Returning to his hotel room, Rover first placed the gorgeous, scented letter bearing the Fesale family crest on the table.
Abby circled it curiously, its little nose twitching: "This smell is so complex. It smells nice, but it somehow feels a bit dangerous!"
Rover didn't open it immediately. Instead, he first picked up the letter made of plain material, its edges even carrying a few ink smudges.
There was no signature on the envelope, only the words "To Rover" written in neat yet slightly uninhibited handwriting.
He opened the envelope. Inside was a simple slip of paper with the following written on it:
"Rover:
If you have free time, I wish to see you tomorrow at sunset.
At—the place where the accomplices parted in the past.
Xiakong Toccata"
"The place where the accomplices parted in the past..." Rover read the location softly, a smile involuntarily surfacing on his lips.
He immediately thought of that place—on the hillside outside the city of Laguna, beneath that ancient banyan tree overlooking the sea and the city.
It was there that they had parted ways after shaking off the Convent's pursuers. Carrying their mutually guarded secrets, one walked the path of a wanted fugitive, while the other continued his journey.
"It's Xiakong?" Abby flew over, tilting its head to look at the note. "Why is she looking for us? I like her! She sings beautifully!"
"Yeah, let's go find her and listen to her sing." Rover rubbed Abby's little head, recalling the bits and pieces of the time he spent with Xiakong.
"During this holiday in Laguna, I might as well meet all my old acquaintances... one by one."
The following evening, after tidying himself up slightly, he took Abby and headed out of the city.
Following the path in his memory, he walked up the hillside to the east of the city.
The higher he went, the stronger the wind blew, carrying the free scent of the wilderness.
That familiar ancient banyan tree came into view. Its branches were still lush and leafy. Like a silent giant, it watched over the sunrises and sunsets of Laguna.
From a distance, he spotted that silhouette.
Xiakong Toccata wasn't playing or singing. She was simply sitting quietly on a thick tree root, her back turned to the city, gazing at the sea horizon dyed golden-red by the setting sun.
Her green eyes appeared exceptionally clear under the sunset. Her short red hair was blown slightly messy by the sea breeze, and her pair of uneven horns looked particularly prominent.
She wore that cyan-green dress, the starry sky patterns on its hem and her boots seemingly blending into the twilight. Beside her lay her treasured theorbo.
Hearing footsteps, she turned her head. Upon seeing Rover, an undisguised smile of pure joy instantly bloomed on her face. She stood up nimbly and brushed the grass clippings off her dress.
"You really came!" Her voice carried the clarity and vitality unique to a poet, seemingly more refreshing than the sea breeze.
"How could I decline an invitation from my 'accomplice'?" Rover approached with a smile. "Long time no see, Xiakong."
"Long time no see!" Xiakong nodded vigorously. Her gaze rapidly swept over him. After confirming he was completely unharmed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "The incident at the bottom of the sea... I heard about it from Coletta. You... aren't hurt, are you?"
Her concern was sincere and direct, without the slightest trace of falsehood.
"Just some minor trouble; it's already resolved," Rover brushed it off lightly. Walking up beside her, he looked out at the sea with her. "What about you? How have you been recently? Are you still continuing your poetry?"
"Mm!" Xiakong nodded firmly, her eyes resolute. "Wherever I fall, that's exactly where I'll... start singing! Although I can no longer shout at the top of my lungs in the center of the square like before, my singing will not stop. Someone will always hear it, and someone will always think about it." As she spoke, she patted her instrument. "This is my weapon."
The setting sun slowly sank, stretching their shadows long. The atmosphere was quiet and comfortable.
After a while, Xiakong spoke softly, her tone becoming somewhat distant. "Laguna is great. After returning from traveling to the Seven Hills, with a friend like Coletta secretly looking out for me, my life can still go on as usual. But..." She paused and turned her head to look at Rover, her eyes shimmering with a yearning for the unknown.
"Sometimes, standing here and looking at the horizon, I can't help but wonder, what is the other side of the sea like? Are there people suffering there too? Are there truths that need to be exposed? Are there... also travelers like you, writing even more magnificent and turbulent stories?"
Her words were soft, yet carried an undeniable longing.
She didn't look directly at Rover; instead, she gazed at the sea. It was as if she were talking to herself, yet also as if she were confiding in him.
Rover listened quietly, without interrupting.
Xiakong suddenly smiled and shook her head with some self-mockery. "I know my power is very small, and I might not be of any great help... I might even become a burden." She finally turned her head and looked at Rover with burning eyes, carrying a poet's unique romance and a trace of all-or-nothing courage. "But... if you don't mind, my music and my poetry are willing to play for you."
"Wherever you go, my song will follow. Perhaps I cannot become the heroine of your story, but please, let me be the wandering poet who sings your epic..."
She took a deep breath. A blush rose on her face, yet she tried her best to make her tone sound relaxed. "...Does this count as another form of being an 'accomplice'? Compared to being a wanted fugitive, I much prefer this identity."
Her confession was subtle and overflowing with poetry. There was no forceful demand, only the willingness to follow and a cautious anticipation.
Rover understood the implication in the young girl's words.
He gazed at her. The afterglow of the sunset burned in her eyes, full of sincerity and fervor.
He didn't immediately answer whether he agreed or not. Instead, he smiled gently. "Your singing voice and courage are treasures that deserve to be heard by a wider world. They shouldn't belong only to me."
He paused, and before her gaze could dim, he continued: "However, if my journey could be accompanied by your singing, it would undoubtedly become much more wonderful."
This was not a direct promise, yet it left behind boundless hope and space.
Xiakong's eyes instantly brightened again. She understood his meaning. The smile returned to her face as she nodded vigorously. "Mm!"
As if to cover up her excitement, she suddenly picked up the theorbo beside her. "Right! I wrote a new song for you! It's called The Poem of Returning to Port. I'll sing it for you right now!"
Without waiting for Rover's response, she plucked the strings. The clear sound of the instrument flowed out along with the sea breeze.
Her singing was ethereal and brimming with emotion. The lyrics sang of the exhaustion and peace of a hero returning to port after traversing wind and waves and experiencing countless hardships. It also subtly expressed her admiration, her lingering concern, and her desire to guide the hero's path and soothe his scars.
Rover listened quietly, while Abby had long since hidden itself silently in his Tacet Mark.
The setting sun completely sank below the horizon. The final streak of sunset glow dyed the singing poet and her sole audience into warm silhouettes.
As the song ended, Xiakong put down her instrument somewhat bashfully. "...It's not written very well. It's just... a small token of my feelings."
"It's beautiful," Rover praised sincerely. "Thank you for your song, Xiakong."
Night descended, and the stars began to twinkle.
The two walked shoulder-to-shoulder back into the city of Laguna. Parting ways at a crossroad, Xiakong waved at Rover, a relaxed and expectant smile on her face. "Before you set off next time, you must definitely tell me! Mr. 'Accomplice'!"
Watching Xiakong's nimble retreating back, and recalling the yearning for the distance and freedom in the red-haired poet's eyes, as well as her subtle yet firm intention to follow him, ripples stirred in Rover's heart once again.
He checked the time and called out to the poet girl who hadn't gone far yet. "Xiakong, after talking for so long, I'm starving."
"I know a good grilled fish place nearby. Do you want to go try it together? Consider it a celebration of our reunion."
Xiakong froze for a moment. Immediately, a smile of pleasant surprise bloomed on her face, and she nodded vigorously. "Okay! Of course!"
This dinner was relaxed and cheerful.
Xiakong enthusiastically recounted her experiences wandering the streets and alleys of Laguna during this time, the new poems she had created, and her unique perspectives on certain events.
Her words, just like her poetry, were brimming with free vitality and a poet's unique viewpoint.
Rover mostly listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words. The atmosphere was as harmonious as a gathering of old friends.
After the meal, Rover escorted Xiakong back to the vicinity of the alley where she was temporarily residing before returning alone to the hotel he was staying at.
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