🤔

I wake up and feel cold air hit my body. I curl up looking for warmth but the person beside me last night is no longer here. Without anything else to do I walk out of my tent in search of Xiao.

I walk around for a bit, even went halfway down the mountain, and yet I couldn't find him anywhere. Where is he now ? I walk up the mountain and try to enter Cloud Retainers room but they say I can't enter.

What is happening ?

Oh well, I might as well get myself something to eat. I get my sword and walk down to mountain in search of food. I quickly was able to find a boar and I set up a makeshift campfire to cook it.

When suddenly two adventurers walk by.

"Hey are you ok ? You're from he Adventurers Guild right ? What happened ?"

"Oh nothing. I'm doing quite fine actually."

"A-are you sure ?"

I then remember that my clothes are all tattered and I'm all dirty and wet from the fight yesterday. Yeah I guess seeing me like this would make them worried about me—

"Oh... yeah don't worry about me ! I'm doing alright, but what are you doing here in Jueyun Karst ? Aren't mortals like... not allowed to enter ?"

"We could ask you the same thing..."

"Fair point."

I continue cooking.

"Wha— is that all you're gonna say ?!"

Startled, I almost dropped the meat I was cooking.

"Hey ! Don't scare me like that. Could've dropped my food you know ? But I'm not gonna answer until you answer me first."

The two adventurers look at each other and sign before one of them speaks.

"We're looking to be blessed by the adpeti, obviously."

The other one chimes in.

"We haven't been getting very lucky with getting commissions so we wanted to ask for better career opportunities, what about you ? Are you here to be blessed too ?"

"Actually I'm an adeptus."

"Yeah no... you're obviously wearing the adventurers guild uniform..."

"Sharp one eh ? Anyways, I'm just here, hanging out with a..... person....."

Confused they just stare at me. Meanwhile I finish eating and head back up the mountain.

"Hey where are you going ?"

"Up the mountain, does it look like I'm going down or something ?"

I think they're starting to get fed up with me— but I don't really care, they seem like the lazy types who fully rely on the powers of the divine instead of their own hard work.

So I just keep walking up.

But I guess I haven't met enough bad people in this world lately. Because for some reason these adventurers decided to draw their swords and try to stab me from behind.

I guess to get information from me ? Their motivations are unclear but I'm not in the mood to deal with them right now. After all, I'm quite grumpy after not seeing Xiao this entire morning...

So I just plant them away with Pyro and move on.

They seem persistent though, since I notice them still following me up the mountain. They definitely were not made to be stealth masters...

I reach the top of the mountain and see Xiao leaving Cloud Retainers domain. I immediately run to him screaming his name and give him a bear hug.

"Hi Y/N !"

Xiao hugs me back and I can feel my soul being cleansed.

"I-is that adventurer hugging an adeptus ?"

I hear the two adventurers who don't know how to whispering behind my back.

I assume Xiao heard them too since he let me down and walk towards the adventurers. One of them suddenly jumped out and asked Xiao if he was an adeptus.

He didn't answer and just told them to leave the mountain.

And so they decided it would be a smart move to curse out a Yaksha... safe to say they won't be coming back here for a while.

After that fiasco, Xiao went inside our little tent before me and patted on the side beside him telling me to come over with a smile on his face. So I happily went over to his side and as soon as I lied down, he pull me into a hug. He kissed the top of my head and when I tell you my heart was racing—

He let go of me and made my eyes lock with his as he spoke.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow."

He said in an unusually cheery tone and a weirdly happy face too—

"What is it ?"

"Well if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, would it ?"

"HMph fine—"

I pout at Xiao and it looks like he liked that.

Why are they so cute when they pout ?!?!??!??

What surprise could it be ? I mean I don't think anything specials happening today— oh wait. Is it my birthday ?

I think it is... wow, he remembered even though we don't have a calendar ? Oh well, I wonder what he has planned for tomorrow.

I can't wait ! I guess it will also be kinda like my first date with Xiao. But we don't even have a label yet— I should ask him tomorrow.

Oh well, all I know is I'm looking forward to spending every day with Xiao from now on, be it good or bad, rain or shine. As long as he's with me, I'm sure I'll be fine.

I nuzzle my head into Xiao's chest right before I drift off to sleep.

💤