The next evening...

  The sun had set, painting the sky with a brilliant orange, showcasing the beauty of dusk. The wind was calm, like a halted traveler pausing to enjoy the path.

  At the same spot, beneath the same guava tree, Mo Yan sat, gazing intently at the guava held in his hand, impatiently waiting for Yu Sui to arrive.

  His eyes shimmered like those of a child thirsting for water, hoping someone would appear to quench his longing. Leaves, carried by a light breeze, broke off the tree and drifted down upon Mo Yan. Eating the guava was merely a pretense; the truth lay hidden deep within his heart and soul. He didn't find the guava sweet; what was sweet was the companionship of Yu Sui he gained because of it.

  As always, Yu Sui also came to that spot, just to check if Mo Yan was stealing guavas again. When he saw Mo Yan sitting beneath the guava tree, his suspicion was confirmed. He quickly ran there and began shouting non-stop:

  "Oh no, not again! The Guava Thief is back!"

  But seeing Yu Sui in front of him filled Mo Yan with a unique joy; it was as if life had returned to his soul. He immediately smiled at Yu Sui, took a bite of the guava, and started eating, which only irritated Yu Sui further. Mo Yan didn't stop. With a mischievous grin, he stuck out his tongue and teased Yu Sui, "You are a foolish little rabbit."

  Yu Sui was now completely furious. He trembled with anger as he retorted:

  "How dare you! You are the foolish rabbit!"

  He moved a little closer and warned him further:

  "I am telling you now. Get out of here quietly, or it won't end well."

  Mo Yan took another piece of the guava, moved closer to him, and whispered softly:

  "So what!? What will you do if I don't leave?"

  Seeing Mo Yan so close, Yu Sui nervously stepped back and gave Mo Yan a light push, causing him to tumble into a pile of dry leaves behind him. The leaves scattered and flew up around him suddenly. But Mo Yan didn't mind. Lying in the leaves, he still wore a faint, gentle smile. Just then, he heard Yu Sui's laughter, who was mocking him for falling into the pile of leaves. Mo Yan slowly got up, dry leaves clinging to his hair and clothes. Yu Sui was still laughing.

  This was the first time Mo Yan had seen Yu Sui laugh. His soft laughter and the waterfall of hair falling across his face made him more beautiful than any celestial fairy. Mo Yan was utterly captivated, simply watching him laugh, losing all sense of awareness. His foot suddenly twisted, and he fell back into the pile of leaves, but his eyes did not leave that laughing face for a single moment. It was as if he was engraving that sight into his heart, forever and ever.

  Then, laughing, Yu Sui teased him:

  "Oh, look, look! Another dry leaf in the pile of dry leaves!"

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  Yu Sui continued to taunt Mo Yan:

  "Mo Yan is a dry leaf... Mo Yan is a dry leaf! From today, your name is not Mo Yan, it's Dry Leaf!"

  Laughing, he ran away. Mo Yan watched him go with eyes full of deep longing.

  Only Yu Sui's laughter echoed in the air and in Mo Yan's mind. The rustling of leaves and the calls of birds returning home resonated around him. Mo Yan got up. He didn't brush his clothes, or perhaps he didn't want to. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he was still smiling, even after Yu Sui had left.

  Mo Yan turned to leave, but before going, he looked back and said to himself:

  "Today, he called me Dry Leaf. I think... I like this better than Mo Yan."

  After this, he walked away, but with a heart full of love.

  — Flashback Ends —

  With a heavy thud, the book closed, and the glimpses of the past dissolved into the air like a dream. Mo Yan and Yu Sui now had nothing left to say or hear. They sat like frozen statues, overwhelmed by the heavy, sorrowful past they had just absorbed. The air in the library was now filled with suffocating silence and profound tragedy.

  Breaking this silence came the voice of Grandmaster Qinji. Her voice was full of immense gentleness and love. Placing the book beside her, she spoke:

  "And this... was the shadow of the past, which has become a terrifying reality today. Mo Yan, Yu Sui?"

  She placed her hands on both of theirs and said:

  "The mantra with which Queen Guzuie bound you two is no ordinary one; it is the most powerful Spell Seal, one that demands the sacrifice of the one who casts it. It can neither be broken nor changed. But once this Spell Seal is applied to someone, it becomes nearly impossible to erase. This is why both of you survived that catastrophe."

  She spoke again, in a loving tone straight from the heart:

  "Mo Yan, Yu Sui, none of this is your fault. This was the decree of fate. I have shared all the details of the past that I possessed. Now, your decisions will determine what the future holds."

  Saying this, she fell silent.

  Some disciples entered and began respectfully leading Mo Yan and Yu Sui out, with no rush or rough handling. But Mo Yan and Yu Sui had heard too much: the sacrifice of their mother and father, the betrayal of Lin Chaoyuan, and the tales of the devastated land. The pain was crawling in their chests like a snake, pushing their agony to its peak.

  The disciples respectfully escorted them out to the threshold, bowed before them, and went back inside. The moment the disciples went in, the area once again vanished into a dense fog. The same lifeless, empty, desolate entrance appeared as before.

  Suddenly, Mo Yan stumbled and fell, but before he could hit the ground, Yu Sui pulled him towards himself and hugged him tightly. Mo Yan's eyes were filled with sorrow; his tears poured continuously onto Yu Sui's shoulder. But Yu Sui felt the exact same pain.