Strange Tales

Chapter 13

"No way!" Icefin and I said in unison, hugging the gourd together.

"Old woman, don't just stand there watching! I have absolutely no idea how to coax a child!" Helpless, the village head looked at us, who were on guard and tense, and turned to look at his so-called "old woman" as if pleading for help. The woman looked at him with a "serves her right" expression and turned her gaze to the other side, but secretly smiled in a direction that the village head could not see.

This tug-of-war ended with the village head swearing never to drink again. The victorious goddess then slowly walked up to us: "Do you know, if you drank that wine, you would have to live forever!" Upon hearing this, the village head shouted anxiously, "Why did you tell them the truth?!"

Ignoring the village head's protests, the feisty beauty looked at our puzzled expressions and revealed a rare gentle smile: "If you drink that, even if your parents are gone, even if all your friends are gone, you will have to keep living forever..."

"That...isn't that the terrible poisoned wine?" I stared wide-eyed in fear, and Icefin nodded, so frightened he almost dropped the gourd. The Queen watched us quietly for a moment, then suddenly hugged us tightly and burst into laughter: "Not bad, humans are always so clever when they're young, why do they become so stupid when they grow up?" Surprisingly, her embrace was so warm...

At that time, we didn't fully understand what she meant; we were only worried about getting the wine. If we went back empty-handed, we'd be the ones getting scolded. The beautiful woman glanced at the village head and sighed, "I can't give you the wine, but how about I give you your money back?"

Icefin and I looked up at the sky; it was getting late, and we were afraid we wouldn't have time to get more wine. We decided to tell our fathers that we'd forgotten to get the wine and ask them to return the money. Reluctantly, we accepted the lady's suggestion.

The village elder pulled a bulging, apricot-yellow pouch from his robes and placed it in my hand. The pouch was bound with intricate knots of matching silk ribbon, and the smooth velvet inside jingled with the clinking of coins. At that moment, Icefin's hands, which were holding the gourd, trembled slightly. Then, he easily moved one arm away—the gourd was empty again.

Seeing our smiles return, the local deity and goddess exchanged a glance and smiled back. As they waved to us, the air seemed to ripple like water after a pebble has been thrown in, and the surrounding scenery instantly took on a different appearance…

Is this what Shixiang Lane is like? Pedestrians hurry along the clean stone path in twos and threes. Apart from the wild vines on the walls on both sides of the lane being as lush as we had seen before, it is no different from any other alleyway.

"There!" Icefin suddenly pointed to a clump of lush vines, and from among the dense branches and leaves, an ancient gate sealed off by wooden strips was faintly visible.

Just as I was about to approach to investigate, a hoarse bird call came from above. Startled, I quickly looked up—and there, perched side by side on the doorway, stood a pair of black birds, almost identical to the crows in literacy pictures, with beautiful golden eyes. Seemingly aware of my presence, the smaller bird flapped its wings and gracefully took flight, the other following closely behind. People, preoccupied with their journey, seemed completely oblivious—vibrant, fiery feathers drifted continuously from their wings. Did the birds' silhouettes, gradually disappearing into the twilight, leave because of my presence? These proud birds, were they upholding their vow never to look at me again…?

“Left Flame…Right Flame…” Ignoring Icefin’s surprised look, I smiled gently and uttered the two names.

At that moment, we thought all the problems were solved and we could go home to report back to our fathers. Little did we know that the trouble was far from over—when Dad untied the knot, we discovered that the apricot-yellow pouch the village head had given us didn't contain coins, but rather a silver metal plaque engraved with a chubby human head that hummed when blown on! Seeing that we had lost our drinking money but received this, Dad sternly demanded to know where we had gotten it. Terrified, Bingqi and I tearfully confessed everything. Bingqi's father, my Uncle Chonghua, nearly laughed himself to death, while my father became even angrier. He not only scolded us for lying but also demanded we put the item back, repeatedly spouting incomprehensible phrases like "Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits" and "How much less should one seek profit from lost items and thus tarnish one's conduct?"

Icefin and I had no choice but to grope our way back to the wooden gate of Shi Lane, which was sealed shut with wooden planks. That Shegong (local deity) really ruined us; he and the goddess never showed their faces again after that day. But no matter how many times we returned, the purse would always reappear unharmed on the altar in our main room the next day.

Grandmother finally couldn't stand it anymore and came to ask us the whole story. When she learned that we received this gift from "the local earth god in Shixiang," she sighed helplessly, patted our heads, and told us that "earth god" actually meant the local deity. There used to be an earth god temple in Shixiang, and when the incense was burning brightly, many earth crows would gather there. People considered them as the relatives of those who controlled the local folk performances and fed them. However, the offerings stopped fifty or sixty years ago, and the earth crows gradually dispersed. The apricot-yellow pouch that Bingqi and I brought back contained coins from fifty or sixty years ago.

Grandma also told us that when she was little, she loved going to that local earth god temple. Unlike other temples where the earth god and earth goddess were always depicted as solemn old men and women, the earth goddess in this little temple was exceptionally young and beautiful. Even the earth god would keep stealing glances at her! Back then, in the dimly lit temple, the two of them always seemed to be smiling happily…

I don't know if Grandma's words are true or not, but I think that community leader really is the kind of person who would do such a thing—whenever Icefin and I play Go, we always fight over who gets the white pieces, because the person playing black often breaks out in a cold sweat when they see a tiny pupil in the black pieces. Fortunately, only Icefin and I are the ones who make that mistake.

To be honest, the village shrine also did a good thing—although those harmless little flames have almost become a sight to behold in Kagawa since the Spring Festival, my neighborhood has almost never seen such fires—to this day I still think: Zuo Yan and You Yan are truly a pair of trustworthy brothers.

The Alleyway (Completed)

Bone Fantasy

I only recently began to truly feel the decline of spring; the increasingly unrestrained sunlight openly proclaims that summer is just around the corner.

If the tidying isn't finished before the first cicada's chirp, the reeds and dandelions will take over the entire courtyard, leaving everyone helpless. In this ancestral home in Kagawa's old town, the courtyard in front of the flower hall was originally for my grandmother to gather materials for making pith flowers, and she had always been in charge of tidying it. But as my grandmother grew older, the task of tidying the garden naturally fell to us younger generation. At this moment, wearing an oversized shirt, gloves, and a rustic straw hat, I straightened up and looked around this small green space—in the gradually rising sky, peony-like clouds poured down silvery-gray shadows, and sunlight filtering through the gaps in the clouds fell on the lush green flowers and plants, but as if deliberately emphasizing unfairness, it avoided the frail maple tree in the corner.

Amidst the wildly blooming Nadeshiko flowers and the pitifully delicate blossoms beneath the snow, this overly reserved maple tree does indeed seem out of place, especially since it's hidden in the shadow of the enormous loquat tree outside the wall. I wiped the grass off my face and slowly approached the maple tree, considering that perhaps it would be better to move it.

But just then, a faint meow reached my ears. Since yesterday, this mournful, almost choked-up sound had been echoing faintly in my ears; it was probably a kitten that had just been separated from its mother…

"Icefin, go check where that cat is!" I instinctively called out my cousin, who's a month younger than me, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered: Icefin had gone to pick up our distant cousin, our great-grandmother's grandson—"Akatsuki." Five years ago, Akatsuki had stayed with us for a while; this long holiday, he was in Kagawa as a representative athlete for the high school martial arts competition involving three provinces and one city. Normally, he couldn't leave the team easily, but Akatsuki's sport was karate, which wasn't very mainstream, and his competition was scheduled later; plus, he had actively applied to the coach, so he was able to get this half-day off. However, Icefin and I weren't looking forward to this guy's arrival at all…

The increasingly plaintive meows interrupted my reverie, seemingly coming from the loquat tree area, separated from the maple tree by a wall. I walked to the shade of the tree that stretched into my yard and looked up at the dense branches—could it be that the kitten, who couldn't climb trees very well yet, was trapped up there? The lush green leaves and yellowish-green fruit obscured my view, but I was certain the kitten's meows weren't coming from that high up; rather…it was right outside the wall…

A sense of unease suddenly gripped my heart—beneath the loquat tree outside the wall was the neighborhood's shared well: the water was especially sweet and refreshing, warm in winter and cool in summer. Even with running water, the neighbors often used this well water to wash rice and vegetables, and in the summer, they used it to chill watermelons and cherries; the smooth, clean, and wide well bed was also a place for everyone to cool off and chat. Strangely, however, watermelons would often sink to the bottom for no apparent reason, and some cherries would frequently disappear. No one ever questioned it, because the elders said the well was a thousand fathoms deep, and a dragon god lived at its bottom. So, everyone unconsciously followed this rule: never throw anything unclean into it, and anything that fell into the well could not be retrieved, because the dragon god would take it as an offering. But a few years ago, everyone gradually neglected the place, supposedly because a cat had drowned in the well.

I have no honor in meeting the Dragon God; but what I hear now, is it really a cat's meow? — Inheriting the superfluous ability of my grandfather who passed away long ago, both Icefin and I possess eyes that connect to the darkness beyond. Although I don't have ears like Icefin that can hear invisible sounds, I can still occasionally hear subtle sounds that shouldn't belong to this world.

No matter what, I didn't want to stay in the courtyard anymore! My family all went on vacation this long holiday, and Icefin and I had to stay behind because of extra classes at school. It was already bad enough; I didn't want to get into any more trouble. Taking off my straw hat, I dejectedly walked through the fire alley towards the main hall. Just as I stepped into the hall, a familiar, crisp voice rang out like a bullet from above: "Yo! Isn't that Firewing?"

Startled, I eyed the newcomer with suspicion: his dark skin and rough, reddish-brown hair were unfamiliar, but I could never forget his imposing eyes and arrogant samurai eyebrows—it was Xiao, the troublemaker who had once stayed at our house, the eldest grandson of the main family of the Medicine God Village in the neighboring province! Although he now looked like an athletic teenager, his bullying nature and his menacing gaze remained unchanged! Before I could even speak, Xiao burst into loud laughter: "Look at you! You're not exactly a beauty to begin with, and you have absolutely no idea how to dress up. Nobody will ever want you!"

My face immediately darkened—this guy was being incredibly nosy, saying such irritating things the moment we met! I gave Xiao a cold look and said irritably, "That's none of your business!"

Hearing this, Xiao laughed even harder: "That's right, that's right, anyway, you have that childhood sweetheart of yours!" Although she often teased me and Icefin when we were little, to make jokes like this even today, Xiao really has no sense of propriety! I ignored this annoying guest and walked over to Icefin, who was sitting on a chair by the altar. Xiao, however, looked around on her own, "Huh, where's that guy?"

"What trick is he up to now!" I frowned. Icefin leaned back in his chair and waved his hand weakly to indicate that he didn't know. It seemed that he had been exhausted by this energetic troublemaker on the way back from picking up Xiao.

But Xiao pressed on relentlessly: "Firewing, where is that guy? Could it be... that your childhood sweetheart finally dumped you? Icefin, tell me honestly, did you steal him away?"

"Shut up!" Normally, Icefin, who hates being teased like this, would have attacked without hesitation, but now he could only offer a weak protest. I couldn't take it anymore and turned to yell at Xiao, "That's enough! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Forget about childhood friends; thanks to my grandfather's generous "hereditary gift," Icefin and I were completely unable to interact naturally with our peers during our childhood. The only friend of similar age was Xiao, but the memories he left us can only be described as "nightmares."

"So your relationship is still as good as before?" Xiao Yiran grinned mischievously. "Then hurry up and call him out! Isn't he the one who listens to you the most? Come on, Firewing, don't be so stingy!"

Who should I call out? Who listens to me the most? Xiao… who exactly is he talking about? I glanced at Icefin, who also looked slightly confused. Xiao has always liked to bully us since we were little; maybe he's trying to amuse us in some new way now.

The thought of this made me furious, and I walked towards my room without even glancing at Xiao.

"Are you going to bring him here?" Xiao eagerly followed me. "I'll go with you!"

A slightly chilly, eerie feeling crept up my spine. I stopped and looked up into Xiao's eyes. Unlike his usual amused attitude when he was playing pranks, there was an eager anticipation in his eyes. I couldn't tell if Xiao's acting had improved or if there really was someone he wanted to see here.

Seeing that I wasn't moving forward, Xiao stroked her coarse hair and smiled mischievously: "Oh? You don't want me to see your Hongye? Don't worry! Even if he's handsome, he's still a boy. I'm not Icefin Sister, I won't compete with you for him!"

"My... Red Leaf?" Icefin's protesting voice was mixed with my surprised words—Red Leaf...who is that?

"It's Hongye!" Xiao said smugly. "That sleepyhead, my defeated foe!"

"How could I know that I was defeated by you?" I really couldn't keep up with Xiao's chaotic thoughts.

Xiao let out a disdainful sneer: "How could I not know him? Isn't Hongye your child?"

Red Leaf...is our child? Icefin, still too weak to get up from her chair, sighed lazily, "Firewing, ignore him! There's no such thing as Red Leaf! Don't fall for his tricks and get led astray!"

Icefin was absolutely right. This must be another one of Akatsuki's new tricks. We've never had a child named Red Leaf in our family! I looked into Akatsuki's eyes and said, word by word, "Isn't all you do to play pranks?"

In an instant, Xiao's pupils contracted, making his already unfriendly gaze appear even more ferocious. "Hiding him won't help!" He shoved me aside and strode towards the back room. "Hongye, come out here!"

Icefin couldn't sit still any longer. He glanced at me, who was equally surprised, and quickly followed me, chasing after Xiao towards the side room. Knowing the way inside and out, Xiao pushed open one wooden door after another, calling out Red Leaf's name: "I know you're hiding somewhere sleeping! Come out here, Red Leaf!" Ignoring Icefin's and my protests, Xiao played hide-and-seek with the illusory opponent along the eaves connecting the entire building—lifting curtains, opening cabinet doors, folding screens, lifting cushions—this guy was clearly here to cause destruction!

"This is too much! Stop messing around!" Icefin and I tried our best to stop Akatsuki's strange behavior, but we were no match for a karate practitioner. Akatsuki, who was getting annoyed, pushed us away effortlessly and shouted, "Don't think you two can stop me from seeing Kureha!"

"We don't have a person named Hongye in our family!" Icefin roared back defiantly. At that moment, Xiao stopped moving, slowly turning his head to look at the stern Icefin, a cold malice appearing in his eyes: "Say it again!"

The stubborn Icefin is bound to say something that will enrage this Tyrannosaurus Rex! I quickly interjected, "You might be mistaken, Xiao! Maybe it's the neighbor's child. We really don't have anyone in our family named Red Leaf!"

My words did nothing to calm Xiao. He slowly narrowed his sharp eyes and casually picked up a faded brocade cushion from the sofa in front of him: "This cushion... Hongye used to sleep with it... It was still new then, a very vibrant red, it suited Hongye's hair perfectly... Weren't you and Bingqi the ones who would suddenly pull the cushion away while he was sleeping, giving him a fright!" He forcefully threw the cushion down, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me outside. The roses on the flower stand in the courtyard were blooming aggressively, seemingly dyeing even the surrounding air a bright pink. The overly bright light stung my eyes. Xiao pointed to the cold stone bench covered in crimson petals, and said in a suppressed, intense tone: "There, right there, Hongye always slept there. Weren't you and Bingqi the ones who gathered the petals together and scattered them on Hongye, almost burying him!"

"How could that be..." Icefin was interrupted before it could finish speaking. Xiao leaned down and gestured in front of my eyes with her finger: "Kurenai... his bangs are this long, but he won't let anyone touch them. Every time you secretly bring the scissors, he will immediately notice!"

I stared at Xiao in a panic—the Xiao I knew did have a terrible personality, but he was definitely not a violent person! However, the fierce aura in Xiao's eyes made me shrink back, his strange behavior frightened me; but what terrified me even more were his words: in Xiao's memory, the parts about Kureha weren't just rough outlines, but incredibly detailed; almost every memory related to Kureha included the shadows of me and Icefin. Yet the person who left such a deep impression on Xiao hadn't left even the slightest trace in the hearts of me and Icefin!

A boy named Hongye who never even existed in this house!

“I know where he is!” Pushing aside Icefin’s arm that was blocking his way, Xiao continued to drag me towards the backyard. The small wing room next to the garden was right before us. So eager to see him—a smile, like a flame burning from within, appeared on Xiao’s face. He released me and slowly nodded. “I knew it…!”

As if haunted by some nightmare, Xiao slowly approached the small room. For a moment, Icefin and I were frozen in place, watching helplessly as Xiao touched the door knocker, turned back to us, and grinned triumphantly: "Finally found it... Red Leaf is in here!" Could it be that he meant this room? Was he going to open this door? But that room was...

"Don't open the door!" Icefin and I shouted in unison, while Akatsuki responded with a mocking sneer: "Didn't I tell you... hiding Momiji won't help! I'll definitely find him!"

The dry, creaking sound of the door hinges scraped against our auditory nerves like a dull knife, and the door to the small room was suddenly pushed open. Our vision blurred instantly, and Icefin and I quickly covered our mouths and noses. We heard the unsuspecting Xiaoze sneeze several times in a row—who told him not to listen to us? This small room was a storage room, and no one ever went in it. Opening the door so abruptly was bound to cause him to cough and sneeze from the dust!

He finally learned his lesson! I triumphantly waved away the dust, only to see Xiao's figure frozen in front of the small room's door. He turned back to look at me in disbelief, then at the thick layer of dust accumulated on the old objects over the years, and muttered hoarsely, "How could it have become like this? This... isn't this Hongye's room..."

“What Xiao saw was probably those things…” Icefin leaned closer to me and whispered. I nodded. Things that are over a hundred years old have souls. This old house is full of strange creatures of all kinds. Sometimes they will transform into human form and play with us. Although Xiao may not be able to “see” them, it is not impossible that he, who was an eight or nine-year-old child five years ago, might have encountered one or two by chance.

Looking at Xiao, who stood dumbfounded in front of the storage room, I twisted my wrist, which he had gripped so tightly, and sighed helplessly: "This has been a storage room since the day I was born. Xiao, whether you're playing a prank or you've really made a mistake, now you should understand—there's no such person as Hongye in our family!"

Suddenly, Xiao's back straightened, and an indescribable sense of oppression emanated from him. Alarm bells rang in my mind, but the urge to retreat failed to register in my limbs—never before had I been so acutely aware of Xiao's identity as a martial artist! I might be attacked! Icefin, who shared my premonition, stepped forward to block me, and I instinctively closed my eyes…

However, what I feared didn't happen. All I heard was Xiao's low, suppressed voice: "Even if you want to get revenge on me, don't joke like this! Have you really forgotten Hongye? Five years... that's not a long time..." He took a deep breath, trying hard to control his emotions, "What exactly happened... how could you forget someone you ate at the same table with every day!"

Eating at the same table every day? Then, that Red Leaf couldn't possibly be an illusion created by those guys! I stared blankly at Xiao's increasingly cold eyes, his voice filled with contempt: "If I had known you were so heartless... I would have taken Red Leaf with me no matter what! Especially you, Firewing! Even if everyone else has forgotten Red Leaf, you shouldn't have forgotten him!" Seemingly unable to accurately convey his feelings, Xiao, at a loss, swung his fist violently, slamming it against the storage room doorframe. This violent action startled Icefin and me, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, causing us to take a step back. Xiao then resolutely walked into the dusty room, the clatter of furniture and objects being overturned immediately following—only in this way could Xiao's out-of-control emotions be balanced...

Icefin and I, wanting to stop Akatsuki but unable to enter due to the swirling dust, could only stand dumbfounded at the doorway, listening to his words interspersed with violent coughs. Kureha, Kureha—every word he uttered was about Kureha…

He was a boy with very fair skin, but possessed a hard, resolute beauty; he slept all day long, spoke very little, and ate very little; when he was awake, he always avoided others, but only when I called him would he slowly turn his beautifully slender phoenix eyes, silently pass through the bluestone-paved courtyard covered with rose petals, and come over to rest his head on my lap...

At that moment, a faint meow echoed from the courtyard near the small wing. I looked around in bewilderment; my familiar home suddenly felt strangely unfamiliar—that person, the one Xiao described as so close to me, like this lost cat, where in this ancient house had he disappeared to? The more detailed Xiao's description became, the more certain I was that I had no memory of this person at all; yet, at the same time as this certainty, an unsettling premonition, like the first tears of early summer, spread through my heart…

As if to dispel this feeling, I stepped into the storage room, which Xiao had left in a mess. I was greeted by the cold sound of shattering glass—amidst the quietly swirling golden dust, Xiao, his face hidden, leaned against the open window, his earlier imposing manner completely gone. His voice trembled slightly: "He said he'd fight me again when I came back! We haven't even settled our score yet… For five years, not a single day has passed without me thinking about exchanging blows with him again, but you're telling me—he doesn't even exist!"

A meager ray of light streams through the open window of the garden, and a slender maple tree sways indifferently in the dappled light and shadow…

The night after Xiao returned, I was enveloped by the persistent meowing of cats. The lamplight reflected on the tent ceiling seemed frozen, and the dripping time of the long night kept increasing in viscosity. In the almost rotting, mournful cries of the lost cat, everything in the room began to sway. Dreams shot through my mind like arrows, and at the moment they reached their ultimate goal, a tall, slender figure was imprinted on my vision…

Who was that? He seemed to be around my age, but not anyone I remembered. A breeze, seemingly from nowhere, ruffled his black hair, highlighting his overly pale skin. Where he stood, everything shrouded in darkness began to gradually become clear—the ancient loquat tree crouching like a colossal beast, and the well curb of the legendary deep well, said to be inhabited by the dragon god, its cold, pupil-like shape…

As if deliberately severing my connection with that figure, the feeling of falling suddenly and vividly descended upon me. I futilely tried to grasp everything that flew past me, but nothing could stop this endless, rapid descent. I desperately looked up, and a small, circular patch of sky was rapidly disappearing from my sight. A silhouette of a phoenix tail, appearing out of nowhere, painted across this tiny patch of sky-blue—I understood. It was the shape of the lush leaves of the well-dwelling grass on the damp well wall. I was falling towards the bottom of the well! Beyond the unreachable blue sky, the well-dwelling grass revealed a blurry figure, with a familiar face—it was…

"Dawn!" The cry from my lips abruptly severed my sleep. The faint light of dawn shone on the carved window, and I, falling towards the bottom of the well, and dawn, clinging to the well curb, vanished without a trace like bubbles in the night. It was still early, but I could no longer fall asleep after this strange nightmare. The cat's meows continued as they had last night, patiently like the approaching rainy season. In the chill of dawn, I put on my clothes and slowly walked towards the courtyard, still damp with morning dew…

Yes… the cat's meow was coming from outside the wall near that maple tree. I stood under the loquat tree, which covered the maple, pulling my coat tighter because of the cold. Looking at the maple tree's unusually pale leaves, pale from lack of sunlight, I couldn't help but wonder: why was it planted here…?

Just as my fingertips touched the tender new leaves of the maple tree, I suddenly heard a strange sound behind me—it was a child's breathing, and intermittent voices...

"What is this? It's yellow and round?"

Loquat.

"Can I eat this?"

"Um."

"Watch me, I'll go pick it!"

"Absolutely do not touch that tree!"

Who...who's speaking? One of the boys talking behind me kept asking questions in an overly lively, familiar voice—it was Akatsuki's voice from my childhood! And the other one? Could it be Icefin from my childhood? But it doesn't seem like it...

Just as I turned around in fear to check, a chaotic rustling sound suddenly came from above. I subconsciously looked up, and cold dew suddenly dripped down from the huge loquat tree canopy like countless tiny needles...

A blurry shadow instantly enveloped my vision, and the nightmare from not long ago, along with the feeling of falling, flashed through my mind... I screamed and hurriedly retreated, and the dark shadow, accompanied by the crackling sound of breaking branches, landed heavily in front of me.

"Xiao!" I exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the intruder who had caused this chaos. "You sneaked out of the training camp this morning?"

But Xiao didn't answer me or get up. He just clutched his head in pain. Had he fallen and hurt himself? Although the old house's wall was very high, Xiao, who had been practicing karate since he was a child, had excellent reflexes. This height shouldn't have caused him to fall and get hurt!

I went over to check on Xiao, scolding him for being careless: "Didn't I tell you never to touch that tree, Xiao!"

"Who said that!" Xiao suddenly grabbed my wrist in a shout that had changed tone. Ignoring my struggles, he stubbornly and violently asked repeatedly, "Who said that! Who said we can't touch that tree! Who said that!"

Who said... we can't touch that tree...? Wasn't that a warning to Xiao back then? Doesn't he remember who warned him?

"What are you doing!" Icefin's shout came from the garden entrance. He was still gripping the rough wooden door latch tightly in his hand, looking tense. When he saw the broken loquat branch and the trampled flowers and plants, Icefin could no longer control his anger: "You actually jumped over the wall! You barbarian!"

"Why can't we touch that loquat tree? Who said that?!" Xiao left me speechless and walked towards Icefin. Icefin instinctively blocked the door latch: "What nonsense are you talking about! How should I know!"

That sentence... it really wasn't Icefin who said it! So, the little child who forbade others to approach that loquat tree, the child with a cold tone that didn't match his age, who used the simplest words to express the taboo, could it be the boy who only exists in Akatsuki's memories—Kurenai!

"Hey! Why can't I touch that tree?!"

"He will be angry."

"Who is he? I don't care! If you're not happy, let's fight!"

"You just want to fight, don't you!"

"Enough with the nonsense, we haven't decided a winner yet!"