Le Zhuyi shook her head gently, "Godmother said that ever since Godfather set aside mechanisms, he hasn't truly been happy. Even though he regained his health and appeared cheerful, he was never quite the same. Godmother actually hopes he can take up mechanisms again. Only by facing past nightmares can he truly emerge from the shadows." Zhuyi had specifically asked her godmother about mechanisms for Ding Qiyu's sake.
Ding Qiyu raised her eyebrows, looking at Zhuyi's beautiful eyes with delight, "So, if I can convince him to take up mechanisms again, I'd actually be helping him find himself?" She recalled the look in Yan Huai's eyes when they first met, filled with an unquenchable passion for mechanisms.
"You're just as obsessed with mechanisms as Godfather," Zhuyi teased, pulling her hand away from Ding Qiyu's grasp to poke her chest, asking, "Have you talked with Godfather yet?"
The playful pokes tickled Ding Qiyu, but she didn't stop Zhuyi. She replied, "Yes, we talked, but then Master Yan Huai didn't want to hear more, saying he needed to think about it." She sighed, confiding, "I believe he knows of a special power source for mechanisms. If he teaches me, we could leave the valley sooner. Otherwise, who knows how long it would take to clear the debris and get out..."
Zhuyi paused, her hand clutching Ding Qiyu's shirt. So, the little carpenter's biggest wish was to leave the valley quickly? Remembering her own wild thought of staying there forever, Zhuyi felt a wave of sadness and helplessness, lowering her head to hide her expression, she pretended to speak lightly, "I see... Once I'm a bit better, I'll try persuading Godfather for you..."
Ding Qiyu didn't notice her change in expression, "Thank you, Zhuyi. With you helping, Aunt Jade and Uncle Huai treasure you so much, success is guaranteed!"
"Mm," Zhuyi nodded slightly, her voice soft, "I'm tired. Stay with me for a while."
Thinking she was genuinely tired, Ding Qiyu wrapped her in the blanket, staying by her side silently, unaware of a single tear slipping from Zhuyi's face onto her shoulder, soaking slightly into her shirt.
...
Since that conversation, Master Yan Huai hadn't sought out Ding Qiyu. After two days of rest, when Zhuyi could move around independently, the first thing she did was seek out Yan Huai. Father and daughter spent the morning sitting in the fields by the small courtyard, while Ding Qiyu stood under a Danming tree, watching them from afar.
Though Zhuyi wore the simplest clothes, to Ding Qiyu, she was still as radiant as a flame. From when had that silhouette etched itself so deeply in her heart? Truly, Ding Qiyu knew that once they left the valley, she and Zhuyi would inevitably part. Yet, facing this separation, she felt equally powerless. Leaning against the Danming tree, she murmured those words once more, "Fated but not destined."
...
The day after Zhuyi spoke with Yan Huai, he summoned both her and Ding Qiyu.
In the small hall of the elders' quarters, Yan Huai and Aunt Jade were present. Yan Huai's eyes were shadowed, suggesting he hadn't slept, but his demeanor was noticeably different.
Aunt Jade invited them to sit, and Yan Huai pointed to the items on the table, asking Ding Qiyu, "Yu'er, did you make these mechanisms?" He got straight to the point.
Hearing this, Ding Qiyu sensed hope. Master Yan Huai might have reconsidered! On the table were her Wuchang Sword and wooden armor framework. She replied truthfully, "Yes, I made them."
