"Winter's only just begun."
The voice by his ear made Little Zhong, who had been looking rather regretful, freeze.
Once it understood what the other meant, it looked at the smile on his face, and the corners of its own mouth lifted.
That was right. Winter had only just begun.
This was only the first snowfall of the year, after all.
There would be many, many more snowfalls to come.
Snow as deep as the kind it had once seen in the mountains.
Thick snow that could bury its whole body if it accidentally fell off a mushroom.
Getting trapped in the snow, feeling how soft and cool it was—that was so comfortable.
Thinking about it filled it with anticipation.
It hoped this heavy snowfall would last a little longer. A lot longer.
Because it could hardly wait for the next big snowfall.
Seeing how impatient Little Zhong looked, Xiao Xiao smiled.
He didn't disturb the little monster lost in its daydreams. Instead, he winked at Little One and said softly, "Goodbye, Little One."
Standing on a mushroom, Little One stretched its arm as far as it could and waved toward Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao said goodbye to the monsters in the courtyard.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. The fragrance of plum blossoms at the tip of his nose grew richer without a sound.
He looked up and saw Plum Blossom Woman emerging from the tree trunk once more.
"Goodbye, Plum Blossom Woman."
"Lord Xiao Xiao, please take care on your way."
Beneath the flourishing white plum blossoms and the drifting snow, Plum Blossom Woman smiled brightly. Though she was dressed in white, too, she outshone all the scenery around her.
The white plum blossoms faded. The snowflakes disappeared.
Xiao Xiao walked out of the alley, where the light