Mysterious Shender
⁇ : Correspondence

It was already midnight, but Xi Wei could not sleep as he kept thinking about what had happened to Maorong. What made the middle-aged man who was exposed to the Black Bamboo Poison speak so smoothly as if he had been treated using the White Leafed Golden Bamboo plant? The question kept on raging in his mind.

Maorong, who was across the street and not far from where Xi Wei was, had already slept very soundly. Without sound anyway.

What happened to Vice General Fu Cha Maorong? Why would he suddenly recover from the Black Bamboo Poison? No, what is really hiding inside me? thought Xi Wei while looking into his palm. There's still a little needle puncture scar on his index finger.

Xi Wei decided not to think about it any further. All those thoughts made his head hurt. If the universe had indeed given him an advantage, then he would be very happy because he had managed to save someone's life.

Despite not thinking about what happened to Maorong, Xi Wei's mind branched out to the point of bringing her to the scene of her saying things that should not be said to Li Ying Yue.

Although the one who was interested at the beginning of their introduction was Ying Yue, but the one who spilled a marriage agreement was Xi Wei. And then he thought, has he become a hypocrite for breaking the promise he has made? Maybe so.

Saving people's lives and betraying one's own promises are two very different things. Xi Wei obviously knew that. Do I need to write a letter of apology to Li Ying Yue for what I said? tanyakanya.

Xi Wei got up from the wooden bed where she immersed herself in her small world. He took a piece of paper and a brush, trying to string together beautiful words—which is certainly not just nonsense—not to forget to be peppered with apologies and deep feelings.

Xi Wei was not a romantic man. He was a cold man in his early twenty years who had only first felt such great feelings towards a girl in her late sixteen years. He could vomit thinking of the sweet words tickling his stomach to immediately re-raise the remaining undigested dinner to his throat.

In the end, Xi Wei only wrote a short, concise, and clear apology, which characteristically showed that the one who wrote it was him.

Xi Wei snatched a wind whistle from inside the chest, then blew it away.

Gaohei, a forest owl who had once appeared before Xi Wei and Ying Yue at the night market, swooped towards the sapodilla-skinned youth at high speed. He landed perfectly on Xi Wei's shoulder.

Xi Wei stroked Gaohei's head, then tied the apology letter to his feet. He whispered, "You remember the girl you met when you flew to me at the night market? Send this letter to him."

And as if understanding Xi Wei's words, Gaohei flew away, then disappeared completely behind the lush bamboo leaves and dark night.

...***...

Inside her luxurious room, Ying Yue flipped through page after page of a book. For two days he could not sleep well. He kept thinking about what Xi Wei had said to him. It made him feel unsettled.

Ying Yue deliberately opened the window of the room so that she would not feel claustrophobic in the midst of her quest for peace of mind. Despite trying to focus on reading a book, he still could not shake the negative thoughts about Xi Wei's words.

Does big brother Xi Wei hate me so much? ying Yue asked on the sidelines reading.

That question made Ying Yue resigned herself and finally closed her book. And as he walked towards the window to close it, Gaohei landed right on the window frame with an innocent expression.

"Ah…?"

Ying Yue was reminded of something when she and Xi Wei were at the night market. The mature sapodilla-skinned youth introduced the owl as Gaohei to him.

As if Gaohei understood human language, he spread his wings and raised one leg tied to a small paper roll.

Ying Yue took off the small paper scroll, then read it, "I'm sorry for saying something cruel to you that night.". He knew right away that it was from Xi Wei. Whether there was any demon that possessed her, a smile bloomed on her sweet face.

Gaohei was still faithfully waiting there, perhaps Ying Yue wanted to send a reply to Xi Wei.

Ying Yue wrote a reply to Xi Wei. He tied the reply at Gaohei's feet.

"Wait a moment, Gaohei," Ying Yue said as she saw that Gaohei would spread his wings and prepare to fly.

Gaohei waited as instructed by Ying Yue.

Ying Yue rummaged through the small cupboard and took out a small bowl filled with wheat seeds. He thrust that thing at Gaohei.

Gaohei instead ignored and immediately flew into the sky. After all, where there are owls who want to eat grains such as sparrows or other omnivorous birds. They are born to hunt live prey not only worms, or caterpillars, or small insects.

"Hey! Why don't you eat it?! It's a high-quality wheat grain, you know?! Really…."

...***...

Gaohei could see that Xi Wei was relaxing on the bamboo roof of the little hut that belonged to the old grandfather that Maorong told him about. He landed next to Xi Wei, but tried his best not to attract the attention of his owner.

Xi Wei opened his eyes slowly. He immediately sat down and glanced towards Gaohei. "That's how fast you are" he chirped. "Has Li Ying Yue already retaliated?"

Gaohei did not do the funny thing he did before Ying Yue. He ignored Xi Wei's question as if telling the young man to use his healthy eyes to look.

Xi Wei could see the different paper scrolls from hers tied at Gaohei's feet. He immediately caught the forest owl and removed the scroll from its feet.

"Your! Yoke!" Gaohei. Perhaps he was angry at being treated badly by Xi Wei.

"I'll tell you not to tease me" Xi Wei said as she stuck out her tongue.

Xi Wei opened the scroll and read it: "It's okay. Perhaps big brother Xi Wei has an unexplained problem. I will always wait for you.". He smiled awkwardly after reading the last sentence.

"Go, Gaohei. Your task is done," Xi Wei said as he looked at the star-studded night sky. The moon does not appear, because of the new moon phase.

Gaohei glanced at Xi Wei, then flew away.

Little Brother, I'm sorry!