MTLNOVEL Chapter 17: Their hearts were steady.
That night, they found shelter in a roadside settlement known for its liquor, music, and fleeting comfort—a place where wandering souls went to forget.
They had just enough money left for one room. One night.
No food. No plan. Just quiet resolve.
The room was dim. Simple. A bed. A balcony. And silence.
---
Later that night…
Mo Yan sat alone on the wooden balcony, a half-empty cup in his hand, eyes lifted to the moonless sky.
His mind was heavy.
The stars above...silent, uncaring.
He didn't hear the footsteps… but he felt the warmth beside him.
Yu Sui sat down beside him, the silence between them filled with breath, not words.
For a long moment, they simply looked at the horizon.
Then...
"Mo Yan…" Yu Sui said, softly.
"If it turns out to be true… that my soul is cursed…
That this bond between us brings danger…"
"Will you still stay with me?"
The wind rustled gently.
Mo Yan didn't speak at first.
He turned, eyes searching Yu Sui's face..not for answers, but for the weight behind the question.
He reached out slowly… and laid his hand gently over Yu Sui's.
Their fingers didn't clasp. Just rested.
Still.
Warm.
Connected.
The mark on their wrists pulsed softly.
The sacred bond shimmered again...just once...like it understood.
Like it blessed the moment.
"I'm not going anywhere," Mo Yan whispered.
Yu Sui turned to him, startled by the certainty in his voice.
Mo Yan didn't explain.
He didn't need to.
The Melody You Owe Me
Mo Yan sat beside him, half-smiling now, the tension from earlier having melted into something gentler.
He looked up at the stars one last time before turning to Yu Sui.
"When all of this is over…" he asked softly,
"Will you play a melody for me...on your flute?"
Yu Sui blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden request.
But then… a small smile crept across his lips. He gave a quiet nod.
"Yes," he whispered.
"I will."
---
Before dawn…
The two of them had already left the inn and headed northeast, traveling through a winding mountain path bathed in morning mist.
Their steps were quiet. Their hearts were steady.
Around noon, they reached a vibrant local market, lively with voices, color, and the scent of roasted rice cakes.
But their coin pouch was nearly empty.
Yu Sui eyed a vendor grilling skewers and sighed.
"We need money."
Mo Yan nodded grimly.
"But how do we earn it? We can't exactly go begging…"