In the national preceptor’s residence, everyone was bustling with their tasks. Brilliant sunlight illuminated the transparent glass tiles, casting vibrant colors, as if in a divine abode. Opening the intricate doors of “Rain Cherry Pavilion,” a curtain of purple pearls came into view. Lifting the curtain, the decor inside was breathtaking, exuding a sweet aroma like its owner. Yu Ye, following Xiaotu’s wishes, used magic to create a virtual landscape in the front hall, with lush green grass dotted with bright red strawberries, tempting one to pick them. Every day, Xiaotu would look at these strawberries with frustration, unable to eat them because strawberries didn’t exist in this otherworldly realm, and many common fruits and vegetables from the 21st century were unavailable. Now, she was eating “immortal fruits” from the snowy mountains at the residence, which were delicious, but she still missed the fruits from home. The roof was a clear blue sky with occasional birds flying by, and at night, a bright moon and stars shone, a testament to Xia Yu Ye’s thoughtful design. The gentle scent of cherry blossoms permeated the room, refreshing the soul. A bird’s nest-style hammock hung in the middle of the room, suspended in mid-air without any visible support, filled with layers of soft silk quilts, surrounded by soft white fur, providing a cozy and unique feel. Xiaotu loved to nestle in it during the day, swaying gently while enjoying her sweet treats. Further inside, curtains made of white feathers and night pearls separated the front hall, and at night, the pearls emitted a soft glow, like stars guarding the sleeping beauty in the bedroom. In the bedroom, a large circular purple jade bed sat amidst pink silk, where Xiaotu now lay asleep. Xia Yu Ye watched this “Sleeping Beauty” scene with a fond smile. Xiaotu felt an itch on her face, like a bug crawling, and she scratched it with her jade-like finger, muttering, “Go away, bug, I want to sleep,” before pouting and rolling over to find a more comfortable position. “Xiaotu, you’re driving me crazy, mistaking my kiss for a bug,” Yu Ye whispered helplessly, finding it both amusing and frustrating, as he continued his “work” of kissing. As the ticklish feeling grew, her sleepiness faded, and she opened her eyes to see Yu Ye’s handsome face, smiling devilishly. For a moment, she thought she saw a sly fox. “Brother, your smile is so strange,” Xiaotu said, puzzled. “Is it? Let me show you what this smile means,” he said, leaning in to kiss her, his sensual lips pressing against hers. The soft, tingly sensation was overwhelming, his tongue exploring every sweet corner of her mouth, playfully engaging with her pink tongue. Xiaotu felt a surge of electricity to her brain, feeling weak and boneless. So this was the legendary kiss, she thought, it was sweet, soft, like cotton candy, and she liked it, wrapping her arms around Yu Ye’s neck to deepen the kiss. Xia Yuye was thrilled beyond belief; she hadn’t rejected him, did she accept him? Or… In the midst of his deep thoughts, Yuye suddenly felt a sharp pain on his tongue. He couldn’t help but furrow his brows. Xiaotu quickly pulled away from the close contact of their lips, a silver thread connecting them, “I’m sorry, Brother Yuye, I thought your tongue was cotton candy.” Xiaotu apologized with a pitiful look on her face. Hearing her words, Xia Yuye was at a loss, with an urge to kill, but at least she didn’t seem to dislike him, right? Seeing his expression, Xiaotu, scared, burrowed into the quilt, curling up into a ball. She mumbled, “Also, I haven’t rinsed my mouth yet, kissing isn’t hygienic either.” Oh my God, how did he fall for this quirky girl? A perfectly romantic morning was ruined just like that. While kissing, his tongue turned into cotton candy, and then she said something so out of place. What does she mean by not rinsing her mouth? Even without rinsing, her breath would still smell like cherry blossoms. Xia Yuye’s face was as sour as it could get. “Be good, little one, you’ll suffocate in there. Get up, Brother Xia will take you to the palace to see the cherry blossoms.” He suppressed his anger, reminding himself not to scare her, spoke gently, then immediately rushed out of “Yingying Pavilion”. “Butler, tell the cook not to make cotton candy for the miss anymore.” He said through gritted teeth, his tightly clenched fists making a grinding sound, radiating anger. The butler, Park, was trembling; it was the first time he’d seen the national teacher so angry.
In the Hundred Flowers Garden of the Tingyue Kingdom’s palace, Yuye brought Xiaotu to the garden. In this world, the national teacher has absolute power, equal to that of the monarch. Leading Xiaotu to a few withered trees in the center of the garden, Yuye solemnly said, “Xiaotu, there are actually five realms in this world: humans, ghosts, gods, demons, and monsters, all managed by the Heavenly Emperor. These realms interact but not harmoniously because the human realm is the weakest race. The ‘Wanyue Dynasty’ consists of multiple nations, all with ‘Yue’ in their names. Many from the ghost, god, and monster realms live in these nations, but the main residents are humans. The dynasty has a guardian deity, the ‘Lingying Goddess,’ who rules over Wanyue. She brought the lucky flower of the god realm… the cherry blossom. The more prosperous Wanyue is, the better the cherry blossoms bloom. The goddess is indeed a wise monarch. However, tens of thousands of years ago, for reasons unknown, the ‘Lingying Goddess’ abdicated to the current empress, and all the cherry blossoms in the palaces withered overnight. Now, the two cherry blossom trees in the gardens of each country are dead, needing the essence of various flowers to keep them from decaying further, but they cannot be revived. Without the protection of cherry blossoms, Wanyue is gradually weakening.”
At this point, tears welled up in Yuye’s beautiful eyes; although he wasn’t human, having grown up in the human realm and being the national teacher of Tingyue Kingdom, he felt a deep connection. Hearing Xia Yuye speak, Xiaotu seemed not at all surprised, which was strange even to herself, as if she was familiar with all this. If someone from the 21st century heard this, they would be in disbelief. Yet, she had a belief that everything would turn out well. Looking at the two cherry blossom trees that seemed on the verge of collapse, Xiaotu felt a multitude of emotions. She gently caressed the trees with the tenderness of a mother touching her child. A strange sense of familiarity overwhelmed her, and suddenly, she felt her face was wet. She wiped her face, only to find she was already in tears, each drop absorbed by the cherry blossom tree as soon as it fell. Xiaotu felt odd; her tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
