In the fading glow of the sunset beyond the window, Huai Shi saw that gentle face once more, smiling at him.
Light and tender.
"Are you back?"
"Mm." Huai Shi nodded.
"You must be exhausted."
Luo Xian raised the chilled water bottle in her hand and gave it a shake. "Before I left, I found some wonderful fruit in Shambhala and bought a little. I happened to make bayberry juice. Try some."
As she spoke, she handed him the cup.
A sweet fragrance rushed up at him.
Strands of fruit pulp drifted in the sour plum soup alongside the ice cubes.
The moment it entered his mouth, it was like swallowing a frozen lake.
Icy and cold, with just the right touch of tartness amidst sweetness that seemed ready to explode, it spread through his soul like a storm, slicing apart and scattering every stray thought.
In a moment of dazed distraction, Huai Shi sneezed involuntarily.
As though he had fallen into the Ice Sea.
Even his breath became a wisp of white mist.
"Whoa, that really wakes you up!"
His face, faintly covered in frost, shifted slightly. His eyes blinked amid the spreading chill, filled with surprise.
By the time he came back to himself, he had drained the entire cup without leaving a single drop.
The taste was superb, and the impact was as terrifyingly intense as ever.
No, it was even stronger than before...
If an ordinary person drank this stuff, they would probably forget their own name after two sips, right?
"I made it especially for you. You must have gotten hot after running around all day, so drink more."
Luo Xian handed him the two-liter chilled water bottle and placed it in his hands. Its weight felt like he was holding an incendiary bomb capable