soft voice slowly broke the silence.
"What, do you need me to lull you to sleep?" Feeling he had meditated enough, Xiu Yuan teased him.
"I've been thinking about something."
"What is it?" Xiu Yuan asked.
"Why you're able to be so optimistic."
Xiu Yuan froze for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I can hear the voice inside your heart, just as I can hear the wind. Your heart has long since been riddled with wounds, hasn't it? How can you still smile?"
At Kazuha's words, Xiu Yuan fell silent.
Kazuha wasn't in a hurry. He simply waited quietly for Xiu Yuan's answer.
If none came, silence was an answer too.
"You can't let the past affect the present."
"Besides, we all have to keep looking ahead." Xiu Yuan answered with a smile.
"Xiu Yuan."
"Hm?"
"What I'm asking is, why can you still smile?"
"..."
A long silence passed.
"Perhaps..."
"Once you've worn a mask long enough, you can't take it off anymore."
Xiu Yuan touched his smiling cheek as he answered.
"Isn't it exhausting?" Kazuha asked.
"I'm used to it."
"Why