When Liuxian stepped through the gate, he found Guiying immediately.
The courtyard was crowded with people, and several tables were covered with vegetables, spices and baskets of duck eggs waiting to be prepared.
Despite all the activity, Liuxian's eyes went straight to Guiying as though they had been searching for nothing else.
The omega sat beneath the canopy with a knife in one hand and a cabbage in the other while listening to something Auntie Mo was saying.
A small smile rested on his face, and the sight alone eased a burden Liuxian had carried for an entire month.
For a moment, he simply stood there and watched. Guiying looked healthier than he had when he left. His complexion had brightened, his hair had grown slightly longer, and the tension that had once followed him everywhere seemed to have disappeared.
The villagers had clearly taken good care of him, and Liuxian found himself smiling despite the exhaustion weighing on him.
