The gentle yet intense embrace left Yu Xie in a daze. For a brief moment, it felt as if his mind was filled with a buzzing sound.
The tight hug, a reunion after centuries, was so firm and strong, as if Yae Miko wanted to hold onto his very soul.
Her ears twitched slightly, and her tail swayed gently.
After a long while, Yae Miko finally released him.
She turned her back to him.
"It's getting late. Let's head back and rest," she said, her face still flushed. Without another word, she quickly walked away.
Yu Xie was left standing there, alone.
The scent of Yae Miko's fragrance lingered in the air, still pleasant and captivating.
Yu Xie stood still for a while, then looked up at the night sky.
The night sky was filled with brilliant stars, with the full moon hanging high.
Was the night sky in Inazuma like this hundreds of years ago?
...
A few days later.
That day, Yu Xie woke up very early.
It was still dimly light outside when he got out of bed, leaving the warmth of his blankets. He walked into the empty courtyard, which felt somewhat desolate.
He looked around, then picked up a broom and began sweeping the courtyard.
In truth, Yu Xie quite liked moments like this, when he could focus solely on one task. At times like these, there was no need to think about anything else; all he needed to do was complete the task at hand.
Just as he put down the broom, the sound of footsteps echoed.
Following the sound, he saw Shen He walking toward him, taking slow, measured steps.
"Shen He, good morning," Yu Xie greeted with a smile.
"Mm, good morning," Shen He replied, walking up to Yu Xie and stopping in front of him. Her silver hair gently swayed in the morning breeze.
"Perfect timing, it's about breakfast time. Let's go have breakfast," Yu Xie said.
"Mm," Shen He nodded lightly, as if she would never refute anything Yu Xie said.
It was like a well-behaved little kitten, one who trusted you deeply and unconditionally believed everything you said.
Then, the two of them walked side by side. As they turned a corner, two familiar figures appeared before Yu Xie's eyes.
The purple hair, the tall and graceful figure, and the exquisite beauty.
Makoto and Ei had both arrived at Kitsune Saiguu Mansion.
"Makoto? Ei?" Yu Xie was slightly surprised and stopped in his tracks. Shen He followed suit.
"Yu Xie, and Miss Shen He," Makoto also stopped, offering a gentle smile to both Yu Xie and Shen He.
Makoto's smile was always so soothing, carrying a warm, gentle feeling as if it could melt even the hardest ice.
"You two came here for what reason?" Yu Xie asked.
"Surely you haven't forgotten what I mentioned before about going on a picnic together?" Makoto asked in return.
"Of course not," Yu Xie nodded.
"Today, Ei and I are here for that very reason," Makoto said, glancing at Ei before turning her gaze back to Yu Xie and Shen He.
"I see," Yu Xie nodded thoughtfully, "So, we're going on the picnic today?"
"Unless something unexpected happens, we plan to leave tomorrow, but if you'd rather go today, that's fine too," Makoto answered with a smile. "It's up to you to decide."
After some discussion, everyone gathered together and confirmed the time for the picnic.
That afternoon, the group set off together.
It was a rare holiday, and Makoto appeared to be very relaxed, as did Kitsune Saiguu. However, Ei seemed to have something on her mind and didn't seem completely at ease.
Shen He, Yae Miko, and Chiyo were chatting happily along the way, though Shen He mostly listened.
As for Sasayuri, after thinking for a while upon receiving the invitation to the picnic, he declined.
When he refused, he looked at Yu Xie with a meaningful glance.
Finally, he patted Yu Xie on the shoulder and said, "Good luck. Opportunities are something you have to seize yourself. Don't let it slip away."
By the time they arrived at the picnic spot, it was already evening.
The location was a grassy area by a stream, nestled within a forest, very quiet, with the only sound being the gentle flow of water.
Beyond the forest was a beach.
Overall, the scenery was stunning—a perfect place for a picnic.
As it was getting late, everyone quickly began setting up tents. After some busy work, all the tents were set up, and the picnic campsite was ready.
The setting sun painted the clouds on the horizon a fiery red, casting a warm glow over the forest and the beach.
A bonfire was lit, and the group sat around it.
"It's been such a long time since we've all gone out for a picnic like this," Chiyo said, stretching leisurely, unintentionally showing off her graceful figure.
"Yeah, I can't even remember the last time we all went on a picnic together," Kitsune Saiguu echoed Chiyo's words, then changed the subject. "But now that it's this time of day, what are we having for dinner?"
"Don't worry. Since I'm in charge of bringing the food, I'll make sure no one goes hungry," Shen He said with a slight smile, ready to take out the food and start cooking, but was stopped by Yu Xie.
"Shen He, wait a moment," Yu Xie said, looking around at the group. "I noticed there are quite a few fish in the stream nearby. Would everyone like some grilled fish?"
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Then, who wants to come catch fish with me?" Yu Xie asked, standing up.
As soon as the question was asked, everyone stood up at the same time.
Clearly, everyone wanted to go with Yu Xie.
This left Yu Xie feeling a bit hesitant.
First of all, there was no need for everyone to go fishing, and secondly, someone had to stay at the campsite to prevent any treasure hunters or monsters from causing trouble.
"It looks like everyone wants to go fishing. How about we draw lots?" Makoto said with a smile, having somehow acquired several dry twigs in her hand. "I have six twigs here—three long ones and three short ones. Whoever draws a long twig will go fishing, and whoever draws a short one will stay to guard the campsite. How does that sound?"
The others looked at each other for a moment in silence, and then Ei was the first to take a twig from Makoto's hand—it was a long one.
Seeing this, the others no longer hesitated and came forward to draw.
As a result, Ei, Yae Miko, and Kitsune Saiguu drew the long twigs.
Those who drew the short twigs had no complaints, accepting the outcome.
Thus, Yu Xie, Ei, Yae Miko, and Kitsune Saiguu set off together to fish in the nearby stream.
For these four, fishing wasn't a difficult task. As long as there were fish in the stream, any one of them could easily catch enough.
However, if they used elemental powers, it would lose much of its meaning.
So, Yu Xie made some simple fishing forks for the group, but Ei said, "No need, I have a naginata. I can use it as a fishing fork."
Thus, the beautiful Miss Raiden Ei sat on a stone by the stream, slowly removing the long socks from her legs. She lightly tapped her toes on the water's surface, causing faint ripples to spread across the stream.
In the quiet forest, it seemed like an additional, stunning scene had appeared.
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