The meditation hall atop the eastern cliffs of Jinyue Clan was a place of silence and purity. Surrounded by mist-draped pines and echoing waterfalls, it was built for seclusion—a white marble chamber with intricate blue patterns carved into the floor, faint notes of music cultivation spells humming beneath the surface. But today, peace was a distant fantasy.
Ling Yiran sat cross-legged, or at least, tried to. His left leg kept falling asleep, and he kept cracking open one eye to peek at his "partner in crime."
Jin Suoxue sat across from him, still as a mountain. The faint shimmer of icy blue qi hovered around him in slow rhythm. His fingers rested in perfect mudra, breath quiet, expression colder than the marble beneath him.
Yiran let out a loud yawn.
"Ugh, this is worse than that one time I got stuck in the calligraphy room for sneezing on the Elder's robe," he muttered.
Suoxue didn't flinch.
Yiran leaned forward, whispering across the meditation circle, "Hey. Cold Prince. Did you freeze your tongue too? Haven't heard a word from you in an hour. Impressive. Or depressing?"
Nothing. Not even a twitch.
Yiran squinted, then leaned closer. "Hey. Suoxue. I heard if you meditate too long without speaking, you forget how to kiss."
That earned him a twitch of an eyebrow.
Bingo.
Emboldened, Yiran grinned and shuffled even closer, flopping onto his stomach like a lazy cat. "You know, if I wasn't such a disgrace, I'd totally be a threat to your icy cultivation throne. I mean, look at this face. This charm. This—"
Suoxue opened his eyes.
Yiran froze mid-wink.
"If you don't shut up," Suoxue said in his frost-dipped voice, "I will silence you myself."
Yiran placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "Oh? With a kiss?"
Suoxue exhaled sharply—not quite a sigh, not quite a scoff. He closed his eyes again.
Yiran rolled onto his back and stared at the carved ceiling above. "Come on, admit it. You're a little impressed. A little curious. Just a teeny bit?"
Silence.
He turned his head to look at Suoxue again. "Do you even have emotions? Like, if I poke you hard enough, will you bleed ice or snowflakes?"
Suoxue's fingers twitched.
Yiran grinned. "Or what if I said I saw you smile yesterday when your older brother patted your head? You melted, admit it."
Suoxue's brows drew together slowly, and just as he opened his mouth—
BANG!
The meditation chamber doors burst open, nearly flying off their hinges. A panting disciple stumbled inside, face pale with panic.
"Young Master Suoxue!" he cried. "The town at the base of Jinyue Mountain is under attack! Wild spirit beasts—they're destroying homes! We need your help immediately!"
Suoxue stood in a heartbeat, icy qi flaring around him like a glacier cracking.
Yiran blinked. "Wait, what? Real danger? Like actual beasties?"
The disciple nodded frantically.
Yiran leapt up, dusting off his robes. "Finally! Something fun!"
Suoxue gave him a sharp look. "This isn't a game."
Yiran winked. "Of course not, Cold Prince. But you know me. I never let a disaster go unattended."
Without another word, the two of them dashed out of the hall, robes trailing behind like twin comets descending the mountain.
The wind howled as the first roars of beasts echoed up from the valley below.
Trouble had come. And this time, they would face it together.