The marten—Amber—nodded. It seemed unable to speak but tilted its small face upward, its eyes shimmering as if saying, You’re my last hope in this world.
This adorable little creature softened even Ban Xia’s heart. She examined the wound on its leg. “So, it was you who sent me the message? How did you do that?”
Amber squinted its eyes and nuzzled its head into the crook of her arm. After a moment, the cave echoed with a sickly sweet voice: “I love chocolate~!”
“All things have spirits, as long as you know how to communicate with them,” said the phone screen, glowing with words.
Ban Xia was taken aback. “Are you saying… you can communicate with a… a phone?”
Amber nodded again, as though wanting to say more, but the cursed phone betrayed them with an obnoxious low-battery beep.
Such is the plight of cheap phones—the battery life is atrocious. Ban Xia, frustrated, angrily pressed the power button to shut it off.
“Let’s go. I know how to treat injuries. Once we gather the right herbs, I can heal Ya Jin and… it,” Chi Xue urged from the side.
Ban Xia nodded, thought for a moment, and placed Amber into his arms.
“You two go on. I’ll meet you back at the inn later.” With that, she turned and quickly disappeared into the rear cave.
“Uh… um… the way I look right now isn’t exactly suitable for anyone’s eyes, so really, no need to concern yourself, beautiful lady,” You Huang stammered the moment Ban Xia entered, trying to cover the massive gaping hole in his chest.
“Does it hurt?”
Ban Xia crouched down, examining the slowly healing wound.
“Of course it hurts! Hurts so bad I’d rather not live anymore, damn that Xuan Ye!”
“Do you hate him?”
“Of course I hate him! If I ever get the chance, I swear I’ll crack open his skull and see if his brain is made of stone!”
“Then why did you save him? When you heard he was in danger, your reaction was like someone ripping your heart out.”
You Huang didn’t respond. He ran his fingers through his hair, eyes darting around as though searching for an escape from the conversation.
“Do you like men?” Ban Xia pressed, her voice sharp and eerie, leaving him no room to dodge the question.
“I like women!” You Huang barked. “Women with big chests, slender waists, and captivating charm! With so many beauties waiting for me, why would I ever like stiff, wooden men?”
“But you like Xuan Ye.”
You Huang’s eyes widened in disbelief. He looked as though he wanted to deny it a thousand times, but no rebuttal came.
“So you do like men. That’s fine. There’s no shame in it.” Ban Xia extended her hand. “Congratulations, from today onward, we’re rivals in love.”
“You like him? That stubborn idiot?”
“I’m glad you used the word too,” she replied with a smirk.
You Huang fell silent again.
“I like women!!! But I have to like him!!!!!!” he finally roared, his voice full of anguish. He struggled to stand, his movements clumsy and ungraceful. With a dramatic flourish, he stumbled into the night wind and disappeared.
Back at the inn, Chi Xue was indeed treating Xuan Ye and Amber’s wounds.
Xuan Ye leaned against the headboard, his face pale and faintly ashen, clearly exhausted.
Naturally, Ban Xia approached, wiping the cold sweat from his brow with a cloth before resting her hand on his.
Xuan Ye looked startled. He turned his head to gaze at her, his eyes shimmering with an unspoken depth.
“I think I might…” Ban Xia began, her voice steady, though she was carefully choosing her next words to make them as graceful and moving as possible.
“So much has happened today. You must be tired. Get some rest,” Xuan Ye interjected gently, cutting her off without hesitation. He then turned away and pretended to sleep.
Dawn was breaking. Ban Xia extinguished the candle and decided to go to bed herself.
Falling for someone was no great hardship for Miss Ban.
Just as she was about to lie down, there was a knock at the door—tap tap tap—soft and polite.
Having stayed up all night, Ban Xia’s mood was far from pleasant. Reluctantly, she dragged herself to answer it.
At the door stood a young girl in white. Her chin was sharp, and before she spoke, she smiled warmly at Ban Xia, her expression friendly.
“Amber?” Ban Xia asked tentatively.
Amber nodded and walked into the room, her movements natural and familiar.
“What do you want?”
—“I came to thank you.”
She wrote on the paper, indicating that while she could transform into human form, she still couldn’t speak.
“Oh,” Ban Xia responded casually. “It’s no big deal. It was just a coincidence; I didn’t come specifically to save you.”
"I want to help you."
Amber wrote again.
“Help me with what?”
"Help you say the words you didn’t manage to say today."
“Huh?”
"Actually, he likes you too. I can feel it."
The faint scent of ink lingered on the paper as Amber smiled knowingly, her expression full of understanding.
“You can help me? How?” Ban Xia still seemed skeptical.
"For these things, all it takes is a little push, and it will unfold as naturally as a flower blooming."
Amber wrote, her brush scratching softly across the paper. She then turned, looking at Ban Xia first before extending a finger toward the potted hibiscus in the room.
A miraculous sight followed. The hibiscus, which had been in bud just moments earlier, suddenly burst into full bloom under the gaze of Amber’s golden eyes. Its fragrance immediately filled the room.
The Next Day
As night fell, beside the lake on Emerald Isle, a gentle autumn breeze rustled the air.
Everything was serene and beautiful.
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