"Awoo~"
"Hmm?"
Acheron's brow twitched slightly, and her gaze instinctively dropped. Only then did she realize that, at some point, Little Yao had silently coiled itself around her neck and was gently rubbing its head against her chin.
Noticing Acheron's gaze, Little Yao immediately lifted its small head in a soft, adorable manner, extended a short, thin little paw, and lightly tapped its own mouth, letting out a milky cry.
"Awoo~"
Acheron understood Little Yao's intentions at a glance and smiled as she handed the ice cream in her hand to it.
Little Yao's eyes instantly lit up, and the tip of its Tail wagged with excitement. Its entire head plunged into the ice cream with a "splat," even its ears getting buried inside.
When it lifted its head again, its round little face was covered in cold cream, with even a small dollop hanging from the tip of its nose.
Seeing this scene, the corners of Acheron's lips curled up slightly, and her eyes were tinged with a hint of amusement.
"Pfft, hahaha!"
A cheerful laugh rang out immediately. Mo Xin laughed so hard that she leaned back and forth, pointing at Little Yao's head in amusement.
Mo Xi had also noticed what was happening over here.
Mo Xin was laughing uncontrollably.
Mo Xi, on the other hand, stared at the suddenly appearing Little Yao with a look of confusion, then looked back at her laughing younger sister.
"Mo Xin, did you bring Little Yao out with you?"
Mo Xin patted her flat chest and spoke with a face full of pride. "Of course I did!"
Mo Xi's eyelid twitched. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, eventually only saying, "You... as long as you're happy."
Acheron didn't mind Little Yao and took another lick of the ice cream herself.
After all, as a Golden Core old monster, Little Yao still had the ability to keep itself untainted by the dust of the mortal world.
"Are you two out shopping together?"
"Yeah, yeah! Just now I clearly agreed with Sister to wait right here while I went to buy an orange, but the moment I turned around, she was gone!"
"That's enough out of you!"
Mo Xi swatted away her sister's antics and began to explain.
Although it wasn't officially New Year's yet, it wasn't far off.
For Mo Xi's family, this year's New Year held special significance—it was the first Spring Festival the whole family would spend together since Mo Xi's return.
The couple had been pondering the arrangements for New Year's Eve these past few days, thinking they had to celebrate properly, both to welcome Mo Xi back and to pray for the new family members, wishing for everyone to start a brand-new life.
"And then Mom and Dad got more and more excited as they talked, even forgetting to cook dinner..." Speaking to this point, Mo Xi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head away unnaturally.
Acheron listened in total confusion, blinking blankly, not quite understanding what this had to do with them being out shopping.
"Since the family is discussing New Year's Eve, why have you come out at this time?"
Just as Mo Xi didn't know how to explain, Mo Xin suddenly showed a mischievous grin and spread her hands with a teasing expression.
Mo Xin (ಡωಡ): "To buy things, obviously. After all, what the house lacks right now are candles, not lightbulbs."
Mo Xi: (ノ_＜.)
Acheron: (๑•. •๑)?
Little Yao: (๑•. •๑)?
In the end, the simple-minded Acheron and Little Yao still didn't understand Mo Xin's meaning.
Under the persistent coaxing of Mo Xi and Mo Xin, Acheron temporarily suppressed her desire to go home and accompanied the sisters, along with Little Yao perched on her shoulder, as they began a lively shopping trip together.
Awoo~
"So why did you bring Little Yao out too?"
"It's for Mom and Dad's sake."
"...Fine, as long as you're happy."
...
Watching Acheron stick out her tender pink tongue to lick the ice cream bit by bit—that adorable state so completely different from her usual cold demeanor—the sense of contrast was maxed out. Mo Xin's grin grew wider and wider, almost bursting into laughter.
"Ouch!!!"
"That's enough. Why are you making such a creepy face out in public?"
Mo Xin rubbed her head where it had been knocked, muttering quite dissatisfiedly.
"Stinky Sis, acting like you weren't looking too."
"Hmm?"
Seeing her sister's fist raised again, Mo Xin shrank her neck in fear and very submissively changed the subject.
"Uh! I mean, Sister Acheron is just too amazing! In this cold weather, not to mention dressing so thinly, she can eat ice cream without even changing her expression. This cold resistance is simply insane!"
Mo Xi then huffed and lowered her fist, shooting Mo Xin a glare.
Actually, if one were to be strict about it, the three of them seemed no different.
On the street, almost everyone was wrapped in heavy down jackets, yet Acheron was wearing shorts, revealing a section of her white, slender midriff. This outfit stood out exceptionally in the crowd.
While Mo Xi and Mo Xin were wearing down jackets, their layers underneath were very thin.
...
Even though it wasn't New Year's Eve yet, the streets were already bustling with an endless stream of pedestrians.
Along the way, the three sisters strolled leisurely.
Mo Xin was like a lively little sparrow, constantly clamoring to see this or that, pulling the two of them all over the place.
Mo Xi followed helplessly behind, but as she watched her sister's excited appearance, her eyes were full of indulgence.
Acheron didn't speak much throughout, but she was frequently pulled by the arm by the sisters on either side, her steps following their rhythm.
She would take the candied hawthorn Mo Xin handed her, and when Mo Xi asked for help picking out a hair tie, she would examine it seriously. Between her cold brows, a bit of the mundane world's warmth gradually seeped in.
By the time the three of them finished shopping, the originally grayish sky had long since been completely swallowed by night. Streetlights flickered on one after another, their warm yellow halos swaying slightly in the cold wind.
Setting foot on the path home, Mo Xin's face still bore an unstoppable smile of joy, her steps as light as a hopping little rabbit.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the night grew deeper, and even the streetlights seemed somewhat dim.
Mo Xin's grip on her sister's hand suddenly tightened, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Mo Xi noticed her abnormality and paused, asking in confusion, "Hmm, Xiao Xin, what's wrong?"
The trio's pace slowed down unconsciously, and the wind in the night seemed to grow heavy.
Mo Xin looked at the swaying shadows on the ground and pondered for a long time before slowly raising her head. With a hint of complex emotion in her eyes, she slowly asked a question.
"Sister, what if... I mean, if—if something very, very bad is destined to happen in the future, and knowing full well that it absolutely cannot be changed, would you still try to change it?"
Mo Xi was stunned at first, clearly not expecting her usually carefree sister to suddenly ask such a deep question.
She instinctively looked at Mo Xin, only to see the latter's brow slightly furrowed and her small face held taut.
Seeing this, the relaxed smile on Mo Xi's face gradually faded, and her expression became serious bit by bit.
"A predestined future..."
Mo Xi looked up at the cold moonlight in the sky. After a moment of silence, her originally calm tone unconsciously grew a bit heavier.
"If it concerns me—I would."
"Why?" Mo Xin stared intently at her sister, her eyes not blinking once.
Master Yunli had given her a few days off. During this time, she had actually already thought through those troubling matters.
Only now, after fully experiencing today's vivid and lively atmosphere of happiness, an urgent need suddenly arose in her heart—she wanted to find an answer, an answer from her closest kin.
It was as if only by hearing that response could she completely settle her hanging heart and persist in her own thoughts without any burden.
Acheron also heard the question. She looked over, a nearly imperceptible curiosity rippling in her purple eyes, clearly wanting to hear Mo Xi's answer as well.