"Um... Sister Snow Empress, could you put me down first?" Jiang Lan repeated, waving his little hands in front of her.
Snow Empress looked down at him, hesitated for a moment, and finally bent over to set him back on the snow.
The instant Jiang Lan's feet touched the ground, he took two steps back, positioning himself at a safe distance between Ice Empress and Snow Empress. He brushed the snow off his penguin suit and straightened his crooked hat.
Doro ran over with the orange that had fallen into the snow held in her mouth. She crouched beside his feet, her large purple eyes watching Snow Empress warily.
"Sister Snow Empress, thank you for your kindness," Jiang Lan said earnestly, lifting his face. "But I can't go with you right now. I have to keep traveling with my disciple, and I still have to go back to Sea God Island to see Mom Bo Saixi. If I went to the Ice Palace with you, what would Sister Zhu Yun do? What about Doro? I can't just leave them in the snow and run off on my own."
Standing behind him, Zhu Zhuyun was somewhat surprised to hear that.
She had thought Jiang Lan would happily follow Snow Empress. After all, the Ice Palace sounded much more comfortable than camping in the snow.
She hadn't expected the little fellow to turn her down.
Snow Empress fell silent for a moment. Her gaze shifted from Jiang Lan's face to Zhu Zhuyun, then back to his face.
"You do have a sense of loyalty," Snow Empress said.
"Of course." Jiang Lan puffed out his chest. "Mom Bo Saixi told me that when you're away from home, you mustn't abandon your companions."
"In that case, I won't insist." Snow Empress turned around, her