Lí Chuān’s expression froze slightly, a trace of melancholy mingling in his indifferent eyes. "Yes," he replied softly.
Yún Rèn and Yìng Huái were both stunned, left staring in silence. This was the first time they had ever seen Lí Chuān reveal such an expression. Usually cold and detached, even when looking melancholy, his face now seemed to dissolve into a hidden tenderness that made him appear vivid and alive.
The child looked at his mother nearby; he had once seen that same look on her face. "If you want to see the person you miss right away, big brother, you can go to Xiandu Mountain and make a wish to the Wuyin Immortal. Everyone says that making a wish at Xiandu Mountain is incredibly effective; as long as your heart is sincere, all your wishes can come true."
Lí Chuān shook his head slowly.
"Don't you want to see them, big brother?" the child asked, his eyes filled with confusion.
Lí Chuān lowered his lashes slightly, masking the melancholy in his eyes, and replied indifferently, "I want to see them, but I am also afraid to."
"Why are you afraid?" the child asked, watching Lí Chuān with curiosity. "If you miss someone in your heart, shouldn't you go see them regardless of the distance?"
Meeting the child’s clear, inquisitive eyes, Lí Chuān did not know how to respond. A complex emotion welled up in his eyes, and he replied quietly, "Perhaps it’s because... even if I saw them, I wouldn't know what to say."
Sensing the melancholy in Lí Chuān’s eyes, the child pursed his lips. Glancing sideways, his gaze fell on the red mark on Lí Chuān’s forehead—it was not just a scar; a piece of flesh was clearly missing. With his slender little hand, he carefully and gently stroked the red mark, his eyes full of sympathy as he asked, "Does it hurt?"
Nearby, Yún Rèn and Yìng Huái felt their hearts racing. They had both been curious when they first saw the scar on Lí Chuān’s forehead, but since he never brought it up, they never dared to ask.
"It doesn't hurt anymore," Lí Chuān replied briefly after a moment of silence.
After hearing this, the child glanced toward his mother. Just as he was about to say something else, his mother gently stroked the child’s head, leaned down, and said softly, "Yi'er, it is ill-mannered to pry. Have you forgotten what your father taught you?"
The child nodded, saying obediently, "I remember. One must not inquire about matters others do not wish to discuss."
The woman smiled with satisfaction, stood up, and bowed slightly, saying, "Yi'er is still young and does not understand much. I apologize for offending you gentlemen."
"I asked something I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, big brother," the child said, drooping his head as if he felt he had done something wrong.
Lí Chuān shook his head slightly and looked at the child. "No, you were quite right. When you miss someone, you want to see them even if they are miles away. If it were possible, I, too, would hope to see them once more."
"Well, you certainly can!" Sensing that Lí Chuān was not angry, the child raised his head and said firmly.
After saying this, the child clasped his hands together and fidgeted with them. He stared at Lí Chuān for a moment before dropping his head again, his cheeks flushing. With a nervous and timid tone, he asked, "M-may I know... may I know your name, big brother?"
Lí Chuān was silent for a moment, then replied calmly, "Lí Chuān."
"Big Brother Lí Chuān!"
Lí Chuān gave a faint smile at the corner of his mouth and then stood up. He looked at the woman and said calmly, "Would you mind stepping aside for a moment to speak?"
Upon hearing this, Yìng Huái and Yún Rèn were stunned. They exchanged a puzzled glance and then looked at Lí Chuān. The woman was also surprised, but she nodded all the same.
Leaving Yún Rèn and Yìng Huái to wait, Lí Chuān and the woman moved to a more secluded area.
Watching them walk away, Yìng Huái crouched down and asked with a smile, "You are Yi'er, right? My name is Yìng Huái. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
The child nodded obediently and chirped, "It is nice to meet you, Brother Yìng Huái!"
After a few chuckles, Yìng Huái suddenly clutched his stomach and said, "This Big Brother Yún Rèn over here is a great person. I have a bit of a stomachache and need to find a latrine, so have this big brother keep you company."
With that, Yìng Huái slipped away and vanished from sight.
Yún Rèn watched the disappearing Yìng Huái, the corner of his eye twitching slightly. Could he be any less convincing?
Away from the crowd, Yìng Huái surreptitiously crouched by a wall to eavesdrop. Lí Chuān glanced in Yìng Huái’s direction before turning back to the woman. "Madam, does Yi'er suffer from an incurable illness?"
As soon as the words left his lips, the woman looked shocked.
Eavesdropping nearby, Yìng Huái was also startled before his expression turned somber.
"I am somewhat well-versed in medicine. When I helped Yi'er just now, I found his pulse to be quite weak. I fear that..." Lí Chuān did not continue.
After hearing Lí Chuān’s explanation, the woman's panicked expression softened, replaced by deep sorrow. With a choked voice, she said, "I'm sorry, sir. I have always been reluctant to discuss these things in front of Yi'er, which is why I stopped him from continuing."
Lí Chuān nodded slightly in understanding.
Taking a deep breath, the woman spoke slowly, "You are correct, sir. A year ago, Yi'er suddenly fainted while playing outside. My husband and I saw many physicians, all of whom said Yi'er’s illness was innate and could not be cured."
"To pay for Yi'er’s treatment, we exhausted all our savings, yet there was no improvement. We could only watch as Yi'er’s condition worsened by the day. Because of this, my in-laws called me a curse, urged my husband to divorce me and marry someone else, and frequently berated and abused us while my husband was away."
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeve, revealing old scars covering her arms. There was even a deep slash across her wrist.
Lowering her sleeve, she said with tears in her eyes, "My husband is a man who values honor and affection. He could not bear to see us suffer such indignities, so half a year ago, he moved us away from the village so we could live elsewhere."
"Although we no longer have to endure the abuse, Yi'er’s condition has only become more severe. Just as we were about to give up, having no other hope, we heard that Xiandu Mountain grants every wish. We thought we would try; what if it could actually cure Yi'er? Then we could live as we did before."
"We initially wanted to travel together as a family, but Yi'er’s body is too weak; we feared he would not survive the bumps of the journey. So, my husband set out alone. Yet, I never expected that my husband would go and never return. We have been left here, waiting bitterly in our home."
The more the woman spoke, the more agitated she became. Large teardrops hit the ground. Lí Chuān followed the trail of tears with his eyes, but the ground seemed to absorb them with a powerful force; the moment the water touched the earth, it vanished.
"Yi'er does not have much time left. I did not want to wait around aimlessly anymore, so I brought him away from home. Even if Yi'er only has one day left, I hope our family can live together and give him a complete home."
Wiping away her tears, the woman cried out in emotional collapse, "I'm sorry, sir. I know I shouldn't be telling you these things, but I... I can no longer hold on. For these past few days, I have been hoping to obtain the wooden tablet to Xiandu Mountain, praying that our family could be reunited."
Seeing Yìng Huái walk back with a slumped expression, Yún Rèn teased him with a smile, "You didn't get caught hiding and get chased back, did you?"
Yìng Huái did not speak. Instead, he walked straight to Yi'er, crouched down, and pulled the handkerchief wrapping his last piece of pastry from his robe, handing it to the child.
Yún Rèn thought his eyes were deceiving him and rubbed them multiple times. Yìng Huái, who loved pastries more than his own life, had actually given away his last piece? This was truly strange.
The child stared at the offered pastry, blinked his eyes, and said shyly, "Brother Yìng Huái, my mother said not to take things from others; it's impolite."
Yìng Huái smiled. "Your mother is right about not taking from others, but I am giving this to you. It's different."
The child glanced toward Yún Rèn, who smiled and said, "Accept it. This is Brother Yìng Huái’s kind gesture."
The child smiled and nodded, accepting the pastry Yìng Huái offered. Beaming, he said, "Thank you, Brother Yìng Huái! I will wait to eat it with Mother when we return."
"Good boy," Yìng Huái said, ruffling the child’s hair.
"Mother—!" Seeing the woman and Lí Chuān returning, the child ran toward her, holding his pastry. "Look, this is the pastry Brother Yìng Huái gave me."
Lí Chuān glanced toward Yìng Huái, who felt guilty under that gaze and quickly looked away.
"Is that so?" Because she had just been crying, the woman’s eyes were bloodshot, and her voice sounded raspy. "Did you thank your brother?"
"I said thank you!"
Closer now, the child noticed his mother's reddened eyes, and his mood sank, his heart aching for her.
"...Mother."
The woman smiled and stroked his head. "I am fine, darling. A small fly accidentally flew into my eye just now. Let us be going."
Seeing them about to depart, Yìng Huái quickly stepped forward and said, "Where are you staying? Let me see you home."
After saying this, Yìng Huái realized he had overstepped and looked uneasily toward Lí Chuān for permission.
Lí Chuān watched on without speaking, then gave a slight nod.
Seeing Lí Chuān agree, Yìng Huái felt relieved and escorted the mother and son away. As they left, the child turned back every few steps to wave happily.
"That little one is very adorable, isn't she?" a voice suddenly remarked. Lí Chuān and Yún Rèn turned to find the old man who had greeted them warmly earlier. Watching the back of the pair as they left, he said slowly, "Although the two of them haven't been in town long, they come to this temple every single day."