The Broken Silk!

Ling Er, still cradled in his arms, slowly raised her head. Her eyes, wide and glistening with tears, searched his face as though trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"You… idiot," she breathed, her voice a trembling whisper, caught between relief and pain.

The tears clung to her lashes, threatening to spill over as her body trembled slightly from the shock of the fall.

Su Xiaobai met her gaze, his expression hardened, though something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable.

His body was tense, coiled with the remnants of frustration that hadn't fully ebbed away.

"If you're going to fall, fall alone next time… Why the hell did you pull back your ribbon if you don't even know how to fly properly?" His words came out harsher than intended, his own panic lashing out in the form of annoyance.

"!"

Ling Er's face twisted with anger. "Shut up! Go away! I don't want to talk with you!" she shouted.

She stomped her foot in a futile attempt at anger, tears slipping down her cheeks now as she pointed at him accusingly.

Su Xiaobai rubbed his forehead with a groan, feeling the tension mount. "I got hurt too, okay? Do you want me to snap and commit some unspeakable crime all alone with you in this dark, quiet forest? Stop pushing it," he grumbled, the pain in his body not yet gone, despite his self-healing slowly taking effect.

He could still feel the ache in his muscles from their rough tumble.

"Wh—what?" Ling Er's face turned a deep shade of red as his words sank in. Her head snapped around, realizing just how dark it was.

The towering trees around them were so dense that even the moonlight struggled to break through.

Hiss!

The cold night air brushed against her skin, making her shiver involuntarily.

She glanced back at Su Xiaobai, her expression shifting from anger to something else—a mix of fear and suspicion.

Her hands instinctively gripped the fabric of her robe, and she took a small step back from him, her breath catching in her throat.

Su Xiaobai rolled his eyes, catching the shift in her expression. "Relax," he muttered, exasperated by the sudden change in her demeanor. "Show me your ribbon."

Ling Er glared at him, still hesitant, but she moved her hand in a swift motion.

Swoosh!

The long red silk ribbon materialized in her grasp, extending out ten meters. Its ends, once elegant and flawless, were now charred and ruined from the infernal flames.

She stared at it, her lips trembling, not out of fear of him anymore but at the sight of her most prized weapon in tatters.

Su Xiaobai examined the damage, nodding thoughtfully. "I'll get it repaired," he said casually, his hand brushing over the ribbon as though it were no more than a minor inconvenience.

Before Ling Er could react, the ribbon vanished, slipping into his spatial ring.

"..."

Ling Er's eyes widened in disbelief, her lips parting slightly.

She stared at him, biting her lip in hesitation.

The ribbon was gone—her only means of escape, her only tool for flight, now firmly in Su Xiaobai's possession.

He hadn't just taken her ribbon; he had cut off her only way out.

Is he trapping her here?

Her mind torn between the uncertainty of his intentions and the undeniable fact that she was now stranded, grounded at his mercy.

The dark forest suddenly seemed even more scary, the shadows deeper, the cold air more biting.

Her heart raced in her chest, but she forced herself to stay still, eyes locked on his.

Su Xiaobai, sensing her unease, sighed. "Look, I didn't do it to trap you." His voice softened, his irritation fading slightly. "You need it fixed, and I'm not going to leave you here to freeze in this cold night." He glanced around at the darkened woods, the silence pressing in on them. "You can barely stand up straight right now, let alone fly."

"..."

Ling Er stayed silent, her mind still conflicted, but her body no longer recoiling in fear.

She bit her lower lip again, trying to mask the fear she was feeling, unsure whether to trust him or remain on guard.

Su Xiaobai, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You really don't know how to fly without the ribbon, huh?" His words were more of a statement than a question, his tone dipping into something almost amused, though the moment was far from playful.

Ling Er's cheeks flushed again, this time with embarrassment.

She clenched her fists, her pride wounded more than her body. She didn't know what to say, especially since her inability to fly without the ribbon had nearly led to a disaster.

Su Xiaobai huffed lightly, the corner of his mouth lifting in the faintest smirk. "Thought so."

Ling Er shot him a glare, but the fight had mostly left her.

For now, she was stuck with him in this cold, dark forest, no way to escape even if she wanted to.

And despite the lingering annoyance between them, there was something strangely comforting about his presence.

Even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Fine," she muttered under her breath, looking away. "But if you make any weird moves…" She didn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Su Xiaobai raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

For now, they were stuck together, tangled in the mess they had made. And whether they liked it or not, neither of them was going anywhere.

"Follow me," Su Xiaobai sighed as he stood up, dusting himself off. "Once I'm healed, I'll carry you back to camp. But until then, let's walk on foot."

"..."

Ling Er watched his back in silence, stubbornly refusing to move for a few moments.

Rustle~

The cold wind bit at her skin, sending goosebumps racing across her arms.

She hesitated, but the creeping chill and the dark emptiness of the forest stared down at her courage.

With a huff, she ran after him. "Wait!"

"Ha-ha! Already falling in line?" Su Xiaobai threw his head back, laughing as she caught up.

"Humph..." Ling Er gritted her teeth, her cheeks flushing with annoyance.

She had grabbed his hand in the rush to catch up, but even after a moment of hesitation, she didn't let go.

Something about the touch was… comforting, in this vast and unforgiving emptiness.

She kept her gaze forward, her grip firm but awkward.

"Are you used to the dark?" she asked hesitantly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. He walked with no sign of fear, as if the shadows and the biting cold were old friends.

But to her, this place seemed alive with the possibility of danger—weren't there demonic beasts in forests like this?

Su Xiaobai's face darkened. "Where we used to live… it was much worse. More desolate. More dangerous." His voice was low, almost distant, as though recalling something buried deep. "Every day was a fight just to survive."

The memories surfaced uninvited—his exile, the endless hordes of 'hunters' outside the safe boundaries, prowling like wolves waiting for weakness.

Matriarch Su had been the only thing standing between them and certain death. And the nights… the nights were even crueler than this one.

Darker. Filled with the stench of death.