The days in the First Lunar Month seemed to pass a little more slowly.
Bai Heng crouched at the entrance of her rock cave, gazing down at the village below.
Sunlight spilled across the snow, dazzlingly bright. Occasional bursts of firecrackers sounded here and there, sparse and far less lively than on New Year’s Eve.
In recent days, Qin Yun and Qin Yu had come up the mountain less often.
The First Lunar Month was a time for visiting relatives. There were New Year calls to make, meals to share, ancestral rites, and constant comings and goings between families. The schedule was packed from morning to night.
Qin Yu had asked Lin Lan to pass on a message once, saying she missed White Fox Immortal and would come see her once things calmed down.
Bai Heng did not mind.
She continued her routine as usual. During the day she roamed the mountains and forests, basking in the sun. At night she returned to her rock cave to cultivate.
She alternated between the red jacket and the green one.
Sometimes, when the mood struck her, she would take out that mirror and make silly faces at the fox reflected inside.
She would squint, tilt her head, or bare her teeth.
The fox in the mirror would squint, tilt its head, or bare its teeth right back.
Watching herself, Bai Heng could not help letting out a soft laugh.
Amusing herself like this was actually quite entertaining.
What she found even more interesting were the cultivators down in the village.
During the First Lunar Month, those people seemed to have “gone native” as well.
They paid New Year visits to one another, carrying gifts and wearing warm smiles. The peddler surnamed Liu, who was actually a spy, had been especially busy these past few days—delivering pastries to one house, cloth to another, acting as if he were on the best of terms with everyone.
The man surnamed Zhou had also brought wine to the village chief’s house and spent the entire afternoon drinking with him. When he left, his face was flushed red, as though he had truly enjoyed himself.
The village woman had gone calling on several households, helping with needlework and chatting and laughing with the hosts, no different from any ordinary village wife.
The scholar surnamed Chen in the northern part of the village had unusually stepped out, carrying several scrolls of books to visit a few scholarly families under the pretense of discussing learning.
The widow surnamed Wang in the southern part of the village had taken her son to several homes with children, letting the kids play together while she spoke with the adults.
The people from Qingxu Sect and the Feng Clan were all putting on performances.
Bai Heng watched it all and found it rather amusing.
What drew her attention even more were the “New Year visits” between the cultivators themselves.
On the surface they were simply paying calls, but Bai Heng could see the probing behind their smiles and glances.
What are you waiting for? What do you know? Who stands behind you?
They circled around the questions without asking directly. They all pretended not to understand.
Xu Cheng and Lu Mingshuang stood out among them.
Their relationship with the Qin family had grown quite close.
During the First Lunar Month, Xu Cheng had visited the Qin house several times with gifts. He drank and chatted with Qin Shi and asked after Li Lianhua’s well-being. Lu Mingshuang got along wonderfully with Qin Yu, teaching her all kinds of fun games, making little trinkets for her, and making the little girl laugh until she giggled.
Qin Shi and his wife clearly treated this “scholar” Xu Cheng with more warmth than the other distant visitors. Unlike the strangers who kept probing for information, they were far less guarded around him.
Somehow, Qin Yun and Xu Cheng had also grown familiar. Sometimes Xu Cheng would seek Qin Yun out for conversation. The two would sit at the courtyard gate and talk for hours. Bai Heng could not hear what they said, but from Qin Yun’s expression, it seemed he was truly listening.
From a distance, Bai Heng gradually pieced together what was happening.
Liang Lu and Lu Mingshuang were secretly protecting Qin Yun and his sister.
The occasional gazes sweeping toward the Qin family and the people trying to approach Qin Yun were always quietly blocked by some invisible force.
Sometimes Lu Mingshuang would appear at just the right moment and pull Qin Yu off to play elsewhere. Sometimes Xu Cheng would suddenly strike up a conversation with Qin Yun, leaving those who wanted to get close standing awkwardly to one side.
Bai Heng was not entirely sure what the pair’s true intentions were.
Were they trying to build a closer relationship with the Qin family to make it easier to control Yun Zhuo later?
Or were they genuinely protecting them?
She thought about it for a long time but found no clear answer.
One thing was certain, however: whatever their motives, their actions were indeed shielding Qin Yun and his sister.
They were also drawing quite a few watchful eyes and hostile intentions onto themselves.
Bai Heng withdrew her gaze and stopped dwelling on it.
She would simply keep watching.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, the sky was clear.
Bai Heng crouched at the rock cave entrance, watching the sun slowly sink in the west.
There would be a full moon tonight. It should be very round.
After a moment’s thought, she put on the red jacket.
As dusk fell, the village below grew lively.
The sounds of firecrackers, laughter, and children shouting blended together and drifted faintly up the mountain.
Bai Heng gazed in that direction, a faint sense of anticipation stirring in her heart.
Would they come?
The moonlight gradually rose, large and perfectly round, bathing the snow-covered mountains and forests in silver.
Bai Heng crouched on the rock, watching the path leading up from the village.
Suddenly, her ears twitched slightly.
Someone was coming up the mountain path.
More than one person.
She focused her gaze.
In the moonlight, several figures were slowly making their way up the trail.
Leading the way were Qin Yun and Qin Yu. Qin Yu carried a food box and walked quickly. Qin Yun followed behind, also carrying something.
Lin Lan walked behind them.
And behind her…
Bai Heng narrowed her eyes slightly.
It was Xu Cheng and Lu Mingshuang.
The five of them trudged through the snow, drawing closer.
Qin Yu spotted her first and called out from afar.
“White Fox Immortal! We brought you yuanxiao!”
She ran over, stopped roughly two zhang away, crouched down, and opened the food box.
Inside were steaming hot yuanxiao—plump, white dumplings floating in soup, giving off fragrant steam.
“My mother made them herself. There are red bean and sesame fillings. They’re really sweet!”
Bai Heng leaped down from the rock, walked over, and lowered her head to look at the yuanxiao.
She lifted her head, looked at Qin Yu, and gently swished her tail.
Qin Yu smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
Qin Yun walked over and set down what he was carrying—several packets of pastries and a small pot of wine.
“My mother said yuanxiao goes well with wine. The more you drink, the more festive it feels.”
He arranged everything neatly and stepped back.
Lin Lan also crouched down and took out a small cloth bundle from her clothes.
“Miss White, these are a few glutinous rice balls I made. They’re coated with sesame and sugar. Try them.”
Bai Heng looked at her and gave a slight nod.
Xu Cheng and Lu Mingshuang stood a little farther away and did not approach immediately.
Xu Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the white fox in the red jacket with an appropriately surprised expression.
“Is this the white fox Qin Yu always talks about?”
His voice was warm and gentle.
Qin Yu nodded vigorously.
“Yes! This is White Fox Immortal! Big Brother Xu, doesn’t she look beautiful?”
Xu Cheng studied her carefully for a moment and nodded.
“She truly does.”
He paused, then spoke in a refined, scholarly tone.
“Skin like snow, soul like moonlight, a touch of red attire—more beautiful than countless beauties of the mortal world.”
Qin Yu did not quite understand the words, but she knew it was praise. She smiled until her eyes curved.
“Right? Right? I told you White Fox Immortal is so pretty!”
Lu Mingshuang could not help laughing beside her.
“You little girl, do you even understand what Big Brother Xu is saying?”
Qin Yu shook her head, completely confident.
“I don’t, but I know it’s a compliment!”
Everyone laughed.
Bai Heng watched the scene, a faint trace of amusement rising in her heart.
Liang Lu’s words had been perfectly chosen. He had praised her while reacting exactly as someone seeing her for the “first time” would.
Yet he had clearly seen her before.
More than once.
Bai Heng withdrew her gaze and continued eating the yuanxiao.
Lu Mingshuang also walked over, crouched down, and studied Bai Heng carefully.
“Truly beautiful.”
She spoke softly, her gaze carrying genuine sincerity.
“I’ve read legends about fox immortals in books. Today I finally get to see a real one.”
Bai Heng lifted her head and glanced at her.
Lu Mingshuang smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Qin Yun stood to the side the whole time without speaking.
After a while, he finally said, “Miss White, my mother said that once spring comes, she’ll sew you two more jackets. Lighter ones for when the weather warms up.”
He paused.
“Thin ones, for when it gets warmer.”
Bai Heng lifted her head, looked at him, and gently swished her tail.
Lin Lan chimed in as well.
“I’ll sew one for you too. Did you like the green jacket I made?”
Bai Heng nodded.
Lin Lan smiled.
Xu Cheng, listening from the side, smiled and said, “Auntie Qin is skillful with her hands, and so is Miss Lin Lan. Miss White is truly fortunate to have people thinking of her wardrobe.”
Qin Yu nodded vigorously.
“Me too! When I grow up, I’ll make clothes for White Fox Immortal too!”
Everyone laughed again.
Laughter echoed through the snowy woods, startling a few night birds into flight.
Bai Heng looked at the group, a complicated feeling stirring in her heart.
Qin Yu’s innocence, Qin Yun’s quiet steadiness, Lin Lan’s gentleness, Xu Cheng’s composure, Lu Mingshuang’s cheerfulness… They were all standing here now, in the moonlight and snow, laughing and talking.
All to bring her a bowl of yuanxiao and a pot of wine.
She lowered her head and continued eating the yuanxiao.
They really were very sweet.
After finishing the yuanxiao, she tasted Lin Lan’s glutinous rice balls and took a few sips of the wine Qin Yun had brought.
Qin Yu chattered away beside her.
“White Fox Immortal, you look so pretty in red tonight. As pretty as the moon in the sky.”
“When it gets warmer and the flowers in the mountains bloom, I’ll take you to see them.”
“Can you fly? I heard fox immortals can fly.”
Bai Heng listened while eating slowly.
Every so often she would lift her head, glance at the talkative little girl, and gently swish her tail.
Qin Yu would then continue speaking.
The moonlight grew deeper. The sound of firecrackers from the village gradually grew sparser.
Qin Yun stood up.
“We should head back. It’s getting late, and my mother will worry.”
Qin Yu looked reluctant but still nodded.
She stood up and waved at Bai Heng.
“White Fox Immortal, we’re going now. We’ll come see you again in a few days.”
Lin Lan also stood and waved.
Xu Cheng and Lu Mingshuang cupped their hands in farewell.
“Miss White, until next time.”
Bai Heng looked at them and gently swished her tail.
The five figures turned and slowly made their way down the mountain path.
Qin Yu walked at the front, turning back every few steps to wave.
Bai Heng crouched on the rock, watching them gradually recede until they disappeared into the moonlight.
A trail of footprints stretched across the snow, winding down the mountain.
She lifted her head and gazed at the full moon overhead.
She suddenly realized she was smiling.
She had no idea when the smile had appeared.
Under the clear, silvery moonlight, she closed her eyes and began absorbing lunar essence to cultivate.
“Sometimes Xu Cheng would seek Qin Yun out for conversation. The two would sit at the courtyard gate and talk for hours. Bai Heng could not hear what they said, but from Qin Yun’s expression, it seemed he was truly listening.” “White Fox Immortal, you look so pretty in red tonight. As pretty as the moon in the sky.” He’s teaching him how to pick up fox immortals I knew we couldn’t trust him!