Su Yan woke to sunlight on his face.
For a moment, he only squinted against the light, half-aware and unwilling to move. A thin gap in the window had let a line of morning light slip through, landing directly over his closed eyes.
Still tired, and far too comfortable beneath the warmth of the bedding, he turned over with the vague intention of stealing a little more sleep.
Then he found himself staring directly at Nihilister's sleeping face.
Sleep vanished.
Su Yan went still.
At some point during the night, he had moved closer to her. Or maybe she had shifted closer to him. Either way, the distance between them had narrowed.
His heartbeat raced.
He took a slow, steadying breath, then forced himself to exhale.
Nihilister did not wake.
She lay there with her eyes closed, crimson hair spilling loosely across the pillow, her usual sharpness softened by sleep. There was no sneer on her lips. No predatory grin. No impatient curl of irritation in her brow.
Su Yan stared for a few seconds longer than he probably should have.
He had never known Nihilister could look like this.
Usually, Nihilister looked dangerous even when she was doing nothing. Even when she was relaxed, there was always that sharp edge to her, like she was only one bad mood away from burning something or someone.
But like this, she looked almost gentle.
The thought felt strange enough that Su Yan nearly laughed.
Not that her usual self was unpleasant. Her temper, her pride, and that dangerous confidence were all part of Nihilister too.
But the peace suited her as well.
Su Yan wondered if this was what she had been like before becoming a Heretic, or if she had always carried that violent streak.
He looked at her for a moment longer.
Then he slowly and quietly got up. After making sure the blanket still covered Nihilister, he left the room.
The morning sun greeted him as he stepped outside.
To his surprise, Teacher Lin was already sitting at the table from last night. The dishes and bottles had been cleared away, replaced by a teapot and a single cup.
She was nursing the tea with one hand while massaging her temples with the other.
"Good morning, Teacher Lin. Did you sleep well?" Su Yan asked as he sat down.
Teacher Lin's only response was to slump forward and press her forehead against the table.
She murmured something too quietly for him to catch.
But Su Yan was fairly sure it was something along the lines of, "Never drinking again."
They sat there in silence for a while before Teacher Lin finally lifted her head.
Su Yan had to hold back a laugh.
Teacher Lin looked terrible.
Her hair was dishevelled, dark circles hung beneath her eyes, and a large red mark sat squarely in the middle of her forehead from pressing it against the table for too long.
The dignified Teacher Lin Qinglan had clearly suffered a crushing defeat.
"So, Teacher Lin, can I offer you another bottle of wine?" Su Yan asked mischievously.
Teacher Lin's whole body shuddered. Her face even turned a little green at the thought of more wine.
"No," she said immediately. "No more wine. I'm never touching it again."
Su Yan just stared at her in silence.
Teacher Lin looked away and mumbled, "…Maybe not forever. But definitely not again soon."
"Anyway, enough about me." She cleared her throat, forcing herself back into something resembling a teacher. "You are leaving today, aren't you? Are you fully packed? Have you planned your route? Do you have enough money?"
Su Yan saw the face-saving attempt for what it was and chose not to call it out.
"Yes, Teacher Lin. I'm fully packed, my route is planned, and honestly, I won't be hurting for money."
He smiled.
"You don't have to worry so much."
"It's a teacher's responsibility to worry."
Teacher Lin's expression softened.
"But it's also a teacher's responsibility to trust. So I won't say any more about your plans. Su Yan, if there ever comes a day when it gets too much, I'll always be here to support you."
"Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
Su Yan silently pulled out a letter.
Teacher Lin's face immediately went red.
"You don't have to take that with you if you don't want to, Su Yan," she said quickly. "Just think of it all as drunken ramblings."
Su Yan looked down at the letter, then back at her.
"Teacher Lin, you were drunk, but that does not mean you were lying. People often say the things they have kept buried when their guard is down."
He held the letter carefully.
"So if I really do meet him one day, I'll make sure your words reach him."
Then Su Yan paused.
"But I do need to confirm the name again. You did say Qin Ming last night, didn't you?"
Teacher Lin stared at the letter for a while. Then a faint, melancholic smile touched her lips.
"Yes," she said softly. "Qin Ming."
Su Yan nodded.
"I will make sure to remember his name."
The two spoke for a while longer, neither of them rushing to end the conversation, until Nihilister finally woke.
Afterward, Su Yan gathered his things and bid Teacher Lin a quiet goodbye.
Teacher Lin did not make a scene. She simply straightened his collar, reminded him to eat properly, and told him to write when he could.
Su Yan agreed to all of it.
Before they left, however, Su Yan caught Teacher Lin and Nihilister carrying out what seemed to be an entire conversation using only their eyes.
Teacher Lin's gaze was firm.
Nihilister replied with a lazy, almost dismissive look.
For some reason, that seemed to satisfy her.
Su Yan looked between them for a moment, then wisely decided to leave it alone.
As Su Yan walked through the now-busy streets, he made his way toward the meeting spot Xiao Wu had mentioned: a tea shop near Nuoding's east gate.
Most long-distance carriages gathered near the east gate before leaving the city. The road outside split after several li, one branch bending toward the villages and smaller trade roads, while the other joined the broader route south toward the Balak Kingdom.
As he neared the tea shop, Su Yan spotted Xiao Wu almost immediately. In the busy crowd near the east gate, her outfit made her impossible to miss.
He raised a hand in greeting.
Xiao Wu brightened the moment she saw him, only for her gaze to flick toward Nihilister a heartbeat later.
Her smile did not vanish, but it tightened slightly.
Even after all these years, she still seemed a little wary of Nihilister.
She reached Su Yan and gave him a quick hug, which he returned.
"I'm glad you made it, Su Yan. For a second there, I thought you'd forgotten."
"I would never. I just slept a little late, that's all."
Then he smiled.
"Plus, I prepared something for you."
Su Yan pulled a very full oil-paper bag from his pack.
"Here. It's filled with the snacks we usually had together. Hopefully, they'll last until we meet again."
He paused, then added, "Ah, who am I kidding? You'll probably eat them all before tonight."
"Hey, I can control myself."
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes and said with the utmost seriousness, "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
Su Yan had to hold back his laughter.
Xiao Wu really had picked up a bit too much from him.
"Fine, fine. I'll trust you. But I'm serious. If you eat all of that too quickly, you won't be getting any more anytime soon."
Xiao Wu's smile faded a little.
"Su Yan… are you sure you can't just come with us to Shrek?"
"I can't, Xiao Wu."
Su Yan's expression softened.
"Shrek is your road, not mine. I have things I need to do, and this is the path I've chosen."
Seeing her expression fall, he softened his voice.
"Cheer up. It's not like this is forever. I'm sure we'll meet again in the future."
Xiao Wu's sad expression lingered for a moment longer before she forced it away.
"Well, in order for you not to forget me, I made you something," she said, a slightly smug look on her face.
From the pouch at her waist, she produced a small silver brooch.
He had to admit, the craftsmanship was rather poor.
Several parts were warped, and what he thought was supposed to be a rabbit was only recognizable if he squinted.
But it had been polished as well as she could manage. Every clumsy line made it obvious how much effort she had put into it, and a quiet warmth settled in Su Yan's chest.
When he looked up, he found Xiao Wu watching him expectantly.
He took it gently from her hands.
"Thank you, Xiao Wu. I'll treasure it."
"Hmph. You'd better," Xiao Wu said, lifting her chin. "I don't just hand out gifts to anyone, you know."
She glanced at the brooch, looking proud despite herself.
"I spent ages working on it. Brother San taught me a little, but I made this all on my own."
Su Yan's smile nearly twitched.
So Tang San had helped Xiao Wu make a gift for him.
Somehow, that made the brooch feel even more precious.
"Then I'll treasure it even more," Su Yan said sincerely.
As the two continued talking, a voice suddenly called out from a nearby carriage.
"Xiao Wu, come on. We have to go!"
Su Yan looked toward the call and saw Tang San sitting inside the carriage.
Xiaogang sat beside him, his expression calm but unreadable.
For a brief moment, Su Yan was almost surprised.
Then again, after everything that had happened, perhaps Xiaogang was even more eager to leave Nuoding than anyone else.
Xiao Wu clearly did not want to go yet.
She turned back to Su Yan and gave him one last tight hug.
"You'd better not forget me," she muttered.
"I won't," Su Yan said softly.
Only then did Xiao Wu finally climb into the carriage.
As it rolled away, Su Yan watched her lean out and keep waving at him.
He raised his hand in return and kept it there until the carriage disappeared down the road.
Nihilister leaned closer, her voice dry.
"Now that you're done with the sappy crap, what now?"
"Now, we head home first," Su Yan said. "I need to see Dad before I leave properly."
Only after they had moved away from the crowd did Su Yan look toward the road ahead.
"After that," he said, lowering his voice, "I'm going to find myself a Soul Bone."