Mo Chen was ready to overturn the heavens.
He had already shattered two barriers by the time he reached the Skybound Cliffs, sending terrified wind spirits scattering. Word was spreading — the Supreme God of Water and Ice was searching for something. Searching for someone.
The last time he'd been this relentless, the Nine Heavens had nearly frozen over.
And then —
A flicker.
Soft. Fragile. Faint as the breath of a snowflake.
But he knew it.
He stopped.
The spiritual thread was barely perceptible — like dew caught on spider silk — but he had nurtured that energy with his own hand for a century.
There was no mistaking it.
It was her.
In Xingyun Palace.
He vanished in an instant.
The starlit gardens of Xingyun Palace were as still as always, layered in quiet light. Silver leaves shimmered beneath the eaves. Galaxies wheeled gently overhead.
Xingyao sat beneath a tree of luminous fruit, a closed book resting on his knee. He did not rise when Mo Chen arrived — robes swirling with frost, eyes lit like twin shards of ice.
Only when the wind stilled did Xingyao speak, voice smooth as moonlight across a mirror.
"You're here."
Mo Chen's gaze was sharp.
"Where is she?"
"Sleeping."
A pause.
He turned his head slightly — white hair like flowing starlight, eyes unreadable.
"You're welcome to wake her. But do try not to frighten the butterflies."
Without another word, Mo Chen stepped past him and entered the inner hall.
___
Inside, the starlit ceilings pulsed gently with celestial rhythm. The warmth of the space met him like mist rising from thawed snow.
On the edge of the bed, Xiao Zhu stirred. The cold had brushed her cheek like a forgotten memory.
She blinked awake, nestled beside Yuebao, the moon fox, who lifted his head with a sleepy sound before curling closer.
When she looked up, Mo Chen was standing at the edge of the pavilion, his robes dusted with star-glow and snow.
Her eyes lit up.
"Master!"
She scrambled up to her feet, startling the sleeping spirit pets.
Yuebao let out a sleepy yip and blinked up at Mo Chen, then nestled back against Xiao Zhu's side.
Xingyao approached behind him, and as Xiao Zhu looked between them, she tilted her head.
"...Master, why do you look so scary today?"
Mo Chen's expression shifted. Just slightly. Just enough for the ice to melt around the edge of his gaze.
He looked at her — truly looked — as if confirming she was real.
Then he turned to Xingyao.
The two gods stood in silence.
A current passed between them — old familiarity, unspoken rivalry.
Then, without ceremony, Xingyao crouched beside Xiao Zhu and stroked Yuebao's ears once.
"He's yours now," he said. "You're small and prone to wandering. Let him keep you out of trouble."
Xiao Zhu blinked.
"But... won't he be lonely without you?"
Xingyao gave a rare, soft chuckle.
"He prefers chaos. You'll do."
Yuebao barked in agreement.
Mo Chen said nothing, but the twitch in his brow betrayed a storm of things left unsaid.
He turned to Xiao Zhu.
"We're leaving."
Just before she stepped away, Xingyao placed a light hand on her shoulder and added mildly, "And tell your Master—feed you proper food, not just spiritual energy. You're not a frost lotus."
Xiao Zhu giggled.
Mo Chen's brow twitched again, and said, "Come."
She nodded quickly and scooped Yuebao into her arms.
As they stepped onto the pale stone path leading toward the palace gate, Xiao Zhu looked back one last time.
Xingyao was already seated again beneath the tree, head tilted toward the constellations.
She lifted a hand in farewell.
He didn't wave back.
But the stars above seemed just a little brighter.
__
Back at Ling Yuan Palace, silence greeted their return.
Snow fell lightly outside. Frost lay undisturbed on the roofs.
Mo Chen said nothing.
Xiao Zhu, sensing something heavy in the air, reached out and tugged softly at his sleeve.
"Master…"
He didn't move away.
Unlike Yunhua's touch, which he'd rejected coldly — he allowed Xiao Zhu's small hand to cling to him.
Inside, he was still reeling.
The moment he learned she was gone, he had felt something unfamiliar. Not just anger.
Fear.
Real fear.
Now, with her safe beside him, he didn't know what to say.
He struggled for a long time. Then, finally, after what felt like eternity, he looked down at her and held her hands.
"Xiao Zhu," he said, voice low and steady, "from now on… don't wander."
"If this happens again, you'll be punished. Understand?"
She nodded, lips trembling slightly, aggrieved by the scolding — even if it was gentle.
"…Mn."
Mo Chen turned his head away.
But this time, he did not let go of her hand as if afraid she might vanish again with the snow.