The sun slowly set, and the land sank into a silent darkness.
For the first time, Nan Shan wished that daytime in Sunjia Village could be as long as in Dongyi.
But it was only a passing thought — she still had unfinished business and couldn’t keep running away.
On her way back from the fields, Nan Shan ran into Xi Yuan, who looked as carefree as ever.
“What a coincidence, we meet again,” Xi Yuan said with a light laugh.
Nan Shan gave him a glance.
“I want to go say goodbye to my father and mother.”
“As you should.”
Xi Yuan straightened her collar for her and made a polite gesture.
Nan Shan didn’t look at him again and walked straight home.
Liu Jinhua and Sun Jin were preparing dinner.
When they saw her return, they greeted her immediately.
“There’s not much food left at home. We’ve made some porridge and boiled some salted duck eggs. You and Lingye can make do with that for now. I’ll go buy groceries in the morning and make something nice.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Nan Shan said, glancing behind her at the empty space.
“But no need to wait for them. Let’s just eat as a family.”
Liu Jinhua paused. “Why?”
“They had something come up and won’t be home for dinner,” Nan Shan lied casually.
Liu Jinhua responded with an “oh” and turned to urge Sun Jin to serve the food.
“Got it, always so impatient…” Sun Jin muttered as he lifted the steaming pot lid.
The three of them served the porridge and sat in the courtyard. Sun Jin peeled a salted duck egg, pressed it with his chopsticks until the oily yolk squeezed out, and placed it in Nan Shan’s bowl. Liu Jinhua did the same.
Nan Shan sighed. “Father, Mother, you should eat it yourselves.”
“We like the egg whites,” Sun Jin said with a chuckle.
Liu Jinhua nodded.
“That’s right, we love egg whites.”
Nan Shan smiled and stirred the yolk into her porridge.
After a long moment, she said, “Father, Mother, I might be leaving for a while.”
Liu Jinhua and Sun Jin looked at her sharply.
“I have something to take care of and can’t stay home with you for now.”
She paused, then said seriously, “But I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Liu Jinhua stared at her for a long time before suddenly lowering her head to eat.
“Alright, then go.”
“Is it dangerous?”
Sun Jin couldn’t help but ask.
Nan Shan shook her head.
“Not really.”
“So it’s a little dangerous…” Sun Jin, like any parent, read into her words immediately and looked worried.
“What should we do? How about I go with you?”
Nan Shan chuckled, but before she could speak, Liu Jinhua interrupted, “You’re just a mortal with bad legs. You’d only be in the way.”
“That’s not fair — I still have some strength left!”
Sun Jin muttered.
Liu Jinhua ignored him and turned to Nan Shan.
“Be safe and come back soon.”
Nan Shan nodded obediently.
“I will.”
“When are you leaving?”
Liu Jinhua asked.
“Tonight,” Nan Shan replied.
“Oh.”
Liu Jinhua took another sip of porridge but suddenly lost her appetite.
She set down her bowl and chopsticks and stood up.
“I’ll go borrow some rice, flour, and eggs from your grand-uncle’s house and make some flatbreads for you to take. I’ll borrow some silver too. You need food on the road.”
“Mother!” Nan Shan quickly grabbed her.
“There’s no need for that. I don’t need it.”
“How could you not need food? You have to eat,” Liu Jinhua frowned.
Nan Shan smiled reassuringly.
“I really don’t need it. You don’t know — I’m pretty amazing now. I don’t need to eat every day…”
She trailed off as she caught sight of Liu Jinhua’s reddening eyes.
Sun Jin had already turned his head to secretly wipe away tears.
Liu Jinhua forced a smile and asked again, “You’ll come back soon, really?”
Nan Shan opened her mouth, but it took a while before she murmured, “Mother…”
“Oh come on, don’t guilt-trip the child,” Sun Jin cut in, annoyed.
“You know what Nan Shan is like. She wouldn’t leave us unless it was serious. Don’t make her feel worse.”
“Yes, yes, it’s my fault,” Liu Jinhua forced another smile.
“Nan Shan, just go. Don’t worry about us. Your father and I are in good health and can take care of ourselves.”
“Mother…” Nan Shan suddenly interrupted.
Liu Jinhua fell silent.
“Do you… already know…” Nan Shan didn’t know how to phrase it.
Liu Jinhua smiled, eyes full of motherly love.
“Your father and I are mere mortals, with dull eyes. But no matter how dull a parent is, how could they not recognize their own child?”
Hearing her suspicions confirmed, Nan Shan’s eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself into Liu Jinhua’s arms with a sob.
“There, there, you’re a grown woman,” Liu Jinhua said gently, stroking her head.
“Lingye’s not good at hiding things. Just looking at him, I knew you might be going through something difficult. But I also knew you were still alive, so I didn’t feel sad.”
“Yes, yes, not sad at all,” Sun Jin echoed.
Nan Shan pouted and peeked out from Liu Jinhua’s embrace.
Liu Jinhua looked at her face for a long time before laughing.
“This is my thirty-year-old daughter.”
A thirty-year-old daughter, still alive and well.
“That’s enough for us,” she said softly.
“We won’t ask where you’re going or for how long. Just promise us — wherever you are, live well.”
Nan Shan nodded.
“I promise.”
She spent half an hour finishing dinner, said goodbye to her parents, and just before leaving, she felt something in her clothes — a gold nugget.
Remembering how Xi Yuan had fixed her collar earlier, she realized it must have been from him.
After a moment of hesitation, she handed the gold to her parents.
After saying her goodbyes, Nan Shan left.
As expected, Xi Yuan was still there, hauntingly persistent.
Behind him stood Lingye.
Nan Shan looked past Xi Yuan, her gaze landing directly on Lingye.
But Lingye was still upset about her earlier declaration to break off their engagement and ignored her, walking straight up to Xi Yuan.
Xi Yuan’s eyelid twitched.
On one hand, he figured the Underworld’s young master wouldn’t be foolish enough to start a fight in a mortal village.
On the other, Lingye’s ominous energy made him uneasy.
“What can I do for you, young master?”
He asked politely, as the victor.
Lingye’s expression was calm.
“If she dies, I’ll burn Qingqiu to the ground and make sure your parents and ancestors can’t rest in peace.”
Xi Yuan:
Lingye turned to leave.
“Lingye,” Nan Shan called out to him.
Lingye paused mid-step but didn’t look back.
Nan Shan had no choice but to catch up and block his path.
Lingye was forced to stop, his eyes filled with wariness.
“I said, I won’t break off the engagement.”
“That’s not what I want to talk about.”
She had already mentioned it earlier, and he’d been so furious that he nearly dug up the graves in the field.
Nan Shan didn’t dare bring it up again.
Lingye frowned.
“Then what do you want?”
Nan Shan pressed her lips together and reached out her hand.
“Can I see Shouxin one more time?”
“Shouxin?”
Lingye was puzzled.
Nan Shan nodded, looking at him with anticipation.
Lingye slowly understood.
He pulled a cluster of light from his chest.
The light had clearly been confined too long—once it emerged, it danced joyfully, spinning three circles around Nan Shan’s fingers before settling in her palm.
Nan Shan smiled and gently said goodbye to the little ball of light, “This will probably be the last time we meet. I hope in your next life… you can be a carefree child again.”
The ball of light seemed to sense something and wrapped around her fingers, reluctant to let go.
Nan Shan’s eyelashes trembled.
She pried it off with effort and placed it firmly back in Lingye’s hand.
Her sorrow was so evident that even the killing aura around Lingye began to dissipate.
After a long silence, Lingye said, “The ruler of the underworld has the power to guide souls into reincarnation. When I return, I’ll ask my father to find him a good family.”
“Thank you,” Nan Shan said sincerely.
Lingye pursed his lips and said nothing more.
Looking at his cold expression, Nan Shan suddenly stepped forward and hugged him.
Lingye froze. Just as he was about to return the hug, she let go.
“Lingye, I truly am grateful to you,” she said earnestly.
Just grateful? Lingye wanted to ask, but held back.
His face turned cold again.
“Go back now. Say hello to Immortal Father for me,” Nan Shan said with a smile.
Lingye gave her a deep look and left.
Watching the direction he disappeared in, Nan Shan suddenly recalled her days in the underworld.
Back then, she’d thought that once she passed her twentieth birthday, she’d live a long life. She never imagined today’s situation.
There was a time when she had truly looked forward to becoming the Young Lord’s wife.
“Did you enjoy the view?”
Xi Yuan suddenly leaned in.
Nan Shan resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“That gold piece—was it from you?”
“Though pretending to be you wasn’t my idea, your parents treated me very well. Just consider it a parting gift,” Xi Yuan said offhandedly.
Nan Shan: “Oh.”
“I thought you’d be a little more grateful,” Xi Yuan raised an eyebrow.
“It wasn’t much, but enough to let two elderly villagers live comfortably for the rest of their lives.”
“You said it yourself—they treated you well.”
Xi Yuan grunted but didn’t argue.
“So isn’t it your duty to repay them?”
Nan Shan countered.
She looked again in the direction Lingye had gone, a bit dazed.
“Keep staring like that and you’ll turn into a ‘Waiting Wife Rock’,” Xi Yuan teased.
Nan Shan’s expression instantly cooled.
She shot him a glare.
“If you shut up, no one will mistake you for a mute.”
“I used to think mortal men were all unfaithful scoundrels, and women were always fiercely loyal,” Xi Yuan said with a half-smile.
“But now it seems some women fall for whoever they meet.”
Nan Shan ignored him and kept walking.
“Hey, slow down, what’s the rush?”
Xi Yuan followed at a leisurely pace.
Nan Shan didn’t look back.
Xi Yuan chuckled and quickened his pace to catch up.
The two of them walked—one ahead, one behind—soon leaving Sun Family Village behind.
They passed nearby towns, and by the time their shoes were worn through, Nan Shan finally stopped, glaring at Xi Yuan.
“What do you want?”
Xi Yuan asked innocently, his silver-gray hair cascading like silk.
“Where are we going?”
Nan Shan asked.
“You finally thought to ask?”
Xi Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Nan Shan took a deep breath.
“If I hadn’t asked, you wouldn’t have said anything?”
“I was just curious when you’d ask,” Xi Yuan replied with a smile.
Nan Shan gave him a blank look.
“Don’t be mad,” Xi Yuan said, finding a rock to sit on.
“Why do I feel like your temper’s gotten worse since we came back from Dongyi Island? Was it the resentment there?”
“Bullshit.”
Nan Shan snapped.
“Oh?”
Xi Yuan pretended to realize something.
“Then someone must’ve spoiled you.”
Nan Shan picked up a rock and hurled it at him.
“Why do you talk so much crap?”
Xi Yuan laughed.
“Such a temper.”
Nan Shan ignored him and lay down by the roadside, falling asleep.
Xi Yuan looked at her now-dusty clothes and showed a pained expression.
“You’re a girl—can’t you be a little cleaner?!”
Upon hearing this, Nan Shan provocatively rolled on the ground.
Great—now she was completely filthy.
Xi Yuan took a deep breath.
“Get up.”
“What for?”
Nan Shan opened one eye a sliver.
Xi Yuan gave a fake smile.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to sleep? I’m taking you to an inn.”
Nan Shan opened both eyes and looked at him thoughtfully.