—
She stood slowly, her body slightly numb from exhaustion.
She looked down at herself—her sleeves, her chest, her arms—all stained red — since she'd carried him.
A small sigh left her lips. "A mess…"
Mu Xuán exhaled tiredly and walked toward her lacquered closet pulled out a few garments, neatly folded white robes embroidered with frost flowers.
—
As she reached for them, her fingers brushed against the silk mask—it still clung to her face, hiding her features.
Her reflection in the bronze mirror caught her eye—pale skin, faint blue eyes, lips slightly parted.
She stared for a moment before pulling the mask off completely.
The air against her bare skin felt cool.
—
Without thinking further, she picked up a silk towel and walked outside.
—
Outside, the air was cool and alive with morning light.
The waterfall shimmered like glass under the sun, and the golden lake stretched wide and calm.
She set down the towel on a smooth stone by the edge.
The mist clung softly to her skin as she untied her cloth, the silk sliding off her shoulders in silence.
—
For a moment, she stood still, her bare feet touching the cold stone, the morning air brushing against her.
"What am I even doing…" she murmured.
She stepped into the water.
The chill wrapped around her instantly, but it was soothing, cleansing.
What have I done…? she thought, eyes closed as she sank deeper.
The memory of his face flashed again behind her eyes—hauntingly beautiful.
Too breathtaking —
—
"Two hundred years… and I've never met anyone like him."
Her lips pressed together.
She shook her head, frustrated.
"What am I even thinking…"
—
She shook her head.
No—
She didn't want to think.
Didn't want to.
Not about him. Not about what she'd done.
The water rose around her ankles, her knees, her waist— it was soothing.
She closed her eyes, dipping her hands beneath the surface, washing away the blood from her skin.
—
Her mind however wandered back to that impossible resistance.
Who was he?
She sighed softly, voice barely audible.
—
There was something almost celestial about him… something that made her chest ache and her mind wander where it shouldn't.
"Ugh… what am I even thinking…" she muttered under her breath, cheeks warming despite the cold water.
—
She had healed countless creatures, but never had her Frost Qi been rejected so fiercely.
It frustrated her.
—
She submerged herself completely.
When she rose again, droplets cascaded down her skin, catching light like tiny shards of glass.
Her long silver hair clung to her back, the sunlight catching the strands as they shimmered faintly blue.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she lifted her face toward the sky, eyes closed, arms stretching slightly as she inhaled the cold night air.
For a fleeting moment, she looked ethereal.
—
The world was still.
Too still.
Then—
A faint rustle.
Her body froze.
The sound was soft but distinct—footsteps.
Someone was here.
She turned her head slowly, water dripping from her hair.
At the edge of the lake—
A figure stood.
—
Her breath caught in her throat.
He was standing there—at the edge of the lake—barefoot, still pale, shirt half open from the wound she couldn't heal, water mist curling around his frame.
The sunlight hit him just right, catching on his ink black hair.
—
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Then realization struck.
Her eyes widened.
Her face flushed crimson.
"You— you— what are you doing!?" she screamed, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself.
Ling Xi blinked, still looking at her, his voice faint, hoarse.
"…Where… am I?"
Her jaw dropped.
Of all the things to say—
—
She pointed sharply toward him, trying to sound furious but her voice cracked halfway through—
"Turn around! Now!"
The man blinked again, too dazed to move.
Her face went redder.
"I said turn around!"
—
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat crawling up her neck.
Then, before she could say another word—
He took one slow step forward.
She gasped. "You—!"
The frost in the air deepened instantly, her Qi reacting before she could think.
The water rippled sharply around her, mist rising in a swirl of pale light.
The next second—
Everything froze.
The lake shimmered, the air thick with tension.
And then—
Silence.