A Phoenix’s Secret Escape

Feiluo’s room was illuminated by the bright moonlight filtering through the window in the dead of night, casting its silvery glow upon the raised lump beneath her quilt.

Hidden beneath the covers, Feiluo used a tiny pinpoint of light from her fingertip to illuminate the dark interior, allowing her to clearly see the manga clutched in her hands.

Sometimes, upon encountering a hilarious passage, she would carefully muffle her mouth, stifling her laughter to prevent any sound from escaping.

At other times, when confronted with an infuriating scene, she would clench her fists tightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if championing the wronged characters within the manga.

Thus, time flowed by, second by agonizing second, as Feiluo immersed herself in the world of her manga.

“Hoo~”

Suddenly, Feiluo closed the manga in her hands and let out a long sigh. This evening, she had once again devoured the entirety of ‘Overbearing Spirit Sword Fairy Falls for Demonic Saintess,’ a series she hadn’t touched in ages.

What a thrill!

Feiluo tucked the manga into her spatial bracelet, then extended a slender, jade-like hand from the warmth of her quilt.

The moment the icy air outside the quilt touched Feiluo’s skin, her small hand trembled, and she hastily snatched the tiny alarm clock from beside her pillow, pulling it into the sanctuary of her covers.

“Hiss~ It’s a bit chilly.”

Feiluo rubbed her slightly chilled hands together; as a young phoenix, a mythical race inherently aligned with fire, she naturally harbored no fear of the cold and could even thrive in the most extreme icy landscapes. However, not fearing the cold did not mean she enjoyed it. Quite the contrary, cold was precisely what she disliked the most!

Feiluo brought the tiny alarm clock before her eyes to check the time, her warm breath fogging the still-cold glass, which hadn’t yet warmed up since being pulled under the covers, creating a fine, hazy mist on its surface.

“Hmm… it’s already midnight. Moxi should be fast asleep by now.”

Feiluo propped her small chin up, striking a pose often adopted by a certain detective she’d seen in manga – one whose body had shrunk, yet whose mind remained exceptionally sharp.

She had been reading manga for so long precisely to await this moment: Moxi’s slumber. After all, having already planned her escape from home, she absolutely couldn’t allow Moxi to discover her intentions.

Otherwise, given Moxi’s formidable cultivation, Feiluo would likely never take another step outside the Blazing Spirit Sect in this lifetime!

Therefore, she had to sneak out quietly, ensuring Moxi remained completely unaware of her plan!

A small, red-haired head peeked out from under the covers, its brilliant, sun-like golden pupils cautiously surveying the surroundings. Finding no sign of Moxi lurking somewhere, watching her – a scenario more befitting a horror manga – Feiluo relaxed.

Feiluo breathed a sigh of relief. She had genuinely feared Moxi would discover her intention to run away, knowing all too well how deeply Moxi understood her, and how likely it was she’d sense something amiss. It seemed, for now, her worries were unfounded.

Yet, even as she relaxed, a peculiar sense of disappointment welled up in Feiluo’s heart. She shook her head, determined to cast off this inexplicable feeling of dejection that had suddenly surfaced within her.

She wouldn’t possibly feel disappointed just because Moxi hadn’t detected her intentions!

She wasn’t some lovesick young girl to be disheartened by such a thing!

Absolutely not!

This emotion was… was…

Disappointment!

Yes! That’s right! It was merely disappointment!

After all, Moxi was someone who had once effortlessly defeated her; to think she couldn’t even detect Feiluo’s escape plan! Such carelessness, how could it not leave her feeling disappointed?

Exactly! It made perfect sense! This was the reason!

Having forcefully convinced herself, Feiluo ignored the persistent surge of complex emotions within her and simply flipped off the bed.

Approaching the wardrobe, Feiluo opened its doors and rummaged through the myriad of colorful, diverse garments. These clothes had all been bought by Moxi in the past, with Moxi’s stated reason being a desire to see her ‘obedient disciple’ in more varied styles. However, in Feiluo’s opinion, Moxi likely just treated her as a dress-up doll.

Pushing aside a red Lolita dress, Feiluo found her target hidden behind it: a black stealth suit. She couldn’t fathom what Moxi had been thinking when she bought this outfit, to have even acquired something like it. Did Moxi want to see a different side of her so much that even this was included?

As she held the stealth suit before her, examining it, Feiluo’s thoughts drifted, and without realizing it, she had already donned the outfit.

Feiluo assessed how the garment clung to her body, only to discover with a touch of frustration that it fit her perfectly, a near nine out of ten in snugness. To think, this outfit had been purchased two or three years ago! For it to still fit so perfectly now could only mean she hadn’t grown an inch in all this time! She recalled how she had once been a tall figure, over 1.75 meters, but was now merely a cute little loli just over 1.3 meters tall.

Feiluo sighed, dismissing the issue of her height.

She carefully opened her room door, then tiptoed out, making every effort to avoid making any significant noise.

This behavior… why did it feel somewhat familiar?

As she softly padded along the path to the living room, a sense of déjà vu suddenly struck Feiluo.

It seemed… a lot like her old habit of sneaking out for midnight snacks.

At this thought, the dark corridor before her instantly felt more welcoming to Feiluo. Her previously cautious, silent movements grew bolder, yet her steps remained as quiet as before.

Such practiced movements were certainly worthy of the stealth suit she wore.

‘Nothing more than practice makes perfect,’ she mused.

Truly, she was the Queen of Sneaking Snacks! Feiluo thought with a touch of pride, though she conceded the source of her pride was a little peculiar.

Suddenly, Feiluo’s footsteps halted, pausing before a specific door – Moxi’s room. Gazing at the ancient, elegant paulownia wood door before her, Feiluo hesitated for a moment.

Then, she quietly pressed her ear against the door, channeling spiritual energy to enhance her hearing.

“Hoo~ hoo~ hoo…” Moxi’s calm, rhythmic breathing reached Feiluo’s ears, confirming that Moxi was indeed asleep.

Feiluo nodded knowingly, her small head pulling away from the door as she continued to stealthily advance towards the main entrance.

Upon reaching the living room, Feiluo headed for the main door, intending to leave immediately.

Just then, a cabinet caught her eye in her peripheral vision – the snack cabinet, filled with treats. Her steps faltered, her toes swiveled, and her direction shifted towards the snack cabinet.

Standing before the snack cabinet, gazing at the treats that seemed to await her selection, Feiluo pondered for a moment. Then, with swift, silent movements, she simply swept the entire cabinet, snacks and all, into her spatial bracelet.

Of course, not a single sound was made throughout.

‘Only children make choices,’ she thought. ‘As an adult, I naturally take everything!’

Feiluo happily tiptoed to the main door, then quietly opened it and slipped out of the house.

The moment she was outside, Feiluo’s movements immediately grew bolder, no longer as cautious as before, no longer fearing to make a sound.

She skipped along, heading into the distance, when suddenly, as if recalling something, she scurried back to the main door and gently closed it.

Having done so, Feiluo once again skipped off into the distance.

What Feiluo failed to see was a figure that had appeared at the doorstep behind her, unnoticed. The figure was clad in a white immortal’s gown, its snow-white hair dancing gently in the breeze, while ruby-like crimson eyes silently watched Feiluo’s retreating back.

Bathed in the ethereal moonlight, the figure resembled a celestial fairy descended to the mortal realm, exuding an aura of serene detachment and dreamlike beauty.