Let's Never Meet Again - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Early the next morning.

When I woke up, Pei You was no longer in the temple. The fire was still burning brightly, and fresh firewood had been placed on the ground.

The temple doors were tightly shut, preventing even a sliver of wind from blowing in; only a high window on the wall remained open for ventilation.

As I was lost in thought, Pei You pushed open the door and walked in, bringing a chill with him.

He was carrying a bag of steaming hot buns.

“I remember you like meat buns, right?”

I stood up to take them.

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” I said joyfully. “You really are the person who knows my tastes best.”

After all, I had cooked for him for a year.

Pei You truly understood my palate. He leaned quietly against the doorway, watching me finish eating.

“Senior Brother, aren’t you going to eat?” I stopped mid-bite, a sudden pang of conscience hitting me.

“I’m not hungry.”

Senior Brother was actually quite good at lying.

By the time we walked out of Wu Town, my face had turned pale. Fine beads of sweat broke out on my forehead, and I bent over, covering my mouth as I coughed.

“You’re sick,” Pei You stated firmly. “We’re going back to Wu Town to rest for a few days. We’ll set out again once you’ve recovered.”

I refused him, my expression resolute.

“No, we have to get to Deer City quickly. My body is fine.”

He didn’t understand, a look of bewilderment crossing his face.

“What exactly is so important that you’re willing to ruin your health just to reach Deer City? You won’t tell me, and Master won’t tell me either.”

I gave a faint smile, a trace of color returning to my pale face.

“I thought you would be more anxious to reach Deer City than I am, Senior Brother. There’s no need to delay your journey for my sake.”

Pei You lowered his eyes. “I’ll find out the truth eventually.”

At the outskirts of Panluo Forest, the vines had not yet reached this far. Towering trees blotted out the sunlight, with layers of snow weighing down the branches.

There was no birdsong here, only the sound of my and Pei You’s footsteps. The silence was bone-chilling, as if some unknown horror were lurking in the darkness.

Pei You’s eyes were filled with vigilance. He walked ahead of me, his pace very slow.

I coughed quietly, my body burning with fever. My head felt dizzy.

Suddenly, my vision went black. My right foot seemed to trip over something, and I pitched forward.

A vague thought drifted through my mind: *I really am unlucky.*

The expected intimate contact with the ground didn’t happen.

Pei You reached out and caught me. He felt my forehead, frowning. “We can’t go any further.”

My mind was a muddled mess. I couldn’t hear what he was saying clearly and just nodded haphazardly.

Night fell.

The forest plunged into darkness, save for a faint flickering light beneath a large tree.

The wood was too damp, and Pei You looked troubled as he held his fire striker. After finally getting the fire going, he quickly boiled some water.

In my stupor, I heard Pei You’s voice.

“Junior Sister, open your mouth.”

I obediently opened my mouth. The bitter taste of medicine spread across my tongue, only to be washed away a moment later by hot water.

After fussing about, Pei You took off his own cloak and draped it over his junior sister. Once everything was settled, he leaned against the tree, clutching his sword in contemplation.

This wasn’t his first time coming to Deer City.

The last time he came alone, he had been attacked by many demons. He had managed to reach Deer City by a stroke of luck, only to see a senior disciple from his sect fleeing the city, telling him to leave immediately.

It had been spring back then, and the Demon Tree was about to bloom.

He had fought desperately to save his fellow disciple, but was struck by a ball of white light and knocked unconscious on the spot. When he woke up, he was already back at the sect.

Master said he had walked back himself.

But Pei You had no memory of it. That senior disciple, however, had died that very night from an uncontrollable itching all over his body.

Yet, this journey with his junior sister had been exceptionally smooth.

Rather than saying they hadn’t encountered a single demon, it was more like those demons were wary of something, lurking in the shadows.

“That little junior sister of yours isn’t as simple as you think.”

Master’s words echoed in his ears.

“My little junior sister?”

His thoughts drifted as he watched his junior sister, who was muttering names of dishes in her feverish state. He felt his suspicions were somewhat ridiculous.

When I woke up again, it was already noon the next day. Intense hunger roused me from my dreams.

“You’re awake?”

A slightly weary voice came from the side.

I shifted my body and turned my head. Pei You was sitting under the tree in thin clothing, clearly having stayed awake all night.

“There’s some hot food over there. Eat quickly.”

He pointed to a bowl sitting by the fire. It contained some reheated cooked food.

I shook my head to clear it and stood up, tossing the cloak back to Pei You. I weakly shuffled over, holding the bowl and swallowing slowly.

“It seems this isn’t a simple cold. I checked your pulse; it’s very chaotic. What other symptoms do you have besides the fever?”

I leaned back against the tree and took a breath. “My… my head hurts a lot. I can’t find any energy.”

“I’m fine. Let’s keep moving as soon as possible.”

Pei You thinned his lips. “You’re in this state and you still say you’re fine? Junior Sister, do you really have a death wish?”

I forced myself to cheer up, offering a strained smile. “It’s just too cold. Really. I don’t like winter. Once spring comes, I’ll be better.”

Pei You had a different opinion.

“Ever since that incident in Deer City, people don’t like spring. When spring arrives, people die. I don’t like it either.”

Hearing his words, I sighed.

“Spring is supposed to be the season when all things recover, the season when life is most vibrant. Once the Calamity is gone, people will grow to like it.”

Pei You said in a low voice, “My family died in the spring. Demons stormed the village and left nothing behind. The senior disciple who saved me also died in the spring.”

“I hate demons, and I hate spring.”

He spoke of his past with nonchalance.

I was somewhat moved, finally understanding why Pei You harbored such hatred for demons.

“Senior Brother, let me tell you a secret. A secret that only you know-even Master doesn’t know it.”

Pei You looked up at me.

“Actually, my name isn’t Dong Shuang’er. My name is just Dong. But my sister said that names in the human world always come in pairs, so I had to add two characters.”

“Dong?”

“Mhm!”

“Let me tell you another secret. Actually, I think you’re the person in the world least likely to kill me. Because… you carry the scent of an old friend.”