"Ah Yin, I'm sorry I made you worry!"
Dugu Chen's voice was thick with guilt. He regretted not returning sooner, and he knew he had let her down.
"It's all right. As long as you came back safely... But your hair, and the way you look—what happened?"
Ah Yin smiled through her tears, only then noticing how he had changed.
"My bloodline completed its final evolution, and my Martial Soul fully awakened. There's nowhere in this world I can't go now!"
Dugu Chen spoke calmly, with a soft laugh.
"That's incredible, Xiao Chen! You're amazing!"
Ah Yin's face lit up. Nestled against his chest, she laughed softly.
"Ah Yin..."
Dugu Chen's eyes brimmed with tenderness.
"Don't talk... Kiss me!"
He stroked Ah Yin's lovely face, bent down, and pressed his lips squarely against hers.
Snow fell without a trace; the clear moon hid her blushing face!
Dugu Chen's palm rested against Ah Yin's warm, fair skin, a tender smile on his face.
"Ah Yin, there's something I need to tell you."
Dugu Chen held her close. His eyes flickered, and after a moment's hesitation, he decided to tell her everything about the Ice and Snow Emperors.
"It's about the Ice Empress and Snow Empress, isn't it?"
The moment Ah Yin saw his uncertain expression and heard him hesitate, she understood.
"You... how did you know?"
Dugu Chen looked at her in astonishment.
Ah Yin covered her mouth and laughed, then shot him a look. "Have you forgotten I'm a woman too?"
"The way the Ice and Snow Emperors looked at you was completely different from before they left. Especially the Ice Empress. She acted proud, but she never took her eyes off you..."
"And more importantly... the changes in the Ice Empress's body!"
Ah Yin blushed and buried her