When Ningning woke up, the first thing she smelled was a fresh and clean soap scent. The scent was gentle and warm, circulating around her nose and face, making her instinctively want to get closer. Half asleep, Ningning felt something different on her face, not knowing what it was. The sensation was somewhat firm, covered in a layer of soft fabric. In the silent surroundings, she could feel a strong heartbeat pounding.
Her mind suddenly cleared, remembering the cold white moonlight from last night. Pei Ji's face... was also cold and white. She and Pei Ji were sleeping on the same bed. They had both drunk alcohol last night, not to the point of being drunk, but under the influence, their courage was greater than usual.
Ningning vaguely remembered she was the one who had casually let him stay, and there was that phrase, "Do you want to listen to a heartbeat?" The tingling sensation, spreading from her chest through her blood, still remained, lightly poking at her heart. Ningning blushed a bit, but more than that, she couldn't suppress her joy and happiness.
She was now cuddling with someone she liked, feeling warm and comfortable, pressed tightly against Pei Ji, resembling a cuddly, warm teddy bear. It made her extremely happy. He always woke up early, probably already noon today, but Pei Ji was still lying in bed. Ningning moved her head away from his embrace, looking up, and met a pair of pitch-black eyes.
The winter sunlight, tinged with coldness, fell through the window onto his eyebrows. Pei Ji's eyes were lowered, allowing Ningning to see his long, dark eyelashes clearly, hanging down like a fan, making his pupils appear dark and deep, like a vortex. Unexpectedly, when she raised her head, he tightened his embrace.
"Good morning."
The warmth of the winter quilt made Pei Ji not want to move. Nestled in his arms was comfortable and soft, and Ningning liked this feeling as she placed her hand on his waist. His waist was slim, with smooth contours like water, tapering down delicately into firm muscles.
"When did you wake up?" Her voice was muffled against Pei Ji's chest, smiling, "Haven't you moved at all?"
Pei Ji, feeling a slight tremor from her touch, as if ticklish, breathed somewhat unevenly, "Not too long ago." This was, of course, a lie. Due to the alcohol, he woke up much later than usual, but it was still very early, about a few hours before noon.
It was a day unlike any other for him. Waking up not to a cold bed but to the girl he had long admired and adored. Pei Ji didn't want to wake her, so he gently moved back a bit, gazing at Ningning sleeping, sketching her face with his eyes and fingertips.
She was cute and beautiful, with fair, almost pink-tinted skin, even in her sleep. Pei Ji touched her soft lips, gently kissing the corners of her mouth and the dimple on her cheek. After kissing her, he hugged her again, feeling her softness and warmth in the gentle winter light, making her completely belong to him.
He used to practice swordsmanship like a madman, thinking that idling was a waste of time. But now, being with Ningning, even just holding her without moving, gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Pei Ji willingly became obsessed with this feeling.
"It's getting late." Ningning yawned and poked his waist through her clothes, "When do you plan to get up?"
Pei Ji raised his right hand, running it through her hair. His voice was clear and slightly hoarse after waking up, using a firm and unanswerable tone, yet also somewhat coquettish, "Just a little longer."
Pei Ji was very clingy in bed, but once he got up, he turned into a serious and aloof swordsman. The Shadow was placed outside the bedroom, and when they came out, the eager consciousness started buzzing and asking, "Pei Xiaoji! What did you do last night? Did you sleep on the same bed?" From the moment the Shadow separated from him, Ningning could also hear this middle-aged man's voice, smiling at the shadow's pure black hilt.
The Shadow couldn't guess. The Shadow was going crazy. The treatment of direct disciples and outer disciples differed, with each having their own independent courtyard to secure their privacy.
Ningning thought no one would notice Pei Ji with her, but as she was about to open the door, she heard a sudden knock. Feeling guilty, she exchanged a glance with Pei Ji, who nodded. Pretending everything was normal, she reached for the door latch.
The door opened to see senior sister Zheng Weiqi and He Zhizhou standing outside with a boy and a girl. "Ningning, come out to play! This is my—" Zheng Weiqi exclaimed happily but froze upon seeing Pei Ji: "Pei, Pei Junior Brother?"
Ningning, feeling caught red-handed, quickly explained, "He arrived not long ago to study swordsmanship with me!" Her words, innocent in intention, ignited a spark in Pei Ji's ears, turning into a blush. Studying swordsmanship. It reminded him of the joke Ningning made about the "Rain-Hit Wind-Blown Swordsmanship" back in Garaan, which he took seriously at the time and suggested they could study together.
Zheng Weiqi, with a single-minded brain, simply replied with an "Oh" without much thought. Ningning breathed a sigh of relief, about to change the topic when the girl beside senior sister curiously asked, "The big brother just arrived here, why are there no footprints in front of the door?"
Ningning was dumbfounded by the child's innocent question, feeling the heat rising to her face without any backbone. Pei Ji stepped in to resolve the issue, saying, "Senior Sister Zheng, who are these two?" After Zheng Weiqi's introduction, Ningning learned that the two children were her cousin Qiu Baishuang's kids.
"My cousin and his wife came to Xuanxu for the Immortal Spirit Meeting—where the powerful figures in the cultivation world gather at the end of each year," Zheng Weiqi explained patiently. She patted the girl's head and introduced her, "This girl is Qiu Qiu, and her brother, taking their mother's surname, is called Gulv, but we all call him 'Gulu.'"
The naming skills of their parents were unmatched. Ningning couldn't help but wonder if they had another child, would they be named simply 'Gun'? The atmosphere was filled with familial love, and the only dilemma was whether to name the next child 'Gu Gun' or 'Qiu Gun'—neither sounded like a name from the mortal realm.
The Xuanxu Sword Sect had picturesque scenery, but the two children, being under the age of ten, were more interested in building snowmen and having snowball fights in winter. He Zhizhou, fond of children, eagerly offered, "Come, watch as big brother builds a snow palace for you!"
Qiu Qiu, being seven or eight years old and outgoing, with a face like an egg and big eyes, excitedly clapped her hands upon hearing this. Her brother Gulu, who was five, was wrapped in heavy clothes, looking like a round little sprout. He was much shyer, staying close to Zheng Weiqi, curiously looking around.
"I heard that Brother He is very good at poetry," Zheng Weiqi mentioned. "Since it's snowing heavily now, why not compose a poem?"
He Zhizhou occasionally composed poems with his fellow disciples in his free time. Ningning had identified him as a time-traveler due to a familiar poem he recited. Expecting classical poetry, she was surprised as he began singing a playful poem, sparking laughter and joy among the children.
"Junior Brother He," watching his departing figure, Zheng Weiqi sighed, "Truly energetic, just as expected of a young man." After her sigh, she glanced at Gulu next to her subconsciously. Compared to his sister, this child was much more reserved. Gulu's personality was unlike his parents, excessively gentle and shy; he easily got embarrassed, especially around strangers, even Zheng Weiqi wasn't familiar to him.
At that moment, he was focused on making snowballs, while Ningning crouched beside him, supporting her cheek with her right hand, smiling as she spoke, "What kind of snowman does Gulu want to build? Sister will help you." The child timidly glanced at her, his black eyes resembling two round grapes.
Being cold and with chubby cheeks tinted pink due to the cold, he was like a soft round dumpling that made one want to squish him. He was just too cute. Suppressing the urge to hug him, Ningning couldn't help but smile warmly; she felt like a mischievous aunt at that moment.
After a pause, Gulu, seeming a bit nervous, lowered his head slightly, then moved his right hand in front of Ningning. In his hand was a shiny white snowball, molded into a strange shape by him. Ningning was trying to figure out what it was when she heard his soft voice say, "For you, Sister."
