Chapter 34

Miao Bai always seemed so cold, like she lived in perpetual winter. When her icy toes brushed lightly against Meng Bai’s ankle, it sent a chill right through her.

“Why are you so cold?” Meng Bai rolled over and reached out to take Miao Bai’s hand. “Your hands must be freezing too.”

She quickly found it and clasped it gently, tugging it a little closer to her own body.

“I’ll warm them up for you.”

“Not cold,” Miao Bai said.

“As if.” Meng Bai scooted nearer, enveloped by that familiar fragrance. “Stay still. Let me see if I can get you warm.”

She cradled Miao Bai’s hand in her palm, trying to share her own warmth, but it was no use.

“Your hands really have zero temperature.” Meng Bai huffed a breath onto them. “Now mine are turning to ice.”

“It won’t work,” Miao Bai said, slipping her hand free and giving Meng Bai’s head a gentle pat. “Go to sleep.”

“Treating me like a little kid,” Meng Bai murmured with a soft laugh. “Patting my head and all.”

“Aren’t you?”

“I’m turning eighteen soon!!!” There was a hint of indignation in her voice as she repeated, “Next week! Eighteen means I’m an adult!”

“Oh.” Miao Bai rolled over to face her. “Eighteen, then. What do you want for your birthday?”

“My dad’s getting me a bicycle. That’s all I want right now—feels like enough.”

In the darkness, Miao Bai’s lips curved into a smile. “I meant from me. I should get you something.”

Meng Bai shook her head wildly. “No, no, no—don’t get me anything.”

“Not excited about it?”

Meng Bai: “……”

How could she not be? She was just a tiny bit embarrassed, that was all.

And so Meng Bai fell silent, unsure how to respond.

“Your birthday’s next week—what day?”

“Saturday.”

“Got it.”

The conversation died there. Miao Bai neither promised a gift nor ruled one out, leaving Meng Bai with an odd, hollow feeling inside.

“Time to sleep. Get a little more rest, or you’ll have to head to tutoring soon.”

“Oh.”

Meng Bai obediently shut her eyes, though sleep was the last thing on her mind.

She and Miao Bai were pressed close—maybe three or four fists’ width apart. With her eyes closed, she could feel Miao Bai’s breath.

Light and ticklish. Incredibly soothing.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she savored the sensation.

A little while later, Meng Bai’s eyes fluttered open again. She just couldn’t drift off.

Miao Bai’s voice came from right beside her ear. “Not sleeping?”

“Dunno why, but I’m not tired.” Meng Bai inched closer until her cheek brushed Miao Bai’s shoulder. “Wanna tell stories?”

Miao Bai didn’t mind a bit. Truth be told, she wasn’t much for sleep herself. Lying there beside Meng Bai was only to keep her company.

“Sure.”

“I wanna rework the story you told yesterday.” Meng Bai’s voice was a soft whisper, like a mosquito’s hum, her words measured and deliberate. “That girl was so good—she shouldn’t have had that kind of ending.”

In the darkness, Miao Bai closed her eyes.

Meng Bai’s words dragged her straight back into those ancient memories.

“Then tell me your version.”

“First off, the protagonist needs a name. If not a full name, a surname’ll do.”

“Surname Miao,” Miao Bai replied lazily. “Can’t be bothered to think of more.”

Meng Bai let out a quiet chuckle. “You’re so lazy. Fine, we’ll call her Miss Miao.”

In the endless night, Miss Miao’s tale could inspire a hundred dreams.

Meng Bai launched into her version.

“First things first, Miss Miao’s lover shouldn’t be that woman from Beijing. Why? That opera singer was way too worldly—she’d been through tons of romances. A love expert like that doesn’t suit someone as pure-hearted as Miss Miao.”

She poked Miao Bai’s arm lightly. “What do you think, Miao Bai?”

Miao Bai listened as if it were just a story and nodded. “Mm. Your tale, your rules.”

“If it were up to me, Miss Miao would be perfect with someone her own age—equally pure, equally sincere. That way, she wouldn’t get hurt.”

Meng Bai swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Miss Miao shouldn’t get hurt.”

Wind howled outside the window, rain pattering steadily. In the darkness, Miao Bai opened her eyes.

【Miss Miao shouldn’t get hurt.】

Miao Bai liked this version.

She’d never imagined such an ending—Miss Miao’s life had always been a tragedy.

But now someone wanted to paint a splash of joy into her world.

Miao Bai had to admit, she was hooked on the story now.

“Go on.”

“In my made-up tale, Miss Miao falls in love with a girl her age. They live free as birds—in summer, they embrace along cornfield ridges; on melancholic nights, kisses chase away the gloom. Rainy days find them huddled under one umbrella, thunderstorms be damned. Spring, summer, fall, winter—Miss Miao’s never alone.”

By now, a fierce little flame had kindled in Meng Bai’s chest.

Her own private wish.

She’d cast Miao Bai as Miss Miao.

The girl in love with her? No clear picture in Meng Bai’s mind.

But it was enough.

“Ready for more?”

“Yeah.”

“A pure soul like Miss Miao deserves pure love. No Beijing sophisticate, no rich merchant, no small-town gossip. Just simple, straightforward romance—no suffering.”

Miao Bai drew a deep breath. The direction this was taking? Not bad at all.

Yes—if not for that fateful play, the flower of her life wouldn’t have withered so fast.

“And then?”

“Then she and her little girlfriend head abroad! They soak up knowledge, see the wide wide world, roam far and wide. In the end, they come back to China, settle in a beautiful small town, and live happily ever after!”

Miao Bai couldn’t help laughing at Meng Bai’s increasingly offhand delivery. “Sounds like a beautiful love story, all right.”

“If you insist on that Beijing woman appearing,” Meng Bai said with a long exhale, “then in my version, that summer, Miss Miao went to see the play with her girlfriend. Afterward, they went home together, slept together, and then—”

Meng Bai paused abruptly. The story’s direction felt a little strange.

But strangeness made it feel real.

“And then?”

“And then they just went home after the play.” Meng Bai poked a hand out from under the covers and scratched her head awkwardly. “Of course, that’s not what I originally intended, since I have no idea what else they could do once they got home.”

And with that, the story ended.

It was as if she had forcibly given Miss Miao a perfect lover, swept away all her misfortunes, and granted her a happy, fulfilling life.

“Though the story’s a bit rough around the edges, it’s way better than last night’s ending, right?”

“Mm.” Miao Bai nodded. In the darkness, she glanced at Meng Bai. That fresh, youthful voice felt comforting. “The story’s good overall. Miss Miao should like it.”

“So next time you tell me a story, make it this kind.” Meng Bai yawned and leaned against Miao Bai’s arm, murmuring, “I’m getting sleepy.”

She settled naturally against Miao Bai’s shoulder.

Yet that simple gesture sent a pebble splashing into the calm pool of Miao Bai’s heart, sending ripples across its surface.

“Meng Bai.”

“Hmm?”

“You know I’ve always been on my own, so I rarely have physical contact with anyone.”

“Same here.” Meng Bai wrinkled her nose but made no move to pull away. “But I want to be close to you.”

“You and Zhou An do this too?”

“Rarely.” Meng Bai pushed back her drowsiness and explained slowly. “When we were little, Zhou An and I held hands and hugged all the time. But as we grew up, we stopped liking it. We’d hold hands now and then, but even that’s rarer these days. I guess we’re just too familiar with each other.”

“Then why—”

Meng Bai cut her off. “Why hug you? No reason. I just want to.” She even scooted a little closer to Miao Bai. “You smell nice.”

The room fell suddenly quiet.

Miao Bai didn’t respond, and Meng Bai seemed to have nothing more to say.

Drowsiness crept in slowly. Meng Bai hovered on the edge of sleep, waiting for Miao Bai to speak, but Miao Bai remained silent.

Outside, the rain tapered off until it vanished entirely, leaving the night so still that even their breathing sounded clear.

At last, Meng Bai succumbed to sleep. Just as her eyelids drooped, she voiced the question weighing on her mind. “You don’t like me hugging you?”

“No.”

“Then we’re good.” Meng Bai’s lips curved in a smile, and the next moment, she slipped into dreams.

She went in search of the Dream Duke, but Miao Bai did not.

The hours until dawn were neither long nor short, but time still had to pass somehow.

What did immortals do when they weren’t sleeping? For Miao Bai, in the stretch of this endless night, she chose to watch Meng Bai sleep.

Meng Bai’s breathing was steady and even, as if she had fully descended into her dreams.

Miao Bai realized that Meng Bai was the kind of person who looked lovely at first glance but even more so upon a second look.

Her features were delicate, the space between her brows and eyes perfectly proportioned. Her clean face was accented by a straight, elegant nose—and that was just the start. Her small mouth was exquisite, and Miao Bai recalled how it always revealed a flash of perfect white teeth when she smiled.

She was still so young, her expressions and gestures carrying that raw, budding innocence. It was precisely this youthful charm that caused Miao Bai to lower all her defenses around her.

It was because of this that Miao Bai allowed her to draw near.

In her sleep, Meng Bai burrowed deeper into the covers.

Miao Bai tucked the blanket snugly around her.

Moments later, Meng Bai’s foot extended toward her, brushing lightly against the back of Miao Bai’s foot.

Finding it cold, the little foot withdrew quickly.

The instinctive reaction was utterly endearing.

Two seconds passed, and then Meng Bai’s foot pressed against hers again. Miao Bai couldn’t quite make sense of it.

“Mmm, cold… but it’s fine.”

Miao Bai: “…”

The girl even talked in her sleep.

As Miao Bai debated whether to reply, Meng Bai shifted closer, nestling right into her arms.

This time, there was no hesitation. Miao Bai had no idea what dream prompted it, but Meng Bai burrowed straight into her embrace.

It left Miao Bai flustered—neither pushing her away nor pulling her close felt right.

“Are you Miao Bai?” Meng Bai murmured sleepily right by her ear.

“Mm…”

“That’s right.” Meng Bai even let out a soft laugh in her sleep, nuzzling her nose against Miao Bai’s neck. “So fragrant.”

Miao Bai: “…”