"It's snowing!"
Early in the morning, a voice from somewhere woke the two people still in their warm beds.
Baili Chongyan was afraid of the cold, while Zhu Yin, nestled warmly in his embrace, felt incredibly cozy.
Hearing the noise outside, Zhu Yin tilted her head up to look at him. "It's snowing!"
Baili Chongyan stroked her long hair and replied, "It started last night. You didn't see it then."
As he answered, he thought to himself that winter had arrived a bit early this year. It was barely November, and there was already heavy snowfall. Preparations would need to be made in advance.
Zhu Yin was a little annoyed. "I slept too early last night. Why didn't you wake me up to see? I haven't seen snow in a long time."
Thinking about it, she hadn't seen snow since arriving in the Demon Realm. The Demon Realm had no sun or moon, remaining the same for tens of thousands of years. There was no snow, no rain, no spring or winter; it was like stagnant water, always unchanging.
Baili Chongyan listened to her quiet complaints without impatience. Instead, his heart filled with warmth. "It was just a light dusting last night, and it was dark. There wasn't much to see. The snow now is what's beautiful."
Hearing this, Zhu Yin suddenly threw off the covers. "Then let's go see the snow!"
Baili Chongyan immediately curled up, shivering from the cold.
Zhu Yin, realizing her oversight, quickly covered him back with the blanket. "If you're afraid of the cold, then don't go. I'll go by myself." She then made to run off.
Baili Chongyan reached out and pulled her back. "Is the Princess Consort about to abandon me?"
Zhu Yin...
She couldn't stand to see him act like this, feigning helplessness. And she always softened each time.
The death of the second prince had not altered his 'blackening' value, which remained stuck at the critical threshold of 50. Zhu Yin could still occasionally feel his inner pain and hatred. These feelings repeatedly told her that he was a pitiable person, her little darling, and that she had to treat him well...
Fifteen minutes later, Baili Chongyan, wrapped up like a ball, was pulled out of the room by Zhu Yin.
There was no wind after the heavy snowfall, and the air wasn't as cold as he'd feared. Everything was quiet, so quiet it felt like a deserted land.
Zhu Yin pulled him into the snow, crouched down, and scooped up a handful. She tossed it into the air, and snowflakes drifted down, falling around them. Some landed on their bodies. The pure, unblemished white always brought joy.
"Chongyan!" Zhu Yin scooped up another handful of snow. "Let's play in the snow!"
As she spoke, she playfully threw the white snow at him. The snow landed on him, instantly scattering into a beautiful, pure flurry. More beautiful than the snow was the person in the distance with a smile in his eyes.
Zhu Yin wore a red outfit; she seemed to particularly favor red, which accentuated her flamboyant demeanor. In the midst of the falling snow, her red attire made her the only splash of color in the world, breathtakingly beautiful.
Another handful of snow was thrown his way. Baili Chongyan instinctively dodged, but the snow landed on his head and clothes, making him appear even whiter.
"You play too!" Zhu Yin, having a grand time with the snow, exclaimed. "Such opportunities are rare. Come on! Otherwise, I'll keep throwing it at you, and that's not fair."
She said it wasn't fair, but her hands didn't stop. Snow was thrown at him handful after handful. She didn't pack it tightly, just loose snowflakes that wouldn't hurt when they landed. He was dressed warmly, so he didn't feel the cold.
Baili Chongyan slowly crouched down too, scooping up a handful of snow. After a moment's pause, he threw it. He completely missed Zhu Yin; the snow fell halfway through the air, blurring their vision.
"Keep going! Throw it at me!"
Zhu Yin flung a snowball at him, which hit his chest and dissolved into scattered flakes.
Once the ice was broken, Baili Chongyan became less reserved. He squatted down, formed a snowball, and threw it at Zhu Yin.
They continued to throw snowballs at each other for a while, getting covered in flakes. Just as they were lost in their play, someone entered. They didn't pay much attention until the newcomer exclaimed, "My Lord!" and they looked over.
The captain of the guards stood at the courtyard entrance, disbelief etched on his face, as if struck by lightning.
"How could you be playing in the snow?"