Chang Sheng did not stop her, and even darkly hoped that Shen Yue would soften her heart because Yao'er was crying so miserably, and then not leave.
But Shen Yue was determined to go.
Yao'er cried and wailed, almost collapsing, "Don't go... don't go..."
He seemed to only know these two words now.
Helpless, Shen Yue squatted down, placed her hands on the child's shoulders, her expression gentle, her lips slightly curved, her dimples shallow, like melting snow on a mountain.
"I will return."
Yao'er seemed unconvinced, hiccuping. His tender little face was flushed red from crying, streaked with tears, yet he still looked full of hope, "Really?"
Shen Yue nodded, her voice unusually gentle, "Yes, so will you wait for me here obediently?"
Yao'er was still very reluctant, but he was also afraid that if he was too clingy, Shen Yue would dislike him. So, he could only suppress the stinging in his eyes and force a smile that looked worse than crying.
He extended his short, chubby little finger, his voice still thick with a nasal tone.
"Then let's pinky swear."
Shen Yue fumbled, hooking her finger around Yao'er's.
"Pinky promise, shake hands, never be angry, never break, never lie, whoever breaks it is a dog."
Yao'er finally let go reluctantly. He stood at the doorstep, watching the two figures slowly walk away. The tears he had been desperately holding back fell drop by drop from his eyes. He struggled greatly to resist the urge to chase after them.
The two walked out of Fengyan Valley in silence.
As soon as they were out of Fengyan Valley, Shen Yue noticed the oppressive barrier on her magical powers disappear. She probed with her spiritual sense and could feel the obstacles ahead.
Shen Yue turned to Chang Sheng and bowed, "No need to see me off. Farewell."
After saying this, Shen Yue stood still, expecting a reply, but to her disappointment, Chang Sheng said nothing. She bowed again and turned to leave.
Chang Sheng didn't know if he should chase after her or stay in Fengyan Valley and wait for her to keep her appointment. She had said she would return.
Chang Sheng didn't know if her words were true or just an excuse. That feeling of powerlessness suddenly swept over him, as if nothing could be stopped.
"..."
He unconsciously pursed his lips, hugging the basin tighter. He still had something Shen Yue desperately wanted, which was why he thought she would come back for him.
But... what if she really didn't come back.
Chang Sheng couldn't help but regret it. He shouldn't have argued with Shen Yue and remained silent the entire way.
He was just afraid that if he opened his mouth, it would be a humble plea.
But if Shen Yue really left and never returned, where would he find her?
Thinking this, Chang Sheng's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he felt a vague sense of unease.
His body instinctively reacted, and he ran quickly towards that white figure.
After Shen Yue regained her magical powers, her hearing became extremely acute. She heard the urgent footsteps behind her and stopped.
She turned around and listened quietly as the person walked up to her. Not knowing what he was thinking, he hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "...Do you have to leave?"
Shen Yue's eyes were covered with a white cloth again, her brows noble, her appearance as radiant as snow. Upon hearing his question, she nodded, with a hint of coldness.
"I must."
She then heard the man ask, "Then where are you going? Can I look for you?"
Now it was Shen Yue's turn to fall silent. She actually didn't want to tell Chang Sheng her true identity. She knew that Chang Sheng lived in seclusion, and Fengyan Valley was like a paradise. Chang Sheng was suited to live here.
The outside world, with its complexities, was not suitable for him.
"Don't come looking for me."
Shen Yue seemed unaware of the hurt these five words carried. Her expression became somewhat distant.
Chang Sheng suddenly felt a little wronged. He had never seen Shen Yue like this before. Even her tone and expression were detached, making it impossible to discern any emotion.
Chang Sheng reached out and gently stroked the white cloth covering her eyes, his voice lowering, "Can you tell me why you must leave?"
Shen Yue casually made up a reason, "There's trouble at home."
This reason might sound flimsy to others, but Chang Sheng believed it.
He knew she was hiding something, yet he still had to watch her leave.
His fingers slid down from the white cloth, slowly caressing her cheek, "Is it your beloved who is in trouble?"
Shen Yue was stunned. She didn't have a beloved person at all, and she didn't know why Chang Sheng would say that.
To him, her silence was an admission.
Her heart felt as if it were tearing apart, and pain spread through her entire body, inescapable. She took a moment to recover from this heart-wrenching pain and wanted to ask more. She felt she needed to ask to be at peace, but there were too many questions. In the end, all that came to her lips was this one sentence.
"Will you come back?"
Shen Yue was somewhat uncertain. She believed that the reason she couldn't get the resurrection medicine was that she lacked the protagonist's halo. Perhaps only the male lead could obtain this medicine.
And Shen Yue was just a minor villain with no significant plot relevance, so she might not be able to get it at all.
Since she couldn't get it, she naturally wouldn't waste any more time here.
Shen Yue didn't want to be too definitive, so she finally gave an ambiguous answer.
"Perhaps."
Chang Sheng's face turned pale. Seeing Shen Yue turn as if to leave, his fingertips twitched. Finally, unable to resist, he grabbed her wrist, his fingers trembling slightly, "Shen Yue—"
Chang Sheng's chest heaved for a moment. His fingertips tightened unconsciously, his voice trembling, "...The resurrection medicine, do you still want it?"
He asked, "Do you still want it?"
Shen Yue indeed stopped trying to leave. She slowly turned around, not because of the resurrection medicine Chang Sheng mentioned, but because she couldn't be sure if it was her imagination, but she felt Chang Sheng's voice was tinged with a hint of choked emotion.
Although she couldn't see anything, listening to Chang Sheng's voice, she felt as if he were about to cry.
Did he really miss her that much?
She pursed her lips, "Is the resurrection medicine very important to you?"
Of course, it was important, because it was his heart.
Chang Sheng seemed to smile. Not sure if it was because he saw a rare trace of gentle pity on Shen Yue's face, he reached out to her, "Hug me, and I'll give you the resurrection medicine."
Chang Sheng's tone was so light and sweet, as if the resurrection medicine were truly just a simple pill to him.
"..."
Shen Yue didn't move. She had a feeling that if she hugged him, a story she didn't want to see would unfold, and this made her instinctively avoid it.