For ten consecutive days, Baili Weibu disappeared from school after the first morning class.
She behaved as usual in front of her family during these days, as if the conversation between father and daughter in the basement was merely an ancient and wonderful story she'd heard. She read comics, listened to music, and went to and from school.
However, as soon as she stepped onto the familiar paths in the forest, which she knew as well as the back of her hand, the first thing that came to her mind was how to truly break the cruel curse. Killing the Golden Lion seemed like it could save the Baili family, but that would only be temporary. The curse itself would still exist and continue to harm other members of the Baili family.
According to their "relatives," as long as they killed all the Golden Lions in the world, the curse would inevitably disappear. But was this method really effective? Even if it was effective, Baili Weibu couldn't just stand by and watch them carry it out.
She didn't know whether everything she was doing now was right or wrong. All she knew was that before Christmas Eve, she had to find the true method to completely break the curse!
Today was the day to deliver the final bottle of medicine.
Baili Weibu hurried to the clearing in the forest where they'd encountered the brown bear. After all, she had promised to meet him there these days. After his sister took the medicine, her injuries were almost healed, and the look in her eyes was no longer hostile.
She gradually approached the clearing. The lake next to the clearing had a thin layer of ice on its edge. The ice looked like tiny spots of light dancing in the sunlight around the crystal blue surface of the lake.
A soft and melodic song drifted from the lakeside.
She paused in her steps, her gaze shifting around the tree trunks—
It was him, sitting on a smooth bluestone by the lake, holding a sketchbook in one hand and a brush in the other, deeply engrossed in his work. The slanting beams of sunlight from above seemed to outline a pair of wings on his back, and even his handsome face appeared more radiant than usual.
Several deer and a hare stood quietly around him. An unknown bird perched on an empty spot on the bluestone, cocked its head and occasionally sang a few notes, as if in response to his singing.
Yes, he was singing, and his song flowed through the forest like a gently winding river.
She couldn't quite make out the lyrics, but she thought the melody was truly enchanting.
The sunshine, his song, and his serene demeanor made even the hard stone beneath her seem gentle.
This was the enemy that the Baili family had spent centuries trying to eradicate?!
This was the monster they described as utterly evil, one that feasted on humans and could assume human form to throw the world into disorder?!
Baili Weibu felt a stabbing pain in her head.
"You can also draw?" She glanced curiously at the sketchbook he had placed on the stone as she handed him the medicine.
"It's a pastime when I'm bored." He looked at her cheeks slightly reddened by the sun and said earnestly, "Thank you. No matter what happens in the future, I’m very grateful to God for letting me meet you."
"Go on now. Leave the rest to me. I'll definitely find a way to break that curse," she said, sticking her tongue out at him with mock ease.
He responded with a smile, waved to her, and then suddenly remarked, "You really look like a little pig when you sleep, and you even drool. Quite ugly, I must say."
"You!" Her eyebrows shot up.
He laughed heartily and then turned, disappearing into the dense forest.
As she watched him vanish into the distance, the smile on her face gradually faded.
She still hadn't found a solution. Her family's decision was even more solid than the stone beneath her, and they were just waiting for the Nine-color Sunflower to bloom before they took action.
He had left the sketchbook behind, and the mountain breeze rustled the sheets of paper on it.
She approached and picked up the sketchbook. On the pure white paper, there was a drawing of a young woman holding a bow and arrow, standing by the riverside. A singing bird with spread wings perched on her shoulder, and sunlight streamed down from tall spruce trees. In the distance, there was the faint outline of a man, sketched with just a few strokes, as if he were gazing towards the woman. He hadn't drawn her face, leaving it as an empty silhouette.
In the blank space on the drawing paper, there were several rows of beautifully written Chinese characters—
If we meet,
And I've forgotten the lyrics, will you remember the tune?
If we meet,
And I'm wandering in the twilight, will you light the way?
If we meet and I walk towards you,
Will it matter?
This must be the song he just sang. Baili Weibu suddenly felt her nose tingling.
So what if he was from the golden lion tribe? What he truly desired was nothing more than a simple and peaceful life.
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