[The Campfire • Night in the Highlands]
The night hung low, and the campfire burned softly, its golden light reflecting off weary but peaceful faces. A temporary tent had been pitched on the high ground. Gu Xingyu sat leaning against a rock, wrapped in a thick cloak. Around her sat the five men she knew best. Sang Qi had already finished bandaging the shallow cut on her arm.
Luo Ye sat cross-legged, his twin rings resting on his knees. He pointed at a piece of freshly roasted meat, his tone half-complaining and half-proud. "Xingyu, eat more. This is one of my signature dishes. That damn Third Prince... he probably didn't feed you anything good. Look how thin you've gotten! Don't worry, I'm going to feed you until you're plump and healthy again."
Xingyu laughed. "Are you raising me like a pig? 'Plump and healthy'? I was a prisoner, Luo Ye, not a houseguest." She took a bite of the meat. "It's delicious. You've spoiled my taste buds. I really couldn't stomach the food there."
"Just give in to her," Cang Yuan said, leaning back lazily with a playful smirk. "When I infiltrated the camp, she didn't even blink. It was like she was just waiting for me to show up, as if I were late for a scheduled meeting."
"I just knew you would come," Xingyu said softly, her voice carrying an undeniable warmth. "I may not have your incredible powers, but I know how to look after myself. I knew you'd be worried, so I had to stay strong until the moment I saw you again."
Sang Qi looked at her, a flash of bittersweet emotion in his eyes. He poured a cup of tea from a small kettle and handed it to her. "Silly girl. To stay calm with that madman and still send us signals... you're stronger than most." He noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "This tea helps with sleep. You need to rest."
Lin Lie sat upright, his eyes never leaving the map reflected in the firelight. "The Yao-crystal shards and the guidance threads you left... they were perfect. We found you on time because your calculations were precise. Without them, it would have taken much longer. You saved us from unnecessary casualties."
"But it must have been... lonely," Cang Yuan added quietly.
The group fell silent.
Xingyu turned to him. Cang Yuan, usually so flippant and mischievous, looked uncharacteristically somber. "You were afraid, weren't you? You just have a habit of not saying it."
Xingyu watched him for a long time before finally nodding with a small smile. "I was afraid. But I knew you would come."
That one sentence, hidden in her heart for so long, finally found its way out.
Li Yan, who had remained silent, suddenly handed her a small bundle. Inside were carefully wrapped dried fruits, sugar cubes, and a small wooden plaque carved with her name and the Yao-Seal.
"Did you make this?" she asked softly.
Li Yan nodded. "I'm not good with words. But I remember that in the days you were gone... none of us slept."
Xingyu bit her lip, and in that moment, even the flickering campfire seemed to grow warmer.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She looked at the five of them—the calm of Gold, the passion of Fire, the charm and guardianship of Water, the delicate nagging of Wood, and the mountain-like silence of Earth. Each of them, in their own way, had given her roots and something to lean on in this strange world.
[The Five Watches of the Night]
As the night deepened, the fire faded, and the five men took turns keeping watch.
The First Watch: Li Yan (Earth)
Li Yan sat on the edge of the camp, a heavy fur cloak around his shoulders. He was a silent sentinel, his eyes scanning the darkness. When Xingyu shivered in her sleep, he stood and adjusted her cloak with a gentleness that no one saw, before returning to his post like a silent rock in the night.
The Second Watch: Sang Qi (Wood)
"You're like a heated boulder, not freezing even on a night like this," Sang Qi grumbled as he took over. But once alone, he grew quiet. He stopped overthinking and simply watched over Xingyu, clutching his medicine pouch and whispering, "When you wake up, I'll make you a tonic to restore your energy."
The Third Watch: Luo Ye (Fire)
Luo Ye spent his watch roasting small dry cakes. "What if she wakes up hungry?" he muttered. "How could that 'dog prince' feed her such trash? If I catch him, I'll drown him in a pot of mush!" He stared at the golden cakes, never taking a bite himself, his eyes fixed on Xingyu. "Don't carry it all alone anymore... you have us."
The Fourth Watch: Cang Yuan (Water)
Cang Yuan leaned against a pine tree with his habitual grace, but his eyes never left the shadows. He watched Xingyu's sleeping face and whispered, "You said you were afraid, yet you waited. That trust is a heavy weight to place on us... but it's okay. I'll carry it." He looked up at the stars, feeling a peace he hadn't known in years.
The Fifth Watch: Lin Lie (Gold)
Lin Lie, ever precise, used his watch to maintain the components of the Yao-Rover. As dawn approached, he paused and looked at Xingyu. Seeing her brow furrowed in her sleep, he stood and placed a warm Yao-crystal in her palm. "This will help you feel safe," he whispered, before returning to his vigil, his eyes sharp once more.
[The Third Prince's Shadow]
In a tent on the mountainside of Trial Valley, Si Moheng sat alone. He held a black chess piece, its edges worn smooth by his constant rubbing. Her words haunted him.
"Control and understanding are not the same thing."
He had spent his life manipulating people, making the world think he was a smiling madman to better control the winds of fate. But she wasn't afraid. She had seen the void inside him that he dared not look at himself.
He gave a soft laugh, tossing the piece onto the board. "How... how did you do it?"
A guard approached. "Your Highness, there is a signal from the eastern post. Possible Yao-interference..."
Si Moheng didn't move. "Don't disturb her," he said calmly.
"Yes... Your Highness."
He stood up, the vulnerability of the moment vanishing, replaced by the cold mask of the Third Prince. "If I catch you again... I want to see how you'll try to escape then."
"Don't blame me for not letting go, Xingyu," he whispered to the shadows. "It was you who showed me that even a man who has been seen through... can lose his heart."