The eastern sky brightened, and the chill in the breeze gradually faded. Dewdrops dripped from the branches, landing on fallen leaves with crisp, delicate sounds.
Drenched to the bone, Chu'he sneezed but still managed to ask the person she was holding, "Ninth, are you cold?"
Ninth's eyes remained moist and red, unblinking as they fixed on her face. He shook his head slowly and replied, "Not cold."
Then he lowered his head again, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her lips.
Chu'he reacted immediately, pushing his face away.
Ninth's gaze flickered uncertainly, his lips pressed together, the corners of his eyes reddening once more at her rejection.
Her expression was complicated. "How can you even bring yourself to kiss me when I look like this?"
In his clear, innocent eyes, Chu'he saw her own reflection—her face smeared with dirt, strands of hair sticking haphazardly to her cheeks, dried blood beneath her nose, turning her once-pretty face into a complete mess.
Even Chu'he herself found her appearance revolting and didn’t want to acknowledge it as her own. Yet this oblivious boy seemed unfazed, still leaning in to kiss her.
She covered her mouth. "I’m too ugly right now. You can’t kiss me."
"No." His shimmering eyes held no trace of disgust. Instead, they reflected her as if she were a rare treasure. His voice, carrying the crisp clarity of youth, was like morning dew settling on fresh leaves. "Chu'he, pretty."
"The prettiest, prettiest person in the world."
He bent down, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand—yet it felt as though he had seared a warm brand onto her very soul.
Chu'he’s ears burned red. The same girl who had once boldly declared, "A mere dozen or so? No problem!" now found herself uncharacteristically flustered.
A gust of wind blew past, and she shivered, belatedly realizing that the body she was holding was completely bare.
She hastily took two steps back, her gaze darting everywhere—sky, ground—but inevitably returning to him.
Ninth’s hair was as white as snow, his crimson eyes dazzling, his jade-like skin carrying a faint, cold luminescence.
Moonlight spilled over his silver strands, casting a delicate glow that contrasted strikingly with his unnervingly bright red eyes—a beauty both eerie and pure, like a flame burning amidst snow, the collision of extreme cold and heat somehow harmonizing into something impossible to look away from.
Occasionally, the wind brushed past, causing his ankle-length hair to sway gently, revealing glimpses of his slender waist, toned abdomen, and the tantalizing view further below.
Truly, a magnificent view.
Chu'he covered her burning face and turned away, not daring to look at him.
But the innocent boy saw nothing wrong. He simply wanted to hold her attention, stepping closer on bare feet until he stood before her again.
"Chu'he, look at me."
Her eyes immediately landed on the magnificent view once more. She quickly raised her hands to shield her vision. "I can’t look!"
Ninth didn’t understand. His breath hitched, his voice trembling. "Am I not pretty anymore?"
Chu'he hurriedly reassured him, "Ninth is absolutely the prettiest person in the world!"
"Then why won’t you look at me?"
Chu'he stammered, "This… this is…"
Ninth’s breathing grew heavier, fragile as if he might shatter at any moment, scattered by the merciless wind.
Gritting her teeth, Chu'he finally lowered her hands. "You idiot, have some confidence! The person I like is, of course, the most flawless in the world!"
A glimmer of light flickered in Ninth’s eyes, his voice thick with emotion. "Oh."
Perhaps Chu'he’s mind had also taken a turn for the indecent—especially since the person before her was the one she adored. The moment her hands fell away, her gaze instinctively drifted downward again.
Gradually, Ninth noticed something amiss and followed her line of sight.
Maybe her stare held some strange magic, because slowly, something changed.
Then he poked it.
Chu'he’s expression twisted.
Ninth blinked up at her, utterly bewildered.
After a long silence, the boy murmured softly, "Chu'he, won’t go down."
Chu'he: "..."
Ninth: "Do I need to—"
She lunged forward, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Shut up!"
The moment her body pressed against his, the accidental friction drew a soft, breathy moan from the seemingly innocent boy.
And damn, did he sound good.
Chu'he shuddered, nearly leaping three feet in the air, but Ninth wrapped his arms around her, his downcast eyes still fixed on her with that same dazed intensity. Seeking more, he instinctively rubbed against her.
And just like that, Chu'he felt a wicked heat rise within her too.
This was the wilderness—absolutely not the right place.
But if he wanted to… well, it wasn’t completely out of the question!
Her trembling fingers loosened the sash at her collar, but before she could go further, morning mist sprayed onto her skirt, droplets rolling down like pearls.
Ninth’s crimson eyes shimmered with ripples of emotion, his gaze locked onto her face as his ragged breaths gradually evened out. It was as if an unfamiliar pleasure had overwhelmed him, leaving him dazed, mind blank, only instinct keeping his eyes fixed on her.
But moments later, reason returned. Color rose in his pale cheeks, and when he noticed the evidence on her skirt, his gaze flitted away in panic.
Chu'he looked up. "Done?"
Ninth hesitated. "Seems… done."
"So fast!"
Though he didn’t fully understand, a strange sense of shame crept over him. "Too… too fast?"
Chu'he sprang up. "No way! I’m not done yet—how can you be done already?"
Ninth held her dumbly, letting her hands roam wherever they pleased.
Suddenly, he cradled the back of her head, pressing her face against his chest to shield her from any prying eyes. In the next instant, his sharp glare snapped toward a nearby thicket.
His crimson eyes gleamed unnaturally—the kind only described in ghost stories.
The man who had stumbled upon them yelped and fell onto his back. "Great immortal, spare me! I didn’t mean to disturb you!"
Chu'he struggled to lift her head from Ninth’s embrace just as dawn’s light revealed the figure—a young man in simple cloth robes, a basket strapped to his back, wild mushrooms spilling out from where he’d dropped it.
Ninth’s appearance was unusual—white hair, red eyes, pale skin, and stark naked—while Chu'he, disheveled in his arms, made the man’s first thought that he’d stumbled upon a mountain spirit devouring a human.
Chu'he quickly reassured him, "Don’t be afraid! We’re not spirits. We were attacked by bandits—my husband’s clothes were stolen, and we escaped by jumping into the river."
Noting the man’s attire, she fished out a few silver pieces from her pouch. "Do you have spare clothes to sell us? And if there’s a place where we can rest and clean up, that would be even better."
Seeing they meant no harm, the man exhaled in relief and stood. "My home isn’t far. Please, follow me."
