After settling the children, Nie Wangqing forced down the urge to look back and left. With the remaining silver coins, he bought a carriage and a heavy sword. At dawn the next day, he drove the carriage urgently toward Hua Zhaoxue’s courtyard.
Hua Zhaoxue hadn’t slept all night. Hearing galloping hooves nearby, she peered outside. Recognizing the rider, she let out an involuntary gasp: “Brother Nie?” She quickly smoothed her clothes and rushed out.
Spotting her at the gate, Nie Wangqing yanked the reins to halt the carriage. Before he could dismount, Hua Zhaoxue whispered urgently, “Brother Nie, keep your voice down! Tian You might still be asleep…”
Nie Wangqing instinctively lowered his tone—but shook his head. *Now’s not the time for that.* “Zhaoxue,” he said hastily, “this isn’t the moment to worry about noise. Wake Tian You. We must leave Huanan—now.”
“Why?”
Seeing confusion in her eyes, Nie Wangqing glanced at the hazy sky and steadied his voice. “Zhaoxue… you felt yesterday’s unnatural Qi Energy ripple, didn’t you?”
Hua Zhaoxue nodded absently. Then her face paled. “You mean… the Qi Energy surge in Huanan yesterday… was targeting me?”
“I don’t know if it was *you* specifically,” he replied grimly, “but I traced it to the Li family. After your clash with their young master… we must leave Huanan. Immediately.”
The words shattered her calm. Anxiety flooding her exquisite features, she hurried toward Tian You’s room.
Panic overriding modesty, she pushed the door open. There sat Tian You—cross-legged on the bed, eyes gently closed, white robes flowing. Strands of hair brushed his breathtaking face, an ethereal vision of a celestial descending to earth.
For a breath, Hua Zhaoxue froze. Her racing heart stilled.
“Tian You… Tian You.”
At her soft call, the youth opened his amethyst-gold eyes, regarding her with quiet confusion.
Flustered by last night’s memory, she avoided his star-like gaze, cheeks flushed. “T-Tian You… come with me. We must leave Huanan. Now.”
Tian You gave a slight nod. He, too, had lain awake, chasing the fleeting image of a white-clad figure in his mind—finding no answers.
Outside, Nie Wangqing waited beside the carriage. “Zhaoxue, no time to spare! Nothing valuable remains. Get in—we leave Huanan first. Destination later!”
“Wait, Brother Nie!” Hua Zhaoxue cried. “Who will care for the children?!”
Nie Wangqing’s urgency softened. After a pause, he offered a strained smile. “I left all the money house funds with Ling’er. It should sustain them until adulthood…”
“They’re just children!” Tears welled in her eyes. She shouted, voice breaking: “Immature minds! How can you guarantee their safety? If villains target their money—they’ll die!”
Nie Wangqing fell silent.
“No! If we go, they come with us!” Wiping tears with her sleeve, she turned toward the city gate. Nie Wangqing’s voice followed, low and heavy with guilt: “Zhaoxue… if that Faithweaver hunts *us*… the children will slow us. And then… all of us…”
He clenched his fists. *I hate this.* But the weak flee the strong. Hua Zhaoxue, though gifted, lacked raw power as a Dance Weaver. He was merely an ordinary man with modest skill. And Tian You… Nie Wangqing glanced at the slender white-robed figure. *Surely not ordinary—but a man without memory… what can he do?*
Hua Zhaoxue froze. Tears streamed down her face. She knew Nie Wangqing acted for her sake. Yet… whose heart wasn’t heavy with unwillingness?
Watching her tear-streaked face, Tian You felt a faint ache bloom in his chest. He didn’t understand why—only that since glimpsing that white silhouette in her yesterday, tenderness had taken root.
He stepped forward, gently wiping her tears. Meeting her startled, shy eyes, he murmured: “Sister Zhaoxue… those children endured hardship long before meeting you and Brother Nie. They’re wiser than most. Having known the world’s cruelty, they’ll protect themselves. Please… trust Brother Nie. Let’s go. Okay?”
His words held quiet magic. Hua Zhaoxue’s turmoil eased. Even Nie Wangqing’s tension softened.
Calm returned to her heart, yet tear tracks lingered on her gentle face. Her misty eyes gazed toward the city—replaying children’s laughter, their unguarded trust.
In the end… all memories dissolved into a wisp of illusion. A sigh.
