There Are Still Masters

"Ying Xue?"

Hearing the call from the princess outside the door, Xu Xi suddenly felt a subtle unease in the quiet of the night.

Krisha tilted her head slightly.

Wu Yingxue's arrival was not part of her plan.

In the witch's scheme, this was supposed to be a night alone with Xu Xi—confessing her feelings, proposing to her mentor, and making everything official.

But now—

"...A troublesome brute."

The witch decided to pause her plans, waiting for the martial arts hothead to leave before resuming her unfinished conversation with Xu Xi.

She tore through space,

creating a hidden pocket dimension.

The air rippled, waves of spatial law spreading to seal away all traces of movement.

Krisha was confident she could remain concealed without Wu Yingxue noticing.

"Krisha, what are you—"

"Necessary concealment, Mentor."

Outside, the sky was still alight with the fireworks unique to New Year's Eve, a stark contrast to the witch's cautious, hidden demeanor.

She wriggled slightly,

adorably so.

"This situation... feels indescribable," Xu Xi hesitated, struggling to put his thoughts into words, finding the events of this New Year's Eve far too bizarre.

Gazing at the seemingly ordinary corner of the room where a witch was secretly hiding,

Xu Xi let out a long sigh.

Then he walked to the door and opened it for Wu Yingxue.

"Master, you're still awake!"

As the door opened,

the spirited princess grinned, her hands clasped behind her back, toes fidgeting. "Perfect! There's something very important I need to discuss with you."

Xu Xi blinked. "Something important?"

"Mhm!"

Wu Yingxue nodded repeatedly.

Her eyes darted around, her words hesitant, and as she spoke to Xu Xi, she instinctively glanced down the hallway on either side, acting rather suspicious.

She even lowered her voice,

cupping a hand near her mouth.

Softly, she pleaded, "Master, let's talk inside your room. This can't be overheard by anyone else."

"This..."

"Come on, I’ll only take a little of your time. Just a little!"

The girl clasped her hands together, raising them above her head. "Please, please!"

The night was deep,

snowflakes drifting down.

Even on the most important night of the year, winter’s chill remained relentless.

Xu Xi, whose power was second only to the supreme beings and who wore insulated clothing, stood at the doorway, feeling the cold seep into his bones as the air grew sharper.

He looked at the princess before him, then at the dim corner where the witch was hidden.

Finally,

unable to resist her pleading,

he let her into the room.

"Thank you, Master~~" Wu Yingxue stepped inside with a cheerful skip, closing the door behind her.

The room’s lights flickered on.

Soft illumination spread from both sides, a warm white with a faint golden hue, silently dispelling the darkness in every corner and casting the snow-frosted window in pure brilliance.

The wooden display cabinet stood as tall as ever.

The princess’s paper flower rested quietly inside.

Though shaped from paper, it held an immaculate beauty, its delicate texture almost indistinguishable from a real blossom.

"..."

Wu Yingxue stared at it, lost in thought.

Her eyes held a complicated emotion,

as if countless memories had surfaced.

"Ying Xue, did you come tonight just to see this paper flower?" Xu Xi opened the cabinet and handed it to her.

"Well... that’s part of it."

The girl reached out,

gently pinching the flawless paper bloom between her fingers.

Fingers twirled, and the paper flower swayed and spun in the palm, its white and brown hues intertwining as time flowed.

"Sir," Wu Yingxue gazed at Xu Xi, looking at the biggest fool in the world, and bloomed into a radiant smile.

"Actually, the reason I came to see you tonight was to discuss the wedding date."

Xu Xi reflexively uttered an "Oh."

"The wedding date... yes, that is indeed important."

However.

The next moment.

A soundless wind brushed past his ears, whistling in circles, raising the hairs on his skin. Xu Xi struggled to speak.

"Ying Xue, whose wedding are you referring to?"

"Of course, it's yours and mine," Wu Yingxue replied swiftly.

Hardened.

Hidden in the shadows, the witch's fists had already clenched like steel.

Her expression remained blank.

Like an emotionless machine.

Yet the sapphire necklace at her chest flickered wildly with storm-blue light, a closer look revealing what seemed like an unprecedented tempest.