The next morning, the crimson haze above the hollows pulsed like a heartbeat—slow, heavy, and ominous.
Tian Shen awoke to warmth on his chest. Little Mei had firmly claimed him as her personal bed, snoozing with a peaceful smugness only a divine being—or a spoiled child—could manage.
Lan Yueru was already up, brushing her hair as she crouched on a nearby boulder.
The wind caught strands of her silver-blue locks, casting her silhouette like a sword poised at rest.
"Morning."
Tian Shen grunted.
"someone snores."
She replied smoothly.
"I do not."
"Kyuuu~."
'You do.'
Retorted Little Mei, eyes still shut but ears twitching with delight.
Tian Shen groaned.
Somehow, the fox now spoke in his head in smoother, if erratic, sentences.
Their bond had closed up again overnight—something to do with proximity, mutual intent, and possibly her licking his face while he slept. He wasn't ready to unpack that.
Not that it mattered. The real storm was approaching.
