Chapter 118: The Snow-Cold Flame

Words : 1169 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 118: The Snow-Cold Flame The journey ended just as it began—under golden skies and uneasy silence. Hei Long guided the carriage through the final pass as the capital’s towering spires came into view, glinting like polished spears against the morning light. Beside him, the young lady—Lady Xuanyin—sat composed as always, though her eyes often flickered to him, softened by something unspoken. She hadn’t said much after last night. Not after what Lin Fan had done. He had snapped. After weeks of humiliation, of watching the girl he adored slip beyond his grasp and into Hei Long’s arms, Lin Fan had tried one final, desperate move. A confession. Loud. Public. Reckless. "I love you, Lady Xuanyin!" he had shouted, interrupting the dinner Hei Long was sharing with her beneath the fireflies. "I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you in that lavender dress! Please... please don’t choose him!" Her response had been cruel in its precision. "You are beneath consideration, Lin Fan. Do not speak of love to me again." Hei Long had said nothing—he hadn’t needed to. The silence between them had echoed louder than any laughter. Now, as they dismounted in front of the noble estate, Lady Xuanyin turned to Hei Long, her voice quiet but resolute. "You have my eternal gratitude, Hei Long. And my respect." He bowed. "I will return if you ever call." She didn’t answer, but the way her hand lingered over her heart said more than words. Lin Fan stood behind them, eyes hollow, fists clenched. He didn’t speak. He couldn’t. Three Weeks Later — Capital Academy Grounds The scars of the last mission had barely begun to fade when another name emerged in whispers—another target. Another mission. But this time, it wasn’t about travel or escort. It was about protection, yes—but in a new, far more treacherous arena. The capital’s brightest mind. The kingdom’s coldest heart. She was known only as Lan Xueyi—daughter of the Grand Scholar, famed alchemist, and strategist of the imperial court. A prodigy in mathematics, engineering, and cultivation theory. At just twenty, she’d written papers that even high court elders failed to grasp. Some called her a genius. Others, a frozen dagger hidden in human skin. And she wanted nothing to do with bodyguards. Which is why she was assigned two of them. Hei Long. And Lin Fan. "You’re joking," Lan Xueyi said, voice flat as a frozen blade. Her long, silvery hair was tied back in a severe knot, eyes sharp and disinterested. She sat behind a table covered in blueprints, runic scrolls, and crystal fragments. "Unfortunately not," the magistrate said. "There have been credible threats. You’re to be protected." "I can defend myself." "Be that as it may," he nodded toward the door, "your guards have arrived." Lin Fan stepped in first. "Miss Lan, it’s an honor to—" She didn’t even look at him. "I wasn’t speaking to you." Lin Fan flinched. Then Hei Long entered, calm, unreadable. Her eyes flicked to him. And paused. A single second longer than necessary. Lan Xueyi studied him. "You’re not completely incompetent." "I’ll take that as a compliment," Hei Long replied. She didn’t smile. She simply turned away. "Try not to breathe loudly. I’m working." The First Week Lin Fan tried to start conversations. He brought books he thought she might like. He complimented her inventions, her work, her dedication. She ignored him every time. "He’s still talking," she said once, to no one in particular. "Why is he still talking?" Hei Long, by contrast, said little. He stood by the walls, arms crossed, eyes quiet and watchful. She noticed. At night, Lin Fan tried again. "Lan Xueyi... I just want you to know I respect everything you’ve done. And I—" "Leave," she said. "Before I test my new spirit-forging drill on your jaw." Hei Long raised a brow. "That seems excessive." Her eyes narrowed. "Don’t tempt me. I said ’jaw,’ not ’lungs.’" But even then, she glanced at Hei Long again. Just for a second. The Second Week A break-in occurred. Three masked intruders, elite-tier cultivators, burst through her research wing late one night. Lin Fan was panicked—fumbling for his sword, calling out warnings. Hei Long was already moving. Steel flashed. Two were down before Lin Fan even reached the door. The third had Lan Xueyi by the throat—until Hei Long’s dagger pinned the man’s sleeve to the wall. His second blade hovered at the attacker’s eye. "You scream," Hei Long said, "and I’ll decorate this hallway in ways you’ll regret." The man surrendered without a sound. After the guards cleared the scene, Hei Long stood beside Lan Xueyi. She’d handled the panic well, but there was a tremor in her hands. "Are you hurt?" he asked quietly. "No," she said. Then paused. "Thank you," she added, her voice lower. That night, Hei Long found her seated at her desk, quietly sketching new defense runes. "You’ll have to test these with me tomorrow," she said. "I’ll be there." "...Good." She didn’t look at him when she said it. But her voice was softer. The Third Week Lin Fan tried one last time. He brought her a handmade protective talisman. "For your safety," he said, offering it with both hands. She took it, examined the sigils, and then— "Are you illiterate?" Lin Fan blinked. "What?" "You wrote the sequence backwards. This would amplify spirit backlash, not defend against it." She dropped it in the trash. Hei Long was already walking with her down the hallway. "He really does try hard," Hei Long said mildly. She snorted. "So do dogs." By the End of the Month Lan Xueyi stood at her balcony, arms folded, wind teasing the ends of her silver hair. Hei Long stood beside her, silent. "He confessed to me yesterday," she said, not bothering to name Lin Fan. "I assumed as much." "I told him I’d rather date a hungry spirit wolf." Hei Long chuckled. "Brutal." "He deserves worse. You don’t flirt with a mind like mine. You prove your worth." She turned to face him. "And you... You’ve proven yours." He met her gaze. Her lips didn’t smile, but her eyes had a different glow now. A quiet warmth beneath all that icy distance. "You’re not like the others," she said softly. "You don’t try to impress. You just do." He didn’t answer. He stepped closer. And she didn’t pull away. Meanwhile — Lin Fan He stood in the courtyard, drenched from the rain, watching them through the glass window above. His latest attempt—a custom energy converter made just for her—lay broken beside him. She hadn’t even accepted it. He saw her now, leaning toward Hei Long, eyes that were always cold now softened with curiosity, maybe something more. Lin Fan clenched his fists until his nails drew blood. Every woman. Every time. Always him. Hei Long. But Lin Fan didn’t scream. He didn’t cry. He just stared, soaked in rain, lips trembling as he whispered— "...why is it always you?"

Chapter 118: The Snow-Cold Flame

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