Today, Chenxi spent the entire day in what felt like a blossoming spring. Even as she worked in the kitchen, I could hear her softly humming a song. I watched her intently as she repeatedly touched her pocket to ensure that something hidden inside was safe.
In the evening, as the sun began to set, Zhonghe returned home looking exhausted. The moment he stepped into the yard, Chenxi ran to him, threw her arms around his neck, and embraced him. I could see from the smile that lit up Zhonghe's face that his weariness vanished in an instant.
"Why is my princess so happy today?" he asked softly, kissing her forehead.
"Zhonghe... close your eyes quickly. I have something to give you," she whispered, resting her head against his chest.
Once Zhonghe closed his eyes, Chenxi slowly and carefully took out a necklace. She placed it around his neck and very delicately tied the small knot.
"Now look..." she smiled shyly.
Zhonghe opened his eyes and looked down at the simple yet exquisitely beautiful necklace resting on his chest. He took it in his hand and kissed it. "Did you... did you make this with your own hands, Xi?"
"Hmm... I thought if this stayed around your neck, it would feel like I am with you every single moment," she said, looking into his eyes. Zhonghe pulled her into a tight embrace. "This is more precious to me than all the gold in the world, Xi. I promise you, even if I die, I will keep this necklace around my neck."
With those words, Chenxi's smile vanished. Her eyes grew heavy with tears. "Never... never say such unlucky things again, Zhonghe!" she began to cry, hitting his chest softly with her small hands. "I can't even think of a world without you. Don't you know that you are my whole life?"
Zhonghe took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes with immense love. He wiped away her tears with his thumb.
"I'm sorry, my crazy girl... I'm not going anywhere and leaving you both. I will always be like your shadow." He placed a long kiss on her forehead to calm her down. "Now stop crying... look, because of these tears, my beautiful girl's face has turned quite ugly. Right...?" Zhonghe said, looking at me. I approved of the sentiment with a "Woof!"
Chenxi hid her face in his chest and hugged him even tighter. I watched them; at that moment, there was a purity of love inside that small house that even the gods might envy.
At night, as the moon rose over the mountains and the cold wind whispered through the branches, the three of us sat on the grass. With my head on Xi's lap, feeling her soft fingers stroking my fur, I felt a peace I had never experienced before. Xi rested her head on Zhonghe's shoulder, gazing at the stars sparkling in the distant sky.
"Zhonghe... are stars really the souls of the dead?" Xi asked in a faint voice.
Zhonghe looked at the sky and gave a slight smile. "I don't know, Xi... but if I ever become a star, I will always stay within your sight. So that wherever you look, you'll see me." Xi remained silent for a moment. Only then did the weight on her heart turn into words. "Zhonghe... don't you ever feel that you would have had a much freer life if you had left me? It's because of me that you suffer all this hardship. You could have lived so much better than this."
Zhonghe slowly took her hands in his, intertwining their fingers. He looked at her with the same compassion one would have for their own sister.
"You crazy girl..." he said, stroking her head. "Before I met you, I was like a leaf just floating aimlessly in this Tongjinghe River. I had no place, no sense of belonging to call my own. This exhaustion I endure isn't a sorrow to me, Xi. My only comfort is you. That's why I'm not afraid of leaving; I'm afraid of the day you might grow tired of me."
"That will never happen, Zhonghe," Xi said with firm conviction. Her eyes shone with happiness. Having a man who was like a brother and a father providing protection in this world gave her great strength. Zhonghe pulled her even closer. "Then that's all that matters. No matter what happens tomorrow, the three of us are here tonight. That's enough for me." A tear escaped Zhonghe's eye, unnoticed by Xi.
Suddenly, a star streaked across the sky, leaving a faint glow as it fell. I instinctively looked at it and barked, startled by a strange tremor in my heart. Xi immediately closed her eyes, joined her hands, and made a wish.
"What did you wish for?" Zhonghe asked.
"That the three of us stay together and happy like this forever,"
The entire forest fell silent. Within that silence, their laughter was still echoing. It became one of the most beautiful evenings of their lives. As the moonlight fell upon them, I curled up even tighter in Xi's lap.