Morning Light Melts Snow

When Huo Chen woke up, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

Morning light streamed through the window lattice into the room, casting a pale golden band across the floor.

Fine motes of dust drifted through the air, floating slowly within the beam of light.

Homecoming Cottage's little courtyard seemed especially tranquil in the morning glow. A few faint birdcalls sounded in the distance, breaking the silence of dawn.

He turned his head slightly and saw the Ice Empress curled up beside him, her breathing steady and deep.

Her short ice-blue hair lay messily scattered across the pillow. Her sleeping face held less of its usual chilliness and more soft serenity.

One arm rested across his chest, her fingers slightly curled, as though she had been unwilling to let go even in her dreams.

After last night, her whole body had relaxed, as if a string that had long been drawn taut had finally been gently loosened.

On his other side, the Snow Empress was awake as well.

She had not gotten up, merely lying quietly on her side. Her long silver-white hair spread across the pillow like a waterfall, gleaming softly in the morning light.

Those silver eyes were quietly fixed on him. He did not know how long she had been watching.

When she saw that he was awake, she did not look away. The corners of her lips merely curved faintly, carrying a trace of tenderness so subtle that it only revealed itself on quiet mornings like this.

"Awake?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from sleep, less cool than usual and a little more languid.

"Yeah." Huo Chen looked at her. "When did you wake up?"

"A little while ago." The Snow Empress's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before shifting to the sky outside, which was gradually growing brighter. "It's nearly dawn."

Huo Chen gave a quiet hum and said nothing more.

The room fell silent for a while, filled only with the even breaths of the three of them intertwining in the morning light.

The Ice Empress turned over in her sleep and unconsciously burrowed further into Huo Chen's arms, finding a more comfortable position. She mumbled something indistinctly, then sank back into a deep sleep.

Her breath was warm and even against his neck, carrying a faint ticklish sensation.

The Snow Empress watched the Ice Empress's utterly defenseless sleeping posture, and a trace of softness flickered in her gaze.

She reached out and gently brushed aside a stray lock of hair from the Ice Empress's forehead, her movements delicate as though she were touching a fragile treasure.

"She's sleeping deeply," the Snow Empress said softly, with a rare gentleness in her voice.

"She rarely sleeps this peacefully." Huo Chen lowered his eyes to the Ice Empress in his arms, and his own voice softened involuntarily.

"Back in the Extreme North, she had to stay vigilant every day. Even while asleep, she kept a sliver of awareness on guard against her surroundings. Only after coming here did she gradually begin to relax."

The Snow Empress said nothing, only listened in silence. Her gaze fell upon the Ice Empress's peaceful sleeping face. After a moment of quiet, she said softly, "I've known her for hundreds of thousands of years, but I've never seen her like this."

She paused, lowering her voice further. "In front of you, she seems like a different person."

Huo Chen did not respond. He merely tightened his arm around the Ice Empress, rested his chin atop her hair, and closed his eyes.

The morning light grew brighter, dyeing the entire room in warm shades of orange and gold.

Several crisp birdcalls sounded outside, breaking the tranquility of dawn.

In Homecoming Cottage's courtyard, the few chili pepper seedlings swayed gently in the morning breeze, the dew on their leaves reflecting specks of light.

The Ice Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

When she woke, she found herself curled up in Huo Chen's arms, while the Snow Empress lay on her side nearby, quietly watching her.

She froze for a moment, then abruptly sat up. Her short ice-blue hair stuck out in a wild mess, her face carrying the dazed confusion of someone who had just awoken, along with a hint of awkward embarrassment.

Her gaze swept back and forth between Huo Chen and the Snow Empress, then she turned her head away, a faint pink tint spreading over the tips of her ears.

"...What are you looking at?" She glared at the Snow Empress, her voice tinged with embarrassed irritation. Yet beneath that annoyance was no real anger; it was more an instinctive reaction to hide her shyness.

"Watching you sleep." The Snow Empress's tone was calm, though a barely perceptible smile touched her lips. "Your sleeping posture isn't very good."

"You—!" The Ice Empress's face instantly flushed red. She turned and shot Huo Chen a fierce glare. "Why didn't you tell her to leave?"

"I did. She wouldn't go." Huo Chen answered without changing expression, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were stating the most ordinary fact in the world.

The Snow Empress gave a soft laugh. It was faint, like the sound of ice melting in a spring breeze—cool and fleeting, yet an emotion she rarely showed.

She had lived for seven hundred thousand years. The people and things that could make her laugh from the heart were few enough to count on one hand.

Seeing that rare smile on her face, the Ice Empress suddenly could not bring herself to say the angry words that had reached her lips.

She huffed and turned away, threw back the covers, and got out of bed. Barefoot, she stepped onto the floor, walked to the window, and yanked open the curtains.

Morning light poured in, making the whole room bright and warm.

Standing by the window, she gazed at the distant outline of Shrek Academy shrouded in morning mist and took a deep breath. When she turned back, her face had already returned to its usual cool expression.

Yet in those ice-blue eyes remained a trace of tenderness that had yet to fade.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked flatly, as though none of what had just happened had occurred.

"I'll eat whatever you make," Huo Chen replied.

The Ice Empress gave a quiet hum and turned to leave the room. Her steps still carried her distinctive sharpness and decisiveness.

With that, she hurried out. Her footsteps quickly faded at the end of the corridor, followed by the soft clatter of a pot lid from the kitchen. She had already begun preparing breakfast on her own.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Snow Empress sat up in bed, her silver-white hair sliding over her shoulders, gleaming softly in the morning light.

She lowered her head and smoothed out her slightly rumpled nightgown, her movements calm and graceful.

Then she raised her head and looked at Huo Chen, her gaze tranquil and gentle, like a lake frozen for ten thousand years quietly thawing beneath the spring sunlight.

"I don't regret what happened last night."

After saying that, she rose to her feet and walked barefoot out of the room, neither hurried nor slow. Her silver-white hair swayed lightly in the morning glow, like a stream of flowing moonlight.

When she reached the doorway, she paused as well. Without looking back, she softly said, "Call me when the porridge is ready."

Then she headed toward her own room, and the door gently closed behind her.

Huo Chen sat alone on the bed, watching the two figures leave one after the other. He lowered his head in silence for a moment, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

He got out of bed, walked to the window, and gazed at the little courtyard illuminated by the morning light.

The chili seedlings were growing well, already bearing several small white blossoms that swayed gently in the morning breeze.

The plum tree in the corner cast a cool patch of shade, while several fallen leaves lay quietly upon the bluestone paving.

From afar came the sounds of Ice Empress bustling about in the kitchen—the clatter of pots and bowls, the sound of running water, and the occasional off-key line of a little tune she hummed.

He stood there for a while before turning and leaving the room to welcome the new day.

In the kitchen, Ice Empress stood with her back to him, stirring the porridge in the pot over the stove.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her outline in a soft golden glow.

She heard his footsteps but did not turn around. She merely said mildly, "Go wash your face. It'll be ready soon."

Huo Chen did not go wash up right away. Instead, he walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Ice Empress's body stiffened slightly, then gradually relaxed.

She did not pull away. With her free hand, she lightly patted the back of the hand around her waist, her tone carrying a trace of helpless indulgence. "Stop messing around. The porridge will burn."

Huo Chen smiled, released her, and turned toward the washroom.

Behind him, Ice Empress muttered softly, "Being clingy first thing in the morning..."

Yet there was not the slightest real dissatisfaction in that mutter.

The morning light grew brighter and brighter, enveloping the small courtyard of Homecoming Cottage in warm gold.

The fragrance of rice porridge drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the fresh scent of several side dishes and slowly spreading through the morning air.