[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 89

Anyway, she was forced to go over—it wasn’t of her own volition.

With this thought in mind, Shiliu walked toward Li Xuanci, her ears turning red.

Li Xuanci stood with his hands behind his back under a tree. As she approached, he turned slightly to look at her, revealing a sharp, elegant jawline. His eyes were like morning stars breaking through a mountain mist.

Shiliu’s heart felt as though a kite had been set loose inside it—one end soaring high in the sky, the other end tethered to her. The kite flew higher and higher, while her heart sank lower and lower.

She couldn’t quite understand this feeling—it was as though she were dizzy, as if she had drunk aged fruit wine.

In that moment, the ashes floating in the air after the great fire turned into fine, shimmering snowflakes, and the ground beneath her feet was no longer dusty soil but soft, leaping clouds.

And she stepped onto those clouds, hopping lightly toward him.

It felt as though she had been walking that short distance for a very long time before she finally reached Li Xuanci’s side.

Neither of them spoke. Li Xuanci merely glanced at her lightly, then—a warmth at her waist, the tree shadows swaying under the moonlight—they leaped up onto a branch.

Li Xuanci didn’t let her go, instead holding her snugly against his chest as though it were the most natural thing in the world. The night was slightly chilly, and both of them wore only thin inner robes, soft and pale, yet unable to block the warmth of their bodies.

And so, on this moonlit night as clear as water, the two of them nestled close, sharing their warmth.

Shiliu was still wrapped in that ridiculous tablecloth she had taken from the fire, but beneath its cover, her body—softer and more yielding than she would ever admit—opened up to him before her mind could catch up, pressing against him gently and quietly, perfectly molded to his form, not an inch between them.

Both of them seemed to have lost their tongues to the night ravens. Or perhaps, on such a moonlit night, words were unnecessary—only an embrace would suffice. In the end, only their heartbeats remained, tangled together, indistinguishable from one another.

With her head resting against his chest, Shiliu’s ears were filled with the echo of his heartbeat—steady, strong, and calm, bringing her an inexplicable sense of peace amid the lingering shock of their narrow escape from the fire.

She looked up just as moonlight filtered through the rustling leaves. Li Xuanci was gazing at the moon, his jade-like face dappled with swaying shadows, leaving only his eyes, which seemed to grow even brighter.

His eyes were like stars fallen into the underworld. Shiliu saw the reflected sky in his gaze, and with just one glance, she found it impossible to escape.

He looked at the moon, and Shiliu looked at him.

She stared dazedly, as though unable to wake from a dream, until Li Xuanci noticed and lowered his head to see her entranced expression.

“Silly girl.”

His eyes held the gentle night breeze, and his voice carried a hint of laughter—not exactly tender, still tinged with his usual pride, but slightly hoarse and warm from the aftermath of the fire. When he spoke, even his chest vibrated faintly.

It was like biting into a grain of white sugar in a sponge cake—everything about it made her feel inexplicably sweet.

Shiliu grew more and more confused. Why was it so strange? Why had everything suddenly become so bizarre? Had the smoke from the fire addled her brain? Otherwise, why would she feel so peculiar?

Unable to make sense of it, she buried her head like a desert mole, sinking deep and refusing to say another word.

But she couldn’t shut her ears, so in the darkness, she still heard his soft chuckle as he reached out and pinched her burning ear.

He started with a feigned fierceness, as though he intended to twist her ear right off, but in the end, he raised his hand high and brought it down gently, his fingers toying ambiguously and intimately with her soft, plump earlobe.

Shiliu was speechless, her fingers unconsciously clutching his inner robe, crumpling it into tiny wrinkles.

No more words were spoken that night—only the moon hung high in the sky, silently conveying the melody of a broken willow.

The next day, the fire had finally burned itself out.

The group returned to the inn to survey the damage. Despite burning all night, the wooden structure was surprisingly intact. Although the interior had been reduced to ashes, the building itself still stood firmly in place.

Jin Zhan went into the inn alone to investigate and returned with a few items—among them, the Prince’s tokens, made of refined iron that even the fire could not destroy. Using these, they accessed funds from a covert contact and finally moved to another inn to rest.

Li Xuanci couldn’t stand being so filthy and sent someone to fetch a change of clothes.

Shiliu, meanwhile, went to check on Child in White first. His wounds still hadn’t been treated, so she had someone bring water so he could wash up and have his injuries bandaged.

But Child in White muttered, “I don’t need your fake kindness.”

Shiliu wasn’t about to indulge his attitude. She didn’t care that he was just a tiny kid and fired back without hesitation, “You smell awful! If you don’t wash up, you’ll soon be stinkier than horse dung in a cowshed. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Child in white, being just a child, puffed up like a blowfish at her words. He fumed for a long time but couldn’t come up with a single retort. All he managed was to redden around the eyes, biting his lip to hold back tears. After a long pause, he finally mumbled in a small voice, “There’s no horse dung in a cowshed…”

Shiliu brushed him off. “You get the idea.” Then, putting on a grown-up act, she threatened, “Are you washing up or not? If you don’t, I’ll really throw you into the cowshed!”

Child in White fell silent. As Shiliu reached to undo his clothes, he didn’t resist this time.

When his clothes were loosened, a small longevity lock was revealed around his neck, engraved with a plump, round peach and a tiny line of characters beneath it. Curious, Shiliu reached to touch it, but Child in White immediately clutched it in his palm, refusing to let her near.

Fine, no touching. Shiliu continued undressing him, but Child in White wouldn’t allow it anymore. He only let her loosen his collar and wipe him down briefly, refusing to take his clothes off entirely.

Shiliu teased him, “Why are you more finicky than a girl? I see you have pierced ears—are you actually a girl?”

Child in White retorted angrily, “I am not! My mother pierced them.”

But after saying that, he clammed up completely.

Shiliu didn’t press him further and continued wiping him down. She noticed a callus running across the base of his thumb on his palm, and the same on the soles of his feet—long calluses on both sides.

She didn’t say anything. Only after finishing washing and bandaging him did she casually strike up a conversation.

“You and the child in Red both seem like you enjoy playing around, right? Well, I bet you wouldn’t dare to make a wager with me.”

Child in White had been stubbornly turning his head away and refusing to speak, but his childish curiosity got the better of him. He couldn’t help turning back and asking, “What kind of wager?”

“If I can guess your background, you have to promise me one thing, okay? If I guess wrong, then I’ll promise you one thing instead.”

Child in White widened his eyes. “Anything? Even letting me go?”

“Of course! I’m the one in charge here.” Shiliu thumped her chest proudly.

“You’re in charge of that fierce god?” Child in White, tiny eyebrows furrowed in clear disbelief.

Shiliu coughed reflexively, psyching herself up internally before declaring with full confidence, “Absolutely! He actually listens to me. During the fire yesterday, he refused to leave until he found me. When I told him to evacuate the civilians, didn’t he obediently go?”

By trimming the details and twisting the facts, she managed to fool the child.

Thankfully, Li Xuanci, with his fastidiousness, wasn’t around to hear her tall tales. Shiliu silently apologized to her ancestors in her heart—For the people, for all living beings, please allow little Shiliu to tell this one lie.

Years of practiced composure didn’t go to waste. Though her heart was pounding, her face remained the picture of integrity and trustworthiness.

Child in White’s round eyes sized her up for a moment before he finally nodded.

Success!

Shiliu inwardly rejoiced. Fooling kids was her specialty!