Ye Liuxi grew flushed and pale alternately. Chang Dong, on the other hand, pretended to be interested, chatting with a nearby tea guest who spoke at length, going into great detail, sharing everything he knew. He mentioned that a great upheaval occurred in the interior region over a thousand years ago, which, upon closer examination, bore a striking resemblance to the current situation—indeed, the names were even similar: the rebel faction back then was called "The Beasts' Heads," while the current one is known as "The Scorpion's Eyes." That upheaval lasted nearly a century, during which Black Stone City's capital was occupied for over fifty years. Fortunately, later on, the Yulin Guard and the scholars and magicians rose again, ultimately defeating the rebels completely. Since then, it has become a common folk belief that the Yulin Guard and the scholars have maintained enduring power, making ordinary citizens feel as though they were trying to crack a well-protected egg—utterly futile. The reason the "Beasts' Heads" rose so swiftly and powerfully was that they possessed a precious artifact known as the "Beasts' Head Jasper," which, after their defeat, mysteriously vanished. The Sign family does not share the surname "Sign." They are a group of practitioners specializing in divination, calligraphy, and fortune-telling—much like a trade union. Their specialty is the "Wordless Heavenly Sign." Once, a scroll predicted, "When the jade returns, the beast's head will open its eyes," and ever since, the reappearance of the jade-beast head has been a matter of great concern, often avoided in public discourse. Looking further out, a group of three men was passing by, wearing black coats and black trousers, their fabric crisp and well-fitted. A leather belt held a knife at their waist, and each carried a short staff. On the left shoulder of each man, a colorful embroidered pattern adorned their garments, depicting a dense cluster of bird feathers. The Feathers of the Forest Guard—truly, "a protective wing for the nation, flourishing like a forest." A tea guest beside him whispered, "Don't look—there's a patrol on duty. Recently, the number has dropped; usually, there are at least five people." — Upon returning home, everything remained as before, except for Fei Tang: after basking in the sun for several hours, he declared that although his vision was still slightly blurred, it was now nearly restored. Chang Dong encouraged him, "Just keep pushing. Once your eyes improve, you can go to the market, or stroll through the streets, collecting old household items—simple pot lids and soup bowls—many people in the outer regions say these can fetch a good price." Fei Tang's eyes sparkled with excitement. That evening passed quietly. As soon as it grew dark, every household closed their doors. Chang Dong, as usual, visited Ding Liu, who lay asleep, completely unaware. In contrast, Gao Shen was wide awake, his eyes bloodshot, with a full beard growing on his chin. Chang Dong offered to take over his shift at night, but Gao Shen refused. Indeed, this couple was quite unusual. After returning to his room, Chang Dong retrieved his painting box and began sketching. With three beds in the room, Chang Dong slept in the one in the middle, and he paused midway in his work. To the left, Fei Tang is doing eye exercises, looking deeply absorbed and devout—only a few words on his forehead would have sealed it: “I want to browse the market.” To the right, Ye Liuxi is wiping her knife, newly infatuated, holding it close with affection—quite a natural reaction. After a while, she comes over to him: “Changdong, could you draft a sketch for a belt that can hang the knife? I’m going to buy a piece of leather tomorrow and make it myself.” Changdong asks, “What kind of belt do you want?” “Something beautiful.” This response is as vague as saying “just anything” when asked what you’d like to eat—so confusing that Changdong nearly loses his patience: “I mean, how do you want the knife to hang?” Ye Liuxi demonstrates: the knife should hang here, so it can be easily drawn out; the fastening should be at the front, so both fastening and unfastening are convenient. Changdong nearly understands, and begins sketching on his notebook. Ye Liuxi sits down by the bed and looks down at him as he draws. He didn't draw the upper half, just a few strokes suggesting the waist, hips, and thighs, with a belt looping around the waist and a leather hang added on the side: "Like this?" Ye Liuxi frowned: "It looks a bit plain—could we make it wider?" Chang Dong carefully wiped away the areas needing revision with a leather eraser, delicate, long strands of fine leather dust sliding off the slanted paper again and again. "Like this?" "Shall we go a little lower?" Chang Dong was patient, making further adjustments. In fact, it's often frustrating when an outsider keeps changing their suggestions, yet strangely, he remains calm and composed, neither restless nor impatient. Perhaps it's the comfort of her sitting beside him, speaking softly—she occasionally leans in slightly to glance over, her hair gently brushing his forearm. Or perhaps it's simply the quiet of this evening, free from noise and disturbance—the Hui Street, no matter how late, even when the crowds have dispersed, still feels bustling, with fragmented sounds lingering. By the time she was satisfied, Fei Tang was already sleeping in a most relaxed, sprawling position. Chang Dong poked around in the trunk, couldn't find the tape measure, and remembered it might have been left on the car. Since the final step was just around the corner, why not finish it all at once? So he gestured for her to come along. Chang Dong felt a light burst in his mind, gentle and subtle, like sparks blooming—just enough to make him stand up. The part of the leather tape measure clenched in his hands grew warm and soft to the touch. He looked down and saw Ye Liuxi’s eyes. For the first time, he had deliberately turned away from her gaze, and unexpectedly found that standing not far behind her was Zhun Shanhe. She stood with her neck slightly stiffened, eyes bright and alert. "So I thought of a way—everyone gives a little, respects each other. I won't push your pace, and you'll feel at ease with that, too." "You admit you like me, right? Then you go on your own rhythm, okay?" Is that a declaration of love? Definitely her style—she doesn't say, "I like you," she says, "You admit you like me, don't you?" Chang Dong said, "Liu Xi…" This wasn't about whether he liked her or not. That hesitation already made her unhappy: "Is it really that hard? Just saying it, and not lying." It was true, not lying. Chang Dong said, "Once you say it, you have to move forward. If you don't say it, you still have the option to step back." Ye Liu Xi didn't understand: "Why should I step back?" Chang Dong paused: "You do what you want, you don't think much about anything else. But Liu Xi, let's not talk about the inside versus the outside, or whether the timing is right. I just want to ask you—can I like you?" Ye Liu Xi got angry: "I don't eat people!" Chang Dong smiled, "Are you truly unaware of this?" "In the memories you haven't yet recovered, there's likely someone you loved—someone who might even still be alive. One day, when you remember everything, when your story of reunion unfolds, I won't retreat. Where will I go?" Ye Liuxi remained silent. After a long while, she hummed softly and turned to walk away—only to wobble slightly as she took her first step. Looking down, she saw the tape measure still hanging around her waist. Suddenly, her anger surged, unsure whether it was directed at Chang Dong or at that inexplicable former lover. She grabbed the tape measure and threw it hard onto the ground. Just as she was about to draw it across Zhen Shan He, Zhen Shan He indeed possessed the calm composure to steady the mountains and rivers. He stood still for a moment, then walked out as if nothing had happened. At that very moment, a deep, excited voice—roughened and trembling—rose from the front room: "Xiao Liu has awakened!" "— Yexiaolisi stared, then looked up to see Gaoshen already at the courtyard, visibly tense and speaking in a somewhat disorganized manner: 'Xiao Liu... she's awake.' A 'gurgle' sound came as Fat Tang fell off the bed. He had been dozing off when he suddenly heard the news and dashed out, tripping over the bedframe and not even noticing the pain, shouting, 'What? Is Xiao Liu all right?' He hurried out in a rush, just in time to see Yexiaolisi entering the inner room, and immediately ran after him. Changdong stood a moment before moving, and as he passed Gaoshen, he said simply, 'Come on.' Gaoshen replied, '...You go ahead.' Changdong looked at him, noticing that Gaoshen had lowered his head, deliberately avoiding eye contact, and said, 'You go ahead... I'll go fetch the doctor.' That was fine—Changdong had been worried about Ding Liu, and soon entered the room. At first glance, Ding Liu looked rather comical: motionless, only her eyes and lips moving, cautious and attentive, like an elderly lady always on guard. Ye Liuxi pulled out a chair and sat by the bed. Fei Tang excitedly rubbed his hands and walked back and forth, occasionally making eye contact with Ding Liu, then quickly waving at her, "Hi!" Chang Dong leaned against the doorframe, watching Ding Liu for a while, but his gaze kept drifting back to Ye Liuxi. Ding Liu spoke slowly and softly, "Don't get too excited yet—perhaps this is just a final surge of strength." Ye Liuxi replied, "Nonsense." "Oh, Xi-jie, don't be so harsh with me—I'm not up to much stimulation these days," Ding Liu said. Ye Liuxi added, "I know—your head is now more valuable than gold." Ding Liu slowly tilted her gaze toward her, saying, "Oh, Xi-jie, you don't look well—has anyone been bothering you?" Ye Liuxi replied, "It's you, isn't it, that's been worrying me..." Then she suddenly fell silent. Ding Liu sighed, "West Sister, don't make me feel too touched—I'm not exactly up to much emotional sensitivity these days..." As she was speaking, the doctor hurried in, asked her a few questions—whether she had a headache, how she felt overall—and then extended her fingers for her to count several numbers. Finally, she hurriedly said, "Let her rest. The hardest phase has passed, though the coming days are still important. Please, don't disturb her." Ye Liuxi smiled at Ding Liu and stood up to leave, walking back toward the door. As she neared the entrance, she heard Chang Dong calling her. She didn't know why he was calling, nor did she feel like listening. Turning around, she said, "Then let's just leave it at that."