CHAPTER III

Five days passed.

The morning mist was thick that day, wrapping the Bamboo Forest in a soft, silver veil. Every leaf glistened with dew, and the air carried the scent of rain and earth, the kind of scent that clung to memories.

Mei Xinyi stood outside her cottage, her satchel slung over one shoulder. Inside it were neatly packed herbs, ointments, scrolls, and a small wooden box carved with her mother’s sigil, the only thing she had left of her. Her fingers lingered on the strap as if holding on to the forest itself.

Lian waited nearby, clutching the hem of her cloak. Her eyes were wide, a mix of nervousness and awe. “Are we really going?” she asked quietly.

Mei smiled faintly. “We are.” Her voice was calm, but there was a tremor beneath the words.

Behind them, Yao watched silently from the porch. He looked almost human that morning. Tall, golden-eyed, with his long hair tied loosely behind him. But there was something ancient in the way he stood, as if he’d seen this moment before.

“You could stay,” he said softly, stepping closer. “No one would blame you.”

Mei met his gaze. “If I stay, I’ll always wonder.”

Yao’s lips curved into a small, sad smile. “You’ve grown stubborn.”

“Or brave,” she replied gently.

For a moment, the only sound was the rustle of bamboo. The forest seemed to hold its breath as the two looked at each other, witch and guardian, bound not by blood, but by years of shared silence and survival.

Finally, Yao exhaled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “The road to the Imperial Palace isn’t kind,” he warned. “Men lie with smiles. Power poisons even the pure.”

“I know,” Mei said, her tone soft but steady. “That’s why I need to see it with my own eyes.”

Yao’s hand lingered a moment longer before he drew back. “Then promise me one thing.”

Mei tilted her head. “What is it?”

“Come back,” he said. “No matter what happens in that palace, come back to this forest. To me.”

Something in her chest tightened. She wanted to say she would… that she’d return to the peace they had built… But the words caught in her throat. Instead, she smiled faintly and whispered, “Of course.”

That was enough for him.

Yao knelt, and in a shimmer of gold, his form blurred and twisted until the white fox stood where the man had been. He stepped forward, pressing his forehead against Mei’s hand, a gesture of blessing, or perhaps farewell.

“Go,” he murmured, his voice threading through her mind like wind. “Before I change my mind.”

Mei laughed softly, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. She turned toward the narrow path that led out of the bamboo grove, a path she had never taken beyond the tree line.

Lian followed beside her, carrying a small bundle and glancing back every few steps. “Will he be okay?” she asked.

Mei smiled, though her heart ached. “He’s part of this forest. As long as it stands, he’ll be fine.”

They walked in silence for a while, the sound of their steps muffled by the moss-covered ground. When they reached the forest’s edge, Mei paused. She turned once more, looking back at the sea of green that had been her home since childhood.

The wind rose, gentle and cool, brushing against her cheek — as if the forest itself was bidding her farewell.

“Goodbye, Yao,” she whispered.

And with that, she took her first step beyond the forest.

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