Chapter Three: Peril in the Forest

“You don’t even know your own name, then… then do you know where your home is?” Ruoxi asked in surprise.

“I! Um…” Xiaoshan paused, as if thinking it over. “I don’t have a home!”

“How can you not have a home?” Ruoxi asked instinctively.

Xiaoshan truly didn’t know if he had a home, but what he did know was that he didn’t know where it was.

“I… don’t have a home!” he said. Since he didn’t know where his home was, there didn’t seem to be any point in saying more.

“Look! There’s a butterfly!” Ruoxi’s eyes shone as she spotted a little butterfly before her. Pointing a small finger at it, she looked utterly delighted, as though she hadn’t heard what Xiaoshan just said.

“Let’s catch one!” Without waiting for Xiaoshan’s response, Ruoxi dashed off in pursuit of the butterfly, leaving him behind. Her petite figure hopped and skipped as she chased after it.

“How can there be a butterfly here?” Xiaoshan watched Ruoxi’s actions and couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile. “There aren’t even any flowers…”

Finishing his sentence, he hurriedly chased after Ruoxi’s retreating figure.

Naturally, he wouldn’t chase into the wilderness—she seemed to have gone in the direction from which she’d appeared earlier.

No matter how fast Xiaoshan ran, he could only glimpse Ruoxi’s back. By the time he entered the forest, she was already out of sight, leaving behind only her footprints and the traces of broken branches.

In the forest trampled by Ruoxi, there seemed to be two paths: one where she had entered, and another where she had chased the butterfly.

Xiaoshan felt as if he could sense which way Ruoxi had gone.

But no matter how he tried to judge, he could only follow the tracks cautiously, for they were faint, the broken branches making only the slightest disturbance.

He didn’t want to shout, either—it felt somehow out of character for him.

Yet Xiaoshan’s ears seemed to catch the sound of joyful, gleeful laughter—the butterfly fluttering, flying this way and that!

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

The trees in this forest were unlike palm trees—rather than growing straight and tall, their trunks twisted and curved, long branches trailing down to brush the ground. The wind would sometimes stir them, making the branches sway.

Xiaoshan didn’t know what kind of trees these were—only that they seemed strange, and if he could avoid touching them, he would.

Suddenly, Xiaoshan thought he heard a very familiar voice shout out.

An “Ah!” rang out, as if someone had fallen to the ground. Startled, Xiaoshan quickened his pace, wanting to catch up as fast as he could.

As Xiaoshan quickened his steps, he occasionally brushed against the branches, which seemed to move now and then. He turned to glance behind him, only to find nothing amiss. Scratching his head, he felt a bit puzzled.

He didn’t slow down. His mind seemed to grow clearer, as if he could recall the path Ruoxi had just taken. He moved faster and faster, sometimes getting startled when he tripped on a branch lying on the ground.

He hurried on, and gradually he thought he could hear someone’s breathing. His heart leapt with hope.

“Ah!”

Hearing the cry, Xiaoshan pushed aside the branches, feeling as though they were growing more and more dense.

As the branches parted, he caught sight of a shadowy figure.

Suddenly, Xiaoshan’s pupils contracted—he’d seen something!

Behind a great tree, a red dress stood out glaringly, completely at odds with the surrounding woods.

On Ruoxi’s index finger perched a butterfly, and more butterflies were fluttering towards her, seemingly drawn by her movements.

Several branches hovered around Ruoxi; it was hard to tell if they were swaying in the wind, or if—as though enchanted—they were reaching toward her.

Xiaoshan’s heart tightened as the branches drew closer, and the butterflies fluttered nearer. Summoning courage from who-knows-where, he pushed aside the branches and strode toward Ruoxi.

Ruoxi seemed to notice him and quickly stood up. The butterfly on her finger took off and flew away.

The branches around her seemed to stop swaying. The butterfly landed lightly on a branch, its wings fluttering beautifully.

Xiaoshan let out a sigh of relief, relaxing at last—only for his foot to slip. He pitched forward, tumbling headlong to the ground.

Ruoxi saw Xiaoshan’s mishap and clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle. She looked quite delighted.

She laughed, her eyes growing wide as she exclaimed in surprise, “Why are there so many branches behind you? They’re moving!”

Startled, Xiaoshan turned to look and found the branches that had been behind him were now alarmingly close.

Xiaoshan scrambled to his feet in shock. Every branch on the tree was stretching towards him like a clutch of demonic claws. One branch immediately wrapped itself around his arm, tightening, while several others quickly seized his other arm.

Ruoxi’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. She darted to Xiaoshan’s side, grabbed his arm, and shouted, “Don’t take Brother Xiaoshan away! I want to stay with him!”

Xiaoshan’s heart was warmed by her concern, making his earlier worries for her seem almost foolish.

But with no time for sentiment, Xiaoshan strained to break free, only to find the branches exuded a sticky sap, binding him ever tighter. His arms began to ache and go numb where the branches gripped him.

“Could these branches actually have a mind of their own? They’re corroding my arms!” Xiaoshan shouted, teeth gritted in pain.

“No! Don’t take Brother Xiaoshan away! I won’t have anyone to play with!” Ruoxi cried, pulling desperately at his arm, but to no avail.

Seeing her distress, Xiaoshan suddenly recalled something, “Grab the branch! See if you can pull it off!” he urged.

Ruoxi understood, reaching up to grasp a branch.

But Xiaoshan was taller than Ruoxi; she had to stand on tiptoe, face flushed with effort, barely able to reach.

It was then as if the branches sensed her intent—they rose higher, lifting Xiaoshan off the ground as well.

Ruoxi’s face tightened with anxiety, but she refused to let go. “No! I want to take Brother Xiaoshan back to the village, to play with him! I won’t leave him!”

She stretched her arm up, feet leaving the ground, inching her hand closer.

She gritted her teeth, veins bulging, fingers almost brushing the branch.

The moment her finger touched the smooth wood, the branch jerked as if frightened, immediately releasing one of Xiaoshan’s arms. Xiaoshan’s body tilted, his foot touching the ground, and his face lit up with joy.

Ruoxi’s color returned, and with a burst of strength, she grabbed for another branch.

The branches seemed startled, trembling violently as if to shake both of them off. But Ruoxi was so close, she gripped the branch instantly, snapping it off as if pinching it in half.

Deprived of its hold, Xiaoshan tumbled to the ground, and Ruoxi landed right on his chest.