Three days later, at dusk.
"Yarrow, I'm hungry ~" Ji Xiaofei whined, dragging out her words as she trailed behind him.
"How can you be hungry again?" Yarrow sighed, glancing over his shoulder.
Although evening had arrived, it had only been four hours since their last meal. If she hadn't dawdled at noon, they wouldn't have wasted so much time today.
"I can't walk anymore," Ji Xiaofei complained, her voice laced with dissatisfaction.
"Tsk."
Yarrow looked at the setting sun and decided it was best to stop for the night. He set down the large pot, started a campfire, and grabbed the two fish he had caught earlier, heading to the river to clean them.
For the past two days, they had followed the river, camping along its banks. While scaling the fish, Yarrow considered their journey ahead. At this pace, it would take another two or three days to reach the nearest town, where they could catch a carriage back.
Honestly, he couldn't blame Ji Xiaofei for wanting to rest. They had been traveling from dawn till dusk without much break. He was used to the grind, but Ji Xiaofei—who had only recently turned into a girl—had yet to adjust. It was natural that her stamina couldn't keep up.
Through their conversations over the past few days, her affection level had reached 200. However, the challenge that could earn him tokens still hadn't updated. Was there some other condition he needed to trigger?
Back in town, there were plenty of things to handle. Despite claiming he didn't want to take responsibility for Ji Xiaofei, now that he had discovered the system's benefits, he couldn't just ignore her. She needed a kingdom citizenship, a job…
Lost in thought, Yarrow suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine, from his feet to the crown of his head.
He froze.
Immediately, he stood and scanned the area, his grip tightening around the fish. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the sound of the river and the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.
"A hallucination?" he muttered.
An unsettling feeling of being watched prickled at his instincts.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword, his gaze flicking over the surrounding trees.
"Yarrow, I'm back!"
Ji Xiaofei emerged from the forest, her skirt brimming with mushrooms. She blinked at him in confusion upon noticing his tense posture.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you feel like we're being followed?" he asked, keeping his eyes on their surroundings.
"Followed?" Ji Xiaofei tilted her head. "Ji Xiaofei doesn't know."
Yarrow sighed. "Forget it."
Maybe he was just imagining things. Still, he kept his sword close—just in case.
"Yarrow, Yarrow!"
"What now?" he turned, exasperated.
"I want to take a bath."
"Do whatever you want," he muttered, turning back to the fish. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Just don't wash in the pot."
"Okay ~"
Without a hint of shyness, Ji Xiaofei stripped off her clothes and jumped into the river.
Yarrow stared at the water, watching her splash around. "Aren't chickens supposed to be afraid of water?"
After her bath, she emerged—dripping wet, stark naked—and dashed toward the trees.
"Where do you think you're going?" Yarrow called out, frowning.
"Potty," she replied nonchalantly. "Wanna come?"
Yarrow waved her off, rubbing his temples. Watching Ji Xiaofei prance around without a shred of shame made his head ache.
"Once we get back, I need to teach her about basic human decency. She can't just run around naked all the time."
By the time the food was ready, Ji Xiaofei still hadn't returned.
"What's taking her so long?" Yarrow muttered, irritation creeping in. Then, a thought struck him.
That feeling from earlier.
His stomach twisted. "Damn it. Did something happen to her?"
Without hesitation, he grabbed his sword and sprinted into the forest.
Night had fully descended, shrouding the trees in darkness. He pulled out a fluorescent crystal, its glow casting eerie shadows along the ground.
"Xiaofei?" he called in a hushed tone.
Silence.
The stillness of the forest made every illuminated tree trunk and rustling bush feel like unseen eyes watching him.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He didn't know what he was dealing with, and the fear of the unknown churned in his gut. If it was a wild beast, a well-placed fireball might scare it off. But magical creatures were rare outside Sano Forest or old ruins… which meant this was likely a person.
His grip on his sword tightened.
A rustling noise came from his left.
Heart pounding, he turned sharply, leveling his weapon at the undergrowth.
Swallowing hard, he stepped closer. "Ji Xiaofei?"
No response.
Bracing himself, he reached out and pushed aside the leaves.
His eyes widened.
Ji Xiaofei's lower half dangled from a tree hole, her tiny wings flapping uselessly, muffled grunts coming from inside the trunk.
Yarrow blinked. "What… are you doing?"
"Yarrow! Yarrow, help me! I was chasing a squirrel and got stuck!"
His eye twitched. "Are you an idiot?"
"It was an accident! Just pull me out already!"
Yarrow let out a long breath, pressing his fingers to his temple. He had worried for nothing.
[Ji Xiaofei is in trouble. What will you do?]
Heartbeat Options:
[Why are you so careless? I'll help you out right away.]
[I can help you, but how will you repay me later?]
[You useless thing. Just stay stuck there forever.]
[Good opportunity to stick it in ]
Yarrow planted his sword into the ground, ready to pull her out. But then, he hesitated, remembering something.
Perhaps… this was an opportunity.
Yarrow stopped, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"I can help you, but how will you repay me later?"
"Repay? I don't know ~"
"You don't know? Then how about a little punishment?"
With a sharp snap, the sound echoed through the silent forest. Ji Xiaofei, still stuck in the tree trunk, let out a pained whimper.
"Ouch! That hurts, Yarrow..." she whimpered, her voice laced with grievance.
"You keep causing trouble. This time, I need to teach you a lesson," Yarrow said, shaking his hand and exhaling sharply.
Even with her upper body trapped in the tree hole, Ji Xiaofei could feel the ominous intensity in his gaze. A shiver ran down her spine.
"Yarrow… you're so scary…"
"Do you understand what you did wrong?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.
"Ugh… I… I know…" she sniffled, her voice laced with tears.
Only then did Yarrow pull her free from the tree hole.
Finally liberated, Ji Xiaofei didn't celebrate. She lowered her head, sniffling softly.
"Yarrow is so mean…" she murmured between quiet sobs.
Yarrow chuckled inwardly but reached out, pulling her into a gentle embrace. He stroked her head with a sigh.
"Alright, maybe I was too harsh. But don't make me worry like that again, okay?"
Ji Xiaofei lifted her head, her delicate face flushed red. Her rosy lips trembled slightly, eyes shimmering with tears. Golden strands of hair clung to her cheeks. The sight was undeniably captivating.
"Mmm," she pouted, nodding softly.
Discipline followed by comfort—this method worked too well.
Yarrow wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and took her small hand in his.
"Come on, let's head back and eat."
But just as he turned, his breath hitched.
Behind them, a tall figure stood motionless in the shadows, wearing a wide-brimmed hat.