I couldn't sleep at all.
Thinking about leaving this place so soon, leaving Ali, I felt so reluctant.
I turned my head to look at Ali. A gentle breeze stirred his quietly resting eyelashes.
His face, sleeping peacefully and exuding a faint milky fragrance, was truly captivating.
I couldn't help but reach out and gently touch his cheek, then smiled secretly before lying back down.
There were so many words hidden in my heart, yet the one phrase, "I like you," was something I couldn't bring myself to say.
If we cannot be together, why should there be any lingering attachment?
Letting one person pine, causing two to suffer.
Thinking of this, I sighed softly, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
Ali slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Muye.
It was as if he knew everything she had just done.
Ali smiled faintly, gazing at the starry sky, marveling at the beauty of the starlight tonight.
Then, he took out the grass ring Muye had given him and held it up to his eyes, looking at it for a long, long time.
Afterward, he also sighed softly, placing the grass ring back into his embrace and hiding it away.
As dawn approached, I suddenly heard a deer's call from the forest.
I rubbed my eyes and woke from my dream.
Turning over, I saw neither Ali nor the Heavenly Master.
Confused for a moment, I slowly got up, rubbing my eyes, and called out.
"Heavenly Master! Ali!"
At that moment, the sound of a deer's call came from behind me.
I turned around and saw several sika deer looking at me curiously.
On a whim, I asked them.
"Have you seen the Heavenly Master and Ali?
The Heavenly Master is that man who looks much older than us.
Ali is that boy who looks very cute, with a pair of furry ears.
And a big fluffy tail."
The sika deer looked at me with confusion, clearly.
They hadn't understood a word I was saying.
A gust of hot wind blew, and I felt an oppressive heat.
I turned to look and saw that the wildflowers covering the ground were gone.
Only the babbling stream was filled with lotus flowers.
However, there was still no sign of the Heavenly Master or Ali.
Just as I was about to call out again,
Suddenly, a shadow fell over me.
Turning my head, I saw Ali smiling brightly, holding a lotus leaf to shade me from the sun.
I hesitated for a moment, then reached out and hugged him tightly.
The words I had thought about for so long surged to my lips, and I spoke them incoherently.
"I don't want to go back, I don't want to go back."
He gently patted my back and said softly.
"Just choose what you want."
I let go of him and looked at him, wanting to say so much.
To tell him I liked him, to say let's be together, to say we'll never be apart.
However, I was just an ordinary human.
A human with a lifespan of only a hundred years, or even less.
And he, Ali, might live for hundreds or thousands of years.
If I liked him, I shouldn't leave him with endless darkness.
Letting him bear the remaining dark night, the endless heartache.
From beginning to end, I still couldn't say those words.
"Let's be together."
"I like you."
Even if I didn't go back, even if I wanted to stay, what could I accomplish in a mere hundred years?
With a sigh, I took out the hair I had already prepared and handed it to him.
"Ali, I'm so lucky to have met you.
I think you are the encounter I exchanged for all the luck of my past lives.
Now, I am about to leave. Please accept this lock of hair as a gift."
He took my hair, then stroked my head, saying softly.
"I will always remember you."
He pulled me into his embrace, holding me tightly.
The Heavenly Master watched all of this from a distance and sighed.
"These two little ones are quite a match, but fate has kept them apart. What a pity."
Saying this, he conjured a wine gourd from thin air and took a large gulp, looking up at the sky.
He then patted the letter he was holding in his embrace, as if mourning his unfulfilled love.
On the third day, the autumn wind blew, and the leaves turned yellow overnight.
I sat alone by the stream, picking up the fallen leaves that drifted with the current.
The closer it was to leaving, the more anxious I became.
My heart felt like a tangled mess of chaotic ropes, waiting with impatience.
Ali also picked up a few fallen leaves, strung them together, and playfully placed them on my head.
I touched them curiously, feeling the leaves.
Full of confusion.
"What is this?"
"A leaf chain. In our狸猫 (Límāo) tribe, whoever we value, we weave such a leaf chain for them.
It's given to the most important person."
"The most important person?"
My face immediately flushed. So, to him, I was also the most important person.
I couldn't control myself and threw myself into his arms.
A wave of emotion washed over me.
Before, in the human world, no one had ever taken me seriously, nor had anyone truly cared about me.
Now, I was someone cherished.
My eyes welled up slightly, and a few hot tears threatened to fall.
But I managed to hold them back.
Ali instructed.
"When you go back, live your life well. I see you don't take very good care of yourself."
Hearing his words, I could no longer hold back, and tears fell, tears of emotion.
Ali added.
"I've been very happy during the days I spent with you.
If I hadn't met you, I would still be wandering outside."
Hearing him say this, I couldn't help but let out a giggle.
Wiping my tears, I looked at him seriously, but I couldn't help but smile and ask him.
"After I leave, you should go back too. It's quite a long way from here to South Mountain.
You can travel and see the sights along the way, and you'll be home soon."
"Mm."
"Also..."
I suddenly remembered something.
"When you get back, build yourself a house.
Always sleeping in the forest and on the grass is cold in the morning and chilly at night, and it's not a home.
Having a house means having a home."
"Mm."
He nodded in agreement.
"Also..."
There were many, many other miscellaneous things I wanted to say.
"Also, remember me forever."
The Heavenly Master suddenly appeared, interjecting.
Ali and I turned around in surprise and saw the Heavenly Master with a smiling face.
The Heavenly Master laughed.
"Hahaha, what you two are saying is so amusing.
It's like a wife and her young husband about to embark on a long journey."
My face flushed with embarrassment, and I retorted.
"Not at all! Heavenly Master, you're too mischievous, eavesdropping on our conversation."
"I wasn't eavesdropping; I was listening openly."
"Everything you heard, it's so embarrassing."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? I quite enjoy watching you two being so affectionate."
What? The Heavenly Master also likes to ship couples? And he's doing it live? This was truly surprising.
I chuckled, my previous shyness vanishing instantly.
The Heavenly Master said.
"Say whatever you want to say, whatever you want to leave behind.
After tomorrow, there will be no more chances."
Ali nodded slightly.
"Alright, I'll tell Muye everything I need to instruct her on."
"Not just that..."
Saying this, the Heavenly Master, with a smile, walked over to Ali and patted his chest.
"Here too, you should say something, shouldn't you?"
He was referring to the heart!
Ali, seemingly understanding but not quite, touched his chest with his hand.
The Heavenly Master smiled faintly, waved his hand, and said.
"Some things, you need to figure out for yourself. I won't say too much.
I hope you understand soon."
With that, the Heavenly Master left with a cheerful demeanor, leaving Ali and me alone.
I looked at Ali with a shy expression, one hand lightly brushing the messy hair by my ear.
Ali suddenly smiled and asked me.
"What are you doing?"
"I, I I I, oh my, you wouldn't understand."
"Hahaha, what's there not to understand? I understand everything."
"You understand everything?"
I was full of doubt. Did he understand my heart, my love, my hints?
Thinking of this, I was overjoyed and pressed him.
"Do you really understand everything?"
"Yes, your hair is messy."
"Ah! Just, just this?"
"Mm."
"You must be lying to me."
"No more."
Saying this, Ali ran off behind me, and I chased after him.
At night, the autumn wind picked up, and a chill crept into my heart.
Ali and I lay side-by-side on the grass, gazing at the starry sky, and we naturally drew closer.
Ali raised his hand as if to touch the unreachable stars.
I pointed to the brightest star and said to him.
"In my world, that star represents guidance.
After I leave, if you miss me, just look up at the sky, look at that star.
I will be in a place where the star can see me, looking at you too."
Ali showed a sweet smile and agreed.
"Okay."
I raised my hand slightly, caressing the back of his hand, and our fingers intertwined.
Ali turned his head in surprise, unable to suppress a chuckle.
So, he really did know.
He sat up, reached out his free hand, and covered my eyes, saying softly.
"Sleep now. This is the last time we'll sleep on the grass."
I nodded slightly and, with his company, gently fell asleep.
Seeing me asleep, Ali gently withdrew his hand and looked up at the starry sky alone.
Especially that brightest, most twinkling star. From now on, it would represent Muye.
He reached out again, took out the grass ring from his embrace, and looked at it repeatedly.
Although it wasn't made of gold or precious gems,
He cherished it as if it were a peerless treasure, holding it in his palm, his heart filled with joy.
On the fourth morning.
Heavy snow began to fall in the valley, blanketing the entire valley in a thick layer.
The surroundings turned white, like the dreamlike snow scenes I often saw in my dreams.
It was truly enchanting.
The cold wind blew, making me shiver. I sneezed and slowly woke up.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the vast expanse of white, the snow covering the entire valley.
Having rarely seen snowscapes, I was immediately astonished, forgetting the cold.
I jumped up and exclaimed.
"It's snowing! It's snowing! It's so beautiful!"
Ali smiled faintly, his gaze following me softly.
Then, he raised his hand and beckoned.
"Muye, come here."
Hearing him, I walked closer to him.
He suddenly took off his clothes and draped them over me.
I was slightly taken aback and quickly said.
"I'm not cold."
Just as I was about to pull the clothes off and return them to him,
Ali reached out and stopped my movement.
He said with a sweet smile.
"Don't you remember? I'm a 狸猫 (Límāo). I'm not afraid of the cold."
"But, it's winter here, and even 狸猫 (Límāo) would feel cold in winter."
He narrowed his eyes and said mysteriously.
"I have a magic treasure."
Saying this, he took out a leaf from his thin inner garment.
It transformed into a thick coat, which he put on.
Then, he rubbed my body with his hands, and his coat instantly became warm.
I was overjoyed and exclaimed excitedly.
"It's so warm."
Ali stroked my head, full of affection.
"Cough cough! Shouldn't I also have a coat?"
The Heavenly Master appeared behind us at some point and said abruptly.
Ali looked up and smiled.
"You can."
So, he took another leaf from his embrace and transformed it into a fur coat, handing it to the Heavenly Master.
Seeing the coat, the Heavenly Master laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, you really made one for me! Ali is the best."
Saying this, he took the coat without any hesitation and put it on.
Then, he generously unbuckled his gourd from his waist and offered it to us.
"This wine can ward off the cold. Come, have a drink each."
I took the wine gourd and took a hasty sip.
Instantly, I felt warmth spread through my body, and I was no longer afraid of the cold.
I handed the wine gourd to Ali. Ali took the gourd, took a sip, and returned it to the Heavenly Master.
The Heavenly Master took the gourd, took a big gulp, and said slowly.
"The eminent monk will be here soon. Let's go up and wait for him."
"Mm."
I responded softly, my gaze unconsciously drifting towards Ali.
The Heavenly Master led us up to a high point overlooking the valley to await the eminent monk's arrival.
We sat on the swept stone slabs.
Like three little wooden figures, we waited from daytime until dusk.
Even when a red sun hung high in the west, there was still no sign of the eminent monk.
Ali propped his chin on his hands and asked listlessly.
"Heavenly Master, when will that eminent monk arrive?"
The Heavenly Master said.
"Soon, soon, don't be impatient."
I turned my head, tapped Ali's forehead with one finger, and pouted slightly, expressing my dissatisfaction.
"Do you want me to leave that badly?"
Ali sat up straight, looked at me, and suddenly smiled.
"I just don't want you to wait too long."
So gentle, so considerate, so touching.
The slight resentment in my heart instantly transformed into blooming flowers, sprouting one after another.
I suddenly felt shy, my face flushing, and I couldn't help but smile.
The Heavenly Master, seeing this, shook his head helplessly and sighed inwardly.
"Young people nowadays are getting better and better at being sweet and loving."
Then, we continued to wait for the eminent monk, waiting until we were drowsy and weary.
Just then, the Heavenly Master suddenly shouted.
"The eminent monk is here!"
Hearing the shout, I immediately perked up and looked down into the valley.
Suddenly, I saw a bald monk in a kasaya, holding prayer beads, walking slowly from the end of the stream. Wherever he stepped, it was as if spring had arrived, with flowers blooming at his feet.
It was truly magical.
The small animals in the forest seemed to hear a summons.
They all ran out from the woods, surrounding the eminent monk and shouting excitedly.
"Let's go down."
The Heavenly Master said.
From a distance, he waved to the eminent monk.
"Eminent Monk! Long time no see!"
As we approached, I took a closer look.
I realized that this eminent monk had clear features and a radiant face.
He was like the Tang Monk described in the book "Journey to the West."
He exuded the refined air of an enlightened monk.
The eminent monk turned his head, smiled faintly, and replied to him.
"So it's the Heavenly Master. It's been a hundred years, are you well?"
"All is well."
His gaze swept past the Heavenly Master and fell upon Ali and me.
He asked curiously.
"Who are these two?"
"Oh, this is Ali, and this is Liu Muye.
We have come to seek your help with something.
This young lady is also a human who accidentally came to this other world, and now she needs to be sent back."
The Heavenly Master explained in detail.
The eminent monk looked at me, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.