She ran forward desperately, trying to catch that person.
But her fingertips slipped off the clothes. The soft feel of the silk still lingered on Xyliana's fingers.
The skirt fluttered in the wind, matching her slender figure. Her face was stunning like a demon's, yet at this moment it seemed to shine with a divine light.
Xyliana opened her eyes wide. The dark blue clothes fluttered, blending with the clear blue river and sky. It was so beautiful.
Suddenly, the scene around her changed.
The world flipped upside down, and the shadows of trees flew past.
A strong wind blew, mixed with light mist. Xyliana could not open her eyes.
After a long time, when she opened her eyes again, she saw a beautiful valley.
The river was clear to the bottom. The banks bloomed with colorful flowers. From afar, a waterfall rushed down. Birds sang clearly in the valley.
A rainbow hung in the sky, bright and colorful. It was very pretty.
Nearby, a bird slowly flew toward Xyliana.
It flew very slowly.
Crossing the waterfall, jungle, and river, it happily came to her. Even when its wings were wet by splashing water, it did not care.
Finally, on the flower-covered grass, the bird reached Xyliana. She reached out her hands to catch it.
But the bird suddenly fell.
It disappeared right in front of her!
The next moment, a colorful feather appeared in Xyliana's palm.
Sunlight shone through the valley onto her hand. The feather seemed covered in golden holy light.
Everything felt strange. Xyliana was stunned for a moment.
Where was this?
That crying young man...
The mysterious snake-tailed youth in the altar, and this beautiful valley...
What place was this?
Suddenly, familiar mist spread all around. Xyliana could see nothing in the thick fog.
A familiar fear rose from her heart.
"Ah!"
Xyliana opened her eyes sharply. She saw layers of curtains.
This was...
Right, last night she drank with Zhiyina until late. They had gone back to their rooms drowsily. This was her room in the inn.
So that... was a dream?
Xyliana felt a little confused.
The dream left a strange feeling. It was eerie but familiar, carrying a feeling she couldn't explain.
She lightly patted her chest and gradually calmed down.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
A knock at the door pulled Xyliana out of her thoughts.
"Xabrina! Xabrina! Are you up?"
Zhiyina's voice came from outside, cheerful and without last night's sadness.
Xyliana threw off the covers and quickly got out of bed. She put on her shoes and replied, "Coming, coming!"
Suddenly, Xyliana realized her face.
She shouted out the door, "Zhiyina, wait downstairs for me. I'm not ready yet."
"All right, Xabrina, hurry up."
Xyliana took out the leftover herbs she picked last time from her bag and started packing them.
"Good thing I picked extra before. I'll need to keep these on hand." Xyliana thought to herself.
Who doesn't care about their appearance? Everyone loves beauty.
But too much beauty only brought endless trouble to an orphan like her.
Beauty is not a crime, but having it is a curse.
In this world, she still lacked the power to protect herself. Here in this strange spiritual land, things would only be worse.
She never wanted to become a tool for others to fight over. She did not want to fall into a whirlpool.
She only wished to protect herself and live peacefully. That would be enough.
Thinking of her current situation and confusion, Xyliana sighed and encouraged herself.
"There will be a way when the cart reaches the mountain. The boat will find the bridge. Don't be afraid. Take it step by step."
After packing, she grabbed her bag and opened the door.
The door of the opposite private room opened, and a tall figure appeared against the light.
The golden jade pendants hanging at the waist clinked together sharply.
The tassels on the pendants tangled with each step, just like Xyliana's thoughts right now, a messy knot.
Looking up from the waist, there was a broad chest, a slender neck, and a sculpted jawline.
His thin lips pressed slightly, showing displeasure.
Looking higher, his eyes were sharp and cold, shooting a piercing gaze at Xyliana.
Xyliana had just regained her senses. Wasn't this the ruthless Zehun that Zhiyina mentioned last night?
Seeing Xyliana lower her gaze, the man sneered quietly, sounding full of disdain.
His eyes glanced with disgust at Xyliana's earlier look, then he turned and strode downstairs.
Xyliana felt strange. This man was really as cold as Zhiyina said.
Thinking of the disdain in his eyes, Xyliana felt puzzled.
She hadn't done anything wrong, right?
Yesterday, she even kindly helped him pick up a sachet.
Thinking of Prince Xavion she met in the small town, Xyliana thought silently:
These two people were both strange in their own ways.
If she couldn't fight them, she could avoid them.
Xyliana decided firmly that once she settled in Yicheng, she would live her own quiet life, far away from these people.
But thinking of Zhiyina, the kind and lovely girl who was her first friend on this unfamiliar continent,
she worried that it might be hard to see her again in the future.
After adjusting her mood, Xyliana slowly walked downstairs.
In the hall on the first floor, Zhiyina, Xerxes, Xicob, and others were eating breakfast.
They waved to Xyliana and invited her to join them.
The table was full of various exquisite breakfast dishes.
Suddenly, Xyliana's appetite increased, and she began to enjoy the food with everyone.
"Miss Xyliana, we will arrive in Yicheng this evening. Are you really planning to stay there?" Xerxes asked slowly.
"Ah?!" Zhiyina exclaimed in surprise.
"Xabrina, are you going to leave us when you reach Yicheng?
Why don't you come with us to Wanshou City?
Wanshou City is the capital of the Northern Wing country and the most prosperous place. You can stay at my house then!"
Zhiyina was shocked and excited, stopping eating her porridge and quickly speaking to Xyliana.
"Yes, yes, Miss Xyliana, please come with us to Wanshou City.
Yicheng is nice but can't compare to Wanshou City," Xicob added quickly.
Although it was only one day, Xicob found he enjoyed spending time with this special girl.
Xyliana smiled lightly:
"No, although you say Wanshou City is very lively,
I like quiet places. I am not fond of bustling cities.
Settling down in Yicheng suits me just right."
Looking at these two kind faces, Xyliana felt warmth in her heart.
But everything showed Zhiyina, Xerxes, and Xicob were not ordinary families.
Thinking again of the day Prince Xavion chased her and last night's Zehun,
Xyliana had to make her own plans.
Hearing Xyliana's answer, the others knew they could not change her mind, feeling a bit disappointed.
For a moment, the atmosphere at the table turned quiet.
"Look at you all, it's not like you will never see each other again.
Miss Xyliana staying in Yicheng is fine. If possible, invite her to visit Wanshou City sometime," Xerxes said with a smile to break the silence.
"Heh heh, yeah, it's not like we won't meet again. What's there to be upset about? Zhiyina, right?"
Xicob laughed and rubbed his nose, looking at Zhiyina.
"Yes, yes, I will invite Xabrina to my home. Xabrina, you can't refuse!"
Zhiyina's face changed and brightened as she happily offered Xyliana a sweet osmanthus cake.
"All right, once I settle down, I will definitely come visit you," Xyliana smiled and held Zhiyina's hand.
The soft cake melted in her mouth, sweet and milky, with a faint scent of osmanthus that pleased Xyliana's taste buds.
Looking at Zhiyina, Xyliana's heart softened.
"Brother, where is Brother Zehun? Why didn't he come down?" Zhiyina asked Xerxes.
"Cough, cough... When you went to the kitchen for snacks, he already left. Maybe... something urgent came up," Xerxes said awkwardly, turning to pick some food.
Seeing Zhiyina's lonely look, Xerxes reached out to stroke his sister's hair.
This beloved little sister was so cherished by the family.
But she liked Zehun...
Xerxes only hoped that someday she would see clearly and stop liking him.
On the road, the group moved forward in great numbers.
It was late spring. Trees on both sides of the road were lush and green.
In the carriage, Zhiyina was fast asleep.
Xyliana lifted the curtain and looked outside.
The spring sunlight shone through the window, warm on her face.
Xyliana squinted slightly as the breeze brushed past, soft and warm like spring.
It carried the scent of grass and wildflowers from the woods, very pleasant.
At that moment, a noisy sound came from nearby...
"Hurry up! Move faster for me!"
Whip cracks sounded sharply.
"Damn it, didn't I say it's time to eat? If we don't reach Yicheng today, see how I deal with you all!"
Another round of whip cracks followed.