Chapter 103
The courtyard was peaceful, with only the rustling of Feng Jiao Xue’s packing and the soft breeze breaking the silence. She moved with calm efficiency, methodically organizing her belongings. She was leaving today, finally stepping beyond the empire’s borders to the academy that would shape her future.
The thought made her feel a strange mix of anticipation and unease. Her decision was final, but there was a part of her that couldn’t help but linger in this place she had once called home.
She was folding a robe when the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Feng Jiao Xue didn’t need to look up to know who it was. A familiar, carefree voice filled the air before she even saw him.
"Little Snow! Little Snow!"
Feng Haoyang appeared at the entrance of the courtyard, breathless and grinning like a fool. His robes were askew, his hair a mess, and there was a look in his eyes that could only mean one thing, he had come to see her off in his usual goofy way.
"You’re really going?" His voice cracked with a hint of disbelief, as if he couldn’t accept it.
Feng Jiao Xue stopped what she was doing, turning toward him with an expression that was colder than she felt.
"I can’t just stay in the empire forever, uncle" she replied curtly, her gaze drifting back to her packed bags. Her space ring taking it in once properly set.
Feng Haoyang’s face fell for a split second, before his usual grin returned, albeit forced. "I don’t know how to handle this, you know?" He scratched his head, pacing around her courtyard like an anxious child. "I mean, look at you! My little snowflake, going off to some faraway place... without me!" He plopped down beside her pile of belongings, throwing a dramatic arm over his eyes as though he were mourning.
Feng Jiao Xue didn’t respond immediately, simply continuing to arrange her things, though the corners of her lips twitched ever so slightly. She had expected this. Feng Haoyang was the type to never let go easily, to make light of serious matters with humor and mischief. But she knew, deep down, that he was hurting.
"You’re going to be fine, Uncle," she said, her voice cold but somehow comforting, a quiet reassurance to him that she didn’t even fully understand herself. She reached down and tightened the strings on a satchel, trying to avoid his gaze.