Fu Xuan stood at the doorway, staring blankly into space.
To 'Huohuo', the sight was both a little amusing and rather endearing.
She walked over and took Fu Xuan's small hand, leading her into the house. Along the way, she even helped her slip off her shoes, leaving Fu Xuan to pad across the floor in her form-fitting white tights.
By the time Fu Xuan snapped back to reality, she realized she had already been ushered into the bathroom.
A change of clothes was ready and waiting; her long hair had been let down, and her hairpins were placed neatly to the side.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Fu Xuan's face was flushed a deep crimson, her expression thick with bashfulness. Clearly, she was replaying the scene of how she had just been looked after by the person she admired so much.
"Ugh..."
The usually stern Master Diviner, faced with such a situation, couldn't help but let out a very girlish whimper as she crouched down and buried her face in her hands.
What on earth had she been doing?
Not only had she failed to treat 'Huohuo' with the proper gravity, but she had ended up being the one coddled instead.
Besides, Bai Ming was so gentle. To think she would actually come here tonight just to keep her company.
Fu Xuan didn't believe for a second that her visit was a mere whim. Since Bai Ming was the one who had granted her these powers, Fu Xuan assumed that any visions she saw through the Matrix of Prescience—and the emotional shifts that came with them—must be perceptible to 'Huohuo'.
Yet, she hadn't just tolerated Fu Xuan's ugly jealousy; she had come in person to comfort her.
Compared to Bai Ming, Fu Xuan felt like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum just for a bit of affection.
To be an Emanator and yet require the care of one's own Aeon... it was a total dereliction of duty!
Fu Xuan covered her face, feeling like she wanted to sink through the floor. To let the object of her admiration look after her like this—where was the decorum?
Fu Xuan, oh Fu Xuan, I don't recall raising myself to be this way!
But beneath the shame, an inexplicable spark of anticipation flickered in her mind: would 'Huohuo' come in to wash up with her?
Even though she knew it was a total pipe dream, her flustered mind reasoned that if Bai Ming needed it, helping her scrub her back or something could at least count as repayment for being looked after.
Unfortunately, judging by the pajamas 'Huohuo' was wearing, she had either bathed long ago or simply didn't need to. Either way, Fu Xuan's fantasies were unlikely to come true.
Unless, of course, Fu Xuan asked her directly.
Given how much 'Huohuo' cared for her, Fu Xuan felt that if she opened her mouth, the other would surely indulge her. She was just that kind of gentle Aeon.
But the more she realized this, the less Fu Xuan dared to speak. She didn't want to take advantage of Bai Ming's kindness to crave more indulgence—especially not from the person she looked up to most.
She agonized over it until she finished washing and stepped out of the bathroom. Her small face, steamed red by the vapor, looked tender and delicate; if one didn't know her true age, she could easily pass for a girl in her early teens.
Dizzy and dazed, Fu Xuan returned to her bedroom. Seeing 'Huohuo' sitting in the reclining chair nearby, she suddenly blurted out:
"Are we... sleeping together tonight?"
'Huohuo' closed the book in her hands and turned her head to look at Fu Xuan, who had already sat down on the edge of the bed.
With her long hair flowing loose and having changed into light pajamas, Fu Xuan's bashful expression made her look incredibly cute and green.
Though she wasn't young by any means, it was obvious she had zero experience with romance. In fact, if you were looking for close friends, you'd strictly have to count her senior sister, Yao Guang, just to make the list.
Consequently, Fu Xuan didn't really understand how to manage this kind of physical distance.
Given her personality, she wasn't the type to suggest sleeping in the same bed. But the events with Celenova earlier that day, combined with the images she had seen in the Matrix, had been weighing on her mind all day.
Fu Xuan had a terrible impression of Celenova—an enemy who somehow got to stay by Bai Ming's side. Coming home to find Bai Ming waiting for her, already in pajamas, had caused a rush of blood to her head, leading to that impulsive invitation.
The moment the words left her mouth, however, Fu Xuan regretted it. She realized how abrupt she was being. This was an Aeon, and she was merely an Emanator.
Normally, shouldn't she give up her bedroom and go sleep in the guest room?
What was I thinking, inviting my own God to sleep with me?!
Even if Fu Xuan didn't view 'Huohuo' with traditional religious piety, but rather a pure admiration for a benefactor, the invitation was still somewhat inappropriate given their status.
"No, sorry, I'll go to the guest room—"
"No need. Let's sleep together. I came here to hang out with you, after all."
'Huohuo' put down her book, rose from the chair, and walked over to Fu Xuan, pressing her back down onto the bed just as she was trying to leave. Then, she lay down right beside her.
Watching Fu Xuan turn stiff as a board, 'Huohuo' let out a chuckle. "Relax a little, or you won't get a wink of sleep tonight."
"..."
Fu Xuan pursed her lips, silently grumbling about exactly whose fault it was that she wouldn't be able to sleep. On the surface, she remained silent, staring up at the ceiling, not even daring to glance at 'Huohuo'.
But 'Huohuo' wasn't finished. Teasing someone as serious as Fu Xuan was far too much fun. And since they were in Fu Xuan's home, no one would ever know about this side of her.
Compared to Celenova, 'Huohuo' was clearly much gentler with Fu Xuan. Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't poke fun at her.
"Are you unhappy sleeping with me, Fu Xuan? From the way you were looking at Celenova today, I almost thought little Fu Xuan was jealous~"
Gulp.
Fu Xuan visibly overheated. Within moments, actual steam started rising from her forehead! It made 'Huohuo' burst out laughing.
"Oh, I forgot I'm in this form right now."
'Huohuo' acted as if she had just realized, but she didn't drop the act entirely. Instead, using the powers of Permanence and Elation, she constructed a new body layered over her current one.
In Fu Xuan's eyes, the Foxian girl lying next to her gradually grew taller, her hair lengthened and turned a divine, silvery white.
"You..."
"You're probably more used to this look."
Having temporarily reverted to her form as Bai Ming, she lightly brushed aside her falling white hair and looked Fu Xuan straight in the eye with a smile.
"I... I am more used to it..." Fu Xuan stammered, nodding. Her body remained stiff, paralyzed with nerves.
This time, Bai Ming took the initiative to move closer, narrowing the gap between them. Now that she was back in her original form, Bai Ming was no longer the same height or build as Fu Xuan. She could easily pull the smaller girl into a full embrace.
"So, can you tell me now? What was on your mind today?"
"...Don't you already know? I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
Fu Xuan felt a deep sense of shame, but through the filter of her affection, she didn't even realize she was being toyed with by a mischievous Aeon.
"I only guessed a little. As for your actual thoughts, how would I know? I'm not like a Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection; I don't go snooping through people's memories and minds."
"..."
Fu Xuan swallowed hard and turned to look at Bai Ming, who was smiling right at her. That smile—pure and bright as moonlight—nearly sank Fu Xuan's heart.
Despite her admiration and respect, the impact of such raw beauty left a deep impression on her soul.
"...Yes. I was a little jealous. I'm a native of the Xianzhou, the Master Diviner of the Luofu's Divination Commission. I have to stay here; I can't follow in your footsteps. But Celenova is an enemy, yet she gets to stay with you from now on. It... it bothers me."
Out of trust, Fu Xuan bared her thoughts, however embarrassing they were.
It wasn't that she couldn't leave the Luofu; if she truly resigned, the Alliance wouldn't force her to stay. What kept her there was the sense of responsibility and the values she had held since childhood. Becoming Bai Ming's Emanator had been the real anomaly.
So, Fu Xuan wouldn't chase after Bai Ming across the cosmos. But that didn't mean she didn't want to. That was why she was unhappy.
She had expected to spend the night alone in an empty house, likely unable to sleep. She hadn't expected Bai Ming to show up and ensure she couldn't sleep for an entirely different reason.
Hearing this, Bai Ming smiled and reached out to pat Fu Xuan's head.
"Celenova is just here to be a little maid. You are my messenger. They aren't the same thing at all."
"I know they're not..." Fu Xuan puffed out her cheeks. She knew the situations were different, but being unhappy was a feeling she couldn't control.
"Well, then again," Bai Ming said with a laugh, "you might be the very first Emanator to be so possessive of their Aeon."
As she spoke, Fu Xuan turned red—not just her face, but her neck, her shoulders, her entire being. She slowly raised both hands to cover her face and then wriggled her way under the covers, burying her head completely.
Fu Xuan had a vague inkling that she was being teased, but her bias made her think otherwise. She felt that because she truly had developed these strange, possessive feelings, she deserved the comment.
She hadn't even realized it until Bai Ming pointed it out. Now that it was in the open, Fu Xuan realized her mindset was definitely not that of a "normal" Emanator.
In a state of extreme mortification, she began to wonder if working so much overtime had finally caused her mind to become twisted and strange.
Otherwise, why on earth would she feel this kind of attachment and possessiveness toward an Aeon?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL