Dance with you

Chapter 30

It was dark and only the moon watched them as Liu Xin, Xue Yang and Meng Yao returned home the next night.

The night was darker than usual, the moon hiding away and giving the stars a chance to shine brilliantly. Liu Xin let out a deep breath as they stepped off of Rushui. Traveling on her weapon had been very hard and slower than usual, since she was transporting two additional people. Once again Rushui's length had proven very useful, a guandao being way longer than a regular sword. At least they didn't have any problem fitting on it. Xue Yang was already swaying a little, his eyes heavy with sleep but insisting he could stand on his own. However it was very clear how tired he was when he didn't seem to notice that it was Meng Yao who took his hand and gently guided him inside. Liu Xin stayed outside. For the first time in quite some time, she took Rushui into her hands, examining the state of the blade. The time spent inside the qiankun pouch hadn't left any visible signs on the weapon. She thought she could feel how it was satisfied at being used after the time of disuse, a small, almost negligible hum coming from it. Liu Xin fished a cloth out of her sleeves, that was made to polish spiritual weapons, and sat down to give it some attention. The stars reflected off the blade, making it look as if the scales of the engraved Koi fish were sparkling. The water droplets looked more realistic in this lighting as well. Her gaze wandered from the blade to the sky. It was so dark and deep decorated by the many stars that shone beautifully. When looking closely she could make out the slightly different hues, some stars didn't shine as bright as others but no less mesmerizing. Some stars shone golden, others more pink, blue or purple. The longer she stared, the more she seemed to notice. Her hand kept gently polishing Rushui absentmindedly. When Meng Yao sat down next to her, she only vaguely noticed. A comfortable silence blanketed them.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Her voice was quiet and admiring. "We really are surrounded by so much beauty and most of the time we barely notice."

"It is easy to take things for granted," Meng Yao answered after a small pause. Liu Xin paused in her movements and turned her head to look at him. In the very dim lighting provided, Meng Yao had followed her lead and turned his face upwards. During the day, he was always preoccupied by something, his face portraying the many thoughts racing through his head if one knew him enough to spot the signs. But right here, at this moment, he looked completely relaxed. She needed to thank him properly and found now was the ideal moment.

"Hey, Yaoyao?"

"Hm?"

"I really want to thank you again. I could never have done this on my own. If there is ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

There was a pause before he looked at her with a genuine smile. "I have to thank you as well, Xiaolin." She cocked her head to the side, unsure what he meant. "In the last month or so, I have had the honor to experience a feeling I never thought I could feel. I have never really been a part of something or felt like I belonged. But you have shown me so much care again and again." He took a deep breath, turning to the sky once more. Liu Xin swore she could see his eyes become glossy but he didn't let himself cry. "Not only you, but your family too. To be your friend and cousin is the greatest reward I could want." His smile widened, showing off his deep dimples. Liu Xin chuckled and put one hand on his shoulder. "I am always there for my family. And you are a part of that, Yaoyao." The comfortable silence returned and they sat there for some more moments until a yawn broke out of Liu Xin. She gave Meng Yao a pat on the shoulder, sheathed Rushui and headed inside. A warm calm came over her as her eyes wandered across the room. Lan Xichen was laying on the bed, still as a statue, and she could see the pile of children. Xue Yang had curled himself into Li Yan's side, Gao Fen and Fang Lei lying on the other side of their sister in various states of stretches. Liu Xin approached them silently and laid down next to the pile, wanting to be as close to them as possible. As soon as her head hit the ground, she was asleep, the exhaustion kicking in full force.