The Demon’s Cold Comfort

Once Xiyue finally released her, Su Xiaoxiao noticed a jade bangle gracing her wrist, faint red threads swirling within its translucent depths.

She lifted her gaze, a question in her eyes as she met Xiyue’s, who merely offered a nonchalant, “It’s for you.”

Knowing Xiyue’s nature, Su Xiaoxiao was certain anything from her would be far from pleasant; she harbored no desire for it.

Without a word, Su Xiaoxiao bent her head, attempting to slip off the crimson jade bangle. Xiyue offered no protest, watching impassively as Su Xiaoxiao struggled in vain, her wrist chafing red with effort. Only then did a derisive laugh escape Xiyue’s lips. “You won’t be able to remove it,” she declared.

Su Xiaoxiao looked up again, anger simmering beneath a forced composure. “What is this?” she demanded.

‘This little fish truly doesn’t know what’s good for her,’ Xiyue thought, observing Su Xiaoxiao’s guarded expression. Her words were sharp. “It binds your spiritual power, to ensure you don’t escape.”

Xiyue deliberately heightened the threat. “Should you dare to flee, the moment you step outside the Demon Realm, this bangle will utterly cripple your hand.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s face paled dramatically. Even her usually gentle disposition couldn’t withstand such a threat. She lifted her arm, slamming the bangle with all her might against the tabletop.

Despite her desperate blows, the jade bangle remained utterly unscathed, unmoving even an inch, while her own wrist throbbed crimson from the impact.

Merfolk, inherently delicate and averse to pain, were easily intimidated. Now, thoroughly cowed by Xiyue’s chilling words, Su Xiaoxiao’s mind reeled with the dreadful realization: she might never return to the South Sea, never again behold her kin…

Xiyue watched, her gaze fixed on Su Xiaoxiao, whose eyes, blazing with hatred, were crimson. Tears cascaded from her chin, each drop transforming into a tiny pearl upon hitting the floor, scattering with a soft clatter.

Disgusted by Su Xiaoxiao’s dramatic display, Xiyue snapped, “Stop this theatrics. Who are you putting on a show for?”

Raising a hand, Xiyue roughly, almost carelessly, wiped away Su Xiaoxiao’s tears. “If you behave obediently, and attend to me as dutifully as you did yesterday, I’ll remove it for you when it’s time for you to return home.”

Merfolk were notoriously trusting. Despite the considerable pain Xiyue, the Great Demon Lord, had inflicted upon her, Su Xiaoxiao still clung to a sliver of belief in her words.

With a choked sob, she pressed Xiyue, “Truly? Swear to me you won’t deceive me.”

Xiyue found herself utterly amused. When she hesitated to swear, Su Xiaoxiao’s anger flared anew. “I knew it! You’re lying to me again! None of you demons are any good!”

Xiyue watched, a glint of amusement in her eyes, as she observed Su Xiaoxiao’s wrist, as pristine as a lotus root. The jade bangle, she mused, truly suited this little fish.

Noticing Su Xiaoxiao on the verge of another outburst, Xiyue felt a flicker of annoyance. “Fine,” she conceded dismissively. “I swear, this bangle will not obstruct your return to the South Sea when the time comes.”

Instantly, Su Xiaoxiao ceased her tears, her voice soft and pliable. “Alright, I understand,” she responded.

Su Xiaoxiao was content, even delighted, her mood shifting with surprising speed.

Xiyue found herself reflecting that her temper had become remarkably more agreeable of late. She hadn’t, after all, simply crushed this little fish to death; instead, she had even ordered exquisite food prepared for her, and the very water she drank flowed from spiritual springs plundered from other races.

She disdained sharing these details with Su Xiaoxiao. After all, a fish that had graced her bed was, in essence, branded as her own. A little extra investment of effort was a small price to pay.

****

The winter in the Demon Realm descended with an exceptional, biting chill.

The abrupt onset of severe cold and raging blizzards proved profoundly challenging for Su Xiaoxiao to endure.

Even the winters of the South Sea, bathed in sunlight, had never approached such frigid depths.

Su Xiaoxiao’s condition showed no signs of improvement. She found herself unable to gather spiritual energy, convinced that by now, the wound on her chest should have long since mended. The culprit, she suspected, was undoubtedly this wretched bangle Xiyue had forced upon her.

The crimson jade bangle, stubbornly affixed, defied all of Su Xiaoxiao’s numerous attempts to remove or even damage it.

As the severe cold intensified, her resolve to contend with the bangle dwindled.

Su Xiaoxiao succumbed to illness once more. One day, during a petty quarrel with Xiyue, she suddenly doubled over, clutching her mouth as a fit of coughs wracked her. When she finally looked up, a shocking sight met her eyes: blood stained her palm.

Xiyue’s expression shifted instantly. She seized Su Xiaoxiao’s hand, her fingers pressing against her wrist to take her pulse.

Xiyue’s own body temperature was uncharacteristically cool. She extended a hand to touch Su Xiaoxiao’s forehead, discovering, to her surprise, a raging fever.

Gu Yan was summoned. Su Xiaoxiao, in a feverish haze, drifted in and out of consciousness, convinced her end was near.

“What… what’s happening to me…”

Xiyue, ever the bearer of harsh truths, her face grim, declared, “You’re on the verge of becoming a roasted fish.”

Merfolk, inherently vulnerable to both fire and intense heat, recoiled at the mere mention.

Xiyue’s callous remark only served to deepen the already ailing Su Xiaoxiao’s resentment.

Gu Yan proceeded to take Su Xiaoxiao’s pulse. Typically, her instructions—such as taking medicine promptly or avoiding emotional agitation—were delivered directly to Su Xiaoxiao.

Today, however, her expression was grave as she turned to Xiyue and uttered words that would strike profound fear into any merfolk’s heart.

“Perhaps you should step outside with me to discuss this.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened. ‘???!!!’

‘What could possibly be so dire that they must speak of it behind my back?’

‘What words are so forbidden that this fish is not permitted to hear them?’

Abandoning her previous demeanor, Su Xiaoxiao clutched Xiyue’s garment hem, refusing to release her grip.

Xiyue, poised to depart, was pulled back by Su Xiaoxiao’s tug, forcing her to turn.

Su Xiaoxiao remained fragile and slight. Though Xiyue had refrained from tormenting her in recent days, even ensuring she consumed her food and medicine, her body stubbornly remained frail.

Su Xiaoxiao, sensitive to the cold, was buried beneath thick blankets, only her small, palm-sized face peeking out. Her eyes, clear yet filled with apprehension, fixed on Xiyue.

“Don’t be childish,” Xiyue admonished, gently pushing Su Xiaoxiao’s hand away before exiting with Gu Yan.

No sooner had they stepped out than Su Xiaoxiao scrambled from her bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush white rug. She pressed herself against the door, straining to eavesdrop.

Yet, the sounds were completely muffled. This struck Su Xiaoxiao as highly unusual, and she belatedly realized Xiyue’s cunning: the demon had cast a spell upon the door, specifically to thwart her eavesdropping.

‘What words could possibly necessitate such secrecy from a fish?’

Outside, large snowflakes danced in the air. Gu Yan, without preamble, declared, “The environment of the Demon Realm is simply unsuitable for her.”

Xiyue merely arched an eyebrow, offering no response.

Unable to discern Xiyue’s thoughts, Gu Yan pressed on, “While her damaged heart meridian can be sustained with medicinal nourishment, it is ultimately not a true cure.”

“So, what exactly are you suggesting?” Xiyue’s voice remained calm, yet an unmistakable pressure emanated from her.

Cold sweat beaded on Gu Yan’s brow, yet she knew the arrow was already on the string; the words, once half-spoken, were like water spilled—impossible to reclaim.

“In my professional opinion, it would be best to return her to the South Sea, to await the Merfolk tribe’s…”

“Gu Yan.” Xiyue cut her off with an impatient snap, her voice colder than the swirling snow outside. “I’ve told you before: refrain from interfering in matters between her and me.”

“This isn’t interference,” Gu Yan retorted, a rare defiance in her tone. “You asked me to heal her wounds. My skills are insufficient; I cannot cure her. This is the only viable solution I can conceive. You are effectively cornering me.”

Having known Xiyue for several millennia, Gu Yan harbored no illusions of parity with the Demon Lord, yet their relationship transcended that of ordinary demons and their sovereign.

In their millennia of acquaintance, this was the first time Xiyue had provoked such an uncharacteristic outburst from Gu Yan.

Having spoken her mind, she couldn’t suppress a weary sigh.

‘Alas,’ she thought, ‘what good is debating with Xiyue, a demon utterly devoid of love or emotion?’

Gu Yan glanced back toward the room, then continued, “I do know of one medicine that might prove effective, but its primary ingredient is exceedingly rare. As I haven’t been in the Demon Realm these past days, you must…” She trailed off, unable to be too blunt.

Unable to be overtly direct, Gu Yan alluded, “…don’t put her through too much torment.”

Xiyue offered no reply, simply pushing the door open and stepping inside. There, she found the foolish fish standing barefoot on the floor, looking precisely like a cat caught pilfering a fish.

“I… I…”

Uncharacteristically, Xiyue didn’t erupt in anger. Her gaze settled on Su Xiaoxiao’s bare feet. “Go back to bed,” she commanded.