Ivysaur's cheeks were still covered in scales, but its movements carried the affectionate trust unique to a tamed giant beast.
The wariness had vanished completely from its scarlet eyes, replaced by a calm acceptance.
Bibi Dong's body stiffened slightly. It was as if something inside her had melted, and then she slowly opened her arms.
She didn't throw herself at it like Lin Xia had. Instead, with a steadier posture, as though accepting and savoring the moment, she gently embraced Ivysaur around its front shoulders and neck.
Her cheek brushed against Ivysaur's hard skull and dark green scales. A strange scent lingered at her nose, blending the fresh fragrance of plants, the warmth of sunlight, and a hint of holiness.
The enormous, imposing flower bud at her side radiated warmth without scorching heat, like a miniature sun embracing her.
Lin Xia watched, holding his breath, his heart churning with emotions he couldn't put into words.
He saw a flash of something in Bibi Dong's eyes: a nearly pure gleam of someone moved by something beautiful.
Perhaps, in her long and frigid years, this was an exceptionally rare moment when she had set down every burden and every hatred.
At the thought, a faint smile appeared on Lin Xia's lips.
After a long while, Bibi Dong seemed to realize she had been holding Ivysaur for quite some time.
She slowly released her arms from Ivysaur's front shoulders. It was as if she had awoken from a brief, unfamiliar dream. Her fingertips made one last pass over the warm, resilient, dark green crystal scales on Ivysaur's back.
Bibi Dong straightened. The rare softness and awkwardness brought on by embracing Ivysaur vanished in an instant, sealed away like ice. The authority and depth of the Pope returned to her violet eyes, as though