Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 384 Waterfall and Deep Pool

The tropical rainforests of Hainan were completely different from what Chen Xi had imagined.

The moment you step into the forest, the damp air hits you, carrying the fresh scent of earth and vegetation.

The branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees intertwine to form an impenetrable green dome in the sky, with only a few rays of golden sunlight occasionally letting through, casting dappled light and shadow on the fallen leaves on the ground.

"Stay close to me, don't get lost." Li Jingyi turned around and smiled at Chen Xi, her ponytail swaying gently with her movements.

She held a wooden stick she had picked up from somewhere, occasionally pushing aside the vines blocking her path: "This is a small path, most people don't know about it."

Chen Xi nodded and followed behind her.

The soil beneath my feet was soft and moist, and every step felt like walking on a sponge.

The surrounding vegetation was so dense it was suffocating, with all sorts of unidentifiable plants growing rampantly. Some vines were as thick as arms, winding and coiling around the tree trunks like some kind of sleeping giant snake.

"Watch your step—" Li Jingyi suddenly turned around and reached out to support Chen Xi, who was about to trip over a tree root.

Her hands were warm and soft, yet very strong, and she grabbed Chen Xi in an instant.

"Thank you." Chen Xi steadied herself somewhat awkwardly, feeling a slight burning sensation in her ears.

Li Jingyi seemed oblivious to his embarrassment, pointing to a peculiar plant growing on a tree trunk in front of them: "Look, that's the mimicry of an orchid mantis. They disguise themselves as flowers to wait for their prey."

Her eyes sparkled like a child who had discovered a treasure.

Following her directions, Chen Xi indeed found a pinkish-white "flower" on the tree trunk. Only upon closer inspection could one see that it was an insect in disguise.

“You’re very familiar with this place,” Chen Xi said.

“I guess it’s an occupational hazard.” Li Jingyi gently parted a clump of ferns with a stick, revealing a hidden path behind it: “Psychotherapy isn’t just about sitting in a consultation room and talking.”

The natural environment has a wonderful healing effect on people's psychology, especially on—

She suddenly stopped and looked back at Chen Xi: "Especially for people under a lot of pressure."

Chen Xi knew that she originally meant to say "to someone like you who has returned from the battlefield," but considerately changed her words.

He was grateful for this quiet thoughtfulness, just like the smiling face she drew on the beach yesterday that would be carried away by the tide.

The two continued deeper into the rainforest.

As the altitude increased, the vegetation gradually changed, and a sweet fragrance that Chen Xi couldn't quite describe filled the air.

Li Jingyi told him that it was the fragrance of some kind of wild orchid, which was strongest only at dawn and dusk.

"We're here!" Li Jingyi suddenly quickened her pace and pushed aside the last palm leaf.

The sight before him made Chen Xi gasp – a hidden small waterfall cascaded down the rock face and plunged into a crystal-clear pool below.

The waterfall is not high, but the sound of the water is crisp and melodious, like a symphony carefully composed by nature.

Scattered around the pool are smooth rocks covered with emerald moss, shimmering like jade in the sunlight filtering through the tree canopy.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Li Jingyi smiled smugly, having already taken off her sneakers and stepped barefoot on the rocks by the pool: "I bet no more than ten people in all of Hainan know about this place."

Chen Xi couldn't help but smile.

It is truly beautiful, so beautiful it seems unreal.

Li Jingyi squatted by the pool, scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on her face, letting out a satisfied sigh: "Perfect!"

Chen Xi squatted down like her, and the moment her fingertips touched the water, a cool sensation went straight from her fingertips to her heart.

He scooped up some water and washed his face; the fatigue of the past few days seemed to be washed away by the clear water.

“Did you know?” Li Jingyi sat on a flat rock, dipping her feet in the water, “the sound of water has a special healing effect. Different frequencies of flowing water can stimulate the brain to produce alpha waves, helping people relax.”

Chen Xi watched her dangling feet create ripples on the water's surface and suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he had truly enjoyed a moment like this. Whether in the 3k era or the 40k era, it had been a long time since he had been able to calmly relax like this.

"I guess you're thinking about something very heavy." Li Jingyi's voice pulled him back to reality.

She had turned around at some point, her gaze clear and focused: "Your brows are furrowed again, just like they were yesterday at the beach."

Chen Xi subconsciously touched the space between her eyebrows and, sure enough, felt a deep crease.

He tried to relax his brow, only to find that his muscles had developed a habitual tension.

"Don't always frown. You need to learn to relax. If you always frown, you'll age very quickly," Li Jingyi advised Chen Xi, then looked at the waterfall in front of them: "Life is so beautiful, why always think about worries?"

Chen Xi remained silent for a moment, her gaze falling on the splashing waterfall water.

“I’ve seen too much death.” His voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of water. “More than you can imagine. Every person who died was because of my decision. But I had to let them die—only in this way could more people live.”

Li Jingyi did not respond immediately. She listened quietly, her toes creating shallow ripples on the water's surface.

“These memories are like brands!” Chen Xi’s voice grew lower, but he still maintained his composure: “They constantly remind me that every decision is tied to countless lives! I wish I could kill all the enemies—this is a mission I must complete.”

But I can't indulge in killing, otherwise... I'll kill even more innocent people.

A leaf twirled and fell, swirling on the water's surface before slowly sinking into the deep pool.

Chen Xi gazed at the vanished leaf, a sigh lingering in his voice: "That's why I need your treatment, to help me stay conscious and not lose myself in the killing."

Although I can't explain the specific reasons to you... I find a moment of peace when I'm with you.

Li Jingyi stared at the trajectory of the leaf as it sank. The ripples on the water gradually subsided, but deeper thoughts stirred in her eyes.

Her fingertips lightly brushed across the water's surface, bringing up a few glistening droplets.

“Do you know?” Her voice was like a gentle breeze across the surface of a pool: “This pool looks crystal clear, but it’s actually five or six meters deep.”

She pointed to the faint shadows visible beneath the water's surface: "Looking at the surface, you can never guess what's hidden beneath—it could be a piece of driftwood that's been dormant for a hundred years, a school of fish darting about, or... just an unfathomable void."

A mountain breeze swept by, carrying a mist that brushed against their faces.

Li Jingyi turned around, and sunlight filtered through the strands of hair by her ears, casting dappled light and shadow on her cheeks.

She looked directly into Chen Xi's eyes, her gaze neither evasive nor aggressive.

“Memory is like this pool of water.” She raised her hand, and a ray of sunlight danced in her palm: “The ripples on the surface may be trivial matters like dragonflies skimming the water, or the aftershocks of a storm—but they may not reflect the undercurrents deep within.”

She pointed to Chen Xi's feet, "Look, even your reflection is distorted and deformed in the water."

Several water striders glided across the water between them, leaving crisscrossing silver lines.

Li Jingyi suddenly leaned forward, a movement that made Chen Xi unconsciously hold her breath.

“But none of that matters!” She reached out and caught a beam of sunlight piercing through the tree canopy, golden dapples of light swirling between her fingers. “What matters is that you are standing in the light right now.”

She gently pressed her palm against her chest.

“You can feel your heartbeat, breathe in the pine-scented air…” Li Jingyi’s voice gradually softened: “Instead of being underwater in darkness, looking at the unreachable light above your head.”

Suddenly, the pool water rippled unusually. A fish leaped out of the water, its scales flashing briefly in the sunlight before plunging back into the deep water with a "plop."

This sudden movement warmed the silence between the two.

Chen Xi felt something loosen in her chest.

Li Jingyi's words, without any pretentious comfort, inexplicably brought him a sense of relief.

Perhaps she's right. Instead of dwelling on memories that can't be changed, we should focus on the beauty we can still experience in the present.

(End of this chapter)