A Mother’s Affection and a Midnight Nightmare

Su Xiaoxiao mused that it would be perfectly normal if there were a golden tail wagging behind Xilin in mid-air. Of course, this thought was one Su Xiaoxiao could only keep to herself.

“My mother monarch is truly peculiar,” Xilin continued. “She’s actually very good to my mother, mostly indulging her. When my mother protected me, she didn’t pursue the matter of punishment further. But the moment my mother suggested sending me back to the Dragon-Human Tribe, she became angry again.”

Xilin looked at Jingling, motioning to her. “Isn’t that right?”

Jingling nodded, her voice soft. “Elder Yunji made us wait for a while. She and Imperial Lord Weili spoke for some time in the distance. We even saw Elder Yunji raise her long blade and point it at the Imperial Lord…”

Her voice grew progressively softer, and she kept glancing at Xilin, as if fearing she might say the wrong thing and displease Xilin, worried that Xilin might stop playing with her if she became upset.

Unexpectedly, Xilin, upon hearing this, pounded the table twice, nearly leaping up.

Her cheeks flushed, she spoke to Su Xiaoxiao with great excitement. “Little Sister Su, tell me, isn’t my mother magnificent? Just tell me, isn’t my mother truly magnificent?!”

Su Xiaoxiao could only nod, a wry smile playing on her lips. “Magnificent, very magnificent.”

“In any case, my mother simply took Jingling and me back to the Dragon-Human Tribe. As we left, my mother monarch stood there, looking utterly stunned, as if she had suffered an immense blow. It almost made me laugh.”

Infected by her smile, Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. “I didn’t realize you disliked the Imperial Lord so much.”

“She wasn’t good to my mother,” Xilin declared. “She always thought of herself as the Imperial Lord, the helmsman of these Nine Provinces, always putting on airs. She wasn’t gentle enough or kind enough to my mother, so naturally, I dislike her.”

Xilin, full of energy, continued speaking to Su Xiaoxiao. “After returning to the Dragon-Human Tribe, my cultivation time was greatly reduced. Clan Leader Yunxiao praised my innate talent, saying that with my current cultivation, I’m probably a standout even among the Immortal Clan.”

“Do you know, my mother monarch has never once praised me? In her eyes, no matter how well I do, it’s never enough. She always thinks I’m a good-for-nothing waste.”

Su Xiaoxiao noticed Xilin seemed unhappy again and was about to offer some words of comfort, but the shy, quiet Jingling was even quicker, rushing to defend Xilin.

“That’s not true at all!” Her voice rose slightly. “Elder Yun Zhu has sparred with Sister Xilin many times. Whenever she instructs us, she says Sister Xilin is very powerful, and that she’s not much older than us, telling us to cultivate diligently like her.”

Xilin’s expression visibly brightened. Su Xiaoxiao even thought she saw a faint blush of shyness on her cheeks as she mumbled, “What nonsense are you spouting? She would never praise me. She hates me to death.”

“It’s true.”

“I don’t believe it, unless you say it a few more times for me to hear.”

“I…”

Su Xiaoxiao watched them banter back and forth, seeing Xilin deliberately tease Jingling into speaking, and couldn’t help but smile. The little fish cub in her belly gave a kick, as if it, too, had enjoyed the conversation.

****

Perhaps it was because of Xilin’s stories about Elder Yun Zhu and Imperial Lord Weili earlier in the day, but that night, Su Xiaoxiao dreamed of Xiyue.

Indeed, even after returning to the Merfolk Tribe, Su Xiaoxiao would still occasionally dream of the events that transpired in the Demonic Realm.

Those pains, those torments…

Su Xiaoxiao was caught in a nightmare, crying out in her sleep, yet unable to wake. She dreamed that Xiyue was even more ruthless than Imperial Lord Weili, repeatedly attempting to kill her little fish cub.

That night, Xiyue had secretly snuck in while Su Xiaoxiao was asleep, intending only to glance at her before leaving. To her surprise, she found Su Xiaoxiao weeping.

Unable to control herself, she directly entered Su Xiaoxiao’s room.

Xiyue initially worried that Su Xiaoxiao was crying due to discomfort, but as she reached the bedside, Su Xiaoxiao, still caught in her nightmare, suddenly awoke and grasped Xiyue’s arm.

Xiyue flinched in fright, daring not to move. In the dim light, Su Xiaoxiao looked at her, then fearfully recoiled. “Don’t hurt us…”

Only then did Xiyue realize that Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t truly woken up.

She was trapped in a nightmare, clutching Xiyue, her face streaked with tears, uncontrollable sobs and whimpers continuously rising from deep within her throat.

Xiyue, during her recent visits, had heard Yanyan speak of Su Xiaoxiao’s condition.

“She’s doing wonderfully here,” Yanyan had declared confidently. “I finally understand why this little fish kept insisting on coming back. The Merfolk Tribe treats her like a walking treasure.”

“Putting aside material comforts like food and clothing, even Xilin, the little princess of the Upper Heaven Realm, appears before her daily, as if specially arranged by the clan leader and elders to appease Su Xiaoxiao, speaking and entertaining her.”

Xiyue’s heart had felt heavy and stifled upon hearing this, and she had ultimately replied with a low, despondent tone, “That’s good then.”

During the day, Xiyue had occasionally seen Su Xiaoxiao napping or talking and eating with the little golden dragon from a distance. Su Xiaoxiao’s expression was gentle, and she would occasionally smile at the two children.

Recalling that Su Xiaoxiao had hardly ever smiled at her, Xiyue frowned, a flicker of unwillingness in her eyes, yet she still slunk away.

What she had witnessed firsthand, coupled with Yanyan’s words, had led Xiyue to believe Su Xiaoxiao was doing very well here. She never expected to find her crying in the middle of the night today.

With her arm gently held by Su Xiaoxiao, Xiyue’s heart pounded like thunder. Her body was rigid, daring not to move an inch, her mind a blank, utterly unsure what to say.

She parted her lips, and after a long moment, she softly spoke to Su Xiaoxiao, “I won’t hurt you.”

She was answering Su Xiaoxiao’s earlier words spoken in her nightmare. Su Xiaoxiao’s expression was shattered, dazed, and bewildered, her two red, rabbit-like eyes fixed on Xiyue.

Such a stalemate was not a solution. Xiyue cautiously spoke again, her voice so soft it was unlike anything that would usually come from her mouth.

“It’s okay, Su Xiaoxiao. I won’t hurt you. Go back to sleep.”

Xiyue gently withdrew the arm Su Xiaoxiao was holding, intending to help her straighten her blanket.

However, Su Xiaoxiao let out a small gasp, then, dragging her heavy body, she recoiled.

“No, don’t…” Her tears continued to fall, her voice filled with deep grievance, causing Xiyue’s hand to freeze mid-air, not daring to pull it back.

“I won’t do anything, Su Xiaoxiao,” Xiyue promised, but Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t hear a word she said.

The little fish covered her face, weeping incessantly.

Xiyue was quite worried she might fall off the bed by moving backward like that, and added, “I’ll just stand here, I won’t move. Please don’t cry anymore, it’s bad for your eyes.”

Su Xiaoxiao, caught in her nightmare, was much easier to coax than usual and stopped struggling.

However, her spirits were still low, having had a nightmare in the middle of the night, making her emotions even more unstable. She cried disoriented for a while, likely from exhaustion, then turned onto her side on the bed and drifted off to sleep, tears still clinging to her lashes.

Xiyue finally let out a long breath, then quietly and gently sat by the bed, rearranging the disheveled covers over her.

Unsure if Su Xiaoxiao would wake again, Xiyue couldn’t resist. She reached out and gently stroked Su Xiaoxiao’s belly through the thin blanket.

The little fish was asleep, but the little fish cub in her womb was still lively.

It carried half the blood of the Demonic Clan, and the worship of strength was an instinct for every demon.

The moment Xiyue’s hand touched Su Xiaoxiao’s abdomen, the little fish cub seemed to greet her, gently nudging Xiyue’s palm through the blanket and Su Xiaoxiao’s skin.

It was a strange feeling, and Xiyue didn’t dislike it at all.