Although Ouyang Huai had passed away, the servants of the Ouyang residence still delivered the promised ten thousand taels of gold as agreed.
Chai Xiaomi had thought the chest was filled with actual gold, but when she opened it, she found neatly stacked piles of banknotes worth far more than ten thousand taels.
A young servant stepped forward and said, "Miss Xiaomi, my master instructed me to tell you that the ill-gotten gains from selling Red Flame Sand have been distributed to the miners and their families. As for the rest, it is entirely yours to decide how to use."
With that, he bowed and retreated, then turned and left.
Chai Xiaomi stared at the stack of banknotes, momentarily lost in thought.
Just then, the flower girls gathered around her in small groups. Learning that Xiaomi would be leaving Qianwu Town, their eyes reddened as they held her hands, unwilling to let go.
One said, "Xiaomi, after you leave, who will teach us how to put on makeup?" Another added, "No one will tell us jokes anymore." A few of the younger ones already had tears welling in their eyes.
Chai Xiaomi looked at them and suddenly smiled.
Truth be told, the jokes she told weren't funny at all. It was just that these girls were trapped here, day after day learning only the skills to please others, without any exposure to interesting things.
"Use this to buy back your indentures," she said, pushing the chest of banknotes forward, her voice crisp and clear. "From now on, you're all free. Do whatever you want, go wherever you please. No more confinement to this tiny place."
The flower girls froze.
They exchanged glances, looking from one to another.
No one knew who started crying first.
Chai Xiaomi stood there, surrounded by a group of girls sobbing their hearts out, feeling at a loss. She rubbed her nose and muttered softly, "Don't cry... This is a good thing..."
Not far away.
Jiang Zhiyu was busily tugging at Song Yueyao's shoulder bag, eager to help. "Yao Yao, let me carry that for you."
Song Yueyao stared straight ahead. "No need, I've got plenty of strength."
Jiang Zhiyu didn't give up. He pointed at Xiaomi, who was surrounded by the flower girls, and said with a helpless expression, "Look at Xiaomi, having the time of her life playing with the girls, leaving Wu Li to pack up on the rooftop. Usually, when she's hungry, it's 'Li Li,' when she's tired, it's 'Li Li,' when she's exhausted, it's 'Li Li.' You can order me around anytime too. Go enjoy yourself for a bit—don't carry everything on your own and stay so tense."
Song Yueyao finally turned to him and called out, "Jiang Zhiyu."
His eyes lit up as he happily responded, "Yeah!"
"Shut up."
"..."
Silence fell.
After a quiet moment, Song Yueyao suddenly looked around, frowning slightly. "Jiang Zhiyu, don't you think something feels off?"
Jiang Zhiyu was startled. "Off? What's off?"
"Oh, I know," he said, whipping out a folding fan and snapping it open with a flourish, fanning himself a couple of times. "Yao Yao, you've been picking up new slang from Xiaomi lately, haven't you? Are you trying to say I'm strangely handsome?"
Song Yueyao chose selective deafness.
"I keep feeling like someone's been watching us from the shadows these past few days," she muttered, scanning the surroundings, but finding nothing, she wondered if she was just being paranoid.
Jiang Zhiyu perked up even more at that. "Well, that's only natural, isn't it? After all, a gentleman as charming, generous, and handsome as I am is bound to attract some attention wherever he goes."
Three seconds later.
Chai Xiaomi ran over cheerfully, her eyes immediately locking onto Jiang Zhiyu's hair. "Hey, Brother Yu, the volume on top of your hair crown today looks amazing! Got any tips? Teach me quick!"
Jiang Zhiyu touched his head and sighed with a wry smile. "Earned through tears and pain. But in the end, it's worth it, since a beating means affection and a scolding means love."
Song Yueyao said nothing. Expressionless, she gave him another sharp knock on the same spot.
Only after hitting him did she realize Chai Xiaomi was staring at her intently. She forced a smile, trying to appear especially gentle, hoping to salvage her image from being too violent and ruthless in Xiaomi's eyes.
But then Chai Xiaomi, eyes wide with anticipation, poked the top of her own head and leaned in eagerly. "Sister Yao, could you give me one, too?"
Song Yueyao's mouth twitched slightly. "That... probably isn't a good idea, right?"
Chai Xiaomi: "No worries."
Song Yueyao: "You might not worry, but I might."
Chai Xiaomi: "?"
She was about to say more when Yan Xingxiao strode over. "Time to say goodbye again. I still have a shipment to deliver, so my wife, me, and the escort brothers need to head south quickly."
"I never expected to pick up two more people for my escort team on this trip."
He glanced back, then turned to the three of them, cupped his hands solemnly, and said, "The mountains are high and the roads are long—take care, everyone. As I always say, if fate allows, we'll meet again!"
Chai Xiaomi imitated Yan Xingxiao's gesture, seriously cupping her hands in return and answering her own question: "Will we meet again, Swallow? Yes, we will!"
Yan Xingxiao was suddenly flustered by this cute nickname. The burly man blushed bashfully, scratched his head, and asked, "What about Mr. Wu Li and Master Ji? I wanted to say goodbye to them too."
Chai Xiaomi glanced up at the top floor of the Illusory Sound Pavilion, a little puzzled.
Wu Li was usually quick with things—why was it taking him so long to pack today?
Song Yueyao remembered the argument between Master Ji and Wu Li at the Ouyang residence not long ago, and now both of them were missing at the same time. Frowning, she took the lead. "I'll go upstairs to get them."
Jiang Zhiyu followed closely behind. "Yao Yao, wait for me. I'm coming too."
Chai Xiaomi didn't follow. Her gaze quietly rested on the group of escort fighters under Yan Xingxiao. They had just finished organizing a shipment and were distributing horses to the team. Two new members had joined—volunteers who asked to become part of the escort crew.
Xiangyun and Xiaoman, having packed up, came hand in hand to say goodbye to Chai Xiaomi.
Xiaomi didn't absorb the words of gratitude. She just stared blankly at Xiaoman's spirited eyes, no longer dull and lost as before.
Though the burn scars on his face were still hideous, those eyes were so bright they almost made people overlook his appearance.
She suddenly asked, "Xiaoman, when did your eyes get better?"
"About after your wedding, Miss Xiaomi," Xiaoman said, meeting her gaze with a gentle look and a faint smile. "When I woke up the next morning, my sight was suddenly clear, and slowly I could make out things. I think it must be the blessing from your wedding feast. Xiangyun always told me you looked like you brought good fortune, and it turns out she was right."
He spoke sincerely, his face full of genuine joy.
But Chai Xiaomi couldn't share in that happiness.
She lowered her eyelashes, trembling slightly, and whispered to herself, "Suddenly... you could see..."
Yan Xingxiao had already returned to the escort group, seemingly helping to load something heavy onto the cart. Xiangyun ran back first. Xiaoman had just turned around when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Because he had heard three words he thought he'd never hear again—
"Luo You'an."
The voice was extremely soft, as faint as a mosquito's hum.
Yet he still caught it.
After a moment’s pause, he stiffly turned his head back, his voice trembling slightly: "Miss Xiaomi, what... what did you just call me?"
Chai Xiaomi looked at him and suddenly asked softly, "Do you truly understand the game of Go?"
Before he could answer, she continued on her own: "Sometimes, when a game of Go ends, everyone thinks the outcome is decided in the final moves. But in fact, what truly determines life or death is a single stone placed in the corner during the opening. That stone has been suppressed all along, never lifted, and never mentioned by anyone."
Xiaoman paused, his expression hesitant: "Could the young lady explain more clearly?"
She smiled, but the corners of her eyes were moist: "I’ve said all I can. Young Master Luo is a clever man; you’ll figure it out eventually. Well, even if you don’t, that's fine—I've suddenly thought of something very interesting."
"The solar term Xiaoman usually falls on May 21st or 22nd in the Gregorian calendar, but in very rare cases, it also appears on May 20th."
"You may not know, Young Master Luo, but the number 520 has another meaning in my hometown."
"It represents the meaning of 'I love you,'" Chai Xiaomi said with a smile. "Xiaoman, that’s truly a nice name."
Xiaoman, the three words you’ve always held back, I’ve said them for you.
From now on, no one in this world will owe that confession.
From now on, the wind returns to the wind, and dust returns to dust.
Chai Xiaomi recalled what Wu Li had once said—that even if one lost all five senses, they would still recognize the one they loved.
Yes, in a way, Luo You’an was never the right match for Hongxiao.
"Someone else! Lift harder!" Yan Xingxiao’s voice rang out again.
The young man stirred and turned to help. His eyes, now restored to light, flickered with a trace of melancholy. Even he himself did not understand why a pang of pain had struck his heart.
