Talulah, I'm still a child.

"Hmm, you seem a bit off. What did Mei Xue do to you?"

Lin Qingyan hadn't noticed before, but now he realized that Alina seemed a little different, with a faint trace of solidification, much like Mei Xue's metal box.

"My strength did gradually increase after Mei Xue appeared, but as for what he did... I really don't remember."

Alina wondered if Mei Xue had done something while she was asleep. But that didn't seem likely; the little fox wasn't that kind of person.

“There is a power within you that does not belong to you, which has vaguely established a channel with Mei Xue. The stronger he is, the stronger you become... Moreover, your body, at first glance, is no different from that of an ordinary person, but its toughness is probably higher than that of D32 steel.”

"Yes, that's right. Alina is known as the Iron Fist Political Commissar in our area. During the last battle, she actually carried a truck and smashed the enemy's formation apart. We thought it was outrageous."

Froststar and Talulah immediately became interested, not expecting that Lin Qingyan would be able to see the strangeness about Alina.

"Of course, now that you've established a connection with Mei Xue, you've essentially become his kin and can gain power from him. But what I don't quite understand is... you met Mei Xue about two years ago, right?"

"Yes, September 12th, I remember it very clearly."

Talulah nodded. She would never forget anything about Mei Xue; the day they met became a pivotal day that changed her life.

"But... this passage has been in place for at least three years."

Lin Qingyan frowned slightly, her bright purple eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness. In her vision, there was a faint line between Alina and Mei Xue, a line of fate, a passageway.

The passage had been under construction for three years or more. At that time, Talulah must not have known Mei Xue yet. The Tower of Babel had just collapsed, and the fox spirit had ventured deep into the snowfield. Talulah and Alina had both lived there. Everything seemed to be vaguely connected. Everyone looked at Mei Xue. The little fox had already closed her eyes, and Cecilia was still awake. She was actually quite energetic. Although she couldn't understand what her sisters were saying, this experience was indeed novel.

Nestled in Mei Xue's arms, surrounded by an overwhelming sense of security, I listened to these stories with amusement, and Mei Xue's embrace felt exceptionally warm.

"Fell asleep?"

Froststar raised an eyebrow, but in the dim light provided by Cecilia's aura, she saw Alina's ambiguous smile. The latter pointed to Meixue's tail. Although her eyes were closed, her tails were still swaying gently. If she were really asleep, she would usually be resting with only one tail covering her body. So the little fox was pretending to be asleep, forgetting how well the people here knew her.

That makes sense. Even someone like Lin Qingyan, who only inherited part of Su Xue'er's memories and possessed a portion of the power of the Tongtian Mirror, could see this passage. How could Mei Xue herself be completely unaware? It would be understandable if she was weak before, but now she's just pretending to ignore it.

"Let's not make things difficult for him. Since this was a scheme he set up a long time ago, it must have been for my own good. It's not bad as it is now. At least I don't have to worry about certain people liking to use force in front of me."

The development of the Reunion Movement was deliberately guided and promoted by Mei Xue and the Doctor. Talulah, Alina, and others already knew this. The Reunion Movement had a group of top talents when it first issued its call. This alone is worth thinking about. The eldest son of the Nearl family, the successor of the Witch King, the scientist from Columbia, and the support of Rusthammer all seem to be waiting for the Reunion Movement, this new seedling, to develop.

Alina didn't care, but Frostnova and Talulah couldn't completely ignore it. Since Meixue had done this three years ago, Alina should have remembered him before, and why Meixue did this was also a question.

(I wish I hadn't said it)

Lin Qingyan's lips twitched slightly. He couldn't see clearly at night, so he moved a little closer and then he could barely see clearly through the light tube on Cecilia's head. The fate line connecting Alina and Meixue was black.

Just as red threads symbolize good fortune, happiness, and marriage, black threads symbolize death, but also represent life, and their length is also significant...

"May I ask, Alina, how old are you?"

"This...I..."

Alina blushed a little. Age is a rather private matter for any woman who has passed her teenage years, but since everyone was the same age and she wasn't the oldest, she felt much more at ease.

"I just turned thirty this year."

“You’re a bit older than me, so I should call you older sister.”

Lin Qingyan's smile eased the awkwardness somewhat. As the oldest person present, Shuangxing felt like she had been caught in the crossfire. She really wanted to wake Meixue up right now and propose to the little fox, otherwise she would become an old auntie.

“Everyone is like an older sister to me and Meixue.”

It's no wonder Cecilia is so popular on Rhodes Island. She's well-behaved, cute, and talkative. Even W gives her a couple of candies when he sees her, which brings a smile to everyone's face.

"Alright, it's so late, let's go to sleep. Cecilia too, you're still young, and your body has a lot of room to grow."

Talulah had met Ms. Felia on Rhodes Island. Since Cecilia inherited her genes, she would definitely be a great beauty in the future.

"You need to sleep well to grow taller. You'll probably be taller than Meixue someday, and maybe Meixue will even call you 'older sister' then!"

Froststar couldn't help but tease, and everyone except Cecilia noticed that Mei Xue's tail was wagging unhappily. This little fox who was pretending to be asleep was very depressed. It would be better if she went to sleep earlier.

"My brother will always be my brother~"

After Cecilia finished speaking, she noticed that the older girls were looking at her with smiles in their eyes. She couldn't help but snuggle closer to Mei Xue. She didn't understand those looks, but when she asked her mother if she could kiss Mei Xue, her mother had the same look in her eyes, as if she were watching a good show, with anticipation and amusement in her eyes.

It's just that Cecilia is still young, so none of them care too much. But they all know in their hearts that she's too deeply involved with Mei Xue. Even if the little fox herself doesn't have that kind of feeling, if Cecilia really only wants to be a little sister when she grows up... well, that would be a miracle.

"I hope you'll still remember this when you grow up. I should have recorded it on the communicator earlier and played it for you when you're older."

Talulah always loves a good show, but Lin Qingyan's words just now reminded her of that dream. Perhaps everything Mei Xue did was really to avoid the worst possible ending.

Actually, Lin Qingyan didn't finish his sentence. Alina is thirty years old this year, but her lifeline doesn't have thirty knots at all. She is a person who deserves to die. This is not an insult, but a fact.

"Stop teasing the child, go to sleep, you have things to do tomorrow."

Urged on by Alina, everyone gradually fell asleep. The little fox stopped talking; he didn't fall asleep, but simply reached out and gently touched the thread connecting him and Alina—that was fate.

Fate has no physical form; how one understands it depends entirely on one's thoughts. Before, Mei Xue could see the clouds above other people's heads and judge their personalities based on their colors and shapes. Since merging with his past self that day, he can see even more: lines, countless lines connecting everything, linking the past and the future. Even a person on the street has at least a hundred different lines.

Logically, Mei Xue should have more fate lines, but the opposite is true. He has very few lines, only a few dozen, and these lines do not belong to him. They are mostly black, like Alina's.

The little fox didn't want to tell anyone about these things. His instincts told him that this was not a good thing, and there was no need to worry everyone, since they were not in a position to cross such a line.

"Good night……"

Mei Xue gently embraced Cecilia in her arms and blew a soft breath on her head. The faintly glowing halo instantly went out like a light bulb that had lost its power source.

If other Sarkazans saw this, they might doubt their own eyes on the spot, but Mei Xue felt it was no more difficult than breathing.

The night was long, and the Spring Festival in Shangshu was especially lively. On New Year's Eve, the three of them bought some wine and food, found a tall building, and sat or stood on the roof. Ling even lay on the roof tiles, drinking wine under the moon and occasionally eating a couple of peanuts, which was quite pleasant.

Shouldn't we go tonight?

"Why go? Those people will leave tomorrow evening. It won't hurt to give them this little bit of time."

Xi glanced at Nian, standing on the tallest building in Shangshu overlooking the whole city. It was indeed a unique sight. The whole city was filled with joy, fireworks lit up the sky, children played, and old men chatted. It was enough to paint a good picture.

"Seeing the boundless beauty of the world, the winter plum blossoms herald the early spring, I drink the lonely moon in my cup, wishing to be drunk forever and never wake up."

He casually uttered a few words, which made him slightly tipsy, and he vaguely saw the two moons in the sky overlapping each other.

"Sister, you should drink less. If you go back tomorrow morning smelling of alcohol, you might get a beating again."

Nian scratched her head helplessly, and Xi felt the same way. In fact, the latter was the least willing to come out because there were a few particularly troublesome guys in this city, one of whom they couldn't beat.

Fortunately, Mei Xue is also in this city, so the other party won't cause trouble. For Da Yan, Mei Xue is like a suppressor in some ways. The abilities of these fragments of the year are different, but most of them are powerful. Xi and Nian are still within Da Yan's control, but it's hard to say about their brothers and sisters.

"It's alright, hmm, this is interesting."

He curled his tail around the gourd, took a full sip, and then continued to watch the world. Only when drunk and confused can one see clearly, and only when dreaming can one be lucid.

On this night of transition between the old and new year, Ning Ciqiu did not spend the usual time with Lord Liang waiting for the new year to arrive. Instead, she returned to the Ning residence, intending to take a closer look at what kind of person the girl chosen as the fox fairy bride was.

When we first met, she looked a bit travel-worn, her face revealing determination, and although there was a hint of unease in her eyes, she was still quite outstanding.

Looking at her now, Ning Ciqiu realized that she had underestimated Linglan. Not to mention her proper manners and elegant speech, her temperament was also somewhat unexpected, with a maturity that did not belong to her age.

Many people like to pretend to be mature, thinking that changing their clothes and their way of speaking makes them mature, which is ridiculous. But Linglan is different. Although she is well-behaved and cute, her eyes can't hide anything from Ning Ciqiu.

(Being alone in a foreign country, he not only quickly suppressed his unease and unfamiliarity, but also actively observed people and their expressions... without appearing impolite, which is interesting.)

Ning Ciqiu smiled, quite pleased with Linglan. She thought the Grand Tutor would be very pleased with the girl when he saw her tomorrow.

Chapter 8: Even Ling Gets Jealous

Early spring in Shangshu was a bit chilly, but Cecilia was perfectly fine under Mei Xue's protection. The little angel had a great time playing with the Siren lolis in the dream world yesterday. However, Mei Xue herself hid in her own mental room, dealing with prayers and blessings from all over Da Yan.

During the festivals of the Great Yan Dynasty, people would worship the fox spirit, especially on the day of the transition between the old and new year. Last night, Lin Qingyan slept with Mei Xue. The little fox was disturbed by the Tongtian Mirror and was forced to deal with the prayers from all over the country. Of course, he only randomly selected a few; he couldn't possibly manage them all.

Fortunately, her body had indeed rested, so she didn't feel sleepy this morning. The little fox was still the first one to get up. After helping Cecilia light up the halo, she washed up and went into the kitchen before dawn.

When Du Yaoye and Zheng Qingyue got up early and arrived at the kitchen, they were speechless when they saw Mei Xue already busy at work. Although the fox spirits in the legend of the Great Yan Dynasty were always kind and approachable, this fox spirit was truly down-to-earth and relatable.

"Fox Spirit, what is this...?"

"Oh, you're up so early? Everyone's going home today, and I wanted to cook for them. There are quite a few people, so I had to get up early. I'm so sorry for taking the liberty of borrowing your kitchen."

Unlike yesterday's innocent naivety, Du Yaoye and Zheng Qingyue could sense that Mei Xue now had a more mature air about her. They couldn't quite put their finger on it, but it didn't feel like a plot from a movie or novel where someone had changed their personality. It was more like a change in her mood.

"No, that's not true. As the hosts, we should be the ones to handle this."

"New Year's Eve has just passed, how could I trouble you to work again? Besides, I should be the one to see them off."

Mei Xue twitched his fox ears and stirred the food with a spatula in his hand, occasionally tossing and turning the wok. He seemed to be on par with those veteran chefs who had been working in the kitchen for decades. He wasn't just putting on an act; he really knew how to cook, and he was very good at it.

"In that case, please allow my daughter and me to assist you."

"Hmm... It's barely dawn now, and the feathered beasts haven't left their nests yet. No one will say anything if you go back and catch up on your sleep."

Feathered beasts, to put it simply, are birds, just that the scientific name is feathered beasts, just like fish are scaled animals, it's a similar meaning. However, in common usage, many people are still used to calling them fish or birds directly, while terms like scaled animals and feathered beasts are more suitable for poetry and songs, sounding more poetic.

"Those who practice martial arts should be diligent and rise with the rooster's crow. Even if it weren't for receiving you, we shouldn't be sleeping in at this time."

As Du Yaoye spoke, he also paid attention to Mei Xue's reaction. This might be a bit impolite, but after spending a short time together, Du Yaoye felt that this fox spirit probably wouldn't care about such things. He was really kind. How should I put it... he was quite different from what the people of Da Yan thought. He was not majestic, nor did he have that ethereal feeling. If it weren't for the tail on his back, probably no one would be sure of his identity.

As for the origin of the phrase "rising at the crowing of the rooster," it is said that a martial arts master in the Great Yan Dynasty was instructed by a fox spirit to rise and practice martial arts at the crowing of the rooster in the morning, without changing with the seasons, and eventually became a master (Chongyue, far away in Yumen, suddenly sneezed several times early in the morning).

"Learning martial arts...that makes sense, then I'll leave it to you."

"It is my wish, and I cannot shirk my duty!"

The solemn expressions of the two left Mei Xue speechless. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was entrusting her with some matter of great importance concerning the world.

Meanwhile, on the Jade Gate side, Chong Yue wiped his nose, a bad premonition suddenly rising in his heart. He knew that Mei Xue had returned to the Great Yan, but he was glad that the little fox had gone to Shang Shu instead of coming directly to Jade Gate. Otherwise, if they had met, he wouldn't know how to face her.

Yes, he did live for over a thousand years, creating a human body for himself. He saw through everything, was quite mature as the eldest brother, and even became a martial arts master. Many people say that he is martial arts itself, and the pinnacle of the martial arts mountain.

But so what? When facing Mei Xue, he will always be just a child, and so will Ling, Nian and Xi. It's just that Mei Xue has always been good-natured, dotes on her daughters, and lets them be willful.

"what happened to you?"

Qiu Bai sheathed her sword. She had always felt that Chong Yue was acting strangely lately. Although she had not formally become his disciple, the person in front of her had given her a lot of guidance, and she could tell that he had something on his mind.

"I just suddenly felt like an old friend had come to visit, and I didn't know what to do."

"An old friend... is it the one who did you a favor before?"

Recalling what happened that night, Qiu Bai felt even more puzzled. What kind of benefactor could make a member of the Yumen clan show such an expression? What kind of favor could make such an important person think about it all the time?

"You say he's been kind to you, but what exactly is this kindness?"

"The kindness of guidance, and..."

Chong Yue's lips moved slightly. He was wondering whether he should say this. Logically speaking, Qiu Bai shouldn't know about this, but once Mei Xue arrived here, she would most likely guess that something was wrong. This was not among the things Zuo Xuan Liao had previously told him not to say.

"The kindness of raising and nurturing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the biting cold wind of Yumen blew the only plum tree in the cold, and Qiu Bai's sword fell to the ground along with the plum blossoms, making a crisp sound.