A Moment of Tenderness

Xiyue was about to refuse, but Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her head, and her slightly cool lips pressed against Xiyue’s ear, as if leaving a gentle kiss.

“Xiyue, I’ve been lying down for days. I want to go out for a walk.”

“How about it?”

Xiyue, with a stern expression, replied, “No, weren’t you shivering last night and snuggling up to me? You’re feeling better now, and already forgetting your fears?”

Usually, Su Xiaoxiao would have been upset and stopped talking, but after spending a few days together, she realized Xiyue wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. Uncertain of her own feelings, Su Xiaoxiao not only didn’t fear her, but also didn’t leave Xiyue’s embrace. She spoke softly and gently, “But I really want to go.”

“Xiyue, please, just for a little while.”

“I want to soak in the water and wash off this medicinal smell.”

Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t lying. She truly felt that the medicine had made her life bitter and that she was nearly pickled. Xiyue was silent, her expression serious.

At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t yet understood Xiyue’s nature or how to interact with her. In the years to come, when Su Xiaoxiao would patiently advise a crying little fish, she would say, “Your mother is soft-hearted and won’t listen to harsh words, so be sweet to her, and she’ll give in to you.”

But at this moment—

Xiyue, unable to resist Su Xiaoxiao’s pleading, held her tightly around the waist and together they entered the pool. The snow weighed heavily on the branches of the sea buckthorn, causing the flowers to fall gently onto the snow, creating a scene as beautiful as a painting.

Su Xiaoxiao, held in Xiyue’s arms, felt as warm as if she were hugging a fire. Xiyue was a serpent, a creature of cold blood, transformed into a dragon after transcendence. She should have been cold, yet every time she held Su Xiaoxiao, she felt warm.

Su Xiaoxiao’s tail, too weak to transform, was helped by Xiyue. As Su Xiaoxiao’s tail played in the water, her back pressed against Xiyue, and she didn’t feel the cold of the pool at all. After spending so many days in the dungeon and the house, the touch of living water and the outside world had improved her mood and spirit.

Unconsciously, Su Xiaoxiao’s movements caused her body to press against Xiyue’s thigh. If it had been anyone else, Xiyue would have thought it was intentional. But with the foolish fish in her arms, it was simply because she was too stupid.

Xiyue grew restless, but Su Xiaoxiao was too weak to satisfy her. Xiyue tried to control herself, her brow furrowed deeply, until she finally reached out and held Su Xiaoxiao’s slender waist, her voice colder than the falling snow.

“Stop moving!!”

Su Xiaoxiao froze, her tail and every part of her body still. Pressed close to Xiyue, she could feel her increasingly heavy breathing and the growing desire in her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao knew that Xiyue wanted her.

“I… I’m not well yet…”

“I… I’m still in pain…”

Su Xiaoxiao’s half-truths were a reminder to Xiyue. Feeling helpless, Su Xiaoxiao regretted asking Xiyue to bring her out. Why did Xiyue always become aroused in the water? Did she even know what ‘propriety’ meant? Why did she always want to do this in the open?

Xiyue, however, didn’t touch Su Xiaoxiao. They remained close, both slightly rigid, for an hour before Xiyue carried Su Xiaoxiao back to the house, dried her off, and tucked her into bed, holding her close while they slept.

…

After three months of careful care, Su Xiaoxiao’s health improved significantly. Her relationship with Xiyue was no longer as tense.

It wasn’t that Xiyue’s nature had changed; in fact, Su Xiaoxiao noticed that Xiyue had become increasingly moody, often flying into rages for no reason. Many items in the house were destroyed by Xiyue’s temper.

Su Xiaoxiao speculated that Xiyue might be experiencing her ‘monthly’ cycle, which would explain her unpredictable moods. Yet, Su Xiaoxiao had experienced this before and hadn’t acted the same way. The only good thing was that Xiyue, despite her anger, never laid a hand on Su Xiaoxiao. Several times, after scaring Su Xiaoxiao to tears, Xiyue would immediately recover and gruffly ask her to come closer, holding her as if she were a beloved pet, “Are you hurt?”

Sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal. Su Xiaoxiao secretly told Gu Yan about this.

“What’s wrong with her? Is she… experiencing her cycle? Maybe you should check her pulse and give her some medicine. Don’t let her refuse treatment.”

The little fish didn’t understand, but Gu Yan was fully aware of the situation. Xiyue’s tribulation was coming sooner than expected, and during this critical time, her cultivation had gone awry, leading to the manifestation of a heart demon. She repeatedly fell into chaotic realms during cultivation, struggling with the heart demon, which ultimately injured her.

At this crucial moment, the fairies, those hypocrites, were not idle. In alliance with other races, they planned to initiate another war between the fairies and the demons, aiming to completely eradicate the demon race. To Xiyue’s surprise, the leader of the mermaids personally sent an invitation, proposing a meeting. The request was simple and enticing: “Return our young ones, and we will not ally with the fairies.”

Xiyue’s subordinates suggested she return Su Xiaoxiao, delighted by the prospect of losing the mermaids’ support. “Let’s see who suffers more, the fairies or us!”

“Empress, this is a great opportunity! We must seize it!”

“Empress, this is a wonderful chance!”

“Let the fairies taste our strength this time!”

Xiyue, as the ruler of the demon race, controlled the fate of all demons. Although not a saint, she believed that as a strong leader, she should show others that there were other dragons in the world besides her.

…

None of these events were known to Su Xiaoxiao. Xiyue restricted her to the small courtyard, posting many guards outside. Even Gu Yan, who had nothing to do, would often come by, making Su Xiaoxiao think that Gu Yan was just keeping her company to avoid boredom, never suspecting that she was being watched.

Only when Xiyue returned would Gu Yan leave. Xiyue hid her true feelings from Su Xiaoxiao. Sometimes, when Su Xiaoxiao asked to leave the courtyard, Xiyue would sternly refuse, even when Su Xiaoxiao repeatedly assured her that she only wanted to walk within the palace grounds. Annoyed by Su Xiaoxiao’s persistence, Xiyue would growl, “Am I giving you too much free time? Are you too energetic?”

“This time, I’ll keep you in bed, and you’ll see if you still want to go out!”

Then, Xiyue would drag Su Xiaoxiao to bed, exhausting her until she was barely breathing, only then would she release her. Afterward, Su Xiaoxiao would not dare to ask again, and her weakened spirit would keep her quiet for days.

As the weather warmed, Xiyue enjoyed pulling Su Xiaoxiao into the pool in the courtyard, playing until the end, when she would press Su Xiaoxiao against the pool’s edge and take what she wanted. Su Xiaoxiao didn’t cry at the time, but afterward, she wept so loudly that she didn’t speak to Xiyue for three days. Xiyue, already irritated, had to devote some of her attention to comforting her, which only worsened her mood. “Isn’t it just a few fish you kept in the pool? I’ll replace them. Is there a need to keep giving me the cold shoulder?”