The lovers heard Yuping calling them from afar. They saw the little prince running towards them, followed by his two older siblings.
"I finally found you guys! What are you guys doing here?" Yuping asked, panting slightly.
"Why are you doing here?" Guo Baiyu asked, a gentle smile on his face.
"My brother and sister are showing me around," Yuping replied happily. "We are going to pick apples."
"Sounds very interesting. Then let's go pick apples," Zhao Renshu said, his eyes gleaming.
"This way," Ziyi smiled, leading the way.
"Doctor Guozhao, I can give you a ride," Yuping offered, eager to help.
Guo Baiyu gently declined, "It's okay."
Zhao Renshu, however, picked Guo Baiyu up and gently placed him on Yuping's back. "He's sick," Zhao Renshu declared. "You ride on his back."
Guo Baiyu frowned, "He is a prince."
"I don't mind," Yuping chirped, happy to carry him.
Zhao Renshu then jumped onto Yuping's back, sitting behind Guo Baiyu.
"You can ride on my back," Siyuan offered to Ping'an.
Ping'an declined politely, "You are a prince. I would rather not."
"I don't mind. You saved my family," Siyuan insisted, looking at her with gratitude.
"Well, I accept this offer, but not right now," Ping'an conceded. "If one day, I ask for a ride on your back, you can't refuse it."
"Deal," Siyuan smiled.
"I would rather walk side by side with you," Ping'an said. "This reminds me of a poem Baiyu wrote. He wrote:
'I will not lead and have you follow me
I will not follow you or have you lead
I will walk beside you and be your friend
Even if the world shatters, our friendships remain' "
"I didn't know Doctor Guozhao wrote poems," Siyuan remarked, surprised.
"That was the last poem he wrote," Ping'an said softly.
"Why did he stop?" Siyuan asked.
"We are always out fighting creatures and spirits. There is nothing special to write about," Ping'an replied, a faint sadness in her voice.
To be honest, in Ping'an's heart, she knew the real reason why Guo Baiyu stopped writing poems. Poetry reminded him of that painful day when he realized his family had cut ties with him. Just like Ping'an, whenever someone mentioned Peace Town, it brought back painful memories for her. She watched her lovers, Yuping, and Ziyi picking apples, a quiet warmth filling her.
Zhao Renshu took out a small pouch and handed it to Yuping. He smiled and said, "Here, take it."
Yuping took the bag and asked, "What is it?"
"Peach seeds," Zhao Renshu replied. "Plant them today, and you can eat peaches in about ten years. If you are tired of eating apples, you can eat peaches."
"Savior, it only takes two to three years to grow a tree in Immortal Valley," Ziyi informed him, a polite correction in her voice.
"Then you will get to eat peaches sooner!" Zhao Renshu exclaimed, delighted.
The group of friends picked apples and laughed as the sun began to set on the beautiful mountain horizon.
That night, King Shammek and Queen Ruilin hosted a dinner party. The only table with chairs was for the lovers. Everyone else was standing at their tables. King Shammek made a toast to the lovers for saving his family. Everything on the table was vegetables.
Zhao Renshu poked the green vegetable plate and moved the vegetables from side to side, hoping for a magical transformation.
"Just eat. Everyone is watching you," Guo Baiyu murmured, nudging him.
"This dish is the same as two days ago," Zhao Renshu complained, eyeing a salad with lettuce, turnips, and carrots.
Guo Baiyu got up and said, "King Shammek, thank you for your hospitality. Thank you very much for taking care of us in the past few days, but this visit cannot last forever. Tomorrow, we will part ways. We have some business we need to finish."
"Goddess Jiutian Xuannü asked us to catch some criminals," Zhao Renshu added, particularly happy to be leaving.
"The three of you are always welcome here," King Shammek said, a regal nod.
"Thank you," Guo Baiyu replied.
The next morning, the lovers parted ways with the Horsemen Kin. They crossed the lake, leaving the poor Yuping standing and crying on the other side of the slowly collapsing water wall. Once the water wall fully collapsed behind them, the lovers and their horses arrived at the shore of the lake. Ping'an stopped her horse.
Ping'an looked to her left. "I think there is a house here." She instructed her horse to turn left.
"If you are curious, let us have a look?" Guo Baiyu suggested, sensing her interest.
"I will go anywhere, but I can't go back there," Zhao Renshu said, shuddering at the thought of the all-vegetable meals.
The lovers rode their horses along a small path lined with wildflowers and trees on both sides. There were many wild animals in the area, a sign of its untouched nature.
"This is too clean," Zhao Renshu remarked. "Could it be that someone lives here?"
"How was your private talk with King Shammek?" Guo Baiyu asked Ping'an.
"I asked him if it is possible to clear the wasteland," Ping'an replied.
"What did he say?" Zhao Renshu asked eagerly.
"He said his duty is to protect the Northern Fortress; he will not deal with other people's affairs," Ping'an recounted.
"That is a very clear answer," Zhao Renshu said, understanding.
The lovers came to a flower gate. Beside the open gate, there was a log bench. The lovers dismounted and tied their horses to a nearby tree branch. They walked into the house. It was a simple environment, with a small bamboo shed and a big treehouse. A set of swings hung on the branches of an apple tree.
"I dreamed of this place before," Ping'an murmured, her eyes wide with recognition. "If I guess right, this is the house of Syaoran. He made that swing set for his wives."
"This Syaoran is too romantic!" Zhao Renshu exclaimed. "When we get home, I am building a swing for you, dear." He smiled at her.
"I accept," Ping'an said, her eyes shining.
Zhao Renshu turned to Guo Baiyu. "Baiyu will design it."
"I believe the Centaurs look after this place," Guo Baiyu mused. "There is no way it would look this good for the past five hundred years without upkeep."
"If we happen to come here next time, we will stay here," Zhao Renshu declared.
Zhao Renshu walked to the swings and stood in front of the apple tree. He dug a hole, put two peach seeds in it, and then covered the hole with dirt.
"What are you doing?" Guo Baiyu asked, amused.
"Planting peach trees," Zhao Renshu replied. "Ziyi said the plants here grow fast and will last forever unless they are cut down."
"Let's go. We will arrive at Waterfall City at noon," Ping'an urged.
"We won't stop in Waterfall City," Zhao Renshu insisted.
"Are you worried?" Guo Baiyu asked, a knowing look on his face.
"I don't want to bump into Huang Hongse," Zhao Renshu admitted. "We are resting in that quiet town we passed by."
"It may be close to nightfall when we get there," Guo Baiyu pointed out.
"I don't care. I am not resting in Waterfall City," Zhao Renshu declared. "Why don't you worry that the mayor and Lim Yuehai will force you to marry her?"
"I have a clear conscience. I am not afraid," Guo Baiyu replied calmly.
"Does this mean you don't have a clear conscience?" Ping'an asked, turning and looking at Zhao Renshu, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Ping'an and Guo Baiyu whipped their horses and then took off.
Zhao Renshu, a little slow on the uptake, shouted, "Hey, hey! Wait for me! I have nothing to hide! My conscience is also very clean!" He quickly chased after his lovers.