Half an hour later, a Brocade Pavilion clerk hurried out carrying ten exquisite wooden boxes, an eager smile plastered across his face. "Young master, miss, the clothes and boots are ready! Would you like to try them on now?"
Lin Yuan took one of the wooden boxes and handed it directly to the Ice Empress. "Go change in the fitting room. I'll wait here."
The Ice Empress hugged the wooden box, and the warmth of its surface against her palm made the tips of her ears quietly redden again. She glared at Lin Yuan, but still turned and walked into the fitting room, pulling the curtain tightly shut behind her.
Inside the fitting room, the Ice Empress carefully opened the box. The black maid outfit was neatly folded, its Ice Silkworm Silk fabric gleaming with a delicate sheen beneath the light. The subtle lace patterns on the cuffs and hem were refined and understated, looking far better than she had imagined. Taking a deep breath, she removed her long green dress and changed into the new uniform.
The Ice Silkworm Silk rested against her skin, cool and breathable without the slightest sense of restraint. The fitted waist perfectly accentuated her slender figure, while the knee-length skirt revealed her fair calves. The black ankle boots wrapped around her feet, the lace at their openings swaying softly with her movements. She turned before the bronze mirror and stared at her reflection—twin ponytails, a maid outfit, and bright golden eyes filled with faint confusion. This really did seem... prettier than her old green dress.
"Are you done yet? Stop dawdling!" Lin Yuan's teasing voice came from outside the curtain.
The Ice Empress snapped back to her senses, hurriedly smoothed her skirt, took a deep breath, and abruptly threw open the fitting room curtain.
Lin Yuan looked up and froze for a moment. Beneath the sunlight, the Ice Empress wore a black maid outfit, her twin ponytails hanging over her shoulders. Her fair cheeks were faintly flushed, and her golden eyes held a trace of discomfort, yet could not conceal her charming cuteness. Her originally cold and arrogant aura had softened considerably. She looked exactly like an adorable yet awkward little bodyguard.
"Does it... look all right?" The Ice Empress shifted uneasily under his gaze, unconsciously tugging at her skirt as her voice became as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"It's far more than all right." Lin Yuan stepped forward and lightly tugged the satin bow at her back, amusement filling his eyes. "My little bodyguard, if you wear this outside, you'll definitely turn heads everywhere."
The Ice Empress stiffened when he tugged the bow and raised her hand to swat his away. Yet unlike usual, she did not flare up. She merely turned her face aside and muttered, "Don't get handsy."
Rather than withdrawing his hand, Lin Yuan took another step forward and gently wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her securely into his embrace. The Ice Empress still carried the cool touch of Ice Silkworm Silk, and the wide black belt around her waist made the embrace intimate without being overly improper.
"What's wrong with getting handsy?" Lin Yuan gently rubbed his chin against the twin ponytails atop her head, his voice deliberately lazy. "Isn't it perfectly normal for me to hug my little bodyguard?" Her hair carried a faint chill, mixed with the fresh fragrance of Ice Silkworm Silk, creating an unexpectedly refreshing sweetness.
The Ice Empress's entire body stiffened. Her hands instinctively pressed against Lin Yuan's chest, but she did not push him away with any force. Panic flashed through her golden eyes, and the tips of her ears reddened at a visible speed. Even her speech became slightly stammered. "Y-you, let go! We're outside. What if someone sees us? What would that look like?" In four hundred thousand years, she had never been this close to anyone, especially in a bustling fabric shop. Her heart was beating so hard it felt ready to leap from her chest.
"So what if they see?" Lin Yuan not only refused to loosen his hold, but lightly rocked his arm as if coaxing a child. "I'm hugging my own bodyguard. Is that anyone else's business? Besides, now that you're dressed like this, hugging you makes you feel even more 'exclusive.'" He deliberately lowered his head, his warm breath brushing over her reddened ear. "What? Is my bodyguard embarrassed?"
"Who's embarrassed?!" The Ice Empress abruptly lifted her head to retort, only to collide with Lin Yuan's violet eyes brimming with laughter. She could clearly see herself reflected within them, dressed in a maid outfit with messy twin ponytails, the panic in her eyes nowhere to hide. She immediately lowered her head again, clutching the corner of Lin Yuan's clothes as her voice weakened. "Anyway... anyway, you're not allowed to hug me outside. If you want to hug me... wait until we get back."
The moment she said that, the smile in Lin Yuan's eyes deepened. He gently loosened his arms, though he did not fully let go, instead taking the Ice Empress's hand. "All right, I'll listen to you. We'll hug when we get back." Feeling the coolness of her palm, he could not help giving it a gentle squeeze. "Now then, my little bodyguard, shall we go take a look around Star Luo City?"
Lin Yuan's squeeze made the Ice Empress's palm tingle, but she did not pull her hand away. She secretly raised her eyes to look at the anticipation in his gaze, then glanced at the bustling street outside. In the end, she softly murmured, "Mm," her voice barely audible.
Lin Yuan led the Ice Empress out of Brocade Pavilion, the faint coolness of her palm still lingering on his fingertips. His gaze swept across the passersby on the street, and he suddenly recalled the slender waist outlined beneath Gu Yue Na's silver-white dress, the graceful curves revealed between Biji's green skirts, and the exquisite figure wrapped in Zi Ji's purple clothes. A sly smile unconsciously curled at his lips.
"Wait here." He suddenly stopped and pulled the Ice Empress back toward the fabric shop.
Seeing the two return so soon, the clerk hurriedly greeted them with a smile. "What else may I do for you, young master?"
"Make three more Maid Outfits in different sizes, following this style." Lin Yuan lightly tapped the Ice Empress's uniform with his fingertip, mischief glinting in his eyes. "The first should be silver-white, made from the softest cloud brocade, with subtle Dragon Scales embroidered along the waist. Make it for a tall and slender figure. The second should be jade green, with an extra layer of gauze on the skirt and vine patterns embroidered on the cuffs, tailored to a gentle, graceful figure. The third should be dark purple, with pearl buttons at the collar and a neater skirt, suited to a petite and curvaceous figure."
He paused before adding deliberately, "Replace the bow on the silver-white one with pearl ornaments. Use ribbon flowers for the jade green one, and add subtle embroidered patterns to the dark purple one. They all need the finest workmanship. Can they be finished in half an hour?"
The clerk's eyes lit up as he nodded repeatedly. "No problem! Rest assured, these three sets will be even more exquisite than the previous one. They'll definitely be ready for collection in half an hour!" As he spoke, he hurriedly grabbed a measuring tape, paper, and pen to make notes, afraid of losing such a major sale.
Standing beside him, the Ice Empress stared in astonishment with her golden eyes. "Who are those for? Silver-white, jade green, dark purple... those colors..." She suddenly realized something, a teasing glint flashing through her eyes. "They're for My Lord, Biji, and Zi Ji, aren't they? You want them to dress like me too?"
"Who else would they be for?" Lin Yuan smiled and pinched her cheek. "My little bodyguard can't be the only one. They should experience the treatment of having exclusive uniforms too. Besides, Sister Nana would definitely look good in silver-white, Sister Biji's green dress would suit a maid outfit as well, and Sister Zi Ji would look lovely in dark purple. When the three of you stand together, it'll be so lively."
Lin Yuan's words stirred the Ice Empress's heart. Imagining Gu Yue Na in a silver-white maid outfit, Biji playing with a green gauze skirt, and Zi Ji awkwardly tugging at a purple collar, she could not help laughing softly. "You really know how to stir things up. Aren't you afraid they'll get angry? Especially My Lord. She's always so cool and reserved. Why would she wear something so flashy?"
"Don't worry. They won't get angry." Lin Yuan looked utterly confident as his fingers brushed over the silk in the display window. "Sister Nana dotes on me the most, Sister Biji is soft-hearted, and Sister Zi Ji may talk tough, but she spoils me too. At most, they'll act a little awkward at first. In the end, they'll definitely wear them."
Half an hour later, the three new Maid Outfits were carefully packed into carved wooden boxes and handed to Lin Yuan. The silver-white set was adorned with tiny pearls that shone gently in the sunlight. The gauze on the jade green skirt was as light as spring water, its vine embroidery lifelike. The pearl buttons at the dark purple collar made the fabric appear even more luxurious, while the subtle patterns appeared and vanished within the shifting light.
Lin Yuan carried the wooden boxes and led the Ice Empress out of the fabric shop once again. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell over them. Specks of light dotted the Ice Empress's black maid outfit, while her twin ponytails swayed softly with each step. She truly did look like an obedient little personal bodyguard.
"Where are we going now?" the Ice Empress could not help asking. Her gaze swept across the dazzling array of roadside stalls, a trace of barely concealed curiosity in her eyes. In four hundred thousand years, she had never leisurely wandered through a human city like this. The cries of vendors and the laughter of children intertwined, making everything feel strangely alive.
"We'll look around first, then spend the night at my home in Star Luo City. Tomorrow, we'll return to the Star Dou Great Forest." As Lin Yuan spoke, he took the Ice Empress's hand and led her deeper into the street.
The Ice Empress allowed Lin Yuan to hold her hand without resistance, though her pace unconsciously slowed. She watched the children gathered around a sugar painting stall, her golden eyes full of wonder. For four hundred thousand years, she had known the frozen wastelands of the Far North and the lush tranquility of the Star Dou Great Forest, but she had never touched the liveliness of the human world so truly. The warmth from his hand gradually eased her tense nerves, and even the chill around her softened. Her twin ponytails swayed with her steps, giving her an unexpectedly girlish innocence.
"Want to try one of those?" Lin Yuan suddenly stopped and pointed at a candied hawthorn stall nearby. Bright red hawthorns coated in crystalline sugar were strung on bamboo skewers like hanging lanterns, gleaming enticingly in the sunlight.
The Ice Empress paused, then nodded instinctively. Before she could react, Lin Yuan had already strode over and handed over a Gold Soul Coin. "Boss, two candied hawthorn skewers. Make the sugar coating extra thick."
The vendor smiled in response and deftly took down two skewers. Lin Yuan accepted them, peeled away the outer layer of glutinous rice paper, and held one to the Ice Empress's lips. "Try it. Human children all like these."
The Ice Empress hesitated for a moment before slightly raising her head and biting into one. The sugar coating melted over her tongue, its sweetness mingling with the hawthorn's faint tartness. It was unexpectedly refreshing. Her eyes brightened, and she bit into another, holding the bamboo skewer tightly in her hand as a faint smile quietly appeared on her lips.
Seeing her like this, the amusement in Lin Yuan's eyes deepened. He bit into one himself as well, its sweet fragrance spreading through his mouth.
The two slowly wandered along the street, with Lin Yuan occasionally buying the Ice Empress little trinkets. At first, she awkwardly tried to refuse them, but she gradually grew accustomed to it. Even her steps became lighter.
As the sun set, Lin Yuan brought the Ice Empress before a quiet residence. The vermilion gates were carved with entwined lotus patterns, and a faded wooden plaque hung above them, bearing the words "Lin Manor." He pushed open the gate. The courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, and several rose bushes stood in one corner. Though a few weeds had grown among them, the place still carried an air of peace.
"This is where I lived for six years. After I awakened my Martial Soul, I went to the Star Dou Great Forest, so no one lived here anymore..." Lin Yuan said calmly.
The Ice Empress followed Lin Yuan into the courtyard and curiously surveyed her surroundings. Sparse moss grew between the bluestone slabs, while rose petals littered the ground. When the wind blew, it swept up several dry leaves, creating a quietness that seemed steeped in time. Holding the bamboo skewer from her candied hawthorn, she watched Lin Yuan bend down to brush dust from the stone table and softly asked, "You lived here for six years. There must be many memories."
"When I was three, my parents were gone. The enormous Lin Manor had only me left. I stumbled through life alone until I was six..."
The Ice Empress's hand tightened slightly around the candied hawthorn skewer, and a nearly imperceptible daze flashed through her golden eyes. In four hundred thousand years, she had witnessed the law of the jungle countless times among soul beasts, yet she had never imagined that the young man before her, always wearing that sly smile, had endured such a lonely childhood. She unconsciously stepped closer, watching his fingers carefully brush over the patterns of the stone table. Her voice softened further. "Being alone... must have been hard."
Lin Yuan raised a hand to wipe the dust from a stone bench. When he turned back, the heaviness from before had already vanished from his eyes, replaced by a trace of ease. "I got through it. Back then, I only wanted to grow up quickly. Later, when I went to the Star Dou Great Forest and met Sister Nana, Sister Biji, and the others, I finally understood what it felt like to have people care about you." He picked up a fresh candied hawthorn skewer and handed it to her. "Don't think about that. Try this one. I just bought it, and the sugar hasn't melted yet."
The Ice Empress accepted the candied hawthorn. The warmth of the bamboo skewer touched her fingertips, while an inexplicable softness rose in her heart. She bit into a sugar-coated hawthorn, sweetness flooding across her tongue, but it could not suppress the indescribable feeling within her. She secretly lifted her eyes and watched Lin Yuan tending to the courtyard. His silver-white hair ribbon gleamed with flecks of light beneath the setting sun. Suddenly, she felt that this young man, who always loved teasing her and calling her his little bodyguard, understood warmth and cherished it more than anyone.
"From now on... I'll always stay with you." The Ice Empress suddenly spoke, her voice soft yet exceptionally firm. "Whether it's at the academy or anywhere else, as long as you need me, I'll be there." The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them a little. The tips of her ears quietly reddened, and she hurriedly turned away, pretending to inspect the roses in the corner of the courtyard. "I... I'm only fulfilling our wager and being your bodyguard, that's all."
Lin Yuan stopped what he was doing. When he turned around, his eyes were filled with laughter. He walked closer and gently ruffled the Ice Empress's twin ponytails, his fingers brushing against her reddened ear. "All right, my exclusive little bodyguard. With you around from now on, I'll feel much more at ease."
Before you continue