His Warmth Wasn’t Mine, I Walked Away

Chapter 8

Summer nodded gently in agreement, turned down Mia's invitation to join them for dessert, and headed back to her dorm alone.

The days flew by as she packed her bags and handed over her work. Soon, there was only one day left before her departure to the Northern Wasteland. After two years of living in the valley, her entire life fit into a single suitcase. She had painfully cleared out and discarded every little keepsake that reminded her of William, leaving only the Blessing Scroll of Mountains and Rivers.

She had spent an entire year painting this scroll. Initially, she had planned to present it to him upon completion and use the Blessing Ritual as an occasion to confess her feelings. Now that all the misunderstandings had been cleared, she intended to give it to William and Mia as their wedding gift.

She drafted a message to William:

Summer: My Blessing Scroll of Mountains and Rivers is complete. I'd like to ask you to host the Blessing Ritual. I can bring it over now.

Within half an hour, William replied with his agreement and attached a location pin for a festival ground. It was the very pasture where the Abundant Valley Celebration was being held, where Mia had been spending her time lately.

Summer packed the scroll and set off for the pasture. When she arrived, the villagers were holding an archery competition. Mia, in a formal highland dress, drew her bow and shot with fluid grace. William, in his red chief ritual robe, watched her closely throughout the entire event, nodding now and then in encouragement. Their shared looks were filled with deep, silent understanding.

Summer stood at a distance, watching them. A faint ache bloomed in her chest, but she had to admit they were cut from the same cloth—born and raised on the same land, they were a perfect match.

As the archery match ended, Mia won a small knife inlaid with rubies. She excitedly tugged on William's sleeve, talking and laughing endlessly. Summer walked up slowly to offer her blessings.

Mia was delighted to see her. Summer took the opportunity to open the wooden box containing the Blessing Scroll of Mountains and Rivers. William reached out, took the box, and gave a brief nod.

Mia looked slightly disappointed and tugged on William's sleeve. "You promised you'd take me out for dessert if I won."

William looked up at Summer. Summer immediately backed down to smooth things over. "There's no need to rush the Blessing Ritual today," she said. "You should go ahead and keep your appointment first."

The painting was a gift for him anyway, so it didn't matter when they completed the ritual.

William fell silent for a moment before saying softly, "In that case, come back the day after tomorrow to pick up the finished piece."

The day after tomorrow happened to be the day Summer was leaving the Southern Valley. She didn't point this out, merely giving a brief nod of agreement before leaving on her own.

The next day was Summer's last day in the Southern Valley. With all her work handed over and her bags packed, she had planned to get an early night, but then Mia's phone call suddenly came through.

The young girl's voice on the other end was low, lacking her usual cheerfulness. "Toby passed away peacefully a few days ago, and the Wilderness Return Ritual is tomorrow. Would you like to come and say goodbye to him?"

Toby Reed was the oldest resident in the valley, and the medical team had already paid their respects when he passed, so Summer had no reason to refuse. Besides, she had a selfish motive deep down—this farewell ceremony might be the last time in her life she would ever see William.

Two years ago, she had fallen in love with William at first sight during a Wilderness Return Ritual. Ending things at another ritual felt like bringing her journey to a proper close.

The following afternoon, the Wilderness Return Ritual took place as scheduled. Under a clear blue sky, birds circled overhead while the residents held their Herb Prayer Beads, chanting prayers in hushed tones to send the old man's soul back to the wild.

Summer stood on the outskirts of the crowd, her eyes uncontrollably locked onto William in the center. He wore a solemn, pure white ceremonial robe with a Mountain-Patterned Rough Stone around his neck as a sign of respect. His hands were clasped in prayer as he looked down, the sunlight falling on him so beautifully that he looked like a holy deity born of the wilderness itself.

Summer stood silently in the distance, tracing his features with her eyes. She wanted to engrave this image deep in her mind, to keep it locked away in her private memories.

As the ceremony ended and the crowd began to disperse, Summer wanted to go over and say a proper goodbye to the two of them. However, Mia, with red-rimmed eyes, beat her to it and walked up to William's side.

Summer stopped dead in her tracks. From afar, she watched William raise his hand to gently wipe away the tears from the corners of Mia's eyes, his gaze full of tenderness and affection.

The sight of the two of them leaning on each other sent a sharp pang of pain through Summer's chest, leaving her feeling as though a heavy stone was crushing her lungs. Deciding not to disturb them, she quietly turned around and walked back to her town dormitory alone.

The vehicle sent to pick her up was already waiting downstairs. The residents of the entire valley had gathered spontaneously, each holding a white blessing scarf, and said, "Dr. Forrest, thank you for looking after our health for the past two years. We wish you a smooth journey and a safe future."

Their heartfelt words warmed Summer's heart, and her eyes welled up with tears. Forcing them back, she waved goodbye to everyone and climbed into the car. The vehicle slowly drove away from the valley, the vast grasslands outside her window rolling back into the distance.

During the ride, Summer drafted a final text message to William:

Summer: This Blessing Scroll of Mountains and Rivers is a gift for you and Mia. Consider it a wedding present. I won't be able to make it to the wedding, but I wish you a lifetime of peace and happiness.

After hitting send, she deleted William and Mia from her contacts. Since she had decided to let go, she shouldn't leave herself any lingering hopes.