The third day.
The sunshine was as bright as on every day of the past ten years. Its dazzling rays draped every corner of Wutan City in a golden veil, as though telling the city's eternal story.
Xiao Qian arrived early at the city's most renowned restaurant and stood quietly outside its entrance, like a statue waiting for his beloved.
Watching the bustling crowds on the street, his thoughts became a horse slipping its reins, racing back into the past.
He remembered the first time he had eaten at this restaurant, when he had even broken through to the first stage of dou qi.
Memories surged over him like a tide, leaving him momentarily dazed. Had so much time already passed, swift as a white steed flashing past a crack?
Every little moment from those days resurfaced in his mind, like stars twinkling in the night sky.
Before long, Xiao Xun'er appeared at the far end of the street.
She wore a pale purple dress that seemed to bloom like a flower from a dream. Its hem fluttered gently in the wind, like colorful clouds dancing in the breeze at the edge of the sky. She seemed a fairy descended to the mortal world, radiating an ethereal, transcendent grace.
Xiao Qian's gaze was drawn to her at once, held fast as though by a magnet. The memories in his mind dispersed like wisps of smoke, and in that instant, the entire world seemed to hold nothing but the girl's beautiful figure.
A gentle smile spread involuntarily across his face, warm and brilliant as the spring sun.
When Xiao Xun'er reached the restaurant and saw Xiao Qian, joy lit her eyes at once, dazzling as the brightest stars in the night sky.
She had clearly dressed with particular care that day. Already lovely and untouched by worldly dust, she now shone with breathtaking beauty.
They smiled at each other, took each other's hands, and entered the restaurant together.
Inside, every table was occupied, and the restaurant was lively beyond measure.
Laughter and cheerful voices mingled with the clinking of cups and plates, weaving a joyous symphony.
"Young Master Xiao Qian himself has graced us with his presence! You bring splendor to our humble establishment!" The proprietor welcomed them eagerly, his face wreathed in smiles. He was a familiar face here and had known Xiao Qian for some time.
As he spoke, he respectfully led them to a table beside a window on the second floor.
From there, they could look down over the bustling street. Sunlight spilled through the window, scattering patches of light across the table and chairs and lending warmth to their little corner.
"No need for such ceremony. Just let us enjoy a quiet meal," Xiao Qian said with a smile after sitting down.
He then ordered several of the restaurant's signature dishes and a pot of fine wine.
Before long, the food and wine were laid on the table one by one, like precious treasures.
"We won't order magical beast meat today." Xiao Qian picked up the wine pot and poured Xiao Xun'er a cup. With a tender smile, he said softly, "Xun'er, let's really unwind."
Xiao Xun'er nodded gently, graceful as a swan.
She raised her cup and took a small sip. As the rich wine slid down her throat, a blush spread across her cheeks like sunset clouds, making her all the more captivating.
Her faintly flushed face resembled a peach blossom blooming in spring, its enchanting charm leaving Xiao Qian a little spellbound.
They enjoyed the food and chatted happily.
Xiao Qian recounted amusing stories from his cultivation before taking human form. As he spoke, those fantastical experiences unfolded before Xiao Xun'er's eyes like vivid painted scrolls.
She rested her chin on her hand and listened quietly, occasionally interjecting to ask about some detail.
"If only we could have met sooner..." Xiao Xun'er shook her head gently, a trace of regret flashing through her eyes, as though shaking away those wishes that could never be satisfied.
After several rounds of wine and a succession of dishes, the blush on Xiao Xun'er's cheeks bloomed like flowers and would no longer fade.
Just then, melodious zither music rose within the restaurant, flowing through the air like a murmuring stream and echoing in people's hearts like lilting birdsong.
"C-can I dance for you?" In their secluded seating area upstairs, this tiny world seemed to belong to them alone.
Wine had gone to the girl's head, and a different light shimmered in her eyes-the light of emotions long suppressed finally finding release.
Amid the lilting zither music, she finally stopped holding herself back. Like a butterfly breaking free of its cocoon, she began to dance.
Her figure was light as a swallow. Her toes touched the floor gently, as though tracing graceful arcs through the air.
Every leap and turn seemed a dance shared with spirits in the air.
Her eyes were bright and ardent, as though holding boundless affection, a burning flame that could melt everything in the world within it.
Every movement brimmed with strength and tenderness, freely releasing the fiery feelings she had hidden in her heart for so long.
She spun and leaped, her purple dress flying through the air like a burning flame, lighting their entire alcove and Xiao Qian's heart as well.
At the dance's impassioned climax, the girl leaped high and completed a perfect turn in midair.
Her gaze remained fixed on the young man. At that moment, time seemed to stop and the whole world vanished, leaving only the two of them to speak their love through their eyes in that silent world.
She poured all her emotions into that movement, conveying them through her dance to him as he watched. Like surging tides, they struck Xiao Qian's heart wave after wave.
Xiao Qian's gaze followed her closely. Utterly captivated by her graceful dancing, he felt as though he had entered a dreamlike fairyland.
He could feel the ardent affection she conveyed through her dance, a devotion beyond words, like a deep ocean, boundless and unfathomable.
As the zither music gradually softened, the dance drew to a close.
She slowly brought her steps to a halt, breathing lightly, her chest rising and falling like a startled fawn.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, lovely as sunset clouds, lending her an enchanting allure.
Quiet returned to their alcove. Only the heartbeats of the young man and the girl echoed there, like drumbeats striking each other's hearts.
Xiao Qian slowly stepped forward, his steps gentle yet firm.
He gently took the girl's hands.
They were soft and warm, like the most precious treasures in the world.
He slowly bent toward her, his eyes filled with love, and gently captured her lips. In that instant, time seemed to stop, the whole world falling still for them.
It was as though, in that moment, he possessed the entire world...
"Is this how it all ends?"
Before the familiar courtyard entrance of the Xiao Clan, the sunset's lingering glow swept over everything like a giant golden paintbrush, coloring it orange-red and draping the approaching end in a dreamlike veil.
Xiao Qian and Xiao Xun'er stood facing each other. Their shadows stretched long in the fading light, looking somewhat forlorn.
Those long shadows resembled the helplessness between them that neither could put into words.
Deep longing filled Xiao Xun'er's eyes, twining tightly around her heart like vines.
"This is yours. I'm giving it back now. With it here, perhaps I won't have to worry about your safety." She gently took something from her Storage Ring, moving as carefully as though handling the world's most fragile treasure.
"My puppet?" Xiao Qian asked in surprise, astonishment flashing through his eyes.
The instant the puppet appeared, a light seemed to flash. Had its aura not been connected to his, he would never have recognized it as the puppet he had made before.
For it was clearly a second Xiao Xun'er.
The puppet's face and figure were identical to the girl's, like a perfect replica. Every detail was lifelike, as though it had been granted life.
It wore the Purple Cloud Immortal Dress bought at yesterday's auction and stood quietly there, its hem swaying gently in the breeze. It seemed to carry Xiao Xun'er's presence and warmth, as though Xiao Xun'er herself stood there.
"So you bought the dress for it..." Xiao Qian looked at the puppet, all five flavors mingling in his heart.
He remembered the time he had spent studying and creating this puppet with Xiao Xun'er. Their puzzled discussions and earnest deliberations had now become memories both sweet and bitter.
Xiao Qian's gaze moved back and forth between the girl and the puppet. Something seemed lodged in his throat, leaving him speechless, a thousand words trapped in his heart.
Xiao Xun'er slowly approached him, her steps light. Each one seemed to fall upon the tip of her own heart, carrying endless reluctance to part.
When she reached Xiao Qian, she raised her head and looked into his eyes. Tears shimmered in hers like stars in the night sky, trembling on the verge of falling.
"This is your puppet. I found a way to refine meridians for it. You don't need heavenly treasures, only enough energy. The method is all in here..."
Xiao Xun'er's voice trembled slightly. She tried to make it sound calmer, but the faint quiver in her tone still betrayed the turmoil within her.
She pressed a jade slip into Xiao Qian's hand, as though passing him the last of her tenderness.
"I selfishly made it look like me, because I knew it would stay with you for a very, very long time..."
She lifted the puppet's arm, indistinguishable from a human one, and placed it in Xiao Qian's hand alongside her own.
The arm was smooth and slightly cool. The moment he took hold of it, he felt as though he were holding a part of Xiao Xun'er.
That familiar touch sent a sharp pang through his heart, like a keen blade slicing across it.
He held on tightly, as though this could preserve his time with Xiao Xun'er, as though it could prevent their imminent parting.
"Xun'er..." Xiao Qian finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "I'll come back."
"But we've broken up!" Xiao Xun'er could no longer hold back her tears. They burst forth like floodwaters breaching a dam, streaming down her beautiful face.
"We're no longer lovers!" A trace of finality colored her voice, yet behind it lay boundless pain.
"You don't belong to me anymore, either. Your future won't be tied to mine..." Her body trembled slightly, every word seeming squeezed from a shattered heart.
She threw herself into Xiao Qian's arms and held him tightly, with such force that she seemed to want to fuse them into one, as though that could stop him from leaving.
Xiao Qian hugged Xiao Xun'er just as tightly. He could feel her body trembling, and his heart trembled with it, the pain like ten thousand needles piercing him.
He knew that when they met again, their relationship would no longer be what it was now. This was the path he himself had chosen.
But why did his heart hurt so much at this moment?
"Xun'er, I hope... I hope that one day, you'll find your own goal, a direction you can strive toward for your whole life..." Holding her tightly, he spoke softly yet earnestly into her ear. "Perhaps one day, we'll finally become fellow travelers."
A trace of hope lingered in his voice. It was the only comfort he could offer for the future.
"I don't understand. I don't understand..." The girl shook her head again and again. Confusion and pain filled her eyes like surging waves, threatening to drown her.
Xiao Qian only held her tighter, as though, in that moment, an embrace was the only way to convey what lay within their hearts.
After a long while, Xiao Xun'er slowly loosened her hold. She raised her head, looked at Xiao Qian, and forced a smile.
That smile looked worse than tears, yet carried a heartbreaking strength.
"Go. Leave now. I'll watch you from here until you disappear from my sight." Her voice was very soft, yet it struck Xiao Qian's heart like a heavy hammer.
Xiao Qian gave Xiao Xun'er a long, searching look, then resolutely turned away.
His steps were heavy. Each one seemed a farewell to the beauty of the past, each carrying endless reluctance to part.
The puppet followed at his heels, just as Xiao Xun'er had once accompanied him.
Xiao Xun'er remained where she stood, watching Xiao Qian's retreating figure grow more distant. Tears fell ceaselessly, like pearls from a broken string.
Even after Xiao Qian's figure had vanished completely into the sunset's lingering glow, she stood there for a long, long time without moving, as though her soul had left with him.
A gentle wind lifted Xiao Xun'er's hem and hair. Her lonely figure looked especially small and desolate at the entrance, like a flower withering alone in the cold wind.
Crack... bang!
Xiao Qian heard the chains shattering within his dantian.
But at that moment, he no longer had the heart to pay attention. Nothing else mattered anymore...
Before you continue