TBWE Extra 2

Night shrouded the mountains.

In the center of the sacrificial plaza, a huge bonfire was lit, with orange-red flames dancing, dispelling the chill of early winter.

An altar was set up at the high place of the plaza, filled with offerings just like the sacrificial ceremonies of previous years.

The clanspeople stood by the bonfire, quietly observing the figure behind the altar.

Chu Li wore a snow-white cashmere coat, wrapped in a light brown scarf, with long boots encasing her well-proportioned calves. Dressed like this, she looked no different from any young person from outside the mountains.

The clanspeople belatedly realized that this new Grand Nuo, who had bloodily cleansed the main family, was indeed very young.

Behind her stood a pitch-black figure, almost melting into the shadows cast by the firelight, yet still maintaining a strong presence.

Many gazes quickly swept past Him, filled with both reverence and fear.

“There’s something I need to tell everyone.”

Chu Li’s gaze slowly swept across the crowd. The faces of men, women, elderly, and children all bore the relief of survivors and confusion about the future.

She said straightforwardly, “There will be no more sacrificial ceremonies from now on.”

A small commotion arose in the crowd, mixed with incredulous gasps.

Chu Li calmly added, “In the future, during New Year, you can come back and gather like today, sit around the fire, eat and drink, sing and dance – whatever you like. If you don’t want to come back, celebrating at home is fine too. If you want to go outside to study, work, do business… it’s all up to you.”

“From now on, there are no rules and no constraints. You are free.”

The crowd fell completely silent.

Firelight danced on every face, reflecting complex expressions – surprise, bewilderment, contemplation, finally slowly settling into a kind of relieved ease and genuine joy. Several children were the first to cheer, and smiles gradually bloomed on the adults’ faces as well.

The bonfire crackled and burned.

A bit of coolness drifted down from the sky, landing on Chu Li’s nose tip.

She looked up.

Tiny white snowflakes were silently falling from the pitch-black night sky.

“It’s snowing!” someone shouted with delight.

“It’s the first snow!”

“Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest!”

Fine snow fluttered down, at first just scattered dots, but soon becoming thick and heavy. The burning bonfire and swirling snow reflected in everyone’s eyes became a painting.

Someone began humming a mountain tune, and soon voices joined together in song. People took hands and danced simple steps around the bonfire. Laughter, singing, and the crackling of burning wood filled the sacrificial plaza.

Chu Li came down from behind the altar and stood not far from the bonfire, watching this scene with gentle eyes.

“Sister Li…” a shy voice called out timidly.

Chu Queling spoke haltingly, the firelight illuminating the freckles on her cheeks. She mustered her courage to offer a wooden box. “This is a thank-you gift from our family for you and the Nuo God.”

The box contained a pair of jade bracelets, green as a pool of lake water.

Chu Li was startled and looked behind Chu Queling, where dozens of people stood with honest, simple smiles and rough hands.

She remembered that Chu Queling had mentioned before that their branch family was responsible for mining. It was probably jade mining.

In all these days, she was the first clansperson who didn’t address Chu Li as “Grand Nuo.”

Chu Li’s eyes curved with a smile as she accepted this precious gift. “They’re beautiful, thank you.”

Chu Queling’s cheeks flushed. She was about to apologize for what happened that day when more clanspeople crowded over.

A gray-haired old woman was supported by several young women, walking over tremblingly with a cloth bundle in her hands.

“Grand Nuo, this is cured meat from our own home, very fragrant! You… you’re leaving tomorrow, take it to eat on the road.”

“Yes, Grand Nuo, these are dried mushrooms I dried myself!”

“And me! Shoe insoles I made myself, they’re warm…”

“Grand Nuo, this…”

“Lord Nuo God…”

People slowly gathered around, talking all at once, stuffing the things they had prepared into Chu Li’s hands. There were preserved meats, dried goods, wild honey gathered from the mountains, hand-sewn cloth shoes, embroidered handkerchiefs… Though not expensive, they were all expressions of gratitude.

Chu Li didn’t refuse, thanking them and accepting each item.

Several bundles also piled up beside Xi Chu.

Toward this deity who had been worshipped for thousands of years, the Chu clan members felt both fear and reverence. They didn’t dare hand things directly to Him, so they quietly placed them at the deity’s feet.

He glanced down with no particular expression.

When the crowded clanspeople finally dispersed, Chu Queling ran forward, only to find that both figures had already departed.

Looking at the flying fine snow, she felt lost and disappointed.

****

Chu Li returned to the small building where she was temporarily staying, bringing the cold with her.

The gifts from the clanspeople needed to be sorted and packed, and she also had to pack tomorrow’s luggage.

Though she was no longer human, she still liked to personally complete life’s small tasks.

The room was lit, with mountain specialties piled all over the floor.

Xi Chu wore a black coat over a black high-neck sweater of the same color. He crouched on the ground, sorting and organizing things to take, then handing them to Chu Li.

Their hands, both wearing matching rings, occasionally touched.

It took four large suitcases to pack everything.

Chu Li planned to mail these all back to Hai City tomorrow.

The charcoal brazier in the corner crackled, making the room somewhat stuffy and hot.

She got up and opened the wooden window. Cold air mixed with fine snow blew in. Below, the bonfire in the plaza danced like a small, warm orange light dot, with faint songs and laughter drifting away on the wind. 

Chu Li stretched out her hand, snowflakes falling into her palm and quickly melting.

“This year’s first snow,” her voice was very soft. 

Xi Chu walked to her side, also looking out the window. His tall figure blocked some of the cold, completely enveloping Chu Li in the shadow he cast.

Snowflakes silently fell on the window sill, accumulating in a thin white layer.

The noise outside the window was distant like another world that had nothing to do with them.

Xi Chu gazed at Chu Li. Her profile was gilded with light from the lamp, the distant bonfire reflected in her pupils like scattered stars.

A small snowflake clung to her long eyelashes, quickly melting from the warmth, becoming a droplet about to fall.

The human form had been simulated to normal temperature.

Xi Chu braced one hand against the window sill, leaning close, his warm hand caressing her cheek, his fingertip wiping away the water droplet.

The Adam’s apple above the sweater collar moved slightly.

In his pitch-black pupils surged the thick desire that Chu Li was familiar with.

Two breaths were very close, intertwining with each other.

“May I?” He asked.

Looking into His eyes, many detailed scenes flashed through Chu Li’s mind.

That bowl of egg drop soup, the clumsy embrace in the empty villa, the dazed expression from a kiss, the figure that instinctively rushed over during the car collision, the sea of flowers on the observatory, hands carefully holding the ring, willingly being devoured…

When being favored to the extreme, it was hard to remain completely unmoved.

Especially when this was a monster that originally knew nothing of human nature.

So Chu Li stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around His neck.

Two breaths pressed close and intertwined.

Xi Chu’s pupils contracted violently, as if frozen in place, letting the soft lips touch His.

Seeing Him react like wood with no response, Chu Li slowly backed away.

A hand suddenly circled her waist, pulling her forward with somewhat uncontrolled force.

A burning kiss pursued, as if wanting to swallow her whole.

Chu Li’s feet left the ground, and in a moment she was lifted onto the window sill, feet dangling, back against empty air, her line of sight raised.

The hand circling her waist became the only support point.

Xi Chu’s hand cupping her face applied slight pressure, forcing Chu Li to tilt her head back, then forcefully pried open her teeth, precisely rolling her tongue tip and sucking heavily.

“Mm…”

A slight electric current flowed along her skin.

Chu Li gripped His shirt front, her nostrils filled with His cold yet extremely aggressive scent, mixed with the wind carrying fine snow that lifted their hair, falling on their pressed-together faces.

After an unknown amount of entanglement, Xi Chu finally withdrew slightly.

He licked away the moisture remaining on her red lips, thin lips kissing over her brow bone, then lingering at her nose tip, finally gently pecking at her lips.

Neither of them spoke again, embracing each other with nose tips touching.

The bonfire outside the window gradually died out, the night was silent, leaving only two nestled shadows.

****

After an absence of several months, returning to Hai City, Chu Li had a sense of being in another lifetime.

After coming back, the first thing to handle was “Huo Xiu’s disappearance.”

Originally, Xi Chu had used Huo Xiu’s identity. After the avatar died, in everyone’s eyes, “Huo Xiu” had disappeared.

With divine power, influencing people’s memories and thoughts was a simple matter.

In everyone’s memory, it became that during July’s island vacation, Huo Xiu accidentally fell into the sea and went missing.

Huo Xiu’s parents had died of illness a few years ago. His only relative was his brother Huo Li. Chu Li contacted him abroad, informing him of this matter and asking him to return to handle the inheritance.

After handling this matter, Chu Li contacted Xin Tong.

The two arranged to meet at Aunt Lian’s barbecue stall.

The barbecue stall at the alley entrance was packed before six o’clock, with the aroma of grilling floating in the air.

Xin Tong was in a public class when she received the call. She pretended to have a stomachache, skipped half the class, and crossed half the city to reach the destination.

Hai City was near the sea, making early winter damp and cold.

At the familiar alley entrance, a ginkgo tree was planted. The leaves had all fallen, and under the tree at the tables and chairs sat a beautiful young woman.

It was clearly a familiar face, familiar profile, and familiar dress style.

Xin Tong inexplicably felt something was different.

“Tong Tong!” Chu Li smiled and waved at the stunned person.

A wave of warmth surged up. Xin Tong ran over and threw her arms around her.

It’s good that you’re back, she thought.

****

The small table was piled with grilling plates and iron skewers, as well as several empty beer bottles.

Halfway through eating, rain began to fall from the sky, some condensing into small ice pellets in mid-air, pattering against the windscreen.

A small grill was set up on the table to keep the skewers warm.

“You had no news for months, really worried people to death! Are things handled over there? Everything went smoothly?”

After a good meal and random chatting about everything under the sun, Xin Tong began interrogating Chu Li.

She took a bite of crispy-outside-tender-inside grilled chicken wing and said vaguely, “I guess things are handled.”

Xin Tong looked around, then suddenly lowered her voice, acting furtive, “That one who was always following you, sent away? Won’t bother you anymore, right?”

“Cough, cough…” Chu Li was choked by chili until her face turned red, hurriedly looking for water to wash it down. “This matter is a bit complicated to explain, originally I was planning to…”

Clang—

Xin Tong suddenly stood up, nearly overturning the table.

Her expression was more terrifying than seeing a ghost, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the opposite street.

“Li, Li Bao…” Xin Tong’s teeth chattered, “He, He’s coming…”

Across the street, a young man held a black umbrella, with jet-black hair and deep eyes. Combined with his overly handsome face, he looked particularly eye-catching.

He crossed through the traffic, walking through the cold night rain, step by step approaching this barbecue stall.

Xin Tong watched Him approach with wide eyes. His gaze coldly swept past her and settled firmly on Chu Li.

“Li Li, it’s raining. I came to take you home.”