The night wind carried a hint of chill. As Wang Zhaojun walked beneath the eaves and passed Li Bai's room, she heard the faint rustle of movement inside and knocked on the door.
"May I come in?"
After receiving no response for a long time, Wang Zhaojun pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was unlit and pitch black.
Suddenly, a few flashes of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the interior.
Wang Zhaojun glanced toward the bed, but there was no one to be seen. Where had that little thing gone?
Just as she was wondering, she spotted Li Bai hiding behind the gauze curtains, his body curled up tight with his head buried in his knees, looking utterly terrified.
Wang Zhaojun walked over and gently stroked his head. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
Li Bai looked up at her for a moment, then lowered his head and buried it back in his knees.
At that moment, another crash of thunder boomed across the sky. Frightened, Li Bai covered his ears and burrowed into Wang Zhaojun's arms, shrinking back.
Wang Zhaojun could feel his body trembling slightly. He seemed genuinely terrified of thunderstorms.
Could it be that surviving so many heavenly tribulations had left him with psychological scars?
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Unable to bear seeing him frightened, Wang Zhaojun wrapped her arms around him and gently patted his back.
Suddenly, the thought crossed her mind that right now, she looked precisely like a mother coaxing her child to sleep.
"Can Elder Sister sleep with me?" Seeing Wang Zhaojun hold him, Li Bai leaned trustingly against her chest.
Did he really take her for a mother?
Gazing into Li Bai's innocent, crystal-clear eyes, a wave of maternal affection washed over Wang Zhaojun, and she murmured, "This is the last time."
Before her voice had even faded, Li Bai pulled her down to lie beside him, resting his head against her chest. Instantly, his fear subsided, though he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
"Can Elder Sister sing me a lullaby?"
"You ask for too much. Go to sleep." Wang Zhaojun had no intention of entertaining him.
Suddenly, Li Bai propped himself up on the bed, tilting his head up to look at Wang Zhaojun as he bit his lip. "But I can't sleep."
Wang Zhaojun felt a mild headache coming on, her pretty eyes shimmering.
"Shall I play the flute for you?"
Li Bai nodded obediently.
Wang Zhaojun took out the Flute of a Hundred Birds Saluting the Phoenix and brought it to her lips. Her fingers danced nimbly, producing a melodious, soaring tune that was both winding and enchanting, as if it were celestial music from the highest heavens.
Before she knew it, Li Bai had fallen asleep. She lowered the Long Flute; the rain had passed, leaving the night clear and bright with moonlight.
She glanced down at the sleeping Li Bai. His long, silver hair was scattered lazily across the bed, and his long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a crow-grey shadow against the night.
His brows were like distant misty peaks, his nose like a mountain peak under the moonlight, and his lips like plum blossoms in the snow. Though youthful, his handsome features lacked nothing; gone was the cheeky smile he wore by day, replaced now by a cool detachment that made him strikingly handsome.
She had flipped through the portrait books of the Six Realms' most handsome men, yet no one could compare to Xiaobai's looks.
That unfair face! She was completely won over.
With Li Bai asleep, Wang Zhaojun attempted to get up and leave, but suddenly her waist was caught. As she gave a slight struggle, her belt instantly came loose.
Wang Zhaojun's expression darkened, and she glared at Li Bai through gritted teeth. He had loosened her sash, and when she tried to tie it back up, the other end remained firmly clutched in his grip.
Having lain half-recumbent for so long, her mind could no longer fight off the encroaching wave of sleepiness. Though men and women should not touch hands, he was just a child after all, so she simply lay back down and drifted off to sleep, abandoning the belt entirely.
As the morning sun rose, Gongsun Li came looking for Li Bai bright and early.
"Xiaobai, time to get up!"
Seeing no movement inside, Gongsun Li pushed the door open without a second thought. The scene that greeted her eyes left her utterly dumbstruck, her rabbit ears standing straight up.
Elder Sister Zhaojun and Xiaobai were lying in the same bed! Xiaobai was still clutching Elder Sister Zhaojun's belt! Xiaobai was nestled obediently in her arms! Unseemly sights must not be seen! Not suitable for children!
Wang Zhaojun opened her eyes to see Gongsun Li staring at her with a slightly flushed face. Puzzled, she frowned.
"What is it?"
"Elder Sister Zhaojun, don't worry! A-Li didn't see anything! I'll leave you be!"
Covering her eyes, Gongsun Li bolted out of the room.
After Gongsun Li left, Wang Zhaojun belatedly realized what she must have been thinking and called out toward the doorway.
"A-Li! You've misunderstood!"
Looking somewhat irritated, Wang Zhaojun cast a glare at Li Bai on the bed.
After getting up and freshening up, she instructed Gongsun Li, "When Xiaobai wakes up, tell him to come to the back garden."
Gongsun Li looked at Wang Zhaojun with sudden hesitation. "Elder Sister Zhaojun, Xiaobai is so young, and after yesterday... couldn't you let him sleep in a bit?"
Xiaobai was growing very fast; though he possessed a youthful face, he already had the physique of a teenage boy.
How could the sharp-witted Wang Zhaojun fail to understand Gongsun Li's insinuation?
"A-Li! You really have misunderstood!" Wang Zhaojun clutched her head in frustration.
Before her voice had even died away, Gongsun Li immediately replied, "Elder Sister Zhaojun doesn't need to be embarrassed, A-Li understands all of this."
"It really isn't what you're thinking..."
"There's no need to explain!"
Gongsun Li flatly rejected Wang Zhaojun's explanation, indicating that she understood—besides the Young Lord of the Dragon Clan, it wasn't as though there weren't other handsome men around. Even though Xiaobai was young, a good husband should be raised by one's side from a young age.
The more Wang Zhaojun tried to explain, the more tangled it became, so she simply shut her mouth.
After a while, Gongsun Li brought Li Bai to the back garden and offered Wang Zhaojun a smile.
"He's still just a child, Elder Sister Zhaojun, please don't be too hard on him."
Rubbing her temples with a headache, Wang Zhaojun thought: give me back my pure, soft, and adorable rabbit A-Li!
After Gongsun Li left, Li Bai walked up to Wang Zhaojun, his clear, bright eyes sparkling.
"Elder Sister wanted me to come here. What must I do?"
Suddenly, Wang Zhaojun produced an ancient tome, tossed it to Li Bai, and looked at him with a cool expression.
"The Heavenly Realm is not at peace. You must learn how to protect yourself, as I cannot stay by your side every moment."
Looking somewhat dejected, Li Bai caught the ancient book, flipped through it casually, and cast a slightly pleading look at Wang Zhaojun.
"Do I have to learn this?"
"If you want to be bullied by those people in the Heavenly Realm, you don't have to learn it. I won't protect you forever, so figure it out yourself." With that, Wang Zhaojun turned on her heel and walked away.
Li Bai felt a headache coming on. Looking at the dense blocks of text on the pages, his brain felt on the verge of tying itself into knots.
Following the methods described in the ancient text, he tried to gather his spiritual power, but try as he might, he could not absorb even a shred of it.
He calmed his mind, banished all distracting thoughts, and repeated the process several times.
Finally, he managed to gather a faint ball of spiritual power in his palm—and instantly, every potted plant and flower in the surroundings came crashing down upon him.
Following a flurry of clattering noises, the clean, tidy floor was littered with dirt and shattered pots. Plants hung from his head, and the neat, fair-skinned youth now looked thoroughly filthy.
He sat despondently beside the flower pond. If he couldn't master magic, Elder Sister would be displeased.
Day after day, the cycle repeated. Li Bai practiced his magic diligently from dawn till dusk, yet he still couldn't get the hang of it.
Wang Zhaojun was also feeling somewhat exasperated. Xiaobai possessed pure bloodlines and extraordinary talent, so why on earth couldn't he master simple magic?
Without a second thought, she packed him off to the highest institution of learning in the Heavenly Realm: Jixia Academy.
At the gates of Jixia Academy, Li Bai clung tightly to Wang Zhaojun's hand and whined, "I don't want to go! I can practice just as well at home!"
Without a moment's hesitation, she refused him outright. "You need a teacher to instruct you in magic. I don't have the time to teach you."
Before long, someone came out to collect Li Bai—it was his tutor.
Wang Zhaojun set off toward the Heavenly Palace; for reasons unknown, the Empress had summoned her.
The woman upon the throne was dressed in imperial robes, her hair secured in a topknot by a golden crown. Her phoenix eyes were not only alluring and charming, but radiated the natural majesty of a monarch.
The High Priest, Ming Shiyin, stepped forward, his entire body wrapped in a purple robe that revealed only half his face.
In a calm voice, he said, "Our people on the border are repeatedly attacked by the Demon Clan, and our young generals are being driven back in defeat time and time again. We have no choice but to trouble the immortaless to serve as War God and guard the borders."
The Empress said nothing, but anyone with eyes knew this was her intention.