"Smith?!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Mingyun and the others broke into loud exclamations, their faces full of shock and joy.
"When did you come back?!"
"I thought I'd never see you again!"
"Boy, this is… this is such a surprise!"
They swarmed around, voices overlapping with disbelief.
None of them had received a single whisper of news about Smith's return. They all knew his situation—forced to flee alone, carrying dangers that ordinary people couldn't imagine. As his former teammates, Mingyun and the others had worried themselves sick. But they were powerless to change his fate, reduced to praying in silence that one day they might meet again.
And now, that impossible hope stood in front of them. Smith was here, alive.
"Hahaha! You all look like you've seen a ghost." Smith grinned, his eyes bright.
"You bastard, pulling a stunt like this!"
"You really had us scared!"
The men crowded forward, clapping him on the shoulder, bumping fists, locking arms, their joy raw and unrestrained.
Only one person didn't join them. Xi Congqing.
From the moment Smith removed his mask, she had been frozen in place, her gaze locked on him, her lips trembling as though words refused to form.
Smith noticed her immediately. With a smile, he walked past the others and stopped in front of her.
"Senior Sister, I'm back."
At last, she moved.
Her eyes shimmered with countless emotions, and for a long second she seemed rooted to the ground. Then, as though something inside her snapped, she stumbled forward. Her feet, heavy as stone, finally obeyed her heart. She rushed into Smith's arms, clutching him tightly, desperately—as if afraid he would vanish again the moment she let go.
"Senior Sister…"
Smith stiffened, startled by the suddenness of it. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, he heard it—the soft, trembling sobs rising from the girl pressed against his chest.
The words on his tongue fell away.
So instead, he did nothing but hold her gently, letting her tears soak into him. He quietly felt the fragile weight of her in his embrace, the warmth of her trembling body, and the storm of sorrow she was releasing.
Mingyun and the others exchanged looks, sighing softly. No one mocked. No one teased. They understood.
"You two take your time," Mingyun finally said with a small smile. He gestured for the others to follow him, and they left quietly, giving the pair the space they needed.
---
The setting sun filtered through the dense trees, scattering golden light across their figures. The air was quiet, broken only by the faint sound of her sobs.
They stayed like that for a long time—ten minutes, or perhaps an hour. Neither could tell.
Eventually, Smith felt the shaking in her body ease. Her sobs grew fainter until, at last, silence returned.
"Alright, Senior Sister," he murmured softly, patting her back. "They've all gone."
Xi Congqing clung to him still, her voice hoarse from crying.
"You know… I was terrified. Terrified I'd never see you again in this life. If something really happened to you, I… I don't know what I would've done…"
Her words pierced straight into him. The helpless fear woven through them made Smith's chest ache.
He spoke gently. "It's okay now. Don't cry. Look, I'm here, alive and well, aren't I?"
Slowly, she lifted her face from his chest. Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks streaked with tears. The sight made her already delicate features even more pitiful.
Smith raised his hand and brushed away the tears at the corner of her eye. He clicked his tongue teasingly.
"Tsk. First time I've ever seen you cry. And what do you know—it's ugly."
Her eyes widened. "You're asking for a beating!"
Though her chest still ached, anger flared enough for her to punch him lightly in the chest. It was barely a tap, but the gesture broke the heaviness that had hung between them.
"It's only been half a year, and already you've turned into a bad person, huh?" she scolded, glaring.
Smith chuckled, enjoying even her complaints. "That's the Senior Sister I know."
Her cheeks flushed pink. She turned away with a huff. "Shameless!"
But his words had done their work. The sadness that had nearly drowned her moments ago was gone, replaced by warmth and irritation tangled together.
When she first saw him, she hadn't known whether to laugh or cry. Relief, joy, regret, worry—all the emotions that had been suffocating her during his absence burst free at once. Overwhelmed, she had acted on instinct, throwing herself into his arms in front of everyone.
Now that she thought about it, her face burned with shame.
Why am I so weak? she berated herself. Why couldn't I control it?
---
"It's getting late. We should head back." Smith glanced at the sky. The sun had slipped beyond the horizon, night bleeding in.
"Oh…" Xi Congqing answered softly.
Smith stretched out his hand toward her. "There are many supernatural mines ahead. You don't know the terrain. Stay close to me."
She stared at him for a moment. His face, once boyish, now carried the calm strength of a man hardened by hardship. In just six months, he had changed so much.
She could have refused his hand. She could have pretended she didn't need his help.
But she didn't.
Quietly, she placed her hand in his.
Smith closed his fingers firmly around hers, their palms fitting together. His grip was steady, protective.
Despite all the battles he had fought, all the blood on his hands, hers were still soft—delicate, almost boneless. The touch sent a strange itch through his chest, as though ants crawled inside his heart.
He squeezed her hand gently, then guided her forward toward Huaihai City.
Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to.
The forest around them was so quiet that Xi Congqing could hear her own heartbeat racing. Smith's hand was warm, and that warmth traveled all the way to her chest, filling her with peace she hadn't felt in months.
For once, silence was beautiful. Even the wind brushing past them felt sweet.
Step by step, hand in hand, they walked until the walls of Huaihai City loomed before them.
---
"Here we are."
At the city gate, Smith finally released her hand.
"Mm." Xi Congqing nodded, trying to calm the fluttering in her chest.
"Let me walk you home," he offered.
She didn't hesitate. "Okay."
So they set off again, side by side, down the lamplit streets toward the Xi residence.
The night wind was cool, but neither felt it. What they felt instead was time slipping far too quickly through their fingers.
The distance wasn't far—half the length of Huaihai City—but to them it seemed like only a few steps before they arrived.
"I'm home." Xi Congqing stopped before the gates of her family estate. She hesitated, then asked softly, "Do you… want to come in and sit for a while?"
Smith shook his head. "You just came back from a mission yourself. Go rest. We'll talk tomorrow."
Her lips curved faintly. "Then… see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
The exchange was simple, almost ordinary. Yet beneath the words ran a deep current of emotion..
Xi Congqing lingered a moment, reluctant to part, then walked backwards toward her home, her gaze locked on him until the last moment.
Smith stood watching until she slipped inside. Only then did he turn and head for his own quarters, the warmth of her hand still lingering in his.
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