Days turned into weeks.
Winter softened little by little. Frost melted into morning dew, and the village slowly became familiar with Mei Lian's quiet presence.
People still looked at her crimson eyes with caution… but curiosity began to replace fear.
One morning, a farmer rushed to the inn with his daughter crying behind him.
"My wife… she's burning with fever," he begged. "No herbs are helping. Please… if the witch can… anything…"
Before Zhen Yu could reply, Mei Lian stepped out of the doorway.
Her gaze shifted to the little girl gripping her father's sleeve, her cheeks wet, eyes red.
Without waiting, Mei Lian followed them.
Inside the house, the woman lay trembling, breath shallow and uneven. The air was heavy and warm with sickness.
Mei Lian knelt beside her.
She placed her hand on the woman's forehead.
A faint red glow spread through her veins.
Her lips moved in a silent spell.
Dark smoke seeped out of the woman's chest, drifting into Mei Lian's palm like a living shadow.
She pressed her hand to the floor, releasing it into the earth until it vanished.
The woman's breathing eased almost immediately.
The farmer bowed. He thanked her again and again.
The villagers outside whispered blessings.
The little girl wiped her tears and stepped closer.
"You saved Mama," she said softly. "So… I'll be your friend now."
Mei Lian blinked, surprised.
"My name is Lin'er!" the child declared. "I'll come see you every day!"
And she did.
Every morning, Lin'er followed Mei Lian around the village — from the riverbank to the woods to the inn's courtyard.
She asked endless questions:
"Do your eyes hurt when they glow?"
"Can witches make animals talk?"
"Do witches get lonely sometimes?"
Mei Lian would give small gestures or faint smiles.
Lin'er didn't understand the signs, but she seemed to understand the feeling behind them.
She brought Mei Lian little gifts — pinecones, petals, tiny wooden carvings — leaving them beside her while she meditated.
When Mei Lian trained by the river, practicing illusions and controlling the fox's essence, Lin'er sat nearby humming softly.
Her presence was warm… simple… something Mei Lian hadn't felt in a long time.
A small light in her dark path.