After all the commotion that afternoon, the crowd eventually dispersed, returning to their own affairs as if nothing had happened. Sui Sui calmly contacted the city mayor's office, and soon enough, the thief was escorted away without further fuss.
He didn't spare the man a second glance. Whatever fate awaited him, Sui Sui didn't care to know, he simply didn't want to see that face ever again.
The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully, or at least, on the surface it did. Everything seemed to be going well, yet Sui Sui couldn't shake off the nagging feeling tugging at him.
Sui Sui cast a glance toward Yizhou, who was seated quietly in the corner. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual, he wasn't crying, not even visibly upset. In fact, he looked... calm.
But no, that wasn't quite right. Not calm.
There was a strange stillness about him, the kind that made the hairs on the back of Sui Sui's neck stand up a bit. Yizhou's face was blank, unnervingly so, his golden eyes dull and unfocused as if staring straight through the room.
It wasn't just the silence that disturbed Sui Sui, but the absence of anything, no flicker of emotion, no sign of thought. Just a hollow stillness, heavy and impenetrable, like something vital had been drained from him.
That quiet presence of his, usually soft and pitiful, now felt distant. As though the boy sitting there wasn't really Yizhou, but something wearing his skin, waiting in silence.
It wasn't just Sui Sui who sensed it. Even Ning-shijie, standing nearby, had paused mid-motion, her gaze subtly drifting toward Yizhou. Clearly, she had noticed it too.
Something wasn't right.
"Junior Brother Suisui, is your Junior Brother Yizhou alright? He looks like he's just lost his soul," Ning-shijie leaned over and tapped Sui Sui's shoulder, her tone light, as if trying to lift the heavy air around them.
Sui Sui glanced back at the boy in the corner and sighed softly. "I'm not sure either… maybe he's still shaken from earlier?" he said, his voice trailing off with uncertainty.
Ning-shijie hummed in thought, then suggested, "Well, it's already evening, and there's not much left to do around here. Why don't you head home first? Walk around the city a bit, see if it cheers him up."
"Is that alright?" Sui Sui blinked at her. He lowered his voice deliberately and added, "Won't managing the store be too much for Shijie?"
Ning-shijie snorted. "Ha! I'm already this old, and you think I can't handle a little store without a brat like you?" She gave him a teasing pat on the head. "Go on, take your little brother and enjoy the evening. Consider it a special mission from your Shijie."
Then, as if remembering something, she reached into her qiankun pouch and pulled out a small pouch. "Here, your wage for the day."
Sui Sui took the pouch and peeked inside, only to widen his eyes in surprise. "Three spiritual coins?"
"That's right," she said, grinning. "Hazard pay."
In the cultivation world, there were two main forms of currency: gold coins and spiritual coins.
Gold coins were the most commonly used by ordinary people and in some cases a few cultivators too. They could be used to purchase everyday items such as food, clothing, housing, and even some basic cultivation tools: like low-grade talismans that didn't require much spiritual qi to craft.
Spiritual coins, on the other hand, were mostly used by cultivators or the wealthy. These were required for buying higher-tier items like pills, formation arrays, magical weapons, and other goods infused with spiritual energy.
The exchange rate of the two was: one spiritual coin was equivalent to a thousand gold coins. While a single spiritual coin wasn't considered a large amount by cultivators, to common folk, it was a small fortune. Just one spiritual coin could feed a family of four for three whole months.
And now, Sui Sui had earned three spiritual coins for a single day's work at the shop. That was nine thousand gold coins ah!
"Senior Sister, this is too much bah. Take it back," Sui Sui said as he tried to return the extra spiritual coins, holding them out with both hands.
"Don't return it," Ning-shijie waved her hand with exaggerated annoyance. "It's not too much at all. One spiritual coin is your wage, one for little brother Yizhou, and the last one, consider it my treat. Try giving it back and I'll really get angry at you," she said, puffing up her cheeks in mock threat as she grinned proudly.
Sui Sui blinked, caught off guard by her stubborn generosity. His fingers curled around the coins in his palm, warmth blooming in his chest. He looked at her seriously, eyes sincere. She was clearly trying to cheer them both up in her own way.
He didn't refuse again. Instead, he tucked the coins away and made a silent note in his heart.
This kindness that the people in the sect gave him… he'd definitely repay it one day.
Sui Sui gathered his things and packed up before making his way over to the quiet figure in the corner. Yizhou had been sitting there motionless, but the moment he sensed someone approaching, he slowly lifted his head.
His expression, which had been frighteningly blank just moments ago, shifted in an instant. The cold detachment in his eyes melted away the moment they landed on Sui Sui, replaced by something softer.
"Gege, are we going home now?" Yizhou asked, his voice quiet but steady. Without hesitation, he reached out his small hands toward him, the gesture so natural it was almost instinctive.
Sui Sui's lips curved into a gentle smile. He stepped closer and took Yizhou's hand, their fingers slotting together with familiar ease.
"Yeah," he said, his tone light. Then, with a coaxing lilt, he added, "By the way, how's your knee? Can you stand?"
Yizhou nodded at once. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore," he said, his smile surprisingly bright, so genuine that the eerie stillness from earlier felt almost like a dream.
"Okay then," Sui Sui chuckled softly, giving the boy's hand a reassuring squeeze. "But before we go home… How about we have a little fun first? Qi Lou City gets really lively at night. Let's walk around, hmm?"
Yizhou blinked, surprised. Then the dullness in his eyes was quickly chased away by a flicker of curiosity.
He gave a small, eager nod. "Mm."
For the next few hours, the two wandered through the city like free-spirited chicks on their first stroll outside the nest.
Every stall that caught their eye, they inspected with great interest. Any food that smelled good, they bought and shared, taking bites and pointing fingers like two little gourmands. Whenever they passed a street performer, they stopped and watched with rapt attention, clapping enthusiastically after each act.
The city buzzed around them with noise and laughter, and they blended right in, just a pair of carefree children with no burdens.
It wasn't until the moon hung high above them, casting a soft glow over the cobbled streets, that they finally decided to head home.
On the way back, Sui Sui suddenly noticed that Yizhou had stopped walking. He turned around to look at the boy, puzzled.
"What is it? Got too tired? Want gege to carry you on his back?" he teased, already crouching down a little like he was about to offer a piggyback.
Yizhou, however, shook his head. His eyes weren't on Sui Sui, they were locked on a small stall nearby.
Sui Sui followed his gaze. It was a humble setup run by an old man, and laid out on a cloth were several wooden swords, slightly worn but polished clean.
"Yizhou… do you want Gege to buy you a wooden sword?" Sui Sui asked, already able to guess the answer
The boy turned to him, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. "Can I get one, Gege?" he asked, voice rising in hope.
"Of course. Gege will buy you everything you want," Sui Sui said with a proud little laugh. He strode over to the stall without hesitation. "Though… these swords look a bit big. Can you even use one?"
"It's okay," Yizhou said quickly, gripping Sui Sui's sleeve with determination. "I… I'll practice hard to use it."
Sui Sui looked at him, slightly stunned by the sudden eagerness in that small voice. Then he smiled.
"Alright then," he said. "Pick the one you like best."
In the end, the two of them bought a simple wooden sword from the stall. Yizhou was so delighted that he refused to part with it even on the walk home. He clutched it tightly in his arms, treating it like a precious treasure. Despite its weight, he didn't once let the blade touch the ground, too afraid it would get dirty.
"Yizhou, did you enjoy playing outside today?" Sui Sui asked with a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
The boy gave a soft "Mn," barely a sound, but his eyes were bright. He didn't even look up as he answered, just kept walking, the wooden sword hugged tightly to his chest.
Seeing how happy the boy was now, Sui Sui figured this might be a good time to bring up what had happened earlier.
Though the boy's mood had clearly improved, Sui Sui couldn't help but feel a lingering worry about his earlier behaviour.
Earlier, Yizhou had looked very off. He hadn't done anything alarming, hadn't spoken a word out of place, yet his eyes had seemed strangely vacant, as if his soul had momentarily slipped away. That empty, faraway look unsettled Sui Sui more than he wanted to admit. It was a little frightening, but more than that, it made his chest tighten with concern.
He was worried that behind Yizhou's silence was something heavy, something painful. And if that was the case, Sui Sui didn't want him to bear it alone. Not if he could help it.
He glanced at the boy beside him, then spoke gently, coaxing.
"Then Yizhou, can you tell Gege why you've been so quiet the whole afternoon?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Yizhou came to a slow stop.
—---