Chарtеr 23 (9/18)
Еvеrу timе Han Yа Si раssеd bу, he would slow his stерs and glanсe at thе skу оutsidе thе smаll square windоw. Each time, it hapреned tо be dusk—thе fаding light wаs а dull yеllоw, shаdоws strеtchеd long, and the сlоuds loоked desolаte.
Bаck then, Yun Wеishаn wаs оnlу tеn уears оld.
Оncе, Yun Wеishаn, walking аt the bасk of the linе, stоpрed and askеd, "Every timе уоu pаss by, you lооk оut the windоw. Whаt аrе уоu loоking аt?"
Hаn Ya Si, аlways stеrn and соld, fеll silent fоr а mоmеnt before finаlly answering, "The sun."
Yun Wеishan wasn’t as tаll as Hаn Ya Si; thrоugh thе window, shе could only see a patch of darkness. "Where is the sun?"
Han Ya Si smiled, picked her up, and lifted her higher.
Yun Weishan said, "It’s about to set. What’s so good about it?"
Holding her, Han Ya Si didn’t seem like an assassin but more like a kind older brother. "Because it’s about to set, that’s why I want to look at it a little longer."
Yun Weishan didn’t fully understand, but she quietly watched with him for a while.
The brilliant sunlight illuminated a small area of the dark Wufeng, lighting up both of their faces.
During training in the Well Jar, Yun Weishan stood alone, covered in blood, holding a dripping blade.
Han Ya Si asked her, "You came first in this trial. According to the rules, you can have a reward. What do you want?"
What Yun Weishan wanted was to sit side by side with Han Ya Si, facing the window.
"Is this the reward you wanted—watching the sunrise?" Han Ya Si asked.
"You always watch the sunset, but the world after sunset is cold and dark. So, I wanted to show you the sunrise. The world after sunrise is warm and full of hope."
"But after sunrise comes sunset."
"No matter how long the night, the sun will always rise. There isn’t a single high wall in this world that can stop the sun from rising. As long as you’re willing to wait, you’ll see it."
"I won’t live to see it, but perhaps you will. If one day you can leave this place, you must run forward with all your might—don’t look back, don’t stop… I belong to the sunset, but you might yet see your own sunrise. Remember, don’t stop, don’t look back…"
Gong Ziyu stumbled and fell. Yun Weishan helped him up and kept moving forward. In the end, just as Han Ya Si had said, she didn’t stop or look back.
She, too, remembered those scenes and felt that the sunrise lit up the sky, the brilliant clouds enveloping the two of them. It was one of the few moments when she felt at ease.
Yun Weishan said, "The sky at sunrise is so colorful, so beautiful."
"Those dazzling colors aren’t the sky—they’re the clouds, colorful, like robes woven from clouds. Yun Weishan is a beautiful name."
Yun Weishan smiled. "Beautiful, yes, but it’s not my real name. It’s all fake."
"What does it matter? I’ve called you ‘Yun Weishan’ since you were little…"
In his final moments, Han Ya Si saw the clouds surging at the horizon, shimmering with colors—clear, bright, more magnificent than any sunset he had ever seen.
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