211: Land life

He stood up, swaying slightly because he moved too fast, and Liu Xi instinctively reached out to steady him.

Their hands touched; Liu Xi's hand was ice-cold, while Xing Che's was warm.

"Thank you."

Xing Che steadied himself and let go. "I'm going back to lie down. The apothecary said I shouldn't stand for too long."

He took two steps, then looked back. "By the way, Bai Yao should be waking up soon. She mentioned yesterday that she wanted to take you into the city today to buy some clothes. You can't keep wearing Caesar's old robes forever."

Liu Xi looked down at his clothes. "These are fine."

"But they aren't good enough."

Xing Che said, "She wants to give you something better."

With that, he turned and left, the hem of his silver-purple robe tracing an arc in the morning light.

Liu Xi sat alone in the stone pavilion, looking at the flowers filling the garden and the sea in the distance.

Everything on Land was too complicated.

Emotions were complicated, relationships were complicated, even choices were complicated.

In the deep sea, life or death, staying or leaving—these were all clear and distinct lines.

But here, the lines were blurred, they could be crossed, and one could... hold onto several at once.

He didn't know what to do.

But he knew that Bai Yao would be waking up soon.

He had to wait for her.

---

When Bai Yao woke up, the day was already bright.

She washed up quickly, changed into a simple dress, and pushed open the door to find Liu Xi standing in the corridor with his back to her, looking out the window.

The morning light outlined the silhouette of his silver hair and the shadows of the gray scales on the side of his neck.

He stood very straight, like a quiet stone statue.

"Liu Xi," she called out to him.

He turned around, his deep-sea eyes looking at her, the layer of gray mist in them fading slightly in the sunlight.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," Bai Yao walked over. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Caesar gave me a cup of tea."

"That doesn't count."

Bai Yao took him by the wrist. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen. I'll get you some real Land food."

The kitchen was in the backyard and was busy at the moment. When the cook saw Bai Yao, she hurried to bow. "Goddess, breakfast is already prepared in the side hall..."

"No need, we'll eat here."

Bai Yao waved her hand and pulled Liu Xi over to the stove. "Is there any porridge? Freshly cooked."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The chef brought over two bowls of steaming sweet potato porridge; it was something Bai Yao had taught them.

Liu Xi looked at the unfamiliar food with some hesitation.

"Try it."

Bai Yao handed him a spoon. "Start with the porridge; it's the gentlest."

Liu Xi took the spoon, scooped up a small mouthful of porridge, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

The warm, soft, and glutinous texture melted on the tip of his tongue.

"How is it?" Bai Yao looked at him expectantly.

"Good."

Liu Xi nodded and took another spoonful.

Bai Yao smiled and sat down to eat as well.

The two of them finished their simple breakfast sitting across from each other at a small table in the corner of the kitchen.

"I'm taking you into the city today."

After finishing her last sip of porridge, Bai Yao said, "You need your own clothes and shoes. You can't go barefoot all the time."

"I don't need them."

"I do."

Bai Yao interrupted him. "I want to see you in them."

Liu Xi looked into her eyes and finally nodded.

The main street of Linhai City was very lively.

Shops stood side by side, cries of street vendors rose and fell, and pedestrians rubbed shoulders.

This was the first time Liu Xi had seen so many humans gathered together, and the first time he had smelled so many mixed scents—spices, food, leather, and sweat.

He instinctively tensed his body.

Bai Yao noticed and reached out to gently tug on his sleeve. "Stay close to me."

The two of them entered a garment shop.

The shopkeeper was a lean middle-aged man. He was clearly stunned when he saw Liu Xi's blue hair and gray scales, but he quickly regained his professional smile. "What do you need?"

"Get him an outfit from head to toe."

Bai Yao said, "It should be comfortable and suitable for movement, but not too coarse."

The shopkeeper sized up Liu Xi for a moment, then turned to fetch several sets of clothes. At Bai Yao's signal, Liu Xi went into the inner room to try them on.

The first set was a dark blue martial outfit with a cinched waist and narrow sleeves, suitable for action. When Liu Xi came out after changing, Bai Yao's eyes lit up.

"It looks good," she said. "Turn around."

Liu Xi turned around somewhat awkwardly.

The clothes fit well, and the material was soft but sturdy; it was indeed much better for him than Caesar's old robes.

"This set, then."

Bai Yao made the decision and had the shopkeeper bring out some beast hide shoes. Liu Xi tried them on; although he wasn't used to them, they were acceptable.

While paying, the shopkeeper couldn't help but steal a few more glances at Liu Xi.

"Customer, your hair and eyes... are truly unique."

"He's from overseas."

Bai Yao brushed it off and pulled Liu Xi away.

After leaving the shop, Bai Yao handed the bundle containing the old clothes to Liu Xi. "Now you look like a real person of the Land."

"Except for this." Liu Xi touched the gray scales on the side of his neck.

"These are also very nice."

Bai Yao said, "They are a part of you."

The two of them walked slowly along the street. Bai Yao bought some snacks and gave one to Liu Xi.

Liu Xi took a careful bite. The sweet and sour flavor exploded in his mouth, causing him to narrow his eyes slightly.

"Do you like it?" Bai Yao asked.

"Mhm."

They walked near the pier, and the sea breeze hit them with its salty, fishy scent.

Liu Xi stopped and looked at the sea, the moored ships, and the line where the sea met the sky in the distance.

"Do you want to go back?" Bai Yao asked softly.

Liu Xi shook his head. "I just think the Land is good, but the sea is also good."

"Then have both."

Bai Yao said, "You can stay on Land during the day and go back to the sea at night. When there's a full moon, we can go to the deep sea together."

Liu Xi turned to look at her. "Is that really possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Bai Yao smiled. "Rules are made by people, and they can be broken by people. As long as we are strong enough and persistent enough, we can find a way to have both."

Liu Xi looked at her, at her long hair being ruffled by the sea breeze, and suddenly felt that the resonance in his chest connected to the sea flame mark was no longer just pain.

There was also something... warm, unfamiliar, something that made him want to draw closer.

"Bai Yao," he called her name.

"Yes?"

"If one day,"

Liu Xi's voice was very soft. "If you find that what you give me is far more than what I can give you, will you regret it?"

Bai Yao was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.

"No."

She said, "Because when I give to you, I never think about wanting anything in return."

She paused and looked into his eyes. "Besides, how do you know that what you give me isn't enough?"

Liu Xi didn't speak.

He simply reached out and very gently took her hand.

It wasn't the kind of grip used for guidance or protection like before; it was a true hand-holding, palm against palm.

His hand was ice-cold, and hers was warm; the two temperatures met at their fingertips.

People came and went on the street, seagulls circled overhead, and sunlight spilled over them.

But at this moment, Liu Xi only felt the warmth in his palm and only saw his own reflection in Bai Yao's eyes.

Perhaps the Land really was very complicated.

But within that complexity, there were things worth learning.

For example, how to hold someone's hand tightly.

And not just for the sake of protection or repayment.