Xu Peng had a dream. In it, he became utterly obsessed with marionette puppetry, spending his days watching puppets dance gracefully on a small red stage, guided by strings.

Enchanted by the puppet shows on that stage, he was so delighted he decided to learn marionette art himself.

His family scolded and beat him, but seeing he couldn’t be stopped, they finally let him be.

From then on, it was unstoppable. Carrying a wooden box, he wandered across mountains and rivers, performing everywhere. Through all seasons and harsh weather, he lived like a mad scholar. He gained some fame in the region, often invited as an honored guest by nobles who’d spend fortunes just to watch his marionette show.

But street performance is still street performance. In his youth, he was wild and extravagant, devoted only to his exquisite puppets that resembled beautiful maidens.

When that carefree spirit faded, he found himself old. With no home and no companion, the only thing left was the puppet by his side.

Amid the Manchu invasion, destitute and fleeing war chaos, he hid in the mountains on a snowy day, wearing tattered clothes covered in patches.

For days, he had nothing to eat or drink. Trapped by heavy snow, he finally died alone, starving and freezing, in a ruined temple.

As he died, no one was with him. He wanted to perform a marionette show for comfort, but his hands trembled from cold, and he couldn’t make the puppet dance—the one he’d performed with all his life.

Having performed marionette shows his whole life, he had few friends or family. The only companion in his miserable existence was a puppet.

Who could he blame? No one. He’d chosen this wandering path himself. A lifetime! A whole lifetime spent on just this one thing, living in such a pitiful state, wasting his entire life!

A life of wandering, destitution, and dying in tears—all thanks to this marionette art.

What use was there in keeping it!?

Furiously, he threw it into the fire. That scene was unforgettable.

Firelight licked over the puppet’s gorgeous dance robes, igniting its delicate linden wood frame, crackling loudly. In that instant, it suddenly moved, rolling over and standing up. Like a living person, it bowed slowly, then gracefully and charmingly made a formal bow to him.

It raised its tear-streaked face, suddenly smiled, and with a crack, shattered into the charcoal ashes.

That night, the fire burned unusually long and warm. Though there wasn’t much firewood, it lasted until dawn before cooling down. It warmed him with all its might, just once. Warmed him just once, after a lifetime of loneliness.

In this life, no more grievances…

Suddenly enlightened, he murmured to the extinguished, charred firewood pile. His own lonely, resentful spirit turned into a wisp of flame, burning himself up.

Together with the ruined temple, himself, and the puppet, he was buried in the forgotten depths of the mountains.

If there is a next life, he vowed never to forget to renew his bond with marionette puppetry—this was the great vow he made as he burned himself.

In the dream, unaware he was but a guest, Xu Peng couldn’t tell if he was the marionette performer or the modern Xu Peng. Before him stood the red-painted puppet, smiling at him. As if understanding, he nodded slightly in greeting.

“I have waited for you through your wanderings, unable to find you, unable to vent my resentment. Now, thanks to you, sir, for awakening my spirit and parting with your future, my soul is at peace… No more grievances. I hope you take care of yourself…”

“Naturally, naturally…”

Having said that, it made another graceful bow, and its whole body was licked by flames that sprang up from nowhere. Strangely, though the fire wasn’t strong, the puppet burned extremely fast.

A thought struck Xu Peng, and he hurriedly reached out, but the puppet was already consumed by flames, leaving only a deep blue, tear-shaped gemstone.

Before Xu Peng could think further, he was startled awake, breaking free from the dream. The clear scenes blurred, and in a daze, he completely forgot everything from the dream.

[This is… Senior’s office…?!]

He had slept very well, and Xu Peng still felt a trace of comfort upon waking. Rubbing his eyes, he realized he was lying on Senior Bailin’s office desk, and he didn’t see Senior Bailin anywhere.

He had come after school to help, then seemed to hear someone singing in the Arts and Sports Department, and after that… after that, he couldn’t remember anything…

He only remembered coming to the senior’s office, exhausted by numerous tasks, and falling asleep on the desk.

At that moment, Xu Peng felt a cool, smooth sensation in his right palm, as if a drop of liquid was rolling there. Looking closely, he found it was a sapphire.

“Huh…? That’s strange. How did I bring it to school…”

Before Xu Peng could think further, the office door opened, and Senior Bailin walked in, holding a cup of warm water.

“Awake? Are you feeling better?”

“Bai Ling…! Ah, no! Senior, I’m sorry, I fell asleep just now!”

Realizing he’d been sleeping soundly in front of Senior Bailin, Xu Peng felt his ears burn red, wishing he could die. Today, he’d come on his own to help, but instead of working, he slept lazily here, completely wasting Senior’s kind intentions.

Seeing Xu Peng flustered and at a loss, Senior Bailin’s gentle smile deepened.

Her tea-colored eyes were clear and bright, revealing the care in her heart. Bai Ling handed the cup of warm water to Xu Peng, gesturing for him to relax.

When her peripheral vision caught the tear-shaped sapphire in Xu Peng’s hand, Senior Bailin was slightly startled.

“That on your hand… what is this…?”

“Oh, this is a stone passed down through generations in my family, said to be from the Ming Dynasty. It’s not worth much.”

Seeing that Senior Bailin seemed interested in the shiny gemstone, Xu Peng reached out to hand it to Bai Ling, but she refused.

“Since it’s a family heirloom, you should take good care of it, whether it’s valuable or not. Compared to its material value, the meaning it holds is a priceless treasure.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Xu Peng then remembered that although the gem was a family heirloom, it wasn’t rare. He didn’t usually carry it with him; he left it at home. Today, for some reason, it ended up in his hand.

In broad daylight, thinking about this and unable to figure it out, Xu Peng felt a complex mix of melancholy and relief. For someone simple-minded like him, it was something he’d forget as soon as he turned his head.

Unnoticed by Xu Peng, Bai Ling’s tea-colored eyes gazed deeply at the deep blue gemstone, like a tear resting in his palm. Who knew what she was thinking of again.