Sons of Nature

4 The Last Rose of Winter (11)

Yue Ji didn't seem to notice his awkwardness. He nodded in greeting at the three men that had helped him before walking over the rest of the way and stopping next to Fu Yun. He reached up and rubbed his arm, a smile still on his lips. "Did you get everything you needed?"

Fu Yun nodded at once but then couldn't help but glance at the other three men again. "These three were called by you?"

Yue Ji hummed and turned to look at them again. "I thought of how much there was likely to transport and figured it would be too much for one person to carry even with a cart. Since I can't appear in front of humans with how I look, I sent Petal to ask one of the nearby spirit tribes for help. You know, while we plant spirits usually live solitary, it's different for other kinds."

"Oh." Fu Yun gave a hum, not too surprised. Yue Ji hadn't told him much about the different types of spirits other than plant spirits and fairies. After all, they were unlikely to meet many and even Yue Ji himself had hardly met a handful throughout his life from what he had told him. But even though that was the case, he still felt that it wasn't odd that some spirits would live in bigger communities. After all, there were some things speaking for that even when it came to people who weren't human. At the very least, that was how he thought.

Having explained roughly, Yue Ji turned back to the three men. "Thank you for coming. I really didn't know what else to do."

The man who had originally spoken up when they came to help Fu Yun shook his head. "It's alright. Anyway, it's not easy out here. We should all help each other." He glanced at Fu Yun, his gaze unreadable. Humans ... he didn't necessarily have a good impression of them but this one seemed quite alright at first glance. Unfortunately, that hardly meant anything.

Turning back to Yue Ji, he looked at him for a long time without saying anything. He didn't like getting involved in other people's lives but ... this plant spirit was clearly all alone out here with no one to rely on. It was a bit pitiful. "Maybe I shouldn't say anything but being with a human ... it rarely ends well."

Yue Ji nodded. "I know. I've already experienced that more than once. But it is what it is. When the heart has opened, it's not that easy to close it."

The man gave a hum in response. That, unfortunately, was also true. "Since you know, then I won't say more. Where should we bring this?" He motioned at the cart with the wood as if the previous topic had never been brought up.

Yue Ji smiled and motioned further down the path. "The clearing where I live is in that direction. I could take it from here though. You probably don't want to be apart from your people for too long."

The man shook his head. "No, it's alright. Actually, we're not quite part of the tribe." He didn't explain more and simply motioned ahead, starting to push the cart again.

Yue Ji didn't try to pry either. These people were doing them a favor so he naturally wouldn't bother them. Instead, he just quietly walked next to the cart, glancing at Fu Yun every now and then while otherwise being preoccupied with his own thoughts.

The group moved slowly, not even reaching the speed of how Fu Yu and Yue Ji had walked to the village in the morning despite four people now pulling the cart. But then, this was to be expected with the weight of the wood.

By the time they finally reached the clearing, it was already late at night. Fu Yun didn't even dare to think about how late it would have been if he really tried to move everything by himself. Most likely, he and Yue Ji wouldn't have made it back here even until the next morning.

This really hadn't been great planning on his part. But then, even if he thought about it now, he didn't know what he could have done differently. After all, Yue Ji's existence, their relationship, and this place in the forest were all supposed to be secrets. They couldn't be exposed to anyone he knew or even the strangers on the other side of the forest. The only ones safe to ask for help might indeed be other spirits.