Dragon City, a snowless morning.
The sun had just risen in the distance, spreading a long streak of gold across the horizon.
Morning at the Earth Dragon Sect was as peaceful as ever. Snow had gathered on the rime, giving off a cold, clear glow.
Yu Tianqing felt an itch in his nose. It twitched a few times, and he woke from his sleep.
The first thing he saw was Nan Shuishui's familiar face. She wore no makeup, her brows and eyes were gentle, and a deep, heady blush colored her cheeks.
When Yu Tianqing opened his eyes, Nan Shuishui broke into a gentle, radiant smile. She was the one tickling his nose with her hair.
Yu Tianqing wasn't annoyed. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her smooth, delicate neck, then pulled her toward him as he rolled over and looked down at her.
"Shuishui, why are you waking me up so early?"
Nan Shuishui let Yu Tianqing pin her beneath him and calmly pointed at the window.
"You should go back."
Two months had passed since the two confirmed their relationship that night. Nan Shuishui had stopped resisting his invitations to cultivate, but they still had to keep their relationship hidden.
Yu Tianqing had readily agreed to that one condition.
His room was right next door. Every night, he had to climb in through the window, then return in the morning.
Well, he was a little different from Old Wang next door. He was Old Yu next door.
Yu Tianqing glanced out the window. It was still rather dark and gloomy. He scratched his head.
"Why so early today?"
Nan Shuishui rolled her eyes at him. "Did you forget? You're leaving today. You were the one who said you wanted to set out a month early. I've already arranged a carriage for you."
"Why don't we forget the carriage? I can travel on my own. I just want to spend a little more time with you."
"Less wind on the road means less suffering. I know you're a Soul Emperor, but the carriage will only take you as far as Heaven Dou City. You won't even save half a day by going without it."
"Dear Aunt Nan~ dear Shuishui~ dear wife~"
Seeing Yu Tianqing about to cling to her again, Nan Shuishui hurriedly cut him off.
"You were the one who said it: you decide the big things, and I decide the little things. Don't keep going back on your word."
"Of course not! Every word I, Yu Tianqing, say in bed is a nail driven in with a spit."
Yu Tianqing hurriedly denied it, but then hesitated before speaking again.
"It's just... I woke up this morning feeling like there were still a few problems with my cultivation, and I need to stabilize it. Cultivation is a big thing, Shuishui, so you have to listen to me this time."
Nan Shuishui was speechless. She'd known this boy would pull something like this every morning, and his excuses were always so original. It must have been hard on him.
Oh well. She had set aside time for this in advance anyway.
Nan Shuishui shifted her body a couple of times and turned her head to the side, exposing her smooth, fair neck.
The sight made Yu Tianqing's mouth water. He wanted to plant a few strawberries.
"Heeheehee~ that tickles~"
Nan Shuishui had still miscalculated a little.
Perhaps he was trying to grow fat on one last mouthful, for Yu Tianqing put in an exceptional effort. Only when daylight had fully lit the sky did Nan Shuishui come to her senses and hurriedly send him back to his room.
She scrambled to prepare breakfast for the three of them, then knocked on Nan Qiuqiu's door and pushed it open.
Nan Qiuqiu had just gotten up and was stretching. When she saw her mother enter, she hurriedly waved in greeting.
"Mom, are we going to see Brother Tianqing off to school today? Qiuqiu's already awake!"
Nan Shuishui bent down, rubbed Nan Qiuqiu's head, and encouraged her.
"Qiuqiu is wonderful today!"
"Mm-hmm!"
At her mother's praise, Nan Qiuqiu's eyes narrowed into two crescent moons. But then they suddenly opened again, and she stared at Nan Shuishui.
"Qiuqiu, what's wrong?"
"Mom, why is your neck so red?"
Nan Shuishui looked down in the direction her daughter was pointing. She had been in such a rush that morning that she hadn't fastened the upper buttons of her qipao properly, leaving the skin beneath exposed.
And the reason it was red...
It had to be that rascal Yu Tianqing's handiwork.
Nan Shuishui ground her teeth. She adjusted her buttons as she turned and walked out of the room.
"It's nothing, a mosquito bit me! Qiuqiu, hurry up and wash, then come to the dining room for breakfast!"
"Okay!"
Nan Qiuqiu answered, then scratched her head.
She had heard of mosquitoes, but in all her years, she had never seen one in Dragon City.
How could there be a mosquito in Mom's room?
She really wanted to see what a mosquito looked like.
The same familiar place, the same familiar carriage, and even the same driver.
Unlike the day they saw Ling Luochеn off two months ago, when light snow had been falling, the sky was exceptionally clear today.
"Tianqing, you said you wanted to travel around the continent for a while first, and Aunt Nan won't stop you. Just remember to write Aunt Nan a letter whenever you reach a new place, all right?"
Nan Shuishui kept talking as she straightened Yu Tianqing's clothes.
Yu Tianqing wasn't the least bit impatient with her seemingly endless reminders. Instead, he found them very heartwarming.
He kept smiling and nodding, his eyes fixed on Nan Shuishui's face. After two months of being nourished, Nan Shuishui looked even more radiant.
The charm that flowed unwittingly through her brows and eyes was like fine wine, enough to intoxicate anyone.
Perhaps Yu Tianqing's gaze made Nan Shuishui a little uncomfortable. Afraid her daughter would notice something, she stepped back twice and withdrew the hands that had been straightening his clothes.
Nan Qiuqiu finally got a chance to speak.
"Brother Tianqing, after you go south, can you catch a mosquito and show it to Qiuqiu? Qiuqiu has never seen what one looks like!"
"Sure, but it'll probably have to be a specimen. I'll send it to you."
"Mm-hmm, Brother Tianqing is the best."
Yu Tianqing affectionately stroked Nan Qiuqiu's head, then turned his gaze to Nan Shuishui with a hint of a smile.
Nan Qiuqiu had kept asking him about mosquitoes over breakfast, so he naturally knew why she was curious.
Nan Shuishui glared at him and sent him a voice transmission.
"What are you looking at? This is all your fault!"
Yu Tianqing didn't argue. If anyone had to be blamed, it could only be Aunt Nan, for being so beautiful.
"It's getting late, and we've already been delayed for a while. Tianqing, you should hurry and set out," Nan Shuishui urged him.
Yu Tianqing didn't hesitate. He waved to the two of them and climbed into the carriage.
"Aunt Nan, Qiuqiu, I'm leaving. Goodbye!"
Nan Shuishui watched the carriage disappear into the distance before taking Nan Qiuqiu back to the Earth Dragon Sect. As soon as they reached the entrance, they saw a figure lying facedown in the snow.
Nan Shuishui hurried forward, crouched down, and helped the person up.
It was a young woman of about fifteen or sixteen, with white hair and a white dress. She was dressed lightly, and her features were exquisite, like a spirit of this world of ice and snow.
Her eyes were closed, however, and there were several bloody marks on her bare lower legs.
Nan Shuishui shook the girl a couple of times before she slowly woke. Confusion and innocence showed in her clear blue eyes.
"Miss, why are you here?"
The girl blinked, then shook her head.
"I don't know. Who are you?"
"I'm Nan Shuishui, the sect master of the Earth Dragon Sect. Miss, you came to the Far North for Soul Hunting, didn't you? Where are the people who came with you?"
The girl held her forehead, as though recalling something painful. Her expression was strained, giving her a kind of broken beauty.
In the end, she shook her head helplessly.
"I don't remember... I don't remember anything. I only remember that my name is... Xue'er."
"If you can't remember, don't force yourself. That one name is enough. Miss Xue'er, if you trust me, you can stay at the Earth Dragon Sect for now and wait for your family to come looking for you."
The Snow Empress stared at Nan Shuishui's face for quite a while. Seemingly feeling trust, she nodded.
"All... all right."
In the distance, a green figure flashed out of sight as Nan Shuishui led the Snow Empress into the Earth Dragon Sect.