JFK Airport's Terminal 4 hummed with the chaotic rhythm of travel—parents herding crying kids, business travelers rushing with rolling suitcases, the distant announcement of delayed flights. But Rui's focus narrowed to a single figure: Ye Shaoyang, leaning against a baggage claim carousel, a well-worn canvas bag slung over one shoulder. His gray Hanfu, which he'd worn to leave for Xuanqing Mountain a month prior, was replaced by a black hoodie and faded jeans, but the faint scent of cinnabar and pine (the mountain's signature) still clung to him, a memory she'd replayed in her mind every night.
She'd arrived 20 minutes early, pacing near the exit, her fingers twisting the peachwood talisman Ye had given her before he left. It was warm, as if holding a fragment of his energy, and she'd touched it a hundred times that morning, half-convinced she'd imagined his call saying he was back. Now, seeing him—his dark hair slightly messy, a faint smile tugging at his lips—her chest tightened, and she broke into a run.
Ye turned at the sound of her boots clicking against the tiled floor, his eyes lighting up like he'd been waiting for only her. He dropped his bag, opening his arms, and she crashed into him, her face buried in his chest. His arms wrapped around her, tight but gentle, and she breathed in deeply, the familiar scent of cinnabar mixing with his laundry detergent. For a second, the airport noise faded, and there was only the steady thud of his heart against her ear.
"Missed me?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. His voice was rougher than usual, like he'd been holding back emotion.
Rui pulled back, wiping a stray tear from her cheek, and playfully hit his arm. "More than you know. How's your master? Did he finally stop teasing you about burning the rice wine?"
Ye laughed, a warm sound that made her stomach flutter. "Master's better—still grumpy, but he's been tending to his herb garden again. And for the record, I didn't burn the rice wine. Dao Feng knocked it over." He dug into his canvas bag, pulling out a small ceramic jar with a handwritten label in Chinese characters. "He made me bring this for you—wild honey from the mountain. Said it calms Yin energy. For your headaches, when you overuse your medium powers."
Her throat warmed. She'd mentioned the migraines offhandedly, weeks ago, while they'd eaten dumplings at Lao Guo's. She hadn't thought he'd remembered. She twisted the jar open, inhaling the sweet, earthy scent—like pine needles and sunlight. "Thank you. I'll put it in my tea tonight."
Dao Feng appeared beside them, clearing his throat loudly. He was carrying a smaller bag, his expression feigning annoyance, but his eyes were crinkled at the corners. "Am I gonna stand here all day watching you two act like teenagers? Or are we gonna talk about the case Master mentioned?"
Ye slung an arm around Dao Feng's shoulders, grinning. "Right. The case." He turned to Rui, his tone shifting to serious. "Master said it's tied to Xuanqing. Decades ago, a group of Earth Zombies escaped our seal—slow, but stronger than Corpse Fiends. They fled to Sichuan, and we thought we'd sealed them all. But someone's using them to send 'delivery packages'—terracotta warriors, same as the LA case. Open one, and zombie blood seeps into your skin. You turn, but not fast—you're trapped in your body, watching yourself hurt people."
Rui's jaw tightened. She pulled out her phone, showing them a text from Mike: SPU Chengdu: 3 missing, all received terracotta warrior packages. Blood cross on each. Local cops can't handle it—zombies are too strong. "We got the report yesterday. The packages are lined with concentrated zombie blood. Infected people vanish within minutes, and the only thing left is the warrior—its eyes glow red, like it's holding their soul."
They walked to Rui's SUV, Dao Feng trailing behind, pretending not to notice Ye and Rui's fingers brushing as they loaded bags into the trunk. "We leave tomorrow at 8 a.m.," Ye said, opening the driver's door for her. "Master gave us a map—zombies are centered in Chengdu's Chinatown. There's an old Taoist temple there, run by Master's friend, Shi Wu. He'll help us get supplies."
That night, they ate at their favorite steakhouse— the same booth by the window, the same orders (ribeye for Ye, medium-rare; filet mignon for Rui, well-done). Ye told her about Xuanqing Mountain: how he'd spent mornings training with Master, afternoons repairing the temple's roof, and evenings sitting by the lake with Dao Feng, talking about the future. He laughed as he described Dao Feng's attempt to teach a stray monkey to draw talismans ("It stole the cinnabar and painted the temple walls red").
Rui told him about the cases she'd handled while he was gone: a haunted doll in Brooklyn that turned out to be a lost child's spirit, a ghostly bartender in Manhattan who just wanted to say goodbye to his daughter, a poltergeist in a Queens school that was angry about the gym being demolished. "Mike tried to help with the doll case," she said, grinning. "He held a cross and yelled 'begone!' It just laughed at him."
When the waiter brought dessert—chocolate lava cake, their favorite—Ye took her hand across the table. "When we finish Sichuan," he said, his voice soft. "I want to show you the sunrise over Xuanqing's east peak. You can see the whole valley turn pink. Master says it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen."
Rui's heart skipped a beat. "I'd love that."
They walked back to her apartment, hand in hand, the Brooklyn streets quiet. The moon was bright, casting silver light over the brownstones, and a stray cat rubbed against their legs. Ye kissed her at her door, his lips soft against hers. "Goodnight. I'll pick you up at 8 a.m.—don't forget your runes."
As she closed the door, Rui set the jar of wild honey on her kitchen counter. It glinted in the lamplight, a reminder that Ye was back, that he'd thought of her. For the first time in a month, her apartment felt whole. She touched the peachwood talisman around her neck, then the jar, and smiled.
Their next adventure was about to begin. And this time, they'd be together.