Qingqiu, land of the fox clan, where moonlight was always gentle. Yet tonight, lying on his soft couch, Fox Lian felt the silver glow spilling through the carved window lattice as cold as ice.
He turned over, arms empty. At this hour, Emma should have been beside him, fingers idly combing the fur of his tail or gently rubbing his relaxed ear tips—the tender touch that always lulled him to sleep.
But now…
Agitated, he sat up, silver hair spilling over his shoulders, his proud tail dragging listlessly behind him. He caught the tip in his hand, rubbing it as Emma would. The softness was the same, yet something was missing.
No warmth of her fingers, no sparkle of her gaze, no playful tug she sometimes gave… Nothing felt right.
"Lian'er, still awake at this hour?" A gentle voice came from outside—it was his mother, the current Lady of the fox clan.
Fox Lian composed himself and opened the door. A graceful woman stood there, silver-haired and violet-eyed like him, but with a softer, regal air. Seeing the gloom in her son's brows and the drooping tail, she understood instantly.
"Still thinking of that little goddess of the God Clan?" she asked with a smile, settling at the table.
Fox Lian's ears flushed red, face turning aside, tail curling involuntarily. "…No."
"Still stubborn." She chuckled. "Since when have you ever been so distracted for anyone? Even the Concentration Jade your father gifted you is useless now."
Fox Lian pressed his lips together, tacitly admitting it. His mind was restless, unable to focus even on cultivation.
"I hear," his mother said slowly, pouring tea, "the God Clan elders… have voiced disapproval of your bond?"
Fox Lian's tail bristled, violet eyes sharp: "They troubled Emma?"
"Look at you, so anxious." She slid the cup toward him. "Rest assured, your goddess is not one to be easily cowed. But…" Her gaze softened, "the God Clan values bloodlines and rules. If you truly care for her, the path ahead will not be smooth."
Fox Lian's grip tightened on the cup, knuckles pale. "I've chosen her." His voice was low, resolute. "No matter their rules, I will not let go."
His mother saw the unwavering determination in his eyes and smiled with pride. "That is the spirit of our fox clan. If you've chosen, then fight for it. Qingqiu is not to be looked down upon."
She rose, patting his shoulder. "Enough. Rest now. If you miss her, send more messages tomorrow. A son of Qingqiu has never failed to claim what he desires."
After she left, Fox Lian lay back down, still sleepless. He held the message talisman, stroking the faint divine aura Emma had left upon it, violet eyes gleaming with resolve in the night.
The God Clan forbids it? So what? The one he desired—he would seize, even if she were the stars of the Nine Heavens.
Meanwhile, in the Cloudmist Divine Realm, Emma too lay awake. She clutched the fur pouch, gazing at the stars outside her window, mind filled with images of the fox—pouting, jealous, tender.
"Beep—beep—"
The talisman lit again. Fox Lian's phantom appeared, lying beneath Qingqiu's peach blossoms, petals drifting around him. He held up the talisman, showing his tail, carefully groomed, glowing softly in moonlight.
"See," his voice carried a hint of pride and longing, "I've taken good care of it. Waiting for you to touch again."
Emma laughed through misty eyes, fingertips brushing the image of his tail. "Alright," she whispered. "Wait for me."
Moonlight flowed like water. Across two realms, lovers clung to a small talisman to share their longing. And the invisible barrier between God Clan and fox clan seemed, in this tender exchange, to quietly loosen.