Deep into the night, fine snow fluttered through the air.
While a chilly wind howled above the Saint Pavilion, the spiritual spring within the guest hall remained steaming warm.
Within this spiritual spring, a silver-haired woman sat quietly by a stone pillar.
Her figure beneath the water was obscured by the white mist, but her snowy shoulders were visible above the surface.
Her delicate collarbones and the faint silhouettes beneath the water were enough to set one’s imagination racing.
The Saintess in her bath created a poetic, ethereal scene—truly a beauty beyond compare. However, though the Saintess was beautiful, her current mood was anything but.
“Junior Brother still hasn’t come to find me today.”
An Lingran appeared to be meditating peacefully with her eyes closed, but internally, she was consumed by anxiety.
Originally, she had intended to reflect on herself in seclusion while waiting for her Junior Brother to come and propose marriage.
An Lingran had been in seclusion for two or three days now.
She had completely adjusted her mindset and accepted her “feelings of love” for him.
She had even begun to fantasize about their post-marriage plans…
The problem was, there had been no movement from his side.
Hadn’t she lost the bet?
Logically, since he defeated her and won her recognition, he should have come to propose as soon as possible.
An Lingran clearly remembered that during their time together, Junior Brother He Qiu had always looked at her with such admiration and respect.
Every detail suggested that he truly liked her from the bottom of his heart.
Otherwise, why would he make such bold declarations and bets with her?
Otherwise, why would he publicly praise her dancing as heavenly?
Otherwise, why would he have shown such determination to her father that night?
Otherwise, why would he have comforted her so gently on the martial arts stage, telling her not to lose heart?
Therefore, she felt certain he liked her.
But why wasn’t he coming to propose?
It was strange…
Could it be that Junior Brother was intentionally avoiding her for some special reason?
Or was he trying to hint at something?
Submerging herself until only her eyes were above the water, An Lingran blew bubbles into the spiritual spring.
Finally, unable to endure the loneliness any longer, she stood up abruptly and wrapped herself in a bath towel.
“Yunqing, are you there?”
“Mm, your little darling Yunqing is here~”
In the loft behind the spring, a girl with pale blonde hair swung her legs playfully, responding in a relaxed tone.
An Lingran wrapped her towel tightly and walked quickly toward the loft.
Pushing open the wooden door, her first words were: “Yunqing, accompany me to see Junior Brother He Qiu.”
Inside, the deer-spirit girl, who was lying on the carpet eating fruit and reading a picture book, rolled over in confusion.
She glanced at An Lingran and then turned back, saying nonchalantly, “It’s the middle of the night. Isn’t He Qiu sleeping?”
“But…”
“What is it? Is Ranran getting impatient and wants to go propose to Junior Brother herself?”
“Don’t talk nonsense… I just have an uneasy premonition.”
An Lingran knit her brows and bit her lower lip, her heart thumping loudly.
For some reason, her mind had been filled with his face all day.
She felt restless, nothing seemed to go right, and her chest felt tight—an indescribable discomfort.
Though she was loath to admit it, An Lingran felt she “missed” him.
Not seeing him for a few days brought on a sense of insecurity.
This strange symptom felt just like the agonizing “lovesickness” described in legends.
She felt truly miserable.
Without any news or a proposal, she felt empty and anxious after days of seclusion.
She wanted to see him right now, speak a few words, or even just sit beside him in silence.
Yunqing, sensing her master’s emotional fluctuations, sighed helplessly.
“Fine~ if Ranran really wants to go, let’s go~”
Yunqing stood up and patted her dress, ready to depart.
An Lingran hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to go.
She just couldn’t feel at ease—she had a gut feeling she needed to see He Qiu.
Only by seeing him could she relax.
She briefly dried her hair, threw on a light-colored nightgown, and with Yunqing’s help, tidied her damp hair before heading out.
On the forest path in the deep of night, An Lingran’s pace was brisk while Yunqing followed leisurely.
Under the moonlight, the shadows of the girl and the deer stretched out behind them.
Arriving at the阁楼 (pavilion/loft) where her Junior Brother lived, An Lingran paused, took a few deep breaths to gather her courage, and knocked gently.
Knock, knock—
There was no response from inside.
An Lingran sighed.
She knew what time it was; he was likely fast asleep.
But she still wanted to see him and discuss the marriage contract.
She couldn’t wait another moment.
Knock, knock—
“Junior Brother,” she called out, raising her voice slightly.
To be honest, it was four or five in the morning.
In the dead silence of the night, she was embarrassed to speak too loudly for fear of being overheard.
Yet, despite her courage, there wasn’t the slightest stir within the building.
At that moment, Yunqing sensed a strange aura and grabbed An Lingran’s arm.
“Ranran, stop knocking. No one is inside.”
“No one?”
“There’s no trace of He Qiu’s aura. Part of my spiritual power is still within him; if he were here, I would feel it.”
Yunqing’s expression turned serious.
Hearing this, An Lingran closed her eyes and tried to sense him as Yunqing had, but she found no signs of life inside.
An ominous feeling surged in her heart.
She pushed the door open and rushed inside to search for him.
After searching the entire place, she found no sign of the sleeping youth in the bedroom.
Her fears were confirmed—something had happened to him!
Otherwise, why would he vanish in the middle of the night?
“Yunqing, use your ability to check the memories of the nearby plants. See where Junior Brother went.”
“Mm, I’m already on it.”
Yunqing’s attitude became solemn.
Having met He Qiu and being acknowledged as his “Deer Spirit Sister,” she couldn’t ignore his disappearance.
The blonde girl closed her eyes, and the two antlers on her head began to glow with a brilliant golden light.
After a moment, she knit her brows and opened her eyes.
“He Qiu… went down the mountain.”
“What?”