Finally, after taking a route that was nearly three times longer than the usual path, they had returned to their base.
"Thank you, Junior Brother," Yue Ling whispered as she gently stepped down from Langtian’s back. "Thank you for taking care of me."
"No problem, Senior Sister."
Langtian said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
"Um... how are you feeling now?"
"Much better, I took some medicine earlier while I was on your back."
Yue Ling replied with another lie. Then, with a playful grin, she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her forehead.
"Here, see? No more fever."
"Oh! You’re right. The fever is gone now! That’s great!"
He quickly pulled his hand back, a little bit flustered.
"But still... you should rest. Let’s head inside."
"Mm," Yue Ling nodded.
Langtian then thought of something else.
"And, um... how about I cook something for you?" he offered quickly, eager to be helpful.
Yue Ling let out a soft chuckle.
"Thank you, Junior Brother. But it’s just grilled meat over a fire. We don’t need much cooking, really."
And so, the two made their way back into the wooden house, letting the warmth of the small shelter welcome them once more as they took a moment to rest.
______________________
Moments later, the two of them had stepped back outside and were now seated around an open fire pit in front of the wooden house.
It was a simple setup: a ring of smooth stones encircled the flames, with a metal grill rack propped across the center. Charcoal and dry firewood crackled beneath, casting flickering orange light across the ground and their faces. The faint scent of smoke mixed with the crisp mountain air.
Yue Ling had already prepared a few large skewers of meat, with the neatly cut pieces threaded onto sharpened wooden sticks.
The meat had been cleaned thoroughly once more. Now, it looked just like any ordinary red meat... just a little darker in color, and had a slightly stronger aroma than usual. Nothing too strange.
The two of them sat down on opposite sides of the fire, each holding a skewer as they began to grill.
The fire crackled softly between them, casting dancing shadows across the rocky ground.
"Hey, doesn’t this remind you of the old days?"
Langtian nodded, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"Yeah... You used to take me out hunting every now and then."
Back then, the two of them would sometimes venture into the woods together during their field training. After catching a wild boar or a rabbit, they’d set up a fire just and share a simple meal under the open sky.
"It’s been such a long time since we last ate together , huh?" Yue Ling said softly, leaning back against the wooden log she was sitting on.
"Yup, it’s been a long time..." Langtian murmured, his gaze distant with memory. A small smile tugged at his lips, and a quiet warmth spread through his chest.
Then, without a word, Yue Ling stood up and walked over.
She moved to sit right beside him.
Langtian stiffened slightly at the sudden closeness.
But then, Yue Ling gently and casually rested her head on his shoulder.
"S-Senior Sister?" Langtian stammered, his body going a little rigid.
"You know... it’s been ten years since I last had anyone to share a meal with," Yue Ling said softly, her voice barely above the crackle of the fire. "Sorry if I’m being a little sentimental..."
"Ah..." Langtian looked down, fingers tightening around the skewer in his hands. He didn’t know how to respond at first. His heart ached just trying to picture it.
His senior sister had spent ten whole years trapped in this valley, surrounded by nothing but darkness and demonic beasts, with no one to talk to, no one to rely on.
Here, not even a ray of sunlight would come down here to warm up the heart. And every single day was a battle for survival.
If it had been him...
He would’ve broken a long time ago and went insane...
A quiet silence settled between them.
There’s only the sound of fire, its gentle pops and crackles filling the space as embers drifted upward into the darkness like fleeting stars.
Suddenly, he noticed.
Yue Ling resting lightly against him, and there’s her scent walfing through the air. And not only that...
The black robe Langtian wore now—returned to him by Yue Ling just earlier—also carried her scent.
For some reason... that made his heart flutter just a little more.
"Hey," Langtian said, "I’m here now. So we’re gonna have meals together every day from now on! Haha!"
A contended smile bloomed on Yue Ling’s face.
"Right... I’ll hold you to that."