"Angel, the snow is just too cold for your body," Malik exclaimed in panic.
Lily looked at Malik and frowned. "Really won't let me in easily, huh? I'll test this method then," she thought, and suddenly tears started streaming down her face.
"Beauty!"
"Angel!"
Liam and Angus shouted in panic while Malik stood dumbfounded.
"Don't call me! You said you love me, right? But you can't even grant my small request. I just want to die! Ahah!" she cried loudly.
"Beauty, it's not like that!" the trio declared in unison.
"Don't talk to me! Wuuuu!"
The three of them looked worried, stuck in not knowing what to do next.
"Seeing that the three's attention has shifted, Lily immediately freed herself from Malik's grip and bounced into the snow."
"Hahaha!" Lily's melodic laughter filled the air. "Success! Success, lalala!" she shouted, running forward.
"We really fell for her trick!" Angus gritted his teeth and immediately ran after Lily.
"Beauty is just too cool," Liam pronounced, lovestruck.
As Lily stayed longer in the snow, the concealing on her body started peeling away, revealing her stunning beauty.
"Don't come over!" Lily yelled, throwing a snowball at Angus.
The ball hit Angus, but it had no effect on him, and he kept chasing after Lily.
"Can't catch me!" she shouted happily running forward.
"Hey, beauty, stop running, okay? Don't injure yourself!" Liam shouted in alarm and immediately ran after her.
Malik didn't stay idle either and ran after her as well.
Lily kept running around while her mates kept chasing her. The atmosphere became warm and playful, her mood lightened, and her sweet laughter reverberated throughout the area.
"Look, your body is all red now," Angus commented, a frown appearing on his face, looking worried.
"Aiya, no need to worry, it's normal," Lily replied, smiling beautifully.
"Beauty, did you catch a cold?" Liam asked.
"No, I didn't catch..." Before she could finish her statement, she sneezed three times in quick succession. "Don't tell me I actually caught a cold," she thought, glancing at everyone only to find them looking at her with strange expressions. "Err, I'm fine, the sneeze is nothing" she smiled awkwardly.
"Let's see the healer immediately," Malik suggested urgently.
"No!" Lily protested immediately, and everyone cast her a puzzled glance. "Actually, I'm on my period, so this little cold is good for me," she fibbed.
Angus cast her a suspicious gaze.
Lily smiled awkwardly. "No worries, I am fine," she reiterated. "Right, while we were playing earlier, I noticed something in the snow," she suddenly became serious.
Angus cleared his throat twice. "Let's go home; it's getting dark already," he urged.
Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you hiding something?" she inquired.
Angus simply stared at Lily, mute.
"Don't hide things; tell me," Lily insisted.
Angus remained silent for a moment, and suddenly the snow parted to reveal a huge snow-made image displayed on the ground.
Seeing the image, Lily's eyes widened. "Is... is that me?" she questioned, walking closer to it and gently caressing it. "Wow! When did you make this?" she asked with excitement.
"During the time I was away, when you were still at Berry House," Angus replied.
"Wow! Wow! So long!"
"Mm, this place can keep it safe; that's why I built it here."
"Then why didn't you want to show me earlier?"
"Because... because I made an error, and it makes it ugly."
Lily was dumbfounded and cast a glance at Angus. "What error?" she asked.
"There's a treasure on your finger, but I didn't add it; it's not yet complete, so it looks bad."
Lily was utterly taken aback. "Such a beautiful statue of me, and you call it ugly just because it lacks a ring! Can you stop making me mad!" she screamed inwardly.
"I know you wouldn't like it, that's why I didn't want to show you again. Don't be annoyed; I will surely redo it."
"No need," Lily smiled. "I love it this way, but the three of you must be added," she commented.
"The three of us!" everyone exclaimed.
"Mm, you are my husbands; naturally, you must be beside me," she responded.
Everyone exchanged glances. "What husbands?" they questioned in confusion.
"Oh, I mean mates," she clarified.
They all nodded.
"Why don't you let me become your teacher? I will teach you somethings new," Lily suggested, excitement visible on her face.
"Erm... whatever Lily wants," Angus replied.
"That's it! Let's first complete molding the image of our family with the snow, then we will start teaching later. How does that sound?"
"That's fine," everyone replied eagerly.
"Alright, let's start!" Lily exclaimed, and everyone got to work. Soon, the molding was done, and the image was no longer just of Lily alone but of her—a giant snake beside her on her right, a cold-looking four-tailed fox on her left side, and above her head, a wolf lay down with a chilling aura around him.
"Wow!" everyone marveled, admiring the statue.
"Wait, how do we save it so it won't wash away?" Lily asked asked.
"Don't worry, it can't wash away; it's safe," Angus assured.
"That's good then," Lily commented before sneezing three times again in a roll. "Ugh, I really caught a cold," she cursed inwardly, feeling a pang in her stomach.
"Beauty, you've caught a cold," Liam exclaimed, pulling Lily into his embrace. "Let's go to the healer immediately," he insisted, taking off at high speed.
The others followed closely behind.
All of them left, not noticing the huge shadow that suddenly covered the statue on the ground; it seemed to be staring at Lily.
…
Sigh, she's just too soft. How could you allow her to enter the snow? Also, she's in heat currently. Why are you so careless? "Berry scolded Malik angrily.
Malik remained silent, calmly accepting the blame.
"Don't talk too much; I'm fine, Berry. It has nothing to do with them," Lily commented weakly.
"Angel," Berry called, hugging her. "I'm sorry, okay?" she said.
"I'm fine," Lily replied, patting her back.
"Beautiful female! Beautiful female!" Suddenly, a loud, panicked voice echoed from outside, stunning everyone.
"Beautiful female! Please come out!" the voice was solid and filled with pain.
The dragon tribe! "Liam, Angus, and Malik exclaimed in unison, all eyes fixed on the entrance.
Lily frowned. "What did this crazy woman want again?," she cursed inwardly in annoyance. "But she seems urgent," she thought.
"Beauty, you stay here; I will handle them," Liam said, attempting to leave when Lily's voice interrupted.
"I will go. Let's see what she's up to," she stated, standing up immediately.
"Angel, your health!" Angus voiced, concern etched on his face.
"Do not worry, I'm fine," Lily flashed him an assured smile and walked outside.
As soon as she stepped out, she was immediately grasped by the dragon queen, who looked miserable at that moment.
"Please... please... save... save my son!" the queen pleaded.
_______________
*Author's Note:*
Dear cherished readers,
I hope this message finds you all in good spirits. As I take a moment to connect with you, I want to sincerely apologize for the oversight in this chapter. During the editing process, I unfortunately realized that I had inadvertently cut down the word count by over one hundred words. This misstep unfortunately led to a less complete and engaging reading experience than I had envisioned for you.
Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It is my heart's desire to craft stories that resonate, inspire, and transport you to different worlds. I pour my soul into every paragraph, every character, and every plot twist. It pains me to know that, in this instance, I may have let you down. I truly value the time you spend with my work, and I want to ensure that each chapter is fulfilling and enjoyable.
As I look ahead, I realize that I had already penned several chapters in advance. While this excited me at first—thinking of the journey we would take together—I also recognize that it limited my ability to make immediate corrections without disrupting the flow of the story you have been following so closely. It's important to me that each chapter builds upon the last, creating a cohesive experience that draws you deeper into the narrative.
In light of this, I want to assure you that I will be more diligent in my editing process moving forward. I understand that storytelling is a collaboration of sorts between writer and reader, and I deeply appreciate your investment in this journey we share. To make amends, I wanted to include this note—not only to express my heartfelt apologies but also to reflect my commitment to maintaining the quality of the work you've come to expect.
Your support and understanding mean the world to me, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for your patience as I navigate the complexities of writing and storytelling. Every comment, message, and word of encouragement from you inspires me to strive for greater heights, and I cherish the community we have built together.
As we continue on this adventure, I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead, and I am eager to share more chapters filled with the depth, emotion, and intricacy that you deserve. Thank you for your kind consideration, for your unwavering support, and for simply being such wonderful readers. I love you all!