Morning light poured into Mirror Cloud Residence, warm and gentle. A breeze slipped through the window lattice, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
It brushed two strands of green silk beside Mi Xingzhe's cheek.
Mi Xingzhe frowned, coughed softly, and woke with a slow, reluctant blink.
Lately, his days had been filled with misery disguised as "training." Aside from calligraphy, Yun Qingyi had also invited Moon Ruoling to teach Mi Xingzhe a few basic skills. For Mi Xingzhe, "basic" meant waking up each morning feeling as if someone had taken him apart and put him back together incorrectly.
"Ah… my waist… my neck…" he groaned, struggling upright.
Just then, Yun Qingyi walked in carrying a teapot in one hand and a bowl of medicine in the other. He paused at the bedside, eyes immediately scanning Mi Xingzhe's face with practiced concern.
"Nian Nian~Awake already? Hungry? Want your senior brother to cook you some noodles?" Yun Qingyi set the bowl down and leaned in closer, checking him over.
Mi Xingzhe blinked, momentarily stuck on the words.
"Qingyi… what did you just call me?"
Yun Qingyi tilted his head, smile bright in his eyes. "Nian Nian"Then, as if that explained everything, he added, "Master calls you 'Nian.' I'm your senior brother—so of course I call you by your sect name. 'Nian Nian' sounds good, doesn't it?"
Mi Xingzhe stared, as if testing the sound in his head.
Then he nodded. "Okay."
A beat later, he asked again—quietly, almost careful.
"Brother… is that also considered a nickname?"
"Of course."
Mi Xingzhe's fingers tightened slightly on the blanket.
"In the mortal realm, I heard… only family calls each other by nicknames." His voice softened, trailing off. His eyes shone faintly, as if tears were hovering just out of sight. He didn't finish what he meant to say—uncertain whether Yun Qingyi would understand, or whether it was safe to want that much.
Yun Qingyi understood immediately.
His chest tightened, a sharp little ache.
He stepped closer, sat at the edge of the bed, and gently patted Mi Xingzhe's head.
"Nian Nian," he said softly, "from now on, you have a family."
Mi Xingzhe's breathing stilled.
"Master and I are your family. You're not alone anymore. You don't have to hide everything in your heart." Yun Qingyi's palm rested warmly against Mi Xingzhe's hair. "We'll always be with you. We'll take care of you—like family."
Yun Qingyi didn't know why he felt this way so strongly—only that Mi Xingzhe's smallest shifts in mood were impossible for him to ignore, like he was tuned to them instinctively.
A voice cut in from the doorway.
"Qingyi."
Li Luoning had entered so quietly neither of them noticed at first. He picked up the medicine bowl Yun Qingyi had set down, expression flat as usual.
"Is this the medicine you brewed for Xingzhe?"
Yun Qingyi froze mid-gesture, his hand still on Mi Xingzhe's head.
Li Luoning's eyes flicked over, puzzled—clearly not understanding what the two of them were doing.
Yun Qingyi withdrew his hand at once and rose to salute.
"Master."
"Yes. That is the medicine you instructed me to brew for him."
Li Luoning glanced at Mi Xingzhe—then repeated the name as if testing it.
"Nian Nian?"
Yun Qingyi smiled, eager to explain. "Yes. Master calls junior brother 'Nian,' so I call him 'Nian Nian.' I told him we're family now, so nicknames feel more intimate. What does Master think?"
Li Luoning paused. A faint, amused warmth touched his eyes.
"Mm. Sounds good."
He handed the bowl forward.
Mi Xingzhe accepted it with visible reluctance, staring at it as if it had personally offended him.
"Drinking again…"
Over these days, he had swallowed so many medicinal soups he no longer felt like a disciple—more like a sickly apprentice trapped in an herbal shop.
Yun Qingyi explained gently from the side. "Your constitution is still weak. If it isn't nourished properly, your cultivation will stall in the future. These prescriptions are meant to condition your body."
Mi Xingzhe sniffed the bowl and made a face. He pinched his nose. "But it's too bitter."
Yun Qingyi patted his back lightly, coaxing. "Good medicine tastes bitter. Drink it now—when it cools, it'll taste even worse."
Mi Xingzhe looked up with puppy-eyed misery. His voice turned faintly coaxing.
"Brother… can you get me some honey?"
Yun Qingyi's eyes narrowed with delighted mischief.
"Nian Nian—what did you just call me?"
Mi Xingzhe blinked, confused. "Senior… senior brother?"
Yun Qingyi beamed as if he'd just won something. "Ah, that sounds nice. Say it again."
Mi Xingzhe's ears turned red. He lowered his head and muttered something too soft to catch.
Yun Qingyi laughed quietly, utterly satisfied.
"Alright, alright. Drink the medicine first. Your senior brother will go to the kitchen and get honey. Later I'll make you peach pastries too."
He left humming, light on his feet.
Mi Xingzhe watched him go, genuinely stunned that a simple title had made Yun Qingyi so happy.
Li Luoning, standing to the side, shook his head with a helpless smile. He had heard Yun Qingyi hint for years about taking on a junior disciple. Now that Yun Qingyi finally had one, it made sense he was acting like he'd been given a treasure.
Li Luoning stepped closer and checked Mi Xingzhe's pulse, then touched his forehead, briefly inspecting his eyes and posture.
Everything seemed normal.
He gave quiet instructions anyway. "Nian, the medicine these days may be bitter. I'll adjust the prescriptions soon. Bear with it for now."
Mi Xingzhe nodded obediently, holding the bowl with both hands.
"Thank you, Master."
"Drink. I'll be out for a while," Li Luoning said. "I'll come back later to check on you."
"Okay."
Li Luoning left.
Mi Xingzhe sat on the bed for a long moment, listening.
No footsteps.
No voices.
He slid off the bed, checked the room, then peeked through the window. Yun Qingyi still hadn't returned.
Mi Xingzhe hurried to the back window and, with careful stealth, poured the medicinal soup out.
The bitter liquid soaked into the blue snow flowers below, dripping from petals and buds before disappearing into the earth.
Mi Xingzhe stared at the empty bowl with quiet stubbornness.
"This is too bitter to swallow," he muttered. "And my body shouldn't be as weak as Master says…"
Several days later, in the courtyard of Mirror Cloud Residence—
Li Luoning sat beneath a large peach blossom tree, gently fanning himself. On the stone table lay tea cups and several ancient books.
His gaze was soft—rarely so—as he watched the young Chéng Huáng and Mi Xingzhe play. A faint smile rested on his lips, almost absent-minded.
After a while, Mi Xingzhe grew tired and wandered back.
Yun Qingyi arrived with freshly brewed tea, pouring one cup for Li Luoning with both hands, then another for Mi Xingzhe.
Mi Xingzhe drank his in one go. Then, without thinking, poured another cup and turned toward the Chéng Huáng—only to freeze.
It was tea.
He glanced uncertainly at Li Luoning.
Li Luoning nodded with an indulgent smile.
Mi Xingzhe's shoulders relaxed, and he offered the cup to the Chéng Huáng.
The little creature sniffed it with its pink nose, licked once, seemed to like the taste, then drank it all and flopped down contentedly.
Yun Qingyi laughed. "Looks like it doesn't want to leave."
Mi Xingzhe blinked at him. "Senior brother… what do you mean?"
Li Luoning, stepping out from the study, looked at the scene and didn't seem surprised at all.
"It plans to stay," he said evenly.
Yun Qingyi smiled at Mi Xingzhe. "It's probably repaying kindness. You saved it before, and now it wants to remain at your side."
Stories of auspicious beasts repaying favors were common enough. Li Luoning had expected as much.
Yun Qingyi leaned in, mysterious. "Do you know this Chéng Huáng is different from others?"
Mi Xingzhe squatted, scratching behind its ears, playing casually. "Different how?"
Yun Qingyi pointed subtly. "See the white fur on its claws? That marks it as a snow-stepping yellow. Rare."
Mi Xingzhe stared.
Yun Qingyi continued, voice careful. "It's said those recognized by a snow-stepping yellow can extend their lifespan by two thousand years."
Mi Xingzhe shot upright. "Two thousand years?! Then wouldn't I become an old monster?"
Yun Qingyi laughed. "Immortal sect disciples don't age like mortals. Many live for hundreds of years."
Mi Xingzhe's eyes widened as a thought landed. "Then… Master and Senior Brother Qingyi are much older than they look?"
Yun Qingyi gave a wry smile and nodded. "Technically, yes."
Mi Xingzhe looked back at the Chéng Huáng, happiness flickering—then humility tugging it down again.
This was Mirror Cloud Residence. Nothing stayed without Master's permission.
He asked carefully, voice small. "Master… can it stay?"
Yun Qingyi answered first, smiling gently. "If you want it, Master naturally agrees. But you'll be responsible for it from now on."
Li Luoning nodded, confirming it without comment.
Mi Xingzhe opened his mouth—hesitated.
"Bu… but I…"
"But what?" Yun Qingyi teased, coaxing. "It chose you. Do you really have the heart to refuse it?"
The Chéng Huáng seemed to understand. It sat directly in front of Mi Xingzhe, ears twitching, big eyes pleading up at him.
Yun Qingyi smiled wider. "You should know—once an auspicious beast recognizes you, you can't run away even if you want to."
Mi Xingzhe finally admitted, quietly, "I'm afraid I won't take care of it well."
"That's not difficult," Yun Qingyi said. "It's intelligent. It'll let you know what it needs."
Mi Xingzhe looked down at the creature, then bent and stroked its head.
"Alright." His voice softened into a promise. "Then follow me from now on. As long as I have food, you won't go hungry."
The Chéng Huáng closed its eyes, enjoying the touch.
Then—suddenly—it stiffened.
Golden light burst from its eyes. It was briefly swallowed by a glow—
and when the light faded, the creature was no longer a lamb-like beast at all.
A fluffy little dog sat in its place, tail giving a tentative wag.
Mi Xingzhe's mouth fell open. "What—?! You can shapeshift?"
Li Luoning explained calmly, "It can read hearts. This form reflects what you find most approachable."
Yun Qingyi laughed. "That's good. If you take it out like this, no one will envy you."
As the three chatted, a white crane appeared in the distance, flying low with a parcel in its beak. It circled above them, dropped the package neatly, then flew off without lingering.
Li Luoning recognized the crane at once—Jia Gu Qing's.
He walked over, lifted the parcel, placed it on the stone table, and opened it.
Inside lay translucent fruit that shimmered faintly with blue light.
Mi Xingzhe leaned in, fascinated, and poked one with his finger. "What kind of fruit is this? It's so pretty… and it's cold."
"It's called Ice Bamboo Fruit," Li Luoning said. "A fairy fruit from the Sparse Clear Sky Mirror. It's said to preserve the immortal body and assist cultivation. Try one."
Mi Xingzhe picked one up and held it to the light. Faint patterns swirled within the flesh like frozen ripples.
Then he frowned, genuinely puzzled.
"Can bamboo… bear fruit?"
Before he could examine it further, the fluffy dog—now perched on the table—snapped it up and swallowed it whole.
"Hey!" Mi Xingzhe panicked, grabbing at its mouth. "Spit it out! What if there are seeds? You'll choke!"
Yun Qingyi laughed. "It's fine. Chéng Huáng likes cold things—its nature is near water."
Mi Xingzhe hovered, still nervous, then suddenly brightened.
"Then you need a name." He pointed at the little dog with sudden inspiration. "Bingo,How about that? I named you Bingo."
The Chéng Huáng's eyes lit up. It leaned into him immediately, pressing its head against his cheek and licking his ear enthusiastically.
Mi Xingzhe burst into laughter, squirming. "Do you like it? You like it ?okay, okay! Don't lick me ,it tickles!"
For once, the tranquil Mirror Cloud Residence echoed with laughter.
Li Luoning fanned himself slowly, smiling as he watched.
Then—his fan stilled.
His gaze sharpened.
Behind them, not far away, a black shadow flashed past and vanished.
Yun Qingyi sensed it too. His eyes flicked to Li Luoning, questioning.
Li Luoning's hand shifted slightly—a subtle signal.
Don't act.
His expression returned to calm. He resumed fanning as if nothing had happened, watching Mi Xingzhe and Iceberry play with a gentle smile—perfectly natural, perfectly composed.
Behind his back, Yun Qingyi's fingers moved.
A faint, shimmering blue spell slipped outward—silent as breath.