While Yao was dozing off in the carriage…
"Hey, young man, we've arrived at the village," the voice of the coachman called out.
Yao slowly opened his eyes and glanced toward the carriage door.
"Is it evening already...?"
Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a small wooden house.
Yao stepped down and looked around the village.
'So few lights… Must be a rural village.'
The old coachman followed him down and turned to Yao.
"Oh, by the way, Xi Yao, there's no inn around here… and it's getting dark. If you don't mind, why not stay at my place tonight?"
"Are you sure that's alright?"
"Well, where else are you gonna sleep? You're not from around here, right? Besides—strange things happen around this village, especially at night…"
'Strange things…?'
"Come on, come on. My family won't mind."
"Then I'll take you up on that offer. Sorry for the trouble…"
"Haha, no trouble at all!" the old man laughed and led the way toward the house. Yao followed closely behind.
At the front door, the old man knocked. Knock knock!
Soon, a small girl opened the door.
"Waa~ Grandpa's back!" she shouted and immediately hugged him.
"Sayaya, is Grandma or your mom home?"
"Grandma went out shopping this evening. She's not back yet."
"That's odd… The sun's about to set. She should've been back by now." The old man scratched his head and picked up Sayaya into his arms.
"And who's that big brother over there?" the girl asked, pointing at Yao.
"Oh, he's a guest. His name's Xi Yao. He'll be staying with us tonight."
Just then, a woman's voice rang out from inside.
"Hurry and come in, old man! Are you going to leave our guest standing out there forever?"
"Haha, she's right. Sorry! Come on, let's go in."
"Alright…"
—
Yao sat at the dining table, waiting for dinner.
Across from him, the little girl named Sayaya kept staring at him curiously.
"Why is your hair so long? You're a boy, aren't you?"
'How should I even answer that…'
As a former professional hairdresser, failing to explain hair with grace would feel like betraying his craft.
Yao gently ran his fingers through the ends of his hair and replied,
"To me, long hair is a kind of art. It reflects a person's preferences, personality—even emotions. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman."
Sayaya's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"So, would you like to have long hair or short hair, Sayaya?"
"Hmm… Short!"
"Is that so? I think short hair would suit you well."
"What are you two chatting about over there?" came the voice of an elderly woman from the hallway.
"Grandma!" Sayaya ran over and hugged her immediately.
"You must be Xi Yao, right?"
"Yes… But, isn't it quite late for you to be getting home?"
"Haha, I got caught up chatting with a friend. Come, let me show you the room you'll be staying in tonight."
"Thank you very much."
As they walked down the hallway…
"Young man, where are you from? I don't recognize your face… Are you from Thornress?"
'Thornress… One of the major cities in the continent of Senjo. It's governed by House Thorn, among many other noble families that rule over various cities—that's what the old man told me on the way here.'
"No, I'm not. I was born into a very poor family in a remote place. I set out on my own when I turned sixteen."
"I see… You must've had a hard time. If you're not ready to continue your journey, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need."
'What a kind and generous family…'
"Here we are. This room hasn't been used in a while, but I clean it regularly, so don't worry—it's dust- and bug-free."
"This is more than enough. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, dear. Haha…"
Yao began preparing his bedding for the night, before heading off to join Sayaya's warm and unexpectedly comforting family for dinner.