[The Pulse of the Heart]
Inside the tent, Sang Qi dropped a stack of bandages with a sly grin. "I have a medical observation. The Princess's gaze toward Li Yan is... different. It's the look of someone terrified he'll get hurt but too proud to admit it. I'm afraid she's trying to 'dig out' our cornerstone."
Gu Xingyu didn't look up from her ledger. "Li Yan isn't a cornerstone to be dug out. He goes where his heart leads. But tell the team: Mission first. No private feelings are to interfere with our work. And if anyone likes anyone... wait until we return."
Sang Qi winked. "Understood. I'll keep an eye on the 'wind' from the Weaving Bureau for you."
[Tensions in the Dark]
As night deepened, the tent flap fluttered. Cang Yuan entered, his pale blue eyes shimmering in the lamplight. "You're still working? It breaks my heart to see you like this."
He stepped closer, his fingers—cool as the element of water he commanded—resting on Xingyu's shoulders to knead away the tension. "You carry everything, Xingyu. You record our tasks, but you carry our lives in your heart."
Before Xingyu could protest, the curtain was thrown back. Luo Ye stood there, a plate of warm snacks in hand. Seeing Cang Yuan's hands on her shoulders, his internal fire flared. "What are you doing?" he snapped.
"Just easing her tension," Cang Yuan replied smoothly.
Luo Ye's anger softened as he saw the exhaustion in Xingyu's eyes. He shoved the plate toward her. "Eat. Don't you dare push yourself anymore."
Xingyu took a bite, looking at both of them. "This is a camp, not a battlefield. If you truly want to protect me, don't make my heart heavier. We are here to build a new Yao-world. Together."
[The Silent Knot]
Outside the tent, Li Yan stood in the night wind. He had seen the shadows of the three through the canvas but didn't enter. He simply knelt by the gear, meticulously checking the knots on the rescue ropes. Each loop was pulled tight—steady, silent, and unbreakable.
When Xingyu finally stepped out for air, she found the gear perfectly organized. She touched a knot, feeling the sturdy warmth of his craftsmanship. "Thank you," she whispered to the wind.
[Distance and Duty]
Back in Yao Capital, the second shipment from the Weaving Bureau was being prepared. Si Yirou oversaw the packing of eighty rain capes and four hundred bandages.
"Start the third batch," she ordered. "Add more shoulder straps and rescue leather. And..." she paused, her voice low, "prepare an extra basket of wrist ointment."
She didn't explain why. She only looked toward the distant mountains and made a silent wish: Don't get hurt.