The next morning.
When Liu Meng and Xiao Ning arrived at the East Gate, Bai Yunfei had already been waiting there for nearly an hour.
"Yunfei, I'm sorry we're late," Liu Meng said, quickening her pace slightly as she approached him, her face etched with apology.
"Haha, it's fine, I haven't been here long myself..." Bai Yunfei replied with an easy smile, not mentioning the half hour he'd spent waiting in the cool morning breeze.
"Young Master Yunfei, you mustn't blame my Mistress," Xiao Ning interjected beside her. "Mistress felt unwell again this morning. I had to quickly brew her medicine. She felt a bit better after taking it and rushed straight here."
"Oh? Really?" Bai Yunfei's expression shifted slightly, a note of concern entering his voice as he asked rapidly, "Meng'er, how are you feeling now? Are you still unwell? Should we... cancel the trip to Clear Spring Mountain today?"
Liu Meng seemed momentarily taken aback by his intensity. A flicker of surprise crossed her features before her eyes warmed with amusement. "Meng'er isn't as fragile as you think, Yunfei. Remember, I am a Soul Master too! Don't worry, I'm fine now. As long as the pain doesn't strike, there are no problems."
"Oh, good... that's good..." Bai Yunfei seemed to realize he'd overreacted. He awkwardly scratched his head before appearing to remember something. He slipped his right hand behind his back and when he brought it forward again, he held a stick of sugar-coated hawthorns.
"Meng'er, I bought this especially for you," he said, smiling as he offered the tanghulu to the slightly surprised young woman across from him.
"Yunfei, how... how did you know I liked tanghulu?" Liu Meng asked, her eyes sparkling with delight as she accepted the treat, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Uh, I saw that many girls on the street seemed to enjoy them, so I got one for you," Bai Yunfei fibbed. He certainly couldn't tell her the truth: that the first time he'd seen her, he'd knocked the tanghulu from her hand, that he'd bought her a new one only for Zhang Yang to immediately smash it to the ground...
"Hmph! Young Master Yunfei, how biased!" came Xiao Ning's voice from the side, feigning indignation. "Am I not a girl too? Buying only for Mistress? Hmph! Ulterior motives!" Her words left Bai Yunfei flustered, his face flushing slightly.
"Tehe, just kidding! Don't be angry, Young Master Yunfei!" Xiao Ning stuck out her tongue playfully upon seeing his embarrassment.
Bai Yunfei managed a dry chuckle, unsure how to handle the mischievous maid. He turned back to Liu Meng. "Uh, heh, Meng'er... shall we go then?"
"Alright, let's go."
...
Grass, flowers, green trees, birds in flight, clear springs, a gentle breeze...
For the first time, Bai Yunfei felt that climbing a mountain could be such a joyful experience. Looking back, he was practically a seasoned mountaineer by now. Since leaving Luoshi City, he had crossed countless peaks along his journey. Yet, every climb had been driven by the need to flee or the urgency of travel. When had he ever paused to truly experience it like this?
Or perhaps... it wasn't the mountain scenery that brought him joy, but the person walking beside him...
Bai Yunfei approached Liu Meng, who was waiting beneath a tree. He held out a bowl filled with clear mountain spring water. "Meng'er, are you tired? Should we rest here for a while?"
"Hehe, I'm fine," she replied, taking the bowl and sipping a small amount. "You forgot again, I am a Soul Master. This little walk is nothing. Let's continue upwards. We should reach the summit before noon."
Bai Yunfei took the bowl back from her and drained the remaining water in one gulp. The action caused a faint blush to rise on Liu Meng's cheeks.
"Alright then, if you say so, I don't mind. We can..."
"I... I mind! I mind!!" A voice, a mixture of indignation and breathlessness, came from behind them. They turned to see the little maid, Xiao Ning, hands planted firmly on her hips, bent over as she laboriously inched her way up the path towards them.
"Mi-Mistress... Young Master Yunfei..." she puffed out, finally reaching them and gasping for air, her lips pursed in displeasure. "You... you two are so unfair! Just because you're Soul Masters... you leave me behind... I'm... exhausted..."
Bai Yunfei and Liu Meng exchanged a glance, both looking slightly sheepish. Bai Yunfei studied Xiao Ning's pout and flushed face, then an idea sparked in his eyes. A mischievous grin touched his lips.
"Meng'er," he suggested, turning to Liu Meng with a smile. "How about we race? See who reaches the summit first?"
Liu Meng blinked, then immediately caught on. She glanced sideways at Xiao Ning, a glint of pure mischief appearing in her own eyes. "Alright! Let's race! But... you have to let me start first!"
Before Bai Yunfei could react, she was off. A breeze carrying her delicate fragrance swept past, her skirts fluttering like petals as she darted up the path. She moved with the lightness of a blue sprite, swiftly ascending the mountain.
Bai Yunfei only hesitated for a split second before understanding her ploy. Instead of immediately giving chase, he deliberately waited until Liu Meng had gained some distance. He then shot a quick, meaningful look at the still-stunned Xiao Ning, let out a hearty laugh, and flashed after Liu Meng.
"Hey! Hey!! Mistress! Young Master Yunfei!! You... you bullies!!" Xiao Ning's indignant shouts echoed up the slope, mingling with Liu Meng's clear, delighted laughter carried on the mountain wind. Bai Yunfei's own laughter rang out as he ran upwards.
In that moment, he felt a lightness and happiness he had never known before.
...
At the summit, Bai Yunfei and Liu Meng sat side by side on the grassy slope, gazing out over the vast expanse of forests and meadows below. A comfortable silence stretched between them.
A gentle breeze stirred, lifting a few strands of Liu Meng's dark hair. They brushed against Bai Yunfei's cheek, tickling him. Liu Meng noticed and offered him a soft smile, tucking the stray locks behind her ear.
"Yunfei... thank you." It was Liu Meng who broke the quiet, her eyes following a small bird as it soared past.
"Hmm? Why bring that up again? I told you, yesterday..."
"Not just yesterday. Today too." Bai Yunfei's protest was gently cut off. She shook her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on the distant landscape. "Thank you for agreeing to come out with me today. Usually, only Xiao Ning keeps me company. Though she is my maid, we are like sisters... But beyond her, I've hardly had any friends. When I was younger, my body was too frail. Later... because those who tried to get close all had ulterior motives... I didn't want any."
She plucked idly at a blade of grass before her. "Do you know? Even though I am a Soul Master... I don't live freely at all." Her voice was soft, tinged with a deep weariness. "To rid myself of this illness as soon as possible, I've spent almost all my time cultivating. The rare times I go out... it's only when I hit a bottleneck, a way to relax my mind."
"My father... he is a merchant." A shadow passed over her face. "To expand his business, he would use any means... even... treating my future as a bargaining chip."
"In the northeastern part of Qingyun Province, there is the Cold Ice Sect. One of its elders... surnamed Liu." Her fingers tightened slightly on the grass. "My father somehow managed to fabricate some distant, non-existent 'kinship' tie, hoping to gain the sect's support for his ventures."
"Then... he ingratiated himself with another elder of the Cold Ice Sect, Zhang Zhenshan. He started doing business with the Zhang family in Luoshi City. This thrilled him. To make the bond between our families even tighter... he 'betrothed' me to the Zhang family's young master, Zhang Yang."
"I was only fourteen then. I couldn't object. My father wouldn't allow it. My only hope was to reach the Soul Sprite realm quickly... so I would have the strength to refuse..."
A trace of disgust flickered in her eyes. "After that, Zhang Yang often sought me out. I could see it... it was only for his own base desires."
"My father's ties with the Zhang family grew stronger. The Zhangs were powerful, not to be offended. In the end... I even had to frequently visit Luoshi City... to pay respects to my 'future' parents-in-law..."
Her voice was laced with resignation and sorrow as she recounted this. Then, her tone shifted subtly.
"However... a short while ago, my father received news..." She paused, a complex expression crossing her features. "A month ago... that Zhang Yang... was killed!"