The moment the Snow Empress appeared, the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
The Snow Empress opened her eyes and looked at the incredulous Gu Wuchen with the hint of a smile.
"Do you remember the strand of power I sent into the spot between your brows at the end?"
At the mention of it, Gu Wuchen understood at once.
"You secretly held something back!"
The Snow Empress wandered around the room, eventually stopping beside the bed. She pressed it with her hand and found it quite soft, so she sat down comfortably.
"Through that strand of power, I imprinted my soul inside your body. Although I can't use all my power, it's more than enough to protect you."
"I have to say, your bed is really comfortable."
The Snow Empress contentedly lifted her feet onto the end of the bed and lay down.
It was far more comfortable than the ice beds in the Far North.
Before this, she had always thought having a place to sleep was enough, but this feeling made her realize that sleeping was an art in itself.
"Get up!"
"That's my bed!"
Gu Wuchen went to the bedside and grabbed the Snow Empress's fingers with both hands, trying to pull them away. He strained with all the strength he had, but it was no use.
He looked up to see the Snow Empress watching him with a mischievous grin. "Why did you stop?"
"You're infuriating!" Gu Wuchen turned away, unwilling to bother with the hateful Snow Empress.
But the Snow Empress reached out and pulled him into her arms. "I finally made it here after so much trouble, so of course I have to enjoy myself. You can't just leave your big sister to her own devices, can you?"
Little fellow, you're only six. Big sister has plenty of time to keep you company.
Gu Wuchen struggled a few times, but finding he couldn't break free, he gave up and looked at the upturned corners of the Snow Empress's lips.
"Shameless! You're the ruler of the Far North. How can you bully people like this?"
"Bully you?" The Snow Empress burst out laughing. "I'm not bullying you. Big sister is just playing with you."
Gu Wuchen's mouth twitched. "Nonsense. You're clearly bullying me because your cultivation is higher than mine."
"So that's what this is about."
The Snow Empress said, sounding troubled, "You see, I can't help having all this power. I don't want to be this strong either, but my power is part of me. It can't just leave."
Gu Wuchen: ???
You're a Heavenly Snow Woman, spouting nonsense in front of a six-year-old like me.
"Have you noticed how narcissistic you are?" Gu Wuchen asked.
The Snow Empress chuckled. "Not narcissistic. I'm just telling the truth."
Then the Snow Empress changed the subject. "You have an Extreme Cold Physique, and your Martial Soul has extreme cold power too. I had no choice but to do this. The Far North has always been poor and bitterly cold. If your Gu Clan hadn't stepped in, Ice Spirit City might not be what it is today."
"You're in the core region of the Far North, yet you actually know about Ice Arrival City??"
Gu Wuchen had thought that, as a Soul Beast, she should theoretically have no contact with affairs in the human world outside.
"I do, and I know all about it."
"As a Soul Beast, I know exactly how many towns and cities there are in the Far North. I might not know every last detail, but I generally know what's going on."
As a Heavenly Snow Woman, it wasn't particularly difficult for her to learn about the little things that happened throughout the Far North.
The things Gu Wuchen had done alone were enough to leave the Snow Empress a little shocked.
"I thought you'd be the type to hole up in the core region, pay no attention to worldly affairs, and think about nothing but cultivation all day. Um... in my words, a total shut-in."
Wasn't the Silver Dragon King, who kept recuperating from her injuries, just like a shut-in?
"Bang!"
The Snow Empress reached out and flicked Gu Wuchen on the forehead with her index finger.
"Watch your mouth. How could I, a Heavenly Snow Woman, possibly be a shut-in?"
"I don't know what that means, but it certainly isn't anything good."
Gu Wuchen furrowed his brow and looked at the Snow Empress resentfully. "Can you leave? Can't I just separate that power from my body?"
"Impossible. Don't even think about it!"
The Snow Empress chuckled. "Even if you were a Titled Douluo, you couldn't do it. That power has long been deeply imprinted in your body, forming a deep bond with me."
"Don't think that power is a bad thing. I can appear when you need me most."
"Think about it. The ruler of the Far North is protecting you at all times. Other people couldn't ask for such a thing."
Gu Wuchen curled his lip. "Tch, as if anyone wanted that."
If she stayed close to protect him, he wouldn't have any privacy left.
No wonder the Snow Empress wasn't afraid at all.
It turned out she could enter his body through her soul.
The Snow Empress reached out and brushed a finger along the bridge of Gu Wuchen's nose.
"You don't appreciate how good big sister is to you. You'll understand one day when you're in danger."
Gu Wuchen looked at her in disgust. "I don't want it. And hurry up and leave."
"The bed is mine, and so is the room."
"But you're mine, so everything you mentioned is mine too," the Snow Empress said smugly.
Gu Wuchen's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the shameless-looking Snow Empress.
Was this really the Heavenly Snow Woman he had imagined? How could she be like this in private?
She had truly displayed her shamelessness to the fullest.
Since when did I become hers?
Just as Gu Wuchen was about to say more, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
The Snow Empress narrowed her eyes in a smile, immediately turned into a streak of light, and slipped into the spot between Gu Wuchen's brows.
"You sure ran away fast," Gu Wuchen snorted.
He got out of bed and opened the door.
Shen Suwei came in carrying freshly made steamed buns.
"Wuchen, eat them while they're hot. Once you leave tomorrow, Mom won't be able to make steamed buns for you anymore."
During a break from packing, she had cooked another batch of buns, just in time to give Gu Wuchen a filling meal before he left.
Hadn't you seen how happily Gu Wuchen had eaten at dinner?
Downstairs, Gu Linchuan was still chatting at length with Qian Daoliu.
They talked about Gu Linchuan's youth, then about Qian Xunji's sudden passing, leaving Qian Daoliu in a flood of tears.
"Thank you, Mother!" Gu Wuchen's eyes lit up.
"You eat first. Mom is still packing, so I won't stay and talk."
After setting them down, Shen Siwei turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Gu Wuchen had already put the matter of the Snow Empress out of his mind.
All he wanted now was to eat those steaming buns.
The buns might have looked ordinary, but great care had gone into both the dough and the filling.
He reached out and picked up a bun from the plate, but as he opened his mouth to bite into it, all he heard was a crunch.
His teeth knocked together, and Gu Wuchen froze. Before he could react, he heard the Snow Empress's voice beside his ear, full of enjoyment.
"These buns are delicious. Wuchen, your mother is a good cook."
Gu Wuchen looked at the Snow Empress, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and eating with relish.
"Snow Empress, why did you snatch my bun?"
"There are so many, yet you had to take the first one right out of my hand."
The Snow Empress gave him a teasing smile.
"The first one tastes best!"
Gu Wuchen shook his head helplessly. "Suit yourself."
Downstairs, an incongruous voice rang out.
"My Ji'er!"