Scavenger Hunt
Fan Zhixin woke up with the feeling that something was bound to happen today. Was it something good? Or something bad? Or maybe, just maybe, it was one of the rare cases where his gut feeling was deceiving him.
He jumped out of bed in hope that this feeling wouldn't betray him- seeking thrills is one of his favorite things to do! Some might call it carelessness, while others admire his desire for adventure.
Thankfully, something was waiting for him as he stepped outside. A little decorated basket filled with cookies and an envelope was sitting on the step in front of him. The letter was addressed to the "Courageous One" , which drew a grin on Fan Zhixin's face.
Before he could admire the decorated letter, he had ripped it open to exam its contents:
[Dear Courageous One,
Your sigh of boredom has reached my ears, so I decided to create this little scavenger hunt! I've sent out gifts and clues to loving Yume for you to find! Each clue will bring you a step closer to your goal… What is waiting at the end, one may ask? That's for you to find out! Here comes your first clue:
"Little Red Riding Hood, Who hides in the woods. Don't let the Wolf deceive you! He just wants your goods!"]
"This is too easy!", thought Fan Zhixin. Only one Yume came to mind! The Sunflower of the Cove: Summer! Filled with determination and excitement he made his way to find her. On his way, he started to theorize who could possibly have organized this little scavenger hunt for him. He placed a few bets in his head, thinking it could only come from someone quite close to him since it was such a sweet and caring act!
There she is! The Yume in question! An adorable little lady with a red hood, Summer! Just like always, she wore a bright smile on her face, which somehow became even brighter when she spotted Fan Zhixin. He couldn't help himself and softly patted her head as she jumped into his path. "Did someone miss me?" he chuckled, to which Summer responded with a nod.
Her excited voice echoed as she spoke, "I was waiting the whole morning for you! I tried my best to not spoil the surprise!" Of course she already knew why he had approached her!
"Well then, Little Red Riding Hood, obviously my presence is warding off the Wolf, what do I get as a thank you?" he asked as he tilted his head curiously. The Ray of Sunshine only grinned as she searched her basket for the gift and next clue.
The gift was a little necklace with a black bird pendant, it looked great and matched the pattern that was on his hanfu. The clue, on the other hand, was a cryptic rhyme like the one before.
The scavenger hunt continued on for the whole day, the next clue holders were: Aerith, Mio and Mako, Usao and Usagi, Josey… and many more. Fan Zhixin's feet began to hurt and he was struggling to carry around all the gifts he gathered… but finally, the goal was close. The last gift consisted of a bookmark which was adorned with pressed, primarily sakura, flowers. He ran his finger along the edge of the bookmark as he read the last clue:
["The last stop you seek, Is very unique. You might know the place, As your personal base."]
At first he thought of his home, but immediately tossed away the idea. No one had a spare key to his place to organize something. So, the clue must be hinting at someplace else. Then it suddenly hit him, there was one place he constantly visited and, conveniently, the Yume who owned said place wasn't one of the previous clue holders. That had to be it!
"It's Yang Feng's shrine !" he shouted.
He gathered his last bit of energy and sprinted to the shrine. Thinking about his loved one being behind this adventure filled him with joy and he couldn't wait to hold him in his arms.
Yet, when he arrived, no one was there. He searched high and low through the whole shrine.
Empty.
Was he too late? No that can't be, right? Yang Feng was nowhere to be seen, not even a trace of him left, was he outside? Fan Zhixin decided to wait, maybe he would show up later. "No, I am sure he will show up later! He has to!"
With fragile conviction, he decided to sit down under his favorite tree. It's the place where he spotted Yang Feng for the first time. A beautiful big tree that seemed to be pulled straight out of a fantasy book. It looked ancient and gave off a mystical feel. Fan Zhixin enjoyed such places since they dripped with mystery and encouraged you to let your imagination run wild.
He leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. The day had been exhausting, but fun. He thought about all the clues and how hard they must have been to write, since everything rhymed. The dedication alone was a huge declaration of love to him, from his quite stubborn and strict beloved.
As he put his hands on the grass he suddenly felt something unnatural, like someone buried something there. He immediately perked up and started digging… and… Jackpot! It was a neatly decorated egg.
So, that was his last gift. Fan Zhixin wondered what was inside but before he could check something had covered his vision.
"Guess who it is?" said a gentle voice out of nowhere.
Fan Zhixin grinned and replied with confidence, "I recognize the voice of my beloved anywhere, Yang Feng!"
"Aw, that takes away the fun of guessing though!" pouts Yang Feng as he freed Fan Zhixin's eyes from the darkness. What Yang Feng didn't expect was for Fan Zhixin to immediately turn around and tackle him with a hug. Yang Feng only let out a surprised shriek as he landed on his back in the grass, right under Fan Zhixin.
Both stared at each other for a quiet moment before they smiled and then laughed loudly together. You could clearly see Yang Feng was thrilled that Fan Zhixin seemed to love the entire scavenger hunt.
After their heartfelt laughter, they sat up under the ancient tree and wished each other a happy Easter as the egg began cracking…