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"I drew the first lot," Xiao Wu finally said dryly, trying to break the unnerving silence with this sentence.
Xuan Ming nodded slightly, not urging her, just waiting quietly.
His patience only made Xiao Wu more flustered. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, and hurried her words: "Brother Xuan Ming, I... I know everyone likes you, and I... I've also always loved being by your side. The days spent with you, with Mom, and with everyone else, were my happiest times."
She paused, a hint of confused moisture appearing in her pink eyes: "But... but I seem to... be unable to tell the difference anymore. I rely on you, trust you, and want to be with you forever, like family. When I see you with Sister Gu Yuena, or with Hu Liena and the others, I feel a little uncomfortable, and I get scared... Scared that one day you won't want me anymore, scared that everyone will drift apart, and we won't return to the lively, happy way things used to be..."
Her voice gradually dropped, laced with a slight choke: "Ning Rongrong said that we were too selfish before, only caring about enjoying the feeling of being protected and cared for, but putting all the pressure on you. She was right... If you were a... a bad guy, you would definitely enjoy having all of us revolve around you. But you aren't... You must be very tired, right?"
Xiao Wu raised her head, looking at Xuan Ming through tear-filled eyes: "Xuan Ming, I don't want you to be so tired. I also don't know what kind of liking I truly have for you... I seem to... just not want things to change, not want to lose everything we have now. I want everyone to be together forever, happily... Is that... very childish? Very greedy?"
She finally spoke the most genuine and chaotic thoughts deep within her heart. This was not a confession, but more like a confused self-analysis. She desperately wanted an answer from Xuan Ming, an answer that would set her mind at ease and stop her from wavering.
Xuan Ming did not speak.
He simply watched her quietly, looking at the confusion, reliance, and the pure longing for "home" churning in those pink eyes. Those emotions were like a mirror, reflecting a corner deep within his own heart that he also preferred not to touch.
Then, he took a step forward.
Without a word, without explanation, he just reached out and gently pulled the tearful young girl into his embrace.
Xiao Wu's body stiffened slightly at first, then completely relaxed, burying her face in his broad, cool chest.
There was no heartbeat; his body had long surpassed the mortal realm, but the solid touch and silent acceptance were more powerful than any words.
Time flowed in the stillness.
Outside the Ice Crystal Castle, the waves relentlessly crashed against the shore. Inside the Castle, only moonlight streamed through the ice walls, illuminating the two figures locked in an embrace.
Xiao Wu could feel the strength in his arms, neither too tight nor too loose, yet carrying an undeniable sense of protection. There was no stir of desire, no heaviness of commitment, only an understanding and resonance that felt almost like a sigh.
It was in this silence that Xiao Wu suddenly understood.
He wasn't rejecting her, nor was he being perfunctory.
His silence, his embrace, was the answer itself.
He couldn't let go either.
Like her, he also craved the warmth and liveliness of being surrounded by people and relying on each other. He was also childishly hoping that time could forever stop at the most beautiful moment, that everyone would always be together, without having to face separation and choices.
He just... didn't dare to say it.
He carried too much—the expectations of the Ice and Fire Dragon King, the trust of Gu Yuena, the future of the Spirit Beast Clan, the scrutiny of the God Realm... These heavy shackles prevented him from openly accepting or even enjoying the "good fortune" of being surrounded by beautiful women, unlike an ordinary man.
He was afraid that if he showed even a trace of greed or reluctance to part, he would shatter the fragile balance before him, causing this warmth he also cherished to dissipate like sand through his fingers.
He bore the pressure they brought, yet simultaneously drew the rare, "human" warmth from them.
He was conflicted and struggled, yet unable to cut ties.
Xiao Wu closed her eyes, tears silently soaking the front of his garment.
But this time, they were no longer tears of confusion, but of relief and realization.
She knew now.
She understood his difficulty, his greed, and what she needed to do next.
She didn't need a clear "title," nor did she need him to make a difficult choice. What she had always wanted was that "home," that bond of mutual protection and unwavering devotion, regardless of changing circumstances or status.
Since he also wanted to keep this "home," then she would use her own way to protect it.
After a long time, Xiao Wu moved slightly.
Xuan Ming's arms loosened accordingly.
Xiao Wu raised her head, her face still tear-stained, but she broke into a clear and firm smile, like a rainbow after the rain.
"I understand, Brother Xuan Ming," she said softly, her voice carrying an unprecedented clarity. "I won't ask again."
She took a step back and looked deeply at him: "I will always be here, together with everyone. This is our home."
After Xiao Wu left, the gates of the Ice Crystal Castle silently closed once more.
On the beach, everyone's gaze fell upon Dugu Yan. She was the second one.
Dugu Yan took a deep breath, her dark green hair fluttering slightly in the night wind. She tried hard to maintain her usual defiant expression, as if she were heading not toward a heart-to-heart confrontation, but a typical sparring match. But only she knew that her tightly clenched palms were already soaked with sweat.
When Gu Yuena appeared at the doorway again and nodded slightly to her, Dugu Yan straightened her back and walked inside.
The stillness and coolness inside the Castle slightly calmed her restless heart, yet brought another kind of tension. She followed the same path as Xiao Wu and headed toward the room.
Xuan Ming was still standing by the window, seemingly without having changed his posture. Hearing the footsteps, he turned around, his ice-blue eyes looking at her calmly, carrying a hint of understanding.
"I..." Dugu Yan opened her mouth, intending to start with her usual sharp tone, or simply and directly ask the question that had lingered in her heart for years.
But when she truly met his eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, all her prepared words and all her feigned strength instantly crumbled.
Her throat felt tightly constricted by something, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She realized then that she was far less "able to pick up and let go" than she had imagined.
Everyone knew that Dugu Yan's feelings for Xuan Ming had begun almost when he was just a little kid. That devotion, starting as curiosity and pity, evolving into admiration and allegiance, had become deeply rooted in her heart, never concealed, and never changed.
But precisely because she had cared for him and waited for him for so long—watching him grow from a youth needing protection into the powerful figure she now had to look up to, and seeing more and more outstanding people gather around him—she grew increasingly afraid.
She was afraid of hearing the answer she had long anticipated—that he might care for her, be grateful for her, or even be used to her presence, but that it wasn't the unique romantic love she desired.
She was afraid that her years of nearly stubborn devotion would ultimately only earn her a "Sorry" or "I've always considered you an important comrade."
This fear rendered her more powerless than facing a formidable enemy.
She stood rooted to the spot, stubbornly pursing her lips, but a hint of moisture uncontrollably welled up in her snake pupils, betraying her inner panic and vulnerability.
Xuan Ming watched her quietly.
He saw her feigned composure, and the fear deep in her eyes that was about to overflow. He had known Dugu Yan for too long, long enough to see through the truth beneath all her pretenses.
He did not wait as he had for Xiao Wu, nor did he ask any questions.
Just as before, he stepped forward, then reached out and gently pulled the tightly wound girl, who seemed ready to shatter at any moment, into his embrace.
Dugu Yan's body trembled violently, a reaction much stronger than Xiao Wu's had been. She almost instinctively tried to push him away, intending to use anger to mask her inner turmoil.
But Xuan Ming's arms were steady and strong, carrying an irresistible, reassuring power.
He did not speak.
Not a single word.
He just held her quietly like this, using his actions to dispel the fear churning in her heart.
Time passed little by little in the silent embrace.
Dugu Yan's tense body gradually relaxed, and she rested her forehead on his shoulder, feeling the cool aura emanating from him and the silent acceptance.
The crashing waves in her heart seemed to gradually subside in this harbor of silence.
She suddenly felt foolish.
Why was she afraid?
She had known Xuan Ming the longest and spent the most time with him.
He might never have given her a romantic promise, but he had never rejected her closeness, nor had he ever ignored her existence.
Over such a long time and through so many experiences, he had already proven her importance in his heart through his actions. It was a bond deeper and more enduring than simple romantic love.
She should have realized this long ago.
What she truly desired was perhaps not a "title" in the worldly sense, but confirmation that she held an irreplaceable position in his Life, which was full of thorns and heavy burdens.
And this answer, he had already given her—through the long years, in every moment of fighting side-by-side, and in every silent exchange of glances.
It was just that she had been blinded by her own obsession and fear.
Dugu Yan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her snake pupils had regained their former luster, appearing even clearer and more resolute.
She gently pulled herself out of his embrace, took a step back, looked up at him, and revealed a smile that was both relieved and slightly self-mocking.
"I really was an idiot."