"Ah..." This time, it was Joe Di who was truly shocked. He didn't even have a concept of proposing to someone, let alone falling in love. For him, the only reason he had set out on this journey was to discover the thing he couldn't remember. That forgotten matter was crucial to his survival—he had to recall it.
So when Cassie Cao suddenly said those words, he cried out in surprise, completely caught off guard.
Cassie Cao smiled gently, her gaze drifting into the depths of the Tianhuang District. She spoke softly, "I probably only have a few days left to live. Honestly, I never expected that someone would propose to me right before I died..."
It was as if Cassie Cao hadn't noticed Joe Di's astonished expression; she continued speaking to herself. "When I was very young, I watched the lively weddings in our village and felt a bit of longing in my heart. Maybe one day, I could be like one of those beautiful brides. But when I was seven, my aunt took me away from that mountain village..."
"Your aunt?" Joe Di looked at Cassie Cao in confusion.
Cassie Cao still didn't seem to notice Joe Di's question. "My parents have never appeared since I can remember—they're just blurry figures in my memory. My aunt raised me, but I never understood why she would abandon a stable life to take me away from the village, wandering from place to place just to survive. Just like I never understood why, after we left the village, my aunt told me to never remove my veil, unless I was ready to die."
At this point, Cassie Cao finally smiled softly at Joe Di. "Later, I understood. If I hadn't always worn the veil, I might have died countless times already. Even with the veil, as I grew older, I had to leave my aunt and secretly come to the Tianhuang District to survive. My aunt must have known what I was thinking—she didn't look for me. She once said that I was different from others, that I was destined to live a lonely life, destined to be bullied. Because, as she said, in this world, no one can protect me forever. The moment I appear before others, a crowd of vicious people will come after me..."
Joe Di grew somber, understanding what Cassie Cao meant. He was someone who never cared about a girl's looks, but Cassie Cao's beauty was truly indescribable. For such a beautiful girl, even at a young age, survival in a small mountain village would have been impossible. Her aunt must have sensed the danger and, without hesitation, took Cassie Cao away from their home.
Cassie Cao gently brushed Joe Di's face with her hand. "Thank you, Joe. Thank you for proposing to me. Otherwise, even in death, I wouldn't have felt at peace. I was exposed before you, and you were a stranger to me. That would have always left me uneasy. But now, I have no regrets. We're no longer outsiders..."
Cassie Cao's gaze once again drifted away from Joe Di, settling on the boundless depths of the Tianhuang District. "I think I should go where I truly belong. Somehow, I feel that place isn't here—it's somewhere far, far away. I'll be there soon, still alone, just as my aunt said..."