Dawn was breaking.
Cloud Retainer's consciousness left the dreamscape and returned to reality.
Normally, she would have woken up immediately, but because she had placed the lock of Xia Zhi's hair she'd cut last night into a scented sachet, she was drawn into another dream instead.
A faint wave of disorientation passed, and she found herself standing by a riverbank, still in her crane form, her injuries lingering.
A familiar figure leapt from the shore into the river before her.
The water only reached his waist.
It was cool and clear. He bent down, scooped up a handful to splash on his face, shook off the droplets, then turned to her with a bright smile, beckoning.
"Come on in."
Cloud Retainer stared blankly at him.
In the dazzling sunlight, the youthful lines of his frame were smooth and graceful, his black hair wet and clinging to his cheeks.
His eyes, refracted through the sunlight, looked impossibly clear and bright.
That smile… it was beautiful.
She remembered now.
This was the moment before Xia Zhi had treated her broken wing.
She stood silent for a moment, then leapt into the river and walked toward him.
The water was cool, but her legs were so long that it barely reached the tips of her feathers.
The closer she got, the more a trace of nervousness rose in her chest.
This was the second time she'd had this dream, but it felt different from the first.
The first time, she'd thought the him in the dream was nothing more than a false image conjured from her own memory, so she hadn't thought much of it.
But the hair-cutting last night had been a kind of tacit signal.
He'd deliberately given her his hair so she could use the sachet's power to pull him into her dreams.
With his mastery over dreams, he could have simply willed her into one—no props needed.
But that would have made her the passive one. This way, it was her choice.
If she wanted to be closer, she could wear the sachet to dream. If she felt the relationship between master and disciple was too great a barrier, she could simply take it off.
Now, Cloud Retainer stood before Xia Zhi.
"Crouch a bit. I'll wash the blood and dirt off you."
Xia Zhi made a pressing gesture, indicating she should lower herself.
It was exactly as she remembered.
She bent her legs, half-submerging herself in the water.
Xia Zhi stepped closer, carefully brushing away the grime from her feathers.
His movements were painstakingly gentle, as though afraid to tug at her injured wing and cause her pain.
Watching the focused care in his actions, her gaze softened without her realizing.
There had been words she'd wanted to say to him back then, but he hadn't understood the language of this world, and she didn't know his—communication had been impossible.
Now, with the scene unfolding again, she lowered her head and murmured, "Thank you."
Xia Zhi looked up. "No need for thanks. You cut my hair, I help you bathe, Cloud Retainer—"
"Hmm."
He smiled, nodded. "Alright, Cloud Retainer. You know, I didn't expect this to be the moment you remembered me by. Is it because it was the first time someone else bathed you?"
Her face heated—thankfully, in crane form, it didn't show. "I'm… not really sure why…"
He kept cleaning her feathers, but accidentally brushed her broken wing.
A sharp, piercing pain shot through her, and she let out a soft cry.
"Did I hurt you?"
"It's fine."
"I should just heal your wing first."
He lifted his hand and cast [Healing].
A gentle warmth spread through her body, and her injuries mended instantly—her cultivation returning along with them.
"You don't have to wash them one by one like this," she said.
"Oh?"
With that, she transformed into human form, clothed in a strange feathered robe—though it was a bit dirty.
"This way, we can just wash the clothes directly."
"Makes things much easier," he agreed, turning away.
"Change first. I'll go catch some fish."
Just like in her memory, he tossed a few [Holy Light Judgment] toward the spot where fish swam thickest.
White light struck the water like lightning, splashing high. When the ripples faded, fish floated motionless on the surface.
Fresh ingredients secured.
Cloud Retainer returned in clean clothes and helped him prepare the catch.
A fire was built, fish roasted.
Soon, a simple lunch was ready.
Compared to the roasted fish in her memories, this was leagues better—he was a master chef now.
Xia Zhi didn't eat much—one fish and he was done. Cloud Retainer polished off the rest.
After eating, they sat by the river to rest.
They chatted for a while before Xia Zhi lay back on the grass.
"Sleepy?" she asked.
"A little."
"Isn't that uncomfortable like that?"
"Yeah, the ground's too hard."
"How about… I turn into a crane, and you sleep next to me like last time?"
"No need."
He shut his eyes.
After a moment, he felt her drawing closer, a soft, musky-sweet scent drifting to him.
Then, his head was gently lifted and placed on something warm and soft.
Hm?
He opened his eyes to see the sky, half-hidden by some large object.
"Cloud Retainer… you're…"
"This is called a lap pillow, right?"
"Yes."
"How does it feel?"
"Pretty comfortable."
"Good. Then keep sleeping."
With her form blocking the light, he couldn't see her expression—nor did he feel the need to.
He closed his eyes again.
Maintaining the position, Cloud Retainer suddenly asked in a low voice, "Mr. Xia, do you remember what a 'bride cat' is?"
"Of course."
"If someone wanted to keep a cat, they'd give the mother cat or her owner a gift, inviting the cat into their home. They'd pick an auspicious day and sign a cat contract to complete the ritual. Later it got simpler—just eating my fish makes you my cat."
"Mhm."
"So if I eat your fish… does that make me your crane?"
"What do you think?"
"…I guess so?"
"Then yes."
She fell silent, looking down at him.
He stayed quiet too, eyes closed as though on the edge of sleep.
After a moment's hesitation, she seemed to steel herself, and lowered her head.
This time, the dream didn't suddenly end.
---
Xia Zhi woke from the dream, lifted a hand to his lips, and recalled what had just happened inside it.
Cloud Retainer might be strong-willed, but in certain ways, she wasn't much different from those two disciples of hers.
His chest still felt heavy—
the weight of a dragon.
He reached out to smooth the little girl's hair.
She smacked her lips lightly in her sleep, lost in some sweet dream.
Xia Zhi withdrew his hand, stayed in that position, and activated "Shared Vision" with the white cat.