Chapter 61: An Unexpected Morning Embrace

As dawn began to break, Yun Xueshang’s eyes fluttered open precisely on schedule.

Just as she prepared to rise, a gentle yet firm embrace held her captive, rendering her unable to stir.

“Rongrong, don’t be noisy…”

A warm breath, heavily laden with a rich floral scent, softly brushed against her cheek.

Yun Xueshang turned her head, her gaze meeting a strikingly vibrant face.

The face was exquisitely radiant and alive, its pale golden almond eyes closed, and its vermillion lips parted ever so slightly. So delicate was her beauty that every trembling eyelash seemed countable.

Unbeknownst to her, Hua Yan had, at some point, closed the intentional gap they had left between them during the night, her entire body now entwined around Yun Xueshang in a firm embrace.

The warmth and softness in her arms, coupled with the pervasive floral scent, was almost intoxicating. Somehow, Yun Xueshang, who was always disciplined and rose daily for sword practice, suddenly found herself disinclined to move.

She simply could not bring herself to rouse the girl, who was slumbering so peacefully before her.

And so, Yun Xueshang lay still, allowing Hua Yan to use her as a pillow, letting the soft red strands of Hua Yan’s hair intertwine with her own white tresses.

Her gaze remained unwavering, fixed upon that charming, sleeping countenance.

She stayed like that until the sun was well past its zenith.

“Wah! Yun Xueshang! Why are you so close to me?!”

Hua Yan’s eyes fluttered open in a daze, only to be met by a pair of crimson eyes, distant yet intensely focused, staring unblinkingly back at her.

“Why didn’t you go for your morning sword practice?!”

She abruptly released her grip, leaping to the opposite side of the bed like a startled cat.

A swift blush crept up her cheeks.

“Yan’er, you were the one holding me just now.”

Yun Xueshang felt the sudden absence of warmth in her arms. She blinked, then softly explained:

“I didn’t wish to disturb your peaceful slumber, so I remained still.”

“Ah? Oh…”

Hua Yan initially wanted to argue, but the lingering memories of waking confirmed that Yun Xueshang was indeed correct.

At some point during the night, she truly had been embracing Yun Xueshang, and had slept that way for an entire night.

“Th-then why were you just staring at me like that, doing wh-what?!”

Her face flushed crimson as she stammered out the question, seemingly trying to salvage a shred of dignity.

“Yan’er is truly beautiful,” Yun Xueshang answered honestly, “I simply couldn’t help but keep looking.”

“You! You—”

Hua Yan pointed a trembling finger at Yun Xueshang’s serene, pale face, struggling to articulate a full sentence. Her cheeks, meanwhile, burned so intensely they seemed on the verge of dripping blood.

“I—I’m going to see Rongrong! If you love gazing at beauties so much, go stare at yourself in a mirror until you’re satisfied!”

With that, she snatched up her outer garment and fled in a hasty retreat.

Yun Xueshang watched the crimson figure disappear in a flurry, then tilted her head slightly.

‘Yan’er told me to look in the mirror… was she implying that I am also beautiful?’

In truth, she had always been indifferent to her own appearance. Having seen this visage daily for so long, she had grown utterly accustomed to it; even others’ compliments rarely stirred her.

Hua Yan, however, was different. In Yun Xueshang’s heart, Hua Yan was inherently breathtaking.

Even ten years ago, on the Yin-Yang Platform, Yun Xueshang had found her resolve wavering before Hua Yan’s face, veiled with an ethereal allure, allowing herself to be kissed.

‘Since Yan’er said such a thing… then I must be beautiful too, mustn’t I?’

The white-haired immortal curved her eyes, a soft smile gracing her lips.

‘This is for the best, then—to be a suitable match for her is, after all, a good thing.’

***

As Hua Yan burst from the room, a small figure clad in pink was already seated beneath the locust tree in the courtyard, clearly having waited for quite some time.

“Mother, why are you getting up so late today?”

Hua Xiangrong, perched on a stone stool beneath the tree, gazed up at Hua Yan, whose cheeks still bore faint traces of pink. The child blinked suspiciously.

“Mother, please tell Rongrong honestly, did you and Mama fight last night? Is that why you woke up so late?”

“What?! Fighting?! Who taught you such things?!”

The blush that had just begun to recede from Hua Yan’s face immediately surged back with renewed intensity.

“It *is* fighting,” Hua Xiangrong insisted with a serious expression.

“Xiao Mei from school said that her Mama and Mother sometimes oversleep too, and that means they fought the night before. She even said she saw bruises on her Mama’s neck, which was clearly from fighting!”

She tugged on Hua Yan’s sleeve, her small face creased with concern.

“Mother, can you two please behave yourselves from now on? Rongrong will come back to sleep with you, then everything will be fine.”

‘Fighting or not fighting! Was that *fighting*?!’

‘And that Xiao Mei! So young, and already teaching Rongrong such utter nonsense!’

Hua Yan was both exasperated and mortified. She stamped her foot, yet when confronted with her daughter’s innocent, worried expression, she found herself at a loss for words.

“W-we didn’t fight! Look, where are the marks on my neck?”

As she spoke, she crouched down, presenting her slender, fair neck for Hua Xiangrong’s inspection.

“Hmm… Mother doesn’t have any, indeed.” Hua Xiangrong, like a miniature adult, meticulously examined her, then turned and scurried towards Yun Xueshang, who had just stepped out the door. “Mama! I want to see your neck too!”

Though Yun Xueshang was slightly bewildered by the request, she nonetheless gently bent down and scooped up the child, allowing her to meticulously inspect her neck.

“Rongrong, could you tell Mama what exactly you’re doing?”

She blinked, her voice soft as she asked.

“I’m checking if Mama and Mother fought behind Rongrong’s back last night,”

The pink-haired girl replied with a clear, crisp voice, then proceeded to reiterate her entire “theory” from earlier.

‘Why would Xiao Mei’s Mama and Mother fight at night? From what she said, it sounds like it wasn’t just once or twice.’

‘If it were merely sparring between fellow disciples, how could it leave such marks on their necks?’

Yun Xueshang blinked in confusion. Unable to comprehend, she decided not to probe further, choosing instead to explain with gentle patience:

“Rongrong, your mother and I did not fight last night. We simply talked rather late, which is why we awoke tardily this morning.”

“Really? You’re not lying to Rongrong? Are your relations truly very good?”

The little girl in her arms still seemed unconvinced.

“Yes, it is true,” the white-haired immortal stated with earnestness. “Our relationship is very good.”

She paused, then, recalling something, added another remark:

“Last night, we slept while embracing each other.”

“Hey! Yun Xueshang! What nonsense are you spouting to the child?!”

Hua Yan’s face immediately turned crimson—whether from anger or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell, but her toes trembled.

‘I clearly said “we” slept embracing, not just that Yan’er embraced me. Why can’t I say that?’

Yet, seeing Hua Yan before her, her cheeks flushed scarlet and looking as though she might spontaneously combust, Yun Xueshang dutifully admitted her error.

“I apologize, Yan’er. I misspoke.”

She paused, deliberating for a moment, before re-explaining to the girl in her arms:

“Actually, last night, I was the one who insisted on embracing Yan’er while we slept. She originally wanted to send me away, but I was determined to stay.”

“Hmm? Really?”

Hua Xiangrong tilted her small head, her gaze filled with suspicion as she scrutinized Yun Xueshang’s placid expression.

“Mama, would you truly do such a thing? If Mother is threatening you, just blink subtly to Rongrong, alright?”

“What do you mean, ‘threatened by me’?!”

Hua Yan put her hands on her hips, speaking with a huff:

“Anyway, anyway, that’s just how it was! Last night, *she* was the one who insisted on embracing me, and she begged me for a long time before I finally agreed!”

“Oh, alright then…”

Hua Xiangrong nodded her little head, seemingly convinced.

‘Hmph, children truly are easy to appease.’

Hua Yan watched her “naïve” daughter, a triumphant smile playing on the corners of her lips.

‘As for Yun Xueshang… she’s not entirely dense after all.’

With these thoughts, she lifted her gaze to Yun Xueshang, who was carrying their child and walking toward the kitchen. In the sunlight, that serene profile seemed impossibly gentle.

The more Hua Yan looked, the more she began to feel—

‘That perhaps, she was rather pleased with this.’