Never Again 25 Leaving Again 1

The rest of the day thankfully remained uneventful. Qiu Zhi roasted the chicken while Xi Rin went to wash up. Finally clean of dirt, she joined Qiu Zhi and both people ate the chicken in comfortable silence. Well... if one could ignore the occasional bickering of who-gets-to-eat-what, then it would have been a very peaceful atmosphere.

"Say... Aren't you curious about where I've been?" Xi Rin suddenly asked out of the blues. The question has been lingering on her mind since Qiu Zhi made no attempt to ask her.

"Not really." Qiu Zhi replied curtly, stopping only for a moment before diving right back into the chicken thigh he's holding.

"How come?" Does he not care? Even if they only have known each other for a few weeks, that's so cold of him.

"I thought that since you haven't said anything, it must be something you don't want to talk about." He shrugged, still stuffing food into his mouth.

Yet this answer made Xi Rin eyes widen in shock. She looked back at the young man who was still stuffing his mouth full of food and couldn't help but feel slightly warm in her heart.

"Heh. Who knew this you could be sensible from time to time?" Standing up, she stretched her limbs as exhaustion washed over her. Walking towards the house, "Wake me up when the sun rises tomorrow."

Never once turning back, she didn't see how Qiu Zhi paused in his movements, looking at her with such a sharp gaze that it would surprise her. However, he only stared at her for a few seconds before casually dipping his head and went back to eating again.

——————

Jin Kai easily found a place for the night as the village's chief welcomed him with vigour into his own home. Staying inside a luxurious guest room which seems out of place in this poor degraded village, the sun soon set and the moon replaced its s.h.i.+ft. Standing by the window as he gazed at the ever-changing sky, he started to plan his next trip.

He'll stay here for another three days, and if the jade still shows no signs of a reaction, he'll move on to the next location.

Sitting down a chair, he sighed in exhaustion as he raised a hand to his mask, finally taking it off. With the mask gone, a breath-taking, handsome face was revealed. Yet it was so cold that it would freeze one's heart instead.

Showing a moment of weakness, his sharp features softened considerably and almost seemed gentle, almost making one want to protect him. However, in a blink of the eye, it hardened back into the cold, hard look that all his servants recognized. Handsome and powerful like a G.o.d, but colder and more aloof than the freezing snow.

He reached down to touch the pendant, finding that it would soothe his heart. He rubbed the smooth, cold surface as he rests his eyes. Outside the night sky was filled with brilliant stars, yet he paid them no heed. Being a powerful cultivator, the cold never bothered him anymore. However, he still felt the night's chill seeped into his bones.

It was always cold nights like these that he would feel so terribly alone.