Chapter 100

Still groggy, Lin Yu sensed someone enter the room and said casually, "Close the door."

The door was shut softly, and the white cat leapt lightly to Lin Yu's bedside, transforming back into the Snow God as he sat down beside her.

Before the Snow God could speak, Lin Yu spoke first, her voice faint and a little hoarse. "About reforging your Snow Mirror—we can start on it now. We'll leave in a few days."

The Snow God was puzzled, almost forgetting what he was about to ask. "A few days?"

"I looked into the materials needed to reforge the Snow Mirror before. They're all in the northern polar region, tens of thousands of li from here. Why the sudden rush?"

Lin Yu said, "Don't you want your Snow Mirror? I'm being kind, setting aside other matters to help you first."

"I find that hard to believe..." The Snow God's mouth twitched. "You're not planning to prank me, are you?"

Lin Yu let out a soft "Tsk." "Why do you think so little of me? I'm not a bad person."

The Snow God leaned in to look at Lin Yu. "You've been up to some mischief, so sleepy."

"Mm, I was up to mischief, just got back."

The Snow God didn't take Lin Yu's comment about thievery seriously. He sat nearby, mulling over her words. Without the Snow Mirror, he had a reason to remain a carefree deity, idling away in the mortal world, avoiding the intrigues and scheming among the heavens.

He knew this idle life wasn't right, but he always found reasons to comfort himself.

He was a god; he needed to fulfill his duties, to bring snow to the mortal realm. But none of that had anything to do with him now, because he had lost his most important artifact, the Snow Mirror. Without it, he couldn't summon wind or snow; he could do nothing.

But if he got the Snow Mirror back, he'd have to return to the Nine Heavens, the place he loathed most...

Did he want to go back? Perhaps yes, because he was a god, and gods belonged in the Nine Heavens. He still had believers.

Perhaps not. He loved his current life; everyone treated him as a cat, and people were always more candid with animals. They didn't hide their feelings—love was love, hate was hate.

The old woman at the punishment hall adored him; in the evenings, she would come with a smile, bringing treats to coax him. A young disciple liked him, taking him around for strolls and occasionally down the mountain. A long-bearded elder was fond of him, carrying him to the back hills to fish and letting him curl up in his lap to sleep.

Of course, there were those who disliked him too. For instance, a male disciple living not far away hated him; at their first meeting, he kicked him, so afterward, whenever he encountered that disciple, he would run around him. Another example was a cook at the dining hall who loathed him, shooing him away every time they met. But that was fine; he understood the cook's distaste and simply avoided the dining hall.

The Snow God cherished such straightforward emotions—no pretense, no hypocrisy, no flattery, no disdainful looks. Love and hate were both raw and genuine.

He had lived for over a hundred years, spending all of them in false courtesy. Yet the memories of the past two months were more vivid than those of the entire century.

His earlier days were like masked figures playing roles, everything excessively fake, the world shrouded like fog. He couldn't see the world or people clearly, so he often made mistakes.

To return to being that fake god, or to stay in the mortal world as a true human?

The Snow God wrestled with this internally for a long time, his thoughts drifting. In the quiet room, he heard Lin Yu's slow breathing.

The Snow God realized he was breathing too. He heard his own breath and heartbeat.

As a deity, he shouldn't have such traits. Gods' hearts don't beat; they don't rely on the foolish act of inhaling and exhaling to stay alive, and they have no body temperature.

The Snow God touched his own wrist; it was warm. It seemed he had found his answer—he was becoming more human.

"I don't really want the Snow Mirror anymore..." After a long pause, the Snow God heard his own voice.

But Lin Yu didn't respond. The Snow God looked at her and realized she had already fallen asleep. He became aware that he had been lost in thought for quite a while.

The Snow God transformed back into a large cat and jumped to the floor. He glanced back at Lin Yu. "Forget it, I'll tell you again tomorrow."

He didn't want the Snow Mirror, didn't want to be a god anymore. From now on, he wanted to be an ordinary person.

...

Moonlight drifted across the sky, the sun peeked through the clouds, and the horizon paled to a fish-belly white. Behind the thick clouds, a sparse star or two lingered. Two birds perched in the peach tree in the courtyard, chirping and fluttering their wings.

Lin Yu woke to the sounds outside, yawned, found the room stuffy, and unconsciously moved to open the door.

As the door swung open, she rubbed her eyes and, seeing who was outside, looked astonished. A familiar figure stood before her.

Under the corridor, Fu Ming was crouched down, his splendid robes pooling on the ground. He lowered his gaze to the large cat that was the Snow God, with a silk handkerchief spread on the ground holding several pieces of cooked fish and shrimp. The cat was eating with relish.

Lin Yu felt it had been ages since she'd seen Fu Ming, though truthfully, it had only been two or three days.

Fu Ming was still in his luxurious black robe, the golden dragon pattern stitched on the fabric making him look even more majestic. The dark crown sat perfectly atop his head, and the beaded curtain in front swayed slightly—a severe outfit she'd never seen him in before.

Lin Yu stared at Fu Ming for a long while, tempted to tease him, but she swallowed the words, refraining from any inappropriate remark.

After a moment, Lin Yu spoke. "Why are you here?"

Fu Ming's fingers rested on the cat's head, stroking its soft fur idly. He turned at the sound of her voice, met her eyes briefly, then quickly averted his gaze. His voice betrayed no emotion. "I heard you were back."

It was then that Lin Yu recalled the Xianzun had mentioned that not only were the people of the Heaven's Mandate Tower looking for her, but the Emperor's Imperial Guards were too.

Hearing she had been abducted, Fu Ming had sent people to search for two days. Upon learning she had returned, he rushed over early in the morning. At that thought, Lin Yu felt a twinge of guilt. "...Yes, a small mishap occurred, so I only just got back."

One sentence was enough for Fu Ming to notice something off—Lin Yu's voice was a bit hoarse. He rose and approached her, and before she could react, a cool sensation touched her forehead.

Fu Ming's hands were usually warm, but at this moment, Lin Yu inexplicably felt his fingertips were cold. She asked with concern, "Why are your hands so cold? Is it too cold outside?"

Lin Yu glanced at the sky outside; it was overcast with thick clouds, looking like another gloomy day.

It was early spring, slightly warmer than before the new year, but the wind still carried a wintry chill. Spring was the easiest time to catch a chill, and Lin Yu, saying so, pulled Fu Ming inside to sit down.

She then eyed Fu Ming's attire again, murmuring, "He's dressed quite warmly, so how could he catch a chill..."

Lin Yu seated Fu Ming in a chair, then turned around the room, seemingly searching for something. "Honestly, you, be careful not to catch a cold. A chill in spring can cause a lot of trouble, and if you're not careful, it can get serious..."

While Lin Yu busied herself, Fu Ming interrupted her between her rummaging. "What are you looking for?"

"The elixir I refined, which I recently learned to make." Lin Yu looked up. "I'll try it on you; it should cure a cold."

Trying his medicine on him? Fu Ming was both amused and exasperated. He pulled Lin Yu over to sit on the bed. "The one with the chill is you. I'll have someone summon the imperial physician."

Lin Yu was taken aback, touched her forehead, and indeed it felt warmer than usual. So it was her head that was too hot, making Fu Ming's hand feel cool in comparison...

Lin Yu wasn't too concerned about her fever. She quickly stopped Fu Ming. "No need... Don't make a fuss. It's just a cold; I'm a healer, so I don't need an imperial physician."

As she spoke, the window was pried open a crack from outside, and a guard in imperial guard attire appeared. Fu Ming said something to him through the window, and the guard nodded before the window was shut again, not letting in a breath of wind.

Well, it seemed Fu Ming's people were everywhere...

Seeing him, something occurred to Lin Yu, and she asked, "At this hour, shouldn't you be at court?"

Fu Ming helped Lin Yu lie down and tucked the quilt around her. During this, Lin Yu's gaze stayed glued to his face, eager for his answer.

Only after Lin Yu was comfortably settled did Fu Ming finally respond. "I'm not holding court today."

"Why do you ask?" Fu Ming questioned.

Lin Yu clearly wasn't satisfied with this answer. She took advantage of the moment to grab his wide sleeve and pull him back as he was about to leave, her voice husky. "Why aren't you at court?"

Lin Yu's face was flushed, and Fu Ming's fingers again pressed to her forehead; it was indeed hotter. He suspected Lin Yu's fever was causing some confusion, but she gripped his sleeve tightly, and he couldn't easily free himself. He gave up and sat down by her bed.

Lin Yu moved closer, almost resting her head on his sleeve, and asked seriously again, "Why aren't you at court?"

Fu Ming thought for a moment and said casually, "I'm the emperor. If I say no court, then no court."

Lin Yu: "...Oh, what a pity."

"What's the pity?"

Lin Yu suddenly propped herself up and leaned close to his ear, whispering, "I have a surprise for you, but you won't see it today."

She recalled Ting He's words from last night. When she had crossed out the names of several court officials in the Book of Life and Death, Ting He had asked what the emperor's reaction would be if he went to court and found several officials dead overnight.

Now Lin Yu knew: the emperor chose not to hold court, completely missing out...

Fu Ming was baffled. "What?"

"Not telling you." Lin Yu lay back down. "You're far too lax as an emperor, skipping court."

"It's only today that I didn't go."

Lin Yu frowned. "Why not?"

Fu Ming didn't answer. Just then, someone knocked on the door outside, and Lin Yu's thoughts shifted. "Who's that now?"

"The imperial physician." After answering, Fu Ming said, "Come in."

The door opened, and a physician hurried in, followed by a guard.

The physician was about to bow when Fu Ming waved to spare them the formalities, and the physician came closer. "She has a bit of a fever."

Fu Ming glanced at Lin Yu and added, "It's addled her mind; she's starting to talk nonsense."