"Shall we...sleep together?"
Xuan Yan stared at her in surprise. Eh?
Hu Liena shifted slightly, hugging the pillow tighter as her bare feet peeked from beneath her robe.
"I… I couldn't sleep," she murmured, her eyes lowering shyly. "And I thought… maybe you couldn't either…"
She bit her lip "…and I didn't want you to be alone."
Xuan Yan exhaled slowly and a faint smile touched his lips as he stepped aside "Come in, Sister Nana."
Hu Liena stepped inside quietly and Xuan Yan closed the door behind her as she stood there clutching her pillow.
She followed him toward the large bed near the window.
When they stood beside the bed, Hu Liena hesitated.
"…Can I?" she whispered.
Xuan Yan nodded and climbed onto the left side of the bed "Sister Nana, come here."
She exhaled and slowly slipped under the blanket, settling on the right side with the pillow tucked under her arm.
She turned toward him, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight "Yan'er… are you sad because of Renxue?"
His eyes drifted up to the ceiling. "I'm not… sad. Just-"
Hu Liena reached out and gently grasped his hand "You don't have to explain. I understand."
The bed dipped slightly as she moved closer, inch by inch, until her head rested near his shoulder.
She wrapped her arm around him slowly, pulling herself closer until his forehead rested against her upper arm.
Xuan Yan's expression softened "…You're too warm."
Hu Liena let out a tiny laugh "And you're too tense."
She lifted her hand and gently patted his head, her nails lightly scratching through his white hair "Sleep, Yan'er. I'll stay with you."
He couldn't help but close his eyes at the comforting motion.
After a few minutes of silence, he gently closed his eyes.
'Tomorrow I should leave the Spirit Hall... and wander this mainland for a while. I have Sister Tao to protect me.'
...
Like that... 5 years have already passed since then.
Deep within a dense forest, the wind howled between the trees as a young girl staggered through the underbrush.
She looked no older than eleven, yet her figure carried an unnatural maturity for her age.
Her long, flowing black hair was scattered in disarray and her slender body is marred with dirt and blood.
Her face, which is normally expressionless, now flickered with desperation.
Zhu Zhuqing's usually calm, lifeless black eyes were filled with panic as she limped through the thick forest in pain.
"Huff... Huff..."
Every breath burned her lungs, and every step sent sharp pain racing up her injured leg as she dragged herself forward.
'W-Why? Why did this happen?'
She was returning home from the academy, choosing the forest path because it was the fastest route.
But assassins appeared out of nowhere, and her guards fought desperately, sacrificing their lives to give her some seconds to escape.
And now she knew exactly who was behind it 'My sister… she wants me dead.'
"Urgh..." Her sprained leg could barely support her weight, and she leaned heavily against a nearby tree, gasping for breath.
'Huff… huff… I-I can't… run anymore…'
Just then-
ROAR.
A deep roar shook the quiet forest, and Zhu Zhuqing's weakened body trembled.
She forced her head to turn, and her pupils shrank in horror.
A massive figure emerged from between the trees... a Phantom Tiger with its musky black fur gleaming under the faint sunlight, and its blood-red eyes were entirely locked onto her.
Looking at the size, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes quivered in fear 'Three thousand years… maybe more.'
She tried to back away, but her heel caught on a root, and she collapsed onto the ground.
"Grrr..." The Phantom Tiger snarled loudly, lowering its body as it prepared to pounce.
Zhu Zhuqing's fingers tightened helplessly, and she closed her eyes tightly.
'So this is it… I'm going to die here…?'
'Where are you… when I needed you the most…?'
THUD!
*puchi*
The ground shook violently and a wet splatter echoed through the forest.
Huh? Zhuqing opened her eyes in surprise.
A breathtaking silver spear had impaled the Phantom Tiger's skull cleanly, pinning its enormous body to the ground.
Blood bubbled around the wound before dripping down on the ground.
Before Zhu Zhuqing could even process what she was seeing, the spear trembled, then slowly lifted from the tiger's skull.
It floated by itself, and the spear drifted toward a direction behind her, and she turned slowly.
There, she saw a cloaked figure standing silently between the trees.
He is wearing a long, pitch-black robe and his hood is pulled so low that she couldn't even see his face.
The spear floated into the cloaked man's hand, and he caught it effortlessly.
Then he lightly tapped the ground with its tip, and the spear dissolved, vanishing like mist into the air.
'Who is this...'
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed, and she forced her trembling fingers to wrap around the small dagger hidden in her pocket.
She pushed herself upright, staggering, before leaning against the tree to stay balanced.
'He killed a 3000-year spirit beast effortlessly.'
Looking at him, she asked in a cold voice "Who are you?"
"Isn't it rude to raise your weapon against someone who just saved your life?"
Zhu Zhuqing's blinked in surprise 'The voice… the height…;
He seemed to be around sixteen, at most.
She swallowed faintly, still refusing to lower her dagger. "Who… are you?" she repeated, forcing her tone to remain steady.
The boy tilted his head slightly beneath the hood. "I was just passing through this forest, and I saw a random girl about to get killed by a spirit beast. So I helped her."
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I hope you guys liked this chapter!