Heavenly Star

“Are we good friends now? I like you very much, you certainly like me too, right? So just use my body, I will never get mad, just don’t take brother away. I will never get mad, moreover I will be grateful for you. But…if it is possible, will you be able to accompany brother just like I do? And like Sister Tong Xin, protecting him… We are good friends, right?”

“... Ah… Why is it like that… Why with only brother’s body will you be able to… It’s impossible, you’re deceiving me, isn’t it…”

“Without power, you will die, I will be very sad. But without brother, I will be very very sad, so sad that I will die… Don’t tell me there’s really no other way now? Xiang Xiang… There must really some other way, right? Tell me… Me and brother will help you, we will certainly help you. Don’t take brother away…”

“……”

“You’ve asked me why I treated brother so kindly? Because… I can’t lose brother. As long as I’m beside him, I will be at ease, I will be very happy. If I have to leave brother, even if it is just a short while, I am still unwilling and will be sad. Before, I don’t know what kind of feeling this was. Later on, brother taught me so many words, so I slowly learned that this feeling is the so-called fond attachment…”

Fond attachment…

Fond attachment ----

Fond… attachment…

…………

The very small girl in midair softly repeated again and again these two unfamiliar words. Using her own heart to feel Ning Xue’s, she almost gradually seemed to appreciate something and her face exposed a very soft and very sweet smile. Within the white world, her body started to gradually turn lighter, just like an evaporation that suddenly occurred out of nowhere.

After a burst of turmoil, the consciousness had vanished once again from this white colored world.

…………………………………………………………………………

A cold feeling spread from his lips and flowed into his throat, then to his entire body. The coolness was combined with this fascinating warmth. This kind of feeling seemed familiar. Ye Wuchen opened his eyes and an area of ruined green came into his vision—the roof of the hall of “The Lost Shrine”.

The memories before he lost his consciousness bubbled up, he suddenly sat up and yelled out in an urgent voice, “Xue-er!”

“Brother! You are finally awake!”

A yell of pleasant surprise echoed in his ear, making him feel like he was hearing the sounds of nature. Ning Xue holding a large greenish-blue leaf. She curled it in so it would hold the clear dew water inside. Ye Wuchen suddenly sitting up had surprised her, so some water spilled out, causing her snow white dress to get wet. The smile on her face was really joyous.

Ye Wuchen hugged her in his arms at once, with lingering fear in his heart he said, “Xue-er, you really scared me… Next time, don’t do something like that, understand?”

His final memory was the moment Ning Xue had suddenly rushed in front of him to protect him. She used her body to shield him against the attack from that white light, but before he could be alarmed, the world before his eyes had transformed into a blank space.

Xue-er was safe and sound and his own body was similarly did not hurt even in the slightest bit nor did he feel unwell. It was like he had been through a terrible dream and before the dream ended, he had suddenly woken up.

Tong Xin leaned on his shoulders, similarly rejoiced as she laughed. When Ye Wuchen and Ning Xue had been wrapped around by the white light, she had blamed herself. She was afraid and almost cried out loud. Luckily it was just a false alarm, after being greatly frightened, everything after had turned out to be like some miracle.

Ye Wuchen had recognized that this place was still the lost shrine. Tong Xin’s breath also told him knew that there were no more dangers around anymore. So many doubts altogether rushed to his heart. He gently caressed Ning Xue’s hair and asked, “Xue-er, do you know what had happened? Where did that tiny fox go?”

“Squeak…squeak, squeak.”

A beautiful delicately sweet voice suddenly echoed from behind his head, Ye Wuchen subconsciously turned around and saw a very small person floating there. Her body seemed to be a little bit larger than his palm. Her white hair fluttered without the wind, moving at her back. Her white woolen dress and body released a gentle white light. Her body could only be described as small and exquisite, like the carved pink jade of a porcelain doll. At first glance, it was like seeing a smaller version of Ning Xue.

“Squeak, squeak.” Watching Ye Wuchen turn around to look at her, she gladly responded with two squeaks, then exposed an adorable smiling face. Her body gracefully revolved in the sky, showing off her body in front of him.

“This is?” Ye Wuchen was extremely amazed and almost could not believe his own eyes. Could it be that this was one of those who originally only existed in humans’ imagination, the tiny elves?

“Brother, her name is Xiang Xiang. Oh right, she was that tiny fox that day.” Ning Xue said smiling.

As if in response to Ning Xue’s words, the tiny person exhibited a smile on her face and a cloud of white light covered her body. She quickly transformed in it and rapidly turned into that terrible tiny fox. Falling gently to the ground, it encircled them as it mischievously ran around.

“......”

Ye Wuchen seemed to be bewildered, and Ning Xue’s mentioned “that day.” These two words slightly alarmed him, before he could ask anything about this tiny fox, he urgently asked, “Xue-er, I’ve passed out for how many days?”

Ning Xue lifted her small face, she thought for a while then said, “Let me count…” She turned her fingers around, then thought for quite a while then said, “It seemed like seven days. Brother was sleeping all along, unwilling to wake up.”

Seven days… Ye Wuchen had finally settled down his heart, then he asked, “What was about this tiny fox?”

During this period of time, something inconceivable must have happened. Tong Xin was not even the slightest bit hostile towards it, looking at it her eyes, she seemed little fond of it. Moreover, he could clearly feel it in his own mind that something more existed, something spiritual that was inseparably linked, permitting him to be able to feel its every move at any time, even…

“Brother, is Xiang Xiang adorable? It can transform into a tiny fox and also be able to transform into a lovely little sister,” Ning Xue smiled, “There’s more, Xiang Xiang said that you are now her master.”

The tiny fox had stopped running around. It gently leaped onto Ye Wuchen’s shoulder and used its hairy front claws to scratch his face. Ning Xue’s words had confirmed his thoughts, he could feel that between himself and this tiny fox, there was indeed a feeling of master and servant.

That white light, was actually not an attack, then what was the reason for all that?

“Tiny fox, why do you want me to become your master?” Ye Wuchen used a finger to press onto its front claw as he asked.

White light flickered and in an instant, the tiny fox had transformed into a small girl, still standing on his shoulder. Her face was somehow not so happy, as if she were not pleased with him calling her “tiny fox”.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak…” She was yelling squeaks in his ears, her voice was a sweet sounding melody that was quite enjoyable to hear, but Ye Wuchen was completely clueless about what she was saying.

“It will better not to call you Xiang Xiang, instead Yi-ya is better.” Ye Wuchen said helplessly. Aside from that sweet sounding voice, the fragrance in her body made him feel so ecstatic. This must be the reason why she was called “Xiang Xiang.”

[note: yi-ya is the onomatopoeia for all the squeaking, and renote in case you're an idiot and forgot: xiang means fragrant]

“Brother, don’t change it, the name Xiang Xiang is quite nice. You smell it, brother. Her body really smells very nice.” Ning Xue protested in a low voice.

Xiang Xiang also vehemently shook her head, showing protest.

“Fine, I’m just saying. I won’t change it, the name Xiang Xiang suits her well.” Ye Wuchen said, feeling somehow ridiculous. He turned his head around and carefully observed this adorable person on his shoulder, then asked again, “Then, Xiang Xiang, why do you want me to become your master? Right now, I can decide your life and death at any time.”

With her dreadful strength that could even defeat Tong Xin, why would he become her master!? He really could not understand. Furthermore, what Nan-er had said before no doubt identified her as a terrifying character. Although Nan-er tried to deny it after speaking out those words, but Ye Wuchen was able to hear that it seemed like she was trying to convince herself, unwilling to accept the truth before her eyes. Even for Ye Wuchen, it was really hard to accept truth.

“Squeaksqueaksqueak”

“……”

“Xiang Xiang said that it kept on losing its power. If she completely lost them, she will die. So to slow down the speed of losing her power, she could only sleep and continue to sleep and sleep for a very very long time, until brother’s arrival. If she slept in brother’s body, her power will not perish, but instead it will slowly recover. The more powerful brother is, the faster her healing speed.” Ning Xue earnestly answered. This is what Xiang Xiang had told her in that white colored world.

She also told Ning Xue, for her sake, that she would no longer attempt to possess his body, but instead give up her own freedom and let him be her master. Aside from occupying his body and making him her master, there was no other way to lie dormant inside his body. So from this moment on, Ye Wuchen could decide on whether she lived or died with just one thought.

These words from Ning Xue had touched her heartstrings. She did not want to see her sad, as a result, she opted to fulfill other person wishes, and pick the choice that was extremely cruel to herself. She really hoped that her master was good just like what Ning Xue mentioned and treat her well just like how he treated Ning Xue. Because the first thing one must do before invading the body was to eliminate the consciousness.

Ye Wuchen was silent for a while, but then asked, “Xue-er, you can understand her words?”

Ning Xue shook her head, “Now, I can’t. It’s what Xiang Xiang told me in that white place.

A white place… Was it the spiritual world? Ye Wuchen silently thought. The communication between spirits did not need any interlinked language. Directly using one’s spirit, they could let the receiving party be aware of one’s thoughts. Such kind of communication was the most direct way and a much clearer way of interaction.

To sleep inside his body… Apparently, the blood he possessed was definitely not that simple. This tiny dragon fox, what kind of pleasant surprise would it bring about from now on?