Cerys ran swiftly and disappeared into the crowd in an instant, leaving no trace of her presence.
Quentin and his companions stood there, bewildered and at a loss.
“This guy really doesn’t know how to cherish a beauty. Cerys is famous in Miao Territory for her beauty and sweet voice.”
“Exactly, and he’s the strongest in Miao Territory now. They were such a perfect match, why the fuss?”
“Looks like we still have a chance to win Cerys’s heart!” some young men around them commented.
They had been envious of Cerys’s affection for Quentin, but now that Quentin had suddenly rejected her, they were secretly delighted.
“Quentin, what are you doing standing here? Go after her!”
The girls pushed Quentin.
Quentin snapped back to reality and, along with Harry and Eileen, chased after Cerys, gradually blending into the crowd.
Quentin and his group hurried back to the White Miao Base Camp and arrived at Cerys’s family tent. Only Aimee and her husband were there; Cerys was nowhere to be seen.
“Quentin, why are you back so soon?” Aimee asked.
“Uncle, Auntie, has Cerys come back?” Quentin asked urgently.
“Wasn’t Cerys with you at the bonfire? What happened?” Aimee and her husband were surprised.
They hadn’t seen Cerys since dinner and had no idea what had transpired between them.
Quentin didn’t know how to respond. After a long pause, he said sheepishly, “Cerys and I had a disagreement, and she ran off in anger! But don’t worry, I’ll find her.”
Aimee and her husband knew Cerys’s temperament well. She liked Quentin so much that she would give up everything for him. There must be more to this story.
Seeing Quentin’s dejected look, Henry sighed, “Quentin, did Cerys ask you to sing a love song and give you the Jade Belt, and you refused?”
With the bonfire event happening, Henry had already guessed most of the reason behind their quarrel.
Quentin nodded reluctantly. “Uncle, Auntie, I’ve always seen Cerys as a sister. But now she’s suddenly acting like this, and I don’t know what to do!”
Cerys seeing Quentin as a brother was out of the question! Henry snorted and glared at him. “So what are you planning to do about Cerys?”
With his daughter missing, Henry couldn’t help but be emotional.
Hearing this question gave Quentin a headache. He sighed helplessly. “Uncle, Auntie, there’s really nothing between me and Cerys. She’s a lovely girl and will surely find someone who loves her.”
“Nonsense!” Henry spat angrily, his face pale with rage. “Do you think my daughter is just anyone? She’s like a sunflower on a high mountain, always unique!”
“The loyalty of Miao Tribe daughters is well-known. Once they fall in love with someone, they never change. Where do you expect Cerys to find someone else like you?”
Miao Tribe women were known for their deep affection. A girl like Cerys had a pure heart; changing her feelings was not easy.
Seeing Henry’s anger, Quentin felt even more troubled and didn’t know what to do.
“Alright, Quentin, go find Cerys quickly. Aimee and I will talk to her when you bring her back.”
Quentin nodded silently and immediately left the White Miao Base Camp. He had to find Cerys quickly before she did something foolish!
Quentin searched almost the entire Flower Sea Mountain and all the camps but found no trace of Cerys.
The people of Black Miao Village saw Quentin rushing around and thought he was causing trouble. When they realized he was searching for someone and left without finding them, they breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t want to provoke this troublemaker again.
Quentin and his group returned to the bonfire area. “Where could she have gone? She couldn’t have gone down the mountain so quickly,” Harry said anxiously. Quentin and Eileen shook their heads helplessly.
Cerys had just run off; she couldn’t have gone far. Quentin felt slightly reassured but was at a loss in the crowd.
A girl alone at night wouldn’t head into the dark woods.
Determined, he continued searching. After some time, he saw a flicker of firelight by the lake in the distance.
Next to the firelight sat a small figure, engrossed in something.
Suddenly, a clear and melodious mountain song drifted from the direction of the firelight: “Love you, love you to death. I’ll hire an artist to paint you; paint you on my bedspread so I can hold you day and night.”
Quentin and his companions ran towards the firelight.
There stood a slender figure by the firelight. The cold wind rustled her sleeves, making her silver ornaments jingle softly. She looked lonely like a solitary flower.
Quentin was stunned for a moment before running over, waving vigorously. “Cerys!”
The valley was quiet, and his loud voice echoed far away.
Cerys turned at the sound and saw the familiar figure. Her face showed mixed emotions of joy and sorrow.
She suddenly took two steps back, grabbed some small stones, and threw them towards him angrily while singing a sorrowful mountain song that echoed through the valley:
“Hate you, hate you to death. I’ll hire a carpenter to carve you; carve you on a chopping board and chop you into pieces.”
The stones fell midway due to the distance, but Cerys kept throwing them stubbornly like a flower scattering petals.
The song was simple yet profound, expressing Cerys’s feelings vividly.
Quentin couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head at how adorable this Miao Tribe girl was.
Seeing Quentin waving at her while the stones fell short, Cerys bit her lip, pouted silently at him for a while before stomping her foot and running away.
“Hey? Cerys! Come back!” Quentin called out as she ran again.
Hearing Quentin call her back made Cerys run faster, feeling both happy and angry inside.
Cerys wanted to avoid Quentin but also hoped he would catch up with her, feeling conflicted.
To catch up with Cerys, Quentin used his inner strength and dashed towards her swiftly like the wind.
In an instant, Quentin appeared in front of Cerys, grabbed her firmly to stop her. “Cerys, please stop being angry! Listen to me!”