Night settled fully over the forest not long afterward.
The fire burned steadily in the middle of the small camp, its warm glow lighting everyone's tired faces while darkness stretched endlessly beyond the trees.
The deeper the night became, the colder the air grew.
Even the forest sounded different now.
Han Li slowly moved closer to the fire until she was practically hugging her knees beside it.
"I miss walls," she muttered sadly. "And roofs. And beds."
Wu Lian immediately rolled her eyes.
"You were complaining inside the village too."
"That was before I discovered forests make terrifying noises at night."
"You are scared of everything."
"I am cautious."
"You nearly cried because of a rabbit earlier."
"That rabbit jumped out suddenly!"
Li Shan quietly shook his head while trying not to laugh.
Honestly—
The two of them had argued almost the entire day without getting tired.
