"Big Sis, how much longer do we have to walk? It's so hot…" Before they set out, Chu Lian had used a bit of spiritual power she just learned from the system, channeling some into Chu Chu and Xiu'er so they wouldn't suffer from lack of stamina like during their last climb. But she had forgotten one thing—summer was approaching, and the sun was blazing.
In such weather, walking for so long would be uncomfortable even for those not lacking in stamina.
Chu Lian and Inori had special physiques and high attributes. For them, the sunlight wasn't much. Even under thirty-plus degree heat for a whole month, they wouldn't find it unbearable, so they hardly felt anything.
But Chu Chu and Xiu'er, whose attributes were much lower, weren't the same. Neither of them had reached the stage of rebirth yet. Prolonged exposure not only damaged their skin but also sapped their strength.
They hadn't prepared any sun protection before heading out, and this route was different from Mount Li's shaded, rugged trail. By halfway, Li Xiu'er and Chu Chu were already struggling.
If they kept going like this, the two girls would only drag the group down, making it impossible to continue together.
"I didn't think this through…" Adjusting the white sunhat tilted on her head, Chu Lian sighed. Back at the hotel, they had all changed clothes. Since they had worn their previous outfits while attracting so much attention, they naturally needed to switch to avoid being recognized.
Chu Lian had put on a pure white short dress layered with lace frills, white gloves on her hands, white stockings, and heels that emphasized her slender, elegant figure without making her look frail. The six-centimeter heels weren't very high, but on her they highlighted her cool, refined aura, making her presence dazzling.
After checking that no one was following, Chu Lian pulled Chu Chu and Xiu'er aside toward some rocks, with Inori trailing after them.
They had originally planned to climb with the rest of the class, but as they walked, differences in physical fitness became apparent. Ning Zhiyuan decided it wasn't fair to make the stronger ones wait for the slower ones, so those who could handle it went ahead on their own. In the end, only about ten people had the stamina to continue, and since they weren't in the same group, everyone split up.
Chu Lian and her companions used this chance to act separately. They had too many secrets—best to avoid attention whenever possible. Though this drew dissatisfaction from Lux Lyle, Ruriko Nana, Cai Ya, and Liu Yanran's group, who thought Chu Lian was avoiding them, there was no helping it. They would just have to explain back at school, otherwise the more they said now, the harder it would be to get out of it.
The path they were on was also a route up the mountain, though few people used it due to steep slopes and jagged rocks. The upside was that tall trees and boulders provided plenty of shade, making it good for cooling off.
Lying by a small pool, Chu Chu stretched lazily, yawned, and lifted Tina, who was sprawled on her chest. "Big Sis, what's so different about Mount Tai's sunset compared to anywhere else? Why did we come here just for that?"
Perched on a higher rock, her slender legs dangling, Chu Lian closed her eyes slightly to enjoy the breeze. Stroking her flowing hair, she said, "Because it's a sentiment. You wouldn't understand."
Pouting, Chu Chu rubbed Tina's belly, replying unhappily, "I've been to Mount Tai before, too. I saw the sunrise and sunset. Aside from looking a bit prettier, there wasn't anything that special."
"It's the same as when I watched the sunrise and sunset on the shores of Japan…" Inori, sitting beside Chu Lian with one leg dangling and her cheek resting on her arm, added quietly.
"Mm, I don't think there's any special sentiment either. In the end, it just depends on the person." Li Xiu'er, legs soaking in the pool, also turned back to comment.
"That's because you didn't have the right person by your side, nor the right mood in your heart." Chu Lian tilted her head up, gazing at the distant sky, murmuring softly: "When your heart is weighed down with troubles, when your emotions sink into joy and sorrow you cannot control, when the people once by your side are gone—you will understand that feeling."
"Some emotions are shaped by the environment, but more often, it's our emotions that shape how we see the environment. Seeing the mountain as not a mountain, seeing the water as not water. Seeing the mountain once more as a mountain, the water again as water."
"In the end, everything is born from the heart, and emotions are stirred by the scene."
The blue sky, the hazy white clouds—and at that moment, a plane streaked past, leaving a long trail. Chu Lian couldn't help but hum softly:
消える飞行机云,仆たちは见送った
We watched the fading vapor trails,
眩しくて逃げた いつだって弱くて
They were so dazzling, I ran away- I was always weak,
あの日から 変わらず
I let go, frustrated by the fact,
いつまでも変わらずにいられなかったこと
That I couldn't stay unchanged since that day,
悔しくて指を離す
Couldn't stay unchanged forever.
It was Bird's Poem, the opening song of the anime Air, one she had loved in her previous life. Its emotions felt like a mirror, reflecting everything hidden in her heart. Though she knew it was an irreparable regret, she still lingered in its memory.
"'We watched the fading vapor trails, They were so dazzling, I ran away- I was always weak…'" After she finished singing, Inori translated softly into Chinese, then turned her eyes toward her. "Lian, when we go back, teach me this song, okay?"
"Of course. If you want to learn, I'll teach you." Calming her emotions, Chu Lian smiled and nodded.
"What's the name of this song, Big Sis?" Chu Chu, who had been listening with her eyes closed, opened them at that moment and asked. Her gaze lifted to the endless sky through the trees, lost in thought.
"I think no name fits better than Bird's Poem…" Chu Lian gave no further explanation, simply speaking its true title. To her, no other name could capture it more.
"Bird's Poem? Like the freedom of a bird, flying like a bird—that must be one of humanity's greatest longings." With her arm shading her forehead, hand resting on the stone, her voice was gentle as she spoke.
"I think this song will win over many people, especially in Japan." Li Xiu'er lifted the hem of her light blue dress, slowly walking deeper into the pool as she looked up at Chu Lian with a smile.
"Oh? In that case, let's record the song here and upload it online—consider it a gift to Japan, since we're going there tomorrow." At Li Xiu'er's suggestion, Chu Lian brushed back her hair with a smile, seeming to recall something.
"Great! Big Sis, let me be the one to film it!" At the mention of filming, Chu Chu immediately snapped out of her daze, straightening with eager anticipation.
"No need. I'll set up the camera to auto-record. This time, all four of us will be in the frame." Chu Lian shook her head, already having made her decision. She jumped down from the rock and walked around, searching for the right spot to place the device.
"Pray, why would Big Sis want all four of us in the frame?" Chu Chu asked Inori, confused. She knew she couldn't guess her sister's intentions, so she turned to the one who seemed to understand Chu Lian best.
Though reluctant to admit it, Chu Chu had to concede that this girl—who had only been with them a few days—understood Chu Lian more deeply than her own sister of over ten years.
But Inori simply shook her head, placing a finger to her lips. "Some things can only be understood, not spoken."
Frustrated, Chu Chu turned to Li Xiu'er, only to meet the same puzzled gaze. She sighed helplessly and sat back down. "Maybe I should learn to understand Big Sis more carefully."
"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want to explain. It's just that now isn't the right time. So silence is best." Seeing Chu Chu's expression, Inori whispered so softly that no one could hear.
"Chu Lian, what is it you're really trying to tell us?" Lifting her skirt as she stepped ashore, Li Xiu'er cupped water to her face, silently wondering.
Meanwhile, Chu Lian had found the right spot. She set up the "high-tech camera" from the system space, adjusting it to capture Chu Lian, Inori, Chu Chu, Li Xiu'er, the sky, the clouds, and the passing plane.
Then she returned, removing her sunhat so her hair flowed freely in the wind.
Back in her seat, the scene she had envisioned—everything but the plane—was perfectly framed. She lifted her face toward the sky and sang once more.
Her ethereal voice, paired with the light lyrics, was beautiful even without accompaniment.
Just then, another plane passed overhead, the camera catching it in full as it tracked across the sky and faded into the distance…
Bird's Poem, Poem of Emotion—who was she singing it for?