Stone Bridge Village.

During the three days since her sister left, Bai Ruxue would wake up every morning and sit on the stone stool in the courtyard, looking at the small path outside the yard, just like forty-eight years ago.

In Bai Ruxue's heart, it felt as if everything had happened just yesterday.

The night before Little Green left, neither Bai Ruxue nor Little Green slept.

Little Green told her sister many, many things.

Bai Ruxue learned that after Little Green fed her that pill, she had fallen into slumber.

She also learned that Daoist Fuchen had given Little Green a Memory Soul Pill that could help her recover her memories but Little Green had hesitated and hadn't given it to her immediately.

Bai Ruxue didn't blame her sister.

In Bai Ruxue's view, Little Green, caught in the middle, was the one in the most difficult position. She had shouldered all the responsibility and guilt alone.

Sometimes, the person making the choice suffers more than the person being chosen for.

From Little Green's account, Bai Ruxue also learned that Xiao Mo had actually known long ago that she and her sister were demon clan, but had always pretended not to know.

Over these forty-eight years, Xiao Mo would come to the cave entrance to visit her at regular intervals.

Bai Ruxue heard from her sister that Xiao Mo still hadn't married.

Just listening to Little Green's account, Bai Ruxue could imagine how Xiao Mo had lived alone all these years, and her heart ached even more.

That afternoon, just as Bai Ruxue's thoughts were drifting, she sensed some movement from the woods outside the courtyard.

Turning to look, Bai Ruxue again saw those two little girls and two little boys secretly watching her.

Bai Ruxue stood up, went into the kitchen, and brought out some pastries.

These pastries were made by Bai Ruxue yesterday for these four "sneaky" children.

The morning before yesterday, Bai Ruxue had already noticed these children secretly watching her.

So yesterday she went to the neighboring village to buy some ingredients and made these osmanthus cakes.

Thinking that if they came again today, she would invite them to eat pastries and ask why they were secretly watching her.

Bai Ruxue looked toward them and called out gently, "Would you like to eat some osmanthus cakes?"

The four children were startled, looked at each other, and then shyly emerged from the small grove.

"It must have been you who gave us away!"

"I didn't!"

"It must have been Huihui. Huihui just farted."

"You're the one who farted!" the girl retorted with a red face.

The four children bickered with each other as they walked step by step toward the courtyard.

"Come eat something." Bai Ruxue smiled gently.

Looking at this beautiful big sister and the osmanthus cakes on the table, the four children shyly entered the courtyard.

At first, the four children were a bit restrained, but when they tasted the first bite of osmanthus cake, their eyes instantly lit up.

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Bai Ruxue poured bowls of water for the four children.

"Big sister, your pastries are really delicious." The little boy named Qi Ming looked up and said.

"Thank you." Bai Ruxue smiled. "But why have you all been watching me?"

"Well..." The little boy named Qi Ming scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Huihui said there was a very beautiful big sister in the village who looked like a fairy, so we came over."

"Then we discovered that big sister, you often sit in the courtyard looking outside. Lili said big sister must have encountered something sad, and Huihui said big sister is a deity meditating." The little boy named Hu Hui said.

"Finally, we made a bet. Whoever guessed right would treat us to candy." Lili answered.

"But we were too embarrassed to come ask big sister." Huihui said with a red face.

"Big sister, why do you always sit in the courtyard?" Qi Ming asked.

"Sister is waiting for someone." Bai Ruxue smiled gently.

"Waiting for someone?" The seven-year-old girl seemed to understand but not quite. "But big sister, you've been waiting for three days already. What if he's not coming?"

Bai Ruxue touched the little girl's hair, "He will come. Even if he doesn't come, big sister will keep waiting."

"Big sister, you're so stubborn." Hu Hui said.

Bai Ruxue smiled, "Sister isn't being stubborn. A truly stubborn person has been waiting for forty-eight years."

"Wow! Forty-eight years!" the children exclaimed in unison.

"Sister, why did this person wait so long?"

"This is a very, very long story. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes, we want to hear it."

"Once upon a time, there was a scholar. One day, he went up the mountain and saved a little white snake..."

Near evening, Xiao Mo entered Stone Bridge Village, walking step by step toward his own courtyard.

Because Xiao Mo hadn't returned to the village for a long time, and even when he did return, he would only visit the village chief and Aunt Chen, spending most of his time on She Mountain.

Moreover, Xiao Mo was now wearing a worn-out blue robe.

So no one recognized that Xiao Mo was the famous Prime Minister Xiao.

The villagers at most glanced at Xiao Mo once, wondering who this unfamiliar old gentleman was and why they had never seen him before.

"Let me tell you, in our Prime Minister Xiao's former residence, there's a white-clothed fairy living there who is incredibly beautiful!"

"Living in Prime Minister Xiao's former residence? Should... should we drive her away?"

"Probably not necessary. That white-clothed fairy was brought back by the Green Fairy, so she should be a friend of the Green Fairy. And the Green Fairy is rumored to be a good friend of Prime Minister Xiao's, cleaning Prime Minister Xiao's courtyard every so often."

"Eh? I heard a rumor that Prime Minister Xiao once had a childhood sweetheart who later joined an immortal sect. Could it be this fairy?"

"I've also heard this rumor. The rumor says Prime Minister Xiao doesn't marry because he's waiting for her."

"Don't talk nonsense. Those are stories from novels. That white-dressed fairy must be from the same sect as the Green Fairy, just staying a few nights. Don't gossip."

Just as Xiao Mo was passing by the village pond, he heard several women washing clothes chatting.

Xiao Mo's expression stiffened slightly. He stepped forward and bowed to the women, "Dear ladies, that woman in white, could you tell this old man about her?"

"Goodbye, Fairy Sister."

"Fairy Sister, thank you for treating us to osmanthus cakes."

"Tomorrow I'll bring preserved meat from our house for Fairy Sister to eat."

As the sun was about to set, the children finally waved goodbye to Fairy Sister.

"Be careful on your way."

Bai Ruxue stood at the courtyard entrance, smiling as she watched them leave.

Only after they had gone far did Bai Ruxue turn to walk back into the courtyard but just as Bai Ruxue had taken two steps, suddenly, the woman stopped.

Bai Ruxue's heartbeat gradually quickened, her fingers tightly gripping her sleeves, her eyes trembling.

Turning around, a white-haired old man entered the woman's sight.