Relaxing the Mind

On the way back, it began to snow, the flakes falling sparse and drifting. Extending a hand to catch a snowflake from the sky, Yun Xueyan watched it slowly melt in her palm. Raising her head, she saw Feng Xilou standing in the distance at the entrance of her residence.

He wore only a white robe trimmed with purple, draped with a cloak over it. Looking composed, the corners of his lips curved upward into a gentle smile. A pang of pain involuntarily pierced Yun Xueyan's heart, reminding her of the first time she met Feng Xilou—he had been just like this, smiling with such genial warmth.

Had she really changed so much, becoming an entirely different person compared to back then?

"Xilou." Remembering the wild and unrestrained words she had spoken at the tavern earlier that day, she called his name, then stepped forward to stand before him with a tender expression. "Why are you standing out here?"

"Waiting for you. Are you willing to speak to me now?" Feng Xilou teased. Seeing the slight curve in her eyes, he felt his own heart ease.

"I have never refused to speak with you," she retorted, bursting into a delicate laugh.

"I came because I wanted to take you to see your mother. You haven't been to pay your respects to her since you came back." Speaking in a soft reminder, Feng Xilou smiled faintly, his fingers gently smoothing a lock of Yun Xueyan's hair dampened by the snow, as he effortlessly raised an umbrella. "Take care not to catch a chill."

Yun Xueyan did not dodge away; standing beneath the umbrella, she found that he was always so meticulous and considerate. Ripples stirred in her heart as she followed in Feng Xilou's footsteps.

"Xilou," she called out, stopping him. Seeing Feng Xilou turn his head sideways and lower it, looking at her in puzzlement, she lightly bit her lips and fluttered her long eyelashes a few times. "I'm sorry for always making you worry."

Her gaze shifted fluidly, a faint mist of moisture welling up in her eyes. A bitter ache and deep emotion welled in her heart; she could only apologize to him, unable to do anything else.

He owed her nothing; she had no reason to drag him into her suffering. Gently turning her face away to look at the fallen snow blanketing the ground, she felt a lingering sense of melancholy.

"Yan'er..." he murmured softly, filled with boundless tenderness. "Do you know? As long as I can see that you are alive, everything we endured in the past has been worth it. For you... anything is worth it. I only want you to be well, I... only want you."

He expressed his inner feelings without reservation. When she left, every color in his life had faded to dull gray. He did not know why he cared about her so deeply, but wasn't it even better to have no reason at all?

She lacked a dazzling and delicate beauty, which meant he was not captivated by her looks. His feelings for her had begun with pity and the desire to protect, growing into a profound and intense love.

Yun Xueyan looked up and offered a faint smile, her long, curved eyelashes fluttering gently as her large eyes, sparkling with glistening ripples, gazed at him. Feng Xilou was momentarily dazed; even half-hidden by her veil, those large eyes were more than enough to captivate him and throw his heart into chaos.

"Weren't you going to accompany me to pay respects to my mother?" She broke the ambiguous awkwardness, searching for words to say.

"Are you intentionally running away again?" Feng Xilou did not give her the chance to brush it off. "Yan'er, perhaps you are still unable to choose me right now, but I will wait for you."

"Xilou, I'm not worth it." She hurriedly tried to stop his words. His feelings for her had grown stubborn, clinging to her like a child.

It left her almost entirely helpless...

Ignoring her protest, he continued to smile faintly, the corners of his handsome mouth lifting into an exquisite arc. "Even if one day you truly no longer need me, I will still silently guard your side. From the very moment you returned, all I have wanted is to see you happy."

His phoenix-like eyes gazed steadily at her, leaving her no chance to escape the sincerity of his heart.

Hearing this, Yun Xueyan smiled helplessly, and Feng Xilou smiled along with her.

The two walked on in silence, leaving a long trail of footprints stretching out behind them in the snow.