Encountering a Snake - Chapter 19

V3C19

 

By the time they returned to the mountain, it was already winter. A fresh layer of snow had just fallen, blanketing the trees in white, and even the breath they exhaled turned white, blending seamlessly into the world around them.

 

The cold was biting, and the woods appeared lifeless. Withered branches and fallen leaves lay buried beneath the snow, their unusual softness only revealed when stepped upon. By the next year, these decayed leaves would become fertile nutrients, sinking deep into the soil to nourish budding branches and leaves. They fell and returned in another form, endless and unbroken, free of pain.

 

Liu Yan met the pine tree spirit.

 

Amid the barren scenery, the evergreen pine stood as the sole splash of color, making it easy to find him.

 

As a father, Liu Yan cared about the friends his son made, though he wouldn’t say it aloud. He knew that Shen Jue had been searching for the reincarnated emperor for a long time without success, and he hoped Shen Jue would let it go.

 

“Stop searching, don’t look anymore—it’s too exhausting.” Liu Yan didn’t want Shen Jue to follow in Yi Mo’s footsteps, but he also knew some things were beyond his control.

 

Many things were beyond their control.

 

Perhaps suffering, struggling, and endlessly searching were just part of life. Liu Yan knew that as a father, he could not protect Shen Jue forever. Shen Jue’s life would be long, and his would be short. Protection was impossible; Shen Jue had already grown up, and Liu Yan couldn’t stop the passage of time. He could stop nothing, change nothing, and could only watch helplessly as the ruthless flow of time carried away the child he had once held in his hands. Now grown, Shen Jue would face the struggles that come with growth.

 

The little pine spirit sensed Shen Jue’s presence and was almost ecstatic. Without any wind, its branches began swaying, shaking snow down from the trunk. A faint, illusory figure emerged beneath the pine tree, a splash of green that called out “Shen Ge! Shen Ge!” before rushing to throw itself at Shen Jue.

 

Shen Jue opened his arms to catch him, clearly embarrassed. Liu Yan, standing to the side, started laughing—a muffled laugh, as though he were suppressing something. His laughter only made Shen Jue more embarrassed. “Father, stop laughing,” he said.

 

The little pine spirit in Shen Jue’s arms finally noticed the others present. Spotting Yi Mo—the half-immortal snake demon it had been avoiding in fear—it immediately turned pale, withdrawing from Shen Jue’s embrace in a flash and disappearing back into its physical tree body. The pine tree quivered with its fear, its branches shaking so hard that snow and pine needles rained down.

 

This was the first time in over two hundred years that Liu Yan had seen a pine tree tremble. Its trunk stood still, but its branches quivered uncontrollably, shedding needles like tears. The sight of this tall, sturdy tree shivering like a frightened child was so absurd that Liu Yan couldn’t help himself—he laughed harder, his shoulders shaking as he crouched down, unable to stand straight.

 

“Father,” Shen Jue said helplessly. Afraid his father might choke on his laughter, he patted Liu Yan’s back to calm him. “What’s so funny that you’re laughing this hard?”

 

Liu Yan ducked his head, silent except for the sound of his laughter. After a while, he finally stopped and glanced at Shen Jue, teasing, “Shen Ge.”

 

Shen Jue’s handsome face turned bright red.

 

Yi Mo crouched down beside Liu Yan, his expression serious and stern as he added, “You should call him Little Shen Ge.”

 

With that, Liu Yan could no longer hold back. He laughed so hard that his entire body went weak, collapsing into Yi Mo’s chest, gasping for breath and brushing tears from his eyes. “Shen Ge… Shen Ge… What a ‘Shen Ge!’”

 

Shen Jue, teased until his face burned red with embarrassment, was both flustered and annoyed. A perfectly innocent title had been twisted into something ridiculous. It now sounded less like “Shen Ge” and more like a lover’s pet name. The thought made even Shen Jue’s own teeth ache—he hadn’t found it that cringeworthy before.

 

Yi Mo pulled the laughing Liu Yan upright, holding him close. Looking toward the still-quivering pine tree, he said calmly, “If you’re calling him ‘brother,’ then come out and meet us properly. What’s the point of hiding like you’ve seen a ghost? What kind of behavior is that?” His tone clearly carried the authority of an elder.

 

The little pine spirit hesitated, torn between fear and affection for Shen Jue. He was terrified of displeasing them and losing the chance to see Shen Jue again. Finally, he gathered his courage and emerged once more, forming a faint human figure that stood before Yi Mo with his head down, silent and barely breathing, terrified that one misstep would provoke the half-immortal to swallow him whole.

 

When he stood still, Liu Yan finally stopped laughing. “Lift your head so I can see you.”

 

The little pine spirit raised his head, revealing the clean, handsome face of a young man in green robes—tall, slender, and straight-backed, though a little too thin. Liu Yan, recalling how this boy had just thrown himself into Shen Jue’s arms while calling him “Shen Ge,” felt laughter bubbling up again. He swallowed it down with some effort, finally managing to say seriously, “I’ve never seen you before in all the years I’ve been here. Were you afraid of us?”

 

The little pine spirit glanced up quickly before lowering his head again, shaking it timidly, his ears flushing red as his thoughts were exposed.

 

Liu Yan said, “Since you’re friends with Shen Jue, we will treat you with respect. There’s no need to keep hiding.”

 

The little pine spirit’s face lit up with joy at the words, his smile so bright it was almost dazzling.

 

It was a pure, clean smile. Liu Yan thought to himself: perhaps because the pine spirit had grown up here on the mountain, tied to the same spot, he had never seen the world and remained untouched by its complexities. His thoughts were simple, his emotions obvious, his joy and sorrow written plainly on his face. Such a rare, genuine purity.

 

Liu Yan suddenly felt at ease. If this boy kept Shen Jue company, then perhaps Shen Jue’s long life wouldn’t be lonely after all. Yet he also knew Shen Jue’s heart.

 

Shen Jue was a wolf—loyal and unwavering to his chosen mate. That was a wolf’s nature. Though part human, he had inherited that steadfast, unchanging devotion. It was not easily altered.

 

And yet, the pine spirit’s eyes clearly revealed his feelings for Shen Jue. Even Liu Yan, an ordinary mortal, could see it—this would be another tangled, inevitable heartbreak.

 

With a pang of regret, Liu Yan turned to Yi Mo and said, “You two go on ahead. I’ll have a word with him.”

 

Yi Mo understood him perfectly. He took Shen Jue’s hand and led him away. Shen Jue paused after a few steps, turning back to the pine spirit, who stood anxiously before Liu Yan. “Don’t be scared. My father’s kind,” he reassured the spirit before leaving with Yi Mo.

 

Though Liu Yan appeared young, his eyes were deep and wise. He glanced at the pine spirit, then gently took his arm and led him on a slow walk through the snowy forest. Now that the half-immortal had left, the little pine spirit found himself unexpectedly nervous around this seemingly ordinary man. He dared not pull away, following meekly and unsure of what to expect.

 

After half an hour, Liu Yan finally spoke, his tone warm. “You can’t leave this mountain?”

 

The pine spirit answered softly, “My cultivation is shallow. I can’t go farther than three to five miles from my physical body.”

 

“How long have you been cultivating?”

 

“Two hundred and eighty years.”

 

Liu Yan nodded and fell silent for a moment before suddenly changing the topic. “Do you like Shen Jue?”

 

The little pine tree spirit’s face turned slightly red, and he looked at him with some confusion. “What is ‘like’?”

 

He asked seriously, without any pretense, proving that he genuinely did not understand. Liu Yan looked at him and, for some reason, suddenly thought of Yi Mo. He wondered if all these cultivating spirits were like this—so naive and foolish, unaware of how much suffering they might face in the future.

 

Liu Yan pondered for a moment and did not answer the question. Instead, he said, “Shen Jue has someone he likes.”

 

“Huh?” The little pine tree spirit froze, inexplicably uncomfortable. His heart felt a little sour and a little bitter. Instinctively, he said, “How come I haven’t seen them? He never told me about it.” In his words, there was an unconscious sense of treating Shen Jue as his own. Perhaps he himself hadn’t realized it yet, but Liu Yan understood. His suspicions were confirmed. Yi Mo had been right; this little spirit had indeed developed feelings for Shen Jue.

 

Liu Yan said, “That person is dead.”

 

The little pine tree spirit froze again.

 

“He’s dead, and for years now, Shen Jue has been searching for his reincarnation,” Liu Yan said calmly. “You cannot leave this mountain, but Shen Jue will eventually wander the world, searching far and wide. What will you do then?”

 

The little pine tree spirit’s mind was in chaos. Hearing this, he replied without even thinking, “Can’t I accompany him to search? Once I cultivate a little longer, I’ll be able to leave my main body and go with him to find that person.”

 

Liu Yan said nothing more.

 

The little spirit was timid and simple, yet without hesitation, he gave him this answer. Answers given without thought are often the most genuine—I’ll be with you.

 

No matter what happens, no matter where he goes, he will accompany him. Perhaps one day he will regret it and suffer, but this sincerity is what matters most—because it is his own choice. No matter how bitter it may be, he will accept it willingly.

 

Even Liu Yan had no right to judge, nor could he interfere with or influence their decisions. As for whether Shen Jue finds the person or not, those are matters beyond his control. He believed that the child he raised would handle it properly.

 

Liu Yan smiled slightly and said, “Would you like to come to my home? Shen Jue must be tidying up the courtyard right now. Will you go help him?”

 

The little pine tree spirit immediately perked up at the thought of being with Shen Jue. How could he refuse? Although Liu Yan still made him feel vaguely uneasy, he could sense the kindness in him. Summoning his courage, he nodded.

 

Liu Yan then led him home.

 

In the courtyard, Shen Jue was sweeping the ground with a bamboo broom, clearing the accumulated snow into the corners where it formed small mounds. Yi Mo sat idly on the rooftop, watching his son busy at work. Occasionally, he used magic to offer small bits of help—gesturing with a hand to send a wooden bucket flying out of the kitchen, fetching water from the river, pouring it into the water jar, and then flying back and forth until the jar was full. Meanwhile, a cloth tirelessly wiped dust from all surfaces.

 

Following Liu Yan, the little pine tree spirit took in this strange yet warm and bustling scene as soon as he arrived.

 

Long used to such sights, Liu Yan paid no mind and sat down on a freshly cleaned chair. A teacup and teapot floated out from the open door and landed beside him. Shen Jue, without looking up as he swept, said, “Father, it’s very cold. Have some hot tea, and go back inside soon. The brazier is already lit.”

 

Yi Mo, still sitting on the rooftop, finally dropped down to the courtyard. Liu Yan asked why he had been up there. Yi Mo replied that the chimney had been blocked, so he was clearing it.

 

As he spoke, he headed inside and brought out the bedding, tossing it onto the courtyard’s only large tree. Using its branches, he aired the quilts directly without even bothering with ropes. When alone, Yi Mo was never particular about such things. But when with Liu Yan, he insisted on choosing only the finest bedding—quilts infused with the smell of sunshine—to sleep comfortably while holding Liu Yan in his arms.

 

While they talked, the little pine tree spirit had already slipped over to Shen Jue’s side, eager to snatch the broom and help.

 

The courtyard and house floors were mostly swept clean. Shen Jue, being cautious of the cold and the risk of slipping, had been meticulous. Seeing the little pine tree spirit’s enthusiasm, he didn’t hold back. Handing him the bamboo broom, he instructed him to sweep carefully, including the ground outside the courtyard gate, before rolling up his sleeves and heading into the kitchen to make pastries.

 

As he stepped into the kitchen, he poked his head back out and asked, “Father, what would you like to eat?”

 

Yi Mo, sitting with Liu Yan drinking tea, turned his head and said, “Pine nut crisps.”

 

The little pine tree spirit, oblivious to the teasing, immediately put down the broom and said earnestly, “I have lots of pine nuts. Xiao Shen-ge, do you want some?” He had already changed how he addressed Shen Jue, now calling him “Xiao Shen-ge.”

 

Liu Yan nearly spit out his tea, quickly swallowing it back down and scalding his tongue. He shot Yi Mo a glance that said: Behave yourself!

 

Yi Mo averted his gaze, studying his tea as though it were an entirely new discovery, giving it his full attention.

 

Shen Jue, fully aware of Yi Mo’s mischief, could not call him out in front of the little pine tree spirit. He accepted the pile of pine nuts as if nothing had happened and continued making pastries. Finding a spare moment, he glanced over at Liu Yan, winking and pleading with his eyes—begging his father to take this old troublemaker away so he could have some peace.

 

Liu Yan noticed his son’s silent plea, blinked, and then—remarkably—also looked down, focusing intently on his tea.

 

Shen Jue ground his teeth but, with a guest present, swallowed his frustration.

 

The little pine tree spirit, who had never left the mountain, was meeting people for the first time in his life. Filled with curiosity, he observed the family intently, thinking that this must be what the world below the mountain was like—that every family was like this.

 

Harmonious, warm, and sweet.

 

He didn’t realize that the beauty of this family was fleeting, like the blooming of an ephemeron—there for only a brief moment.

 

Unaware of this truth, the little pine tree spirit could not see what the three members of this family all understood. Precisely because they knew, they cherished the moment even more.

 

With this shared sense of treasuring the moment, life felt as if it were lived on clouds—light and dreamy, as though this dream would never end.

 

The New Year arrived in the midst of winter. Firecrackers were set off across the lonely mountain, filling the night with noise and cheer. After the New Year came the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month. Even Yi Mo entered the kitchen to help make stuffed rice dumplings. While the first few turned out messy, he soon got the hang of it. The family cooked a pot of dumplings, added sweet osmanthus syrup, and huddled around the stove to enjoy the meal together, thus ending the festival.

 

The cold winter passed in the blink of an eye. The forest turned green again as life reawakened, filling the woods with noisy activity. The little pine tree spirit often visited the only courtyard in the mountain. Although he called it visiting, the family was so laid-back that even Liu Yan grew increasingly casual. They didn’t treat him as a guest. When he arrived, they would nod in acknowledgment and carry on with their own affairs.

 

One day, the little pine tree spirit arrived to find the courtyard gate closed but not locked. He pushed it open, called out a few times, and received no answer.

 

The mountain forest had no other inhabitants, so there was no need to secure the house when leaving. After circling the empty courtyard, the little pine tree spirit shut the gate and ran off to search for them.

 

He finally found the family by a stream halfway up the mountain. His Xiao Shen-ge had transformed into his original form—a pitch-black giant wolf, sprawled on the grass with his eyes closed, ears occasionally twitching. Clearly aware of the visitor, he was too lazy to open his eyes. Resting his head on the black wolf’s furry belly was Liu Yan, also napping. A large snake coiled around Liu Yan, its head tucked into his collar, equally fast asleep. After all, it was spring—the perfect temperature, with the warm sun shining down. What else was there to do but nap?

 

The family of three lay tangled together beneath the dense branches of a tree that shielded their faces from the light, allowing them to dream peacefully. Where the branches failed to block the sunlight, it streamed down in gentle golden ripples, flowing warmly across them as if they were sleeping in a golden palace. The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, the murmur of a nearby stream, and the warmth of family.

 

This scene etched itself deeply into the little pine tree spirit’s mind, a memory he would carry for the rest of his life.

 

Loving and relying on one another.

 

If not for the arrival of summer, this family might have continued their cloudlike days, deceiving themselves into thinking that time was long and the moment would never end. But summer had come.

 

The scorching sun beat down. Liu Yan, dressed in thin clothes, sat by the stream with his bare feet submerged in the water. A wolf lay sprawled across his legs as he combed its fur with a horn comb, occasionally pulling out tufts of fur and tossing them into the stream.

 

Shen Jue sighed. “If only I were a snake, I wouldn’t have to deal with this in summer.”

 

Yi Mo, lying nearby, tugged on the wolf’s tail, pulling out a clump of fur. Blowing on it, he watched it float away and said lazily, “Back then, I didn’t want to raise you. The animal stench was bad enough, but summer is unbearable with your fur everywhere. I can’t even drink tea without finding wolf hair in it. Truly disgusting.”

 

Shen Jue retorted angrily, “I don’t smell! You’re a snake—you smell like a dirt mound!”

 

Liu Yan looked up and said, “What are you two arguing about? You’re both animals. Stop complaining about each other.”

 

The wolf and snake fell silent.

 

Liu Yan added, “Why don’t I notice any smell?”

 

“Father has cultivated for so long that you subsist on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Naturally, you don’t smell anything,” Shen Jue said. “I’ll catch a wild snake later, and you’ll see what he smells like.”

 

Yi Mo grabbed the wolf’s tail, sneering, “I’d rather kick you into the river now. Wet dog smell is far worse.”

 

“I’m not a dog!” Shen Jue yelled, lifting his head to argue, only to be pressed back down onto Liu Yan’s lap.

 

“Don’t move. I’m not finished,” Liu Yan said.

 

Shen Jue had no choice but to lie back down, muttering, “Father, I’m not a dog.”

 

Liu Yan chuckled, patting his furry head. “I know.”

 

Immediately comforted, Shen Jue sighed contentedly, relaxing as his thick fur grew lighter with the combing.

 

Annoyed by his blissful demeanor, Yi Mo kicked him into the water. With a splash, the majestic black wolf became a drenched mess.

 

The wolf thrashed in the water before standing up and leaping at Yi Mo in anger. Yi Mo waved a hand, conjuring an invisible barrier between them. The wolf tried several times to break through but failed. His ears drooped as he circled the barrier pitifully, calling out, “Father.”

 

Yi Mo ignored him.

 

“Father,” the wolf called again, his head hanging low as he paced in circles. Water dripped from his fur, and he looked utterly pitiful.

 

Yimo hesitated for a moment before withdrawing his magic.

 

Sure enough, the black wolf, which had been weak just a moment ago, immediately regained its energy. It pounced on him, knocking Yimo to the ground, then happily shook its body, splashing water and wolf fur all over Yimo’s face and body.

 

Yimo wiped his face and lay on the ground, helplessly turning his head to look at Liu Yan, saying, “This is the good son you raised!”

 

The black wolf rubbed its wet face against Yimo’s freshly cleaned face, making it wet again. It even said innocently, “You taught me too.” When Yimo raised a foot to kick it again, the wolf dodged swiftly to the side and shook itself dry once more.

 

Yimo sat up, cleaned the wolf fur and water off himself, and looked at the black wolf, pouting. “I’ll skin you this winter and make a wolf fur blanket for your father…” Before he could finish speaking, Yimo suddenly fell silent.

 

Winter. Where was winter now?

 

Liu Yan, who had been watching their antics with a smile, stopped laughing at this moment as well.

 

Shen Jue squatted nearby, silently shifting back into his human form. He looked up at the sky. Perhaps it was the fierce light of the sun, but his eyes grew warm, as if on the verge of tears.

 

The three of them were silent.

 

When the little pine tree spirit arrived by the stream, he was surprised to find such an unusually somber scene. Puzzled, he asked, “What’s wrong with you all?”

 

No one answered him. There were some things that only the closest family knew, only the dearest loved ones understood. To everyone else, it was unimportant. They couldn’t even be bothered to say it aloud.

 

Because many things couldn’t be understood, nor did they need to be. They felt guilty, for the ones most deeply hurt were their beloveds, and only their beloveds could make them feel such guilt.

 

Who else would understand?

 

Shen Jue walked over and sat beside the two, asking, “Father, what are you thinking?”

 

This topic had never been deeply discussed; they had always hidden it, afraid to speak it aloud.

 

Liu Yan said calmly, “I just think… I have let you down.”

 

“What?” Shen Jue asked.

 

Liu Yan turned to look at him for a long while before gently stroking his head and softly saying, “You and I have been father and son for over two hundred, almost three hundred years, yet I have rarely been by your side… Now, I fear I won’t be able to accompany you again.”

 

Shen Jue froze. “Father?”

 

Liu Yan called over the little pine tree spirit and said, “From now on, you stay with him.”

 

The little pine tree spirit didn’t understand but still nodded. “Of course, I’ll stay with Xiao Shen Ge.”

 

Liu Yan smiled faintly. Looking into Shen Jue’s tearful eyes, his own heart ached. He hugged his son, holding him close without saying a word.

 

Shen Jue wasn’t foolish. He had always been intelligent, so he understood the meaning behind the words. In a few days, if Father left, he would leave with him. That was why he had said, “I won’t be able to accompany you again.”

 

—“I won’t be able to accompany you.”

 

Shen Jue thought to himself, when he was born, he originally had parents, but before he could even remember, they were gone, leaving him an orphan. He hadn’t felt particularly aggrieved or sad. Without his biological parents, he still had this father and papa, who treated him so well that he never suffered any grievances growing up. Though they were demons, he lived in a great family where no one dared to look down on him or bully him. Later, when his papa died, he was left with only his father. They searched for many years, enduring so much hardship, but finally, they reunited as a family.

 

But now, after just one year, Father was going to leave, and even Papa refused to stay behind, choosing to go with him.

 

They were going to abandon him again, leaving him alone in this vast world, with no family at all. What was the point of living so lonely?

 

Shen Jue clenched his teeth and said, “I’ll go with you.”

 

Liu Yan’s head shot up. “No!”

 

The little pine tree spirit didn’t understand what they were saying and hesitantly looked at them. His eyes flickered between Shen Jue, Liu Yan, and Yimo. None of them would explain, and none of them spared him a glance. It was at this moment that the little pine tree spirit realized that their kindness and warmth had limits. To them, he was merely an outsider. Realizing this, he felt sad, mixed with a hint of grievance. These feelings were too complex for him to sort out. He only knew that he had always treated them like family, so why couldn’t they treat him the same?

 

He stood there feeling aggrieved for a while, but when they still didn’t look at him, the grievance morphed into something more—two parts resentment.

 

After standing there for a moment, the little pine tree spirit turned and walked away. He thought, If you don’t care about me, then I won’t care about you either. At that moment, he completely forgot his earlier promise to Liu Yan to stay with Shen Jue.

 

What he didn’t know was that as he walked away, Liu Yan saw it clearly and made a conclusion—this personality didn’t suit Shen Jue. Compared to the reincarnated emperor of his previous life, this little pine tree spirit was not even as good.

 

Liu Yan turned to Shen Jue and said, “You still have your own responsibilities and your own life to live. How can you follow us? Can you follow us forever?”

 

Shen Jue smiled bitterly. “I can’t find him anyway. If not with you, where else can I go?”

 

“If you can’t find him, then keep looking,” Yimo said. “You made a promise, didn’t you? How can you go back on your word? I never taught you to behave like that.”

 

“…If I find him, will I be able to find you again?” Shen Jue asked.

 

Yimo was silent for a moment before answering, “Where would you look for me?” He turned to Liu Yan and asked, “Are you really going to go with me?”

 

Liu Yan smiled faintly. “When I left you behind before, was it painful for you to search for me?”

 

Yimo thought for a moment and replied, “When I was searching, it was painful.”

 

Painful—he admitted it for the first time. As he searched, he had no idea where Liu Yan might be, but he couldn’t stop imagining what he might have become, what his personality might be like. Even though he had already calculated where Liu Yan would be reborn, he couldn’t control himself from searching everywhere, afraid of miscalculating, afraid of not finding him, afraid of missing him in the vast sea of people.

 

In the end, he had still missed him, still wasted time. Only then did he realize that even though he had lived for thousands of years, could summon wind and rain, and soar through the skies, he was ultimately useless.

 

In the face of fate, he was nothing more than an ant, with no power at all. And yet, someone still liked him, still cherished him. How could he not search for that person?

 

He wasn’t afraid of the hardship. As long as he thought of the good things, all the pain he had suffered eventually turned sweet.

 

“I can only live a few more decades,” Liu Yan said softly. “Even if I’m not afraid of the pain, where would I search for you? Even alive, I would live without hope. Could you bear to leave me behind to endure the same pain you did?”

 

Yimo reached out, pulled him into his arms, and whispered, “I can’t bear it.” After a moment, he added, “I can’t bear for you to die either.”

 

Liu Yan closed his eyes and leaned against Yimo’s shoulder. “Then can’t you just live?”

 

“I… I’m afraid I can’t live like this anymore,” Yimo said, stroking Liu Yan’s back. “Have you forgotten? I’m a snake demon. Without my cultivation, I’m just a snake.”

 

That was the answer.

 

Without his cultivation, without his inner core, he would be nothing. He wouldn’t be Yimo, wouldn’t understand human speech, wouldn’t possess his grace and charm.

 

He would be nothing more than an anonymous snake in the mountains, slithering beneath the layers of dead leaves, appearing in caves, eating wild animals, waking in spring, and sleeping in winter.

 

Perhaps one day, an eagle or vulture would snatch him away, tear open his skin, and devour his insides—a death that would be painful and ugly.

 

It was better to give up his cultivation along with his life, to give everything away.

 

At least at the very end, he could lie beside the one he loved, sharing gentle whispers, eating a bowl of yuanxiao together.

 

Just those things alone were worth thousands of years of life.

 

And he would have no regrets.

 

“Yuanxiao” refers to glutinous rice balls, a traditional Chinese food eaten during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. Yuanxiao are typically filled with sweet pastes, such as sesame or red bean, and are boiled or steamed before serving. They symbolize family togetherness, harmony, and happiness.

 

tl – and here i thought my crying session were going to end