The First Day of the Ice Empress

The morning sunlight spilled through the window, landing on Bai Lan's face.

He opened his eyes and sat up.

On both sides, Yinye and Ice Empress were already awake.

Yinye sat by the window, gazing outside, her long silver-purple hair shimmering faintly in the morning light.

Hearing the movement, she turned her head and smiled slightly.

"Master, good morning."

Bai Lan nodded and looked to the other side.

Ice Empress was leaning against the headboard, holding that copy of Record of Continental Customs again.

She was so engrossed in her reading that she hadn't even noticed Bai Lan waking up.

"Is it good?" Bai Lan asked.

Ice Empress looked up, her ice-blue eyes carrying a rare trace of focus.

"It is," she said. "I never knew the human world had so many places."

She paused, then suddenly asked:

"Master, does the Sun Moon Empire really have steam engines that large?"

Bai Lan smiled.

"They do," he said. "I'll take you to see them sometime."

Ice Empress's eyes brightened slightly.

"Okay."

Bai Lan stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"Let's go, time for breakfast."

Yinye walked over and stood by his side.

Ice Empress closed the book and stood up as well.

The three of them pushed the door open and stepped out.

The cafeteria.

This time was the peak of the breakfast rush, and the cafeteria was bustling with people coming and going.

Bai Lan carried his tray and found a corner seat to sit down.

Yinye sat to his left, and Ice Empress sat to his right.

As soon as they sat down, the surrounding gazes converged on them.

To be precise, they converged on Ice Empress.

Everyone had already seen Yinye a few times—though they were still stunned every time they saw her, they were at least mentally prepared.

But Ice Empress—

Ice-blue long hair, ice-blue eyes, and a faint, lingering chill surrounding her.

She just sat there quietly, yet the people around her felt the temperature drop by several degrees.

"Who is that?"

"I've never seen her before..."

"So beautiful... but so cold..."

"She has a completely different aura from Miss Yinye..."

Whispers drifted over incessantly.

Ice Empress kept her head down, looking at the tray in front of her.

On the tray was the breakfast Bai Lan had gotten for her: a bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, and a small dish of pickles.

She looked at the food, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Master," she said softly.

Bai Lan looked at her: "Hm?"

Ice Empress asked: "These... how do I eat them?"

Bai Lan was stunned for a moment.

Yinye laughed from the side.

"You've never eaten human food?"

Ice Empress shook her head.

"In the Extreme North, there is only ice and snow," she said. "In my seven hundred thousand years, I have never eaten anything."

Bai Lan fell silent.

He looked at the Ice Empress, suddenly feeling a pang of heartache.

Seven hundred thousand years.

Living solely by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Never having tasted the flavor of food.

"Here." He picked up a steamed bun and held it out to her. "Take a bite."

The Ice Empress took the bun and looked at it.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a small bite.

And then—

She froze.

Those ice-blue eyes widened slightly.

"This..." she murmured. "What is this taste?"

Bai Lan smiled.

"Is it good?"

The Ice Empress nodded and took another bite.

"It's good," she said, her voice carrying a rare hint of surprise. "I have never tasted anything like this before."

Yinye watched from the side, a smile playing on her lips.

"Eat slowly," she said. "There is plenty more."

The Ice Empress nodded, eating the bun bite by bite.

Her focused expression was like that of a child who had discovered a new world.

Bai Lan watched her, a warmth welling up in his heart.

Just then, a voice came from nearby.

"Bai Lan!"

Bai Lan turned his head to look.

Tang Ya came skipping over, followed by Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi.

Tang Ya ran up close, just about to speak—

Then she saw the Ice Empress.

She froze.

Bei Bei froze as well.

Xu Sanshi's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

The three of them stood there, motionless.

The Ice Empress raised her head and glanced at them.

Then she lowered her head and continued eating the bun.

"Ba... Bai Lan..." Tang Ya stammered. "Th... this is..."

Bai Lan set down his chopsticks.

"The Ice Empress," he said. "My new Contract Beast."

Tang Ya's eyes widened even further.

A Contract Beast?

This woman, as beautiful as an ice queen, was a Contract Beast?

"She... she..." Tang Ya pointed at the Ice Empress, unable to find her words.

Bei Bei took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

He walked up close, looked at the Ice Empress, and gave a slight nod.

"Hello, I am Bei Bei."

The Ice Empress raised her head and glanced at him.

Then—

She lowered her head and continued eating the bun.

Bei Bei's hand froze in mid-air.

Tang Ya covered her mouth and giggled from the side.

Xu Sanshi gloated:

"Bei Bei, you've been ignored."

Bei Bei glared at him and withdrew his hand.

He looked at the Ice Empress, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Bai Lan," he asked in a low voice, "is she... always like this?"

Bai Lan thought for a moment and said:

"She just arrived, she's not used to it yet."

"She'll be fine after a while."

Bei Bei nodded and didn't ask any further.

Tang Ya leaned in toward the Ice Empress, her eyes sparkling.

"Big sister, what's your name? Where are you from? What do you like to eat? I'll go get some for you!"

The Ice Empress raised her head and looked at her.

There was no emotion in those ice-blue eyes.

She just watched her quietly.

Tang Ya felt a bit unnerved by her gaze, but she still tried hard to maintain her smile.

"Um... big sister?"

The Ice Empress withdrew her gaze.

She continued to lower her head and eat her steamed bun.

Tang Ya: "..."

Xu Sanshi was laughing so hard on the side that he couldn't straighten his back.

"Tang Ya, you finally met your match!"

Tang Ya glared at him, then looked at Bai Lan with a wronged expression:

"Bai Lan, does she not like me?"

Bai Lan smiled.

"No," he said, "she's just not used to interacting with people yet."

He looked at the Ice Empress and said softly:

"Ice Empress, this is Tang Ya."

"My friend."

"And your friend, too."

The Ice Empress's movements paused.

She raised her head and looked at Tang Ya.

This time, her gaze was different.

It was no longer indifferent, but carried a hint of--

Curiosity?

"Friend?" she asked.

Tang Ya nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes, yes! A friend! I'm Tang Ya! If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me!"

The Ice Empress was silent for a second.

Then, she nodded slightly.

"Mm."

Tang Ya's eyes lit up.

"You spoke! You spoke to me!"

The Ice Empress looked at her, a flash of confusion in her eyes.

Why was this human so happy?

Yinye chuckled softly from the side.

"Ice Empress," she said, "in the human world, making friends is a cause for celebration."

The Ice Empress looked thoughtful.

She looked at Tang Ya, then back at the steamed bun in her hand.

Then, she spoke:

"This... is delicious."

Tang Ya was stunned for a moment.

Then, she smiled even more brilliantly.

"Right, right! The steamed buns in the cafeteria are the best! I have to eat two every single morning!"

Ice Empress looked at her and suddenly felt—

This human didn't seem quite so noisy after all.

The breakfast lasted for an hour.

When it was time to leave, Tang Ya held onto the hand of Ice Empress with great reluctance.

"Big Sister Ice Empress, can I come find you for breakfast every morning from now on?"

Ice Empress looked at her hand being held.

In seven hundred thousand years, no one had ever been this close to her.

She was silent for a second.

Then, she nodded.

"Fine."