Cao Longyan carried Meng Hongchen on his back, making steady progress across the vast frozen wasteland.
They traveled in silence. The only sound was Meng Hongchen's soft breathing by Cao Longyan's ear, warm puffs of air brushing against him.
Honestly, Cao Longyan found it a little ticklish, but he had no idea how to bring it up...
They walked for half a day, yet still saw no sign of the Sun Moon Empire's group. They were also still some distance from the outskirts of the Extreme North.
The sky was gradually darkening, and the temperature was plummeting. If they couldn't find shelter soon, neither of them would be able to hold out much longer—especially Meng Hongchen, who was already weak.
Cao Longyan scanned their surroundings and soon spotted a secluded ice cave.
He used the Soul Skill of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm Head Bone to probe the cave. There were no signs of life inside, so he immediately carried Meng Hongchen in. He found a dry spot, took a mat out of his Soul Tool, and gently laid her down.
Before Meng Hongchen could react, Cao Longyan turned and got to work.
First, he cleared the snow from inside the cave. Then he took some dry grass from his Soul Tool and lit a campfire in front of Meng Hongchen.
Finally, he set up a defensive alarm at the entrance to keep anything from sneaking up on them while they weren't paying attention.
Sitting by the fire and basking in its warmth, Meng Hongchen watched Cao Longyan bustle about. Her eyes glimmered, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Longyan was so thoughtful. He had everything in order, and his steady temperament made him far more mature than others his age...
In the Sun Moon Empire, she had met plenty of boys, and they were all incredibly showy.
But no one had ever been like Cao Longyan, quietly taking care of everything without a word, his every action radiating tenderness.
Once he had finished preparing everything, Cao Longyan brushed the snow off his hands and walked toward Meng Hongchen.
Seeing him approach, Meng Hongchen quietly scooted to the other side of the mat. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she hoped he would sit beside her, a little closer.
But things didn't go as she wished. Cao Longyan walked straight to the spot across from her, took out a chair, and sat down, facing her across the campfire.
Seeing him sit down without hesitation, she pouted slightly. A fleeting trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.
Cao Longyan didn't notice her little mood. He simply took some utensils and marinated skewers out of his Soul Tool.
He also set up a grill and added charcoal, then borrowed a spark from the campfire to light it. Once the charcoal was burning, he placed the meat skewers on the grill and turned them carefully, his movements practiced and smooth.
Without Ultimate Fire, the grilling process had become much more complicated, but fortunately, the taste hadn't changed much.
Looking at the ordinary skewers, Meng Hongchen didn't expect much.
They'd probably taste like ordinary grilled meat. If they were awful, she'd just silently repeat Cao Longyan's name and force herself to eat them.
But the next second, a rich aroma drifted from the grill, spreading through the narrow ice cave and instantly tempting Meng Hongchen's taste buds.
She swallowed instinctively. A glistening trace of drool even escaped the corner of her mouth as she stared fixedly at the meat on the grill. Her earlier thoughts were completely overturned, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
While she was distracted, Cao Longyan had already taken a golden-brown, fragrant skewer off the grill. He blew on it to cool it, then gently held it out to Meng Hongchen.
"Here, eat. It's freshly grilled and not too hot now."
Meng Hongchen snapped back to her senses and pointed at herself, staring at him in disbelief.
"Th-this is really for me?"
She could hardly believe that Cao Longyan had handed her the very first skewer as soon as it was ready. She hesitated, sitting there at a loss.
She wasn't afraid it was poisoned. She had simply never met anyone like Cao Longyan, aside from her grandfather and older brother. This sudden kindness left her feeling overwhelmed.
What she didn't know was that this had long been a habit of Cao Longyan's.
When she still didn't take it, Cao Longyan furrowed his brow slightly, thinking she suspected something was wrong with the meat and worried it might be poisoned.
He didn't ask. Instead, he shoved the skewer he'd held out to her, along with another freshly grilled one, into his mouth and chewed heartily. A little grease clung to the corner of his mouth. Only after he'd finished did he casually say, "Don't worry. It's not poisoned, and it doesn't taste bad."
"Longyan, I... I didn't mean that! I just... just didn't expect you to give it to me first!"
Meng Hongchen flushed bright red and hurriedly waved her hands as she explained, her voice stumbling over the words. She was afraid Cao Longyan would misunderstand her.
Before he could say anything else, she picked up two freshly grilled skewers, ignoring the steam still rising from them, and shoved them into her mouth. The heat made her hiss, and her cheeks puffed up red, but she still ate with relish without furrowing her brow once.
Watching her frantic, unguarded manner, Cao Longyan couldn't help laughing. The coolness in his eyes faded, replaced by a faint smile.
He quickly took a bottle of ice water from his Soul Tool and held it out to her, the corners of his mouth curving up and his eyes crinkling.
"Slow down. No one's going to steal them from you. Have some ice water to cool off."
But he had no idea that his smile held a fatal charm.
Usually, his blue hair and blue eyes gave him a cold, aloof air. But when he smiled like this, it was as if a glacier had melted.
Meng Hongchen's hand froze around the skewer. She stared at him, her heart seeming to stop as she forgot to chew. She remained transfixed for three seconds, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip blood.
Fortunately, Meng Hongchen had learned to control her emotions this time. She quickly came back to herself, accepted the ice water, lowered her head, and murmured, "Thank you." Then she hurriedly drank to hide her fluster, but the crimson at the tips of her ears was impossible to conceal.
For the rest of the evening, Meng Hongchen was completely won over by Cao Longyan's cooking. She ate one skewer after another, casting all thoughts of "decorum" aside.
By the end, she had eaten nearly ten times as much as she normally ate in a day at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy.
Watching her cheeks bulge as she ate, Cao Longyan found her adorable, and the smile in his eyes grew warmer and warmer.
After eating and drinking her fill, Meng Hongchen leaned by the fire and watched Cao Longyan pack up the grill. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.
"Longyan, would you be willing to join the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and Mingde Hall? With your talent, you'd have access to the best resources. I could even help you get a custom Soul Tool made, and... I could look out for you too. I wouldn't let anyone bully you."
Cao Longyan paused in the middle of packing and looked up at the sincerity and hope in her eyes. His tone remained calm, but carried a hint of apology.
"Hongchen, thank you for the offer, but I'm used to being on my own. I'm not planning to join any faction for now. I'm sorry."
He was firm but not dismissive. He neither tried to curry favor because of Meng Hongchen's status nor seemed cold just because he was turning her down.
Still, Cao Longyan had never lied before, and he felt a little flustered...
At his polite refusal, a trace of disappointment crossed Meng Hongchen's eyes, but she didn't press him.
She knew all too well that the more you pushed someone like Cao Longyan, the more you would put him off. She was afraid that insisting on recruiting him would make him dislike her.
She lowered her head gently.
She understood now. She wouldn't pressure him. As long as he didn't dislike her, that was enough.
After a moment of silence, Meng Hongchen pulled her clothes tighter and looked at Cao Longyan beside her. In the end, she set aside the pride of a favored daughter of heaven. Her cheeks flushed, and her voice carried a hint of shyness and pleading.
"Longyan, I... I'm a little scared. Could I sleep leaning against you? Please?"
Looking at the vulnerability and pleading in her eyes, Cao Longyan's heart softened a little.
He wasn't good at refusing requests like that, especially from a girl who had just escaped a desperate situation and was badly injured.
Without hesitation, he put away the sleeping bag he had been about to take out. Then he stood, took out a large quilt, and sat beside her, motioning for her to rest her head against him.
"Come on. I'm here. You'll be safe."
Meng Hongchen's cheeks flushed slightly as she cautiously leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Her body curled up slightly as she felt the warmth and steady presence of him. The nerves she had kept taut all day finally relaxed, and she fell asleep almost at once, breathing softly and evenly.
Cao Longyan could clearly feel the softness and warmth against his shoulder, as well as the faint brush of her hair against his neck. His body stiffened slightly, but he didn't push her away.
In the firelight, her long lashes cast faint shadows over her sleeping face. Her small nose tipped up slightly, and her lips were pink.
She hadn't fully grown into her features yet, but she was already a beauty in the making.
She really was exhausted... She'd fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow...
His gaze was gentle, so unlike his usual cold indifference. He watched her sleeping face in silence, and before long, he found himself lost in it.
She was so beautiful...
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