Fox Lian fell ill.
At first it was only a loss of appetite—he showed little interest in the delicacies prepared by Qingqiu's finest chefs, barely touching even his favorite roasted spirit chicken. Then came restless nights, his once-glossy silver fur dimming.
Qingqiu's best physician was summoned. After careful examination, the white-bearded elder stroked his beard, brows furrowed: "His pulse is weak, his spirit unsettled, heart knotted… This seems to be… lovesickness."
The fox maids nearby stifled laughter, quickly silenced by the Lady of the clan.
Fox Lian's ears flushed red. He buried his face in his tail, muttering: "…Nonsense."
The Lady dismissed the physician and attendants, then sat by her son's bed. Seeing him listless, tail curled tight, she felt both pity and amusement.
"If you miss her so much, why not go to the Divine Realm?" she asked gently.
Fox Lian lifted his face from his tail, violet eyes dim. "The God Clan has too many rules. The elders already dislike me. If I went rashly, it would only trouble Emma." He paused, voice tinged with unrecognized grievance. "Besides… she promised to bring me starlight candy."
His mother softened at his rare childlike tone, stroking his silver hair. "Then wait patiently. Since when have sons of Qingqiu lacked endurance?"
Meanwhile, in the Cloudmist Divine Realm—
Emma faced her own troubles.
She wished to refine starlight candy using stargrass, a herb nourished by starlight, producing sweets that gleamed like crystallized stars. She remembered Fox Lian's sweet tooth and wanted to surprise him.
But the steward of the stargrass garden frowned: "Lady Emma, it is not unwillingness. The harvest is scarce, and elders have strict allocations. There is none to spare…"
Emma knew it was an excuse. The elders had learned she meant to make candy for Fox Lian and were obstructing her.
She gazed at the shimmering stargrass under the night sky, lips pressed tight. Once, she might have yielded. But now…
Emma turned and went directly to the chief elder's retreat.
"Emma seeks audience," she called clearly outside the misty hall.
The doors opened silently. The elder sat cross-legged, divine light restrained. "For what purpose?"
"For stargrass," Emma said plainly. "I wish to make starlight candy—for Fox Lian."
The elder frowned. "Emma, you must understand, the God Clan and the fox clan…"
"Chief Elder," Emma interrupted, eyes steady, "I love Fox Lian the person, not his race. As you love the serenity of meditation, I love the warmth and joy he brings. It is simply my heart's truth."
She stepped forward, placing a memory stone before him. Infused with power, it projected images—Fox Lian clumsily helping her with scrolls, tail knocking things over; Fox Lian offering his tail as a cushion while dozing beside her; Fox Lian quietly sitting by her side when she struggled, tail tip brushing her hand in silent comfort…
No enchantment, no schemes—only the awkward, sincere affection of a youth.
The elder watched long in silence. Finally, he waved his hand. "Go. Just this once."
Emma's eyes lit with joy. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder!"
She hurried away, not seeing the elder's gaze linger, touched with complex, almost nostalgic emotion. "Youth… how precious."
Emma obtained the stargrass and worked tirelessly at the furnace, carefully blending starlight and honey. At last, the candy formed—glittering like shards of stars. She seized her message talisman eagerly.
On the other end, Fox Lian looked more haggard than ever, ears drooping, tail limp.
"Fox Lian," Emma held the candy before the talisman, its glow shimmering, "look, the starlight candy is ready. I'll bring it back to you soon."
The weary fox's violet eyes widened, ears shot upright, tail wagging instinctively.
"Really?" His voice trembled with disbelief and joy. "So many? All for me?"
"Yes, all for you." Emma laughed at his sudden revival. "So eat well, sleep well. If I find you thinner, or your tail dull…"
"Never!" Fox Lian promised instantly, tail wagging harder. "I groom it every day! Waiting for you to touch it!"
Across the talisman, they smiled at each other.
Afterward, Fox Lian rolled across his bed, burying his face in his tail, inhaling deeply as if he could smell the candy's sweetness and Emma's touch. The so-called "lovesickness" vanished without medicine.
He leapt up, energized, calling for attendants: "Dinner! The fattest spirit chicken!"
Watching her son restored, even preening his tail before the crystal mirror, the Lady of the clan shook her head with a helpless smile.
"It seems, the cure for my foolish son was never elixirs… but a promise, a few candies, and a girl on her way home."