A Special Meeting

The year Mo Xie turned twelve was a year unlike any other.

A year of rupture, humiliation, grief, and anger. It was also a year of growth and change.

The moment the school bell rang, students streamed toward the gates in droves.

Mo Xie first went to the fifth-grade classroom to pick up Ye Xinxia. Then the six of them walked home together.

"Mo Fan, I'm sure my grades have improved this time. I'm going to beat you."

Mu Bai stared at Mo Fan and spoke first.

"Seriously? This again? When have you ever scored higher than me?" Mo Fan clasped his hands behind his head and sighed.

"This time will be different!"

Mu Bai refused to back down. He meant every word.

"Whatever." Mo Fan shrugged and looked at Mo Xie. "Brother, has Mu Ningxue contacted you lately?"

"Oh, right. The little princess hasn't come to school for days. Do you know anything, Brother Xie?" Zhang Xiaohou asked.

Mo Xie shook his head. Mu Ningxue hadn't contacted him, and for once, he'd enjoyed a few precious days of peace.

"Mu Bai, you're always at the Mu Family estate. Have you seen her?" Zhao Kunsan asked.

Unfortunately, Mu Bai shook his head too. "I haven't seen Mu Ningxue either. The family probably has something arranged. Don't worry."

Ye Xinxia had stayed quiet, smiling as she watched Mo Xie.

"Xinxia, have you heard from Ning Xue?"

Noticing her gaze, Mo Xie bent down and asked her.

"Sorry, Brother Mo Xie. Ning Xue hasn't contacted me either."

If even Ye Xinxia, her close friend, knew nothing, something felt wrong. Mo Xie couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

At the crossroads, the six parted ways and headed home.

Once home, Mo Xie went into the kitchen to make dinner.

He had been experimenting with recipes lately. Whenever work kept Mo Jiaxing away, Mo Xie had to take over as the family cook.

Mo Xie thought he had a talent for cooking. Mo Fan and Ye Xinxia always praised his food.

Sometimes he imagined that if his cooking ever started glowing, it would mean he had become a top-tier chef.

After the three of them finished eating, Mo Xie carried the dishes into the kitchen to wash them.

As he worked, his phone vibrated faintly in his pocket. Puzzled, he dried his hands and checked it. Mu Ningxue had sent him a message.

She wanted him to meet her on the hill behind their homes. Mo Xie couldn't understand why she would ask him to go there so late.

He hesitated, but worry for her safety won out. He decided to go see her.

After washing the dishes, Mo Xie called to Mo Fan, who was lying on the sofa watching television.

"Xiao Fan, I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on the house. Dad should be back soon."

"Got it. Bring me some snacks on your way back." Mo Fan waved a hand.

The hill wasn't far from Mo Xie's house. It took him only a few minutes to reach it.

At the top, a small figure sat on the grass, her face buried against her knees and her shoulders trembling.

Mo Xie stood beside a tree and looked at Mu Ningxue, whom he hadn't seen in days. Her familiar black hair had turned silver-white, a change so strange it was unsettling.

"Xiao Xue, your hair..."

Mo Xie stared at her long silver-white hair. A memory buried deep in his mind finally surfaced.

No wonder Mu Ningxue had been gone so long. If he remembered correctly, this was when she absorbed the Ice Crystal Bow. The silver-white hair was one of its side effects.

What troubled Mo Xie most was what the bow's presence meant: the auntie who had been so kind to him had passed away.

Mu Ningxue's mother was a large part of why Mo Xie had always indulged her daughter.

The first time her mother met Mo Xie, she said she liked him and called him an adorable child. She often gave Mo Xie, Mo Fan, and Ye Xinxia treats. She had been genuinely good to him, and he was deeply grateful.

To know that such a kind woman was gone left Mo Xie heartsick.

"Xiao Xie!"

Mu Ningxue turned toward him, her eyes red and her voice thick with tears.

"Mom left me. Mom doesn't want me anymore..."

Seeing her in such pain made Mo Xie's heart ache. He couldn't help thinking of what it had been like to lose his own mother.

He stepped forward slowly, drew Mu Ningxue into his arms, and comforted her softly.

"Xiao Xie... These past few days have been awful. I don't know why, but I'm so cold... And my hair changed..."

Crying, Mu Ningxue told him what had happened. She felt frightened and alone.

Ever since her mother had placed a bow inside her, merciless cold had plagued Mu Ningxue, striking her again and again each day.

"Xiao Xie!"

Mu Ningxue raised her head from his embrace. Her tear-streaked face held a resolve he had never seen before.

"Will you take me away? I want to leave this family. I can't stay here anymore!"

Her firm words caught Mo Xie off guard. He said nothing.

"Xiao Xie... Why..."

Mu Ningxue knew him well. His silence told her that he probably wouldn't agree.

But she couldn't understand why. No matter what she asked of him, he had always given in eventually.

Mo Xie let her go and pressed his lips together before speaking. "Xiao Xue, your family will worry if you do this. They're probably looking everywhere for you. You should go home."

"But I'll find a way to deal with this illness of yours. You have to give me time. When we're older, I promise I'll cure you."

Afraid she would still feel alone, Mo Xie made sure to add that promise.

His reassurance did nothing to calm Mu Ningxue. Instead, she shook her head desperately.

"Xiao Xie, I don't want to go home. I'm begging you. I just want us to stay together!"

Her small hands gripped the hem of his shirt as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. Any ordinary child their age would probably have run away with her on the spot.

But Mo Xie wouldn't. He knew what would happen if he did. He... no, his whole family would pay a price they could never bear.

Mo Xie steeled himself and gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Xue. I might give in to you about other things, but not this. I can't."

"Xiao Xie?"

Mu Ningxue clearly hadn't expected such a firm refusal. The light faded from her eyes, and she stopped trying to persuade him.

Seeing her like that weighed on Mo Xie. He walked her back to a spot near the Mu Family estate.

"All right, I'll leave you here. If I take you inside, people will get the wrong idea."

Mu Ningxue looked at him, clutching the hem of her skirt.

Thinking she might be afraid, Mo Xie took both her hands. "It'll be all right. As long as you apologize properly, Uncle Mu will forgive you."

Mu Ningxue seemed to accept his reassurance. She didn't linger any longer and started walking.

"Good night. Sweet dreams!"

Mo Xie waved to her, and Mu Ningxue gave a small wave back.

She looked over her shoulder every few steps until she disappeared from sight.

Mo Xie turned away. His smile faded as he walked through the night.

He couldn't take Mu Ningxue away. He had neither the right nor the obligation, and doing so would drag his family into it. Besides, she was wrong to think of running away from home.

Mo Xie sighed softly. It was her family's business, and there was only so much he could do.

As he walked, he remembered her mother's warm smile. His spirits sank, and all he could do was lament how unfair life was.

He took a small detour to the supermarket, bought snacks for Mo Fan and Xinxia, and headed home.

Xiao Fan's going to be thrilled when he sees how good I am to him! Mo Xie thought, quickening his pace without realizing it.

From a distance, Mo Xie saw the light on in their garage. Had Dad come home?

Puzzled, Mo Xie walked toward the garage.

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The protagonist definitely won't grovel after anyone. If anyone does the groveling, it'll be someone else.