Suddenly, a figure rushed out, grabbed her hand, and ran with her to the end of the alley.

Lin Xingshi stared blankly. Little Nian Beast held her hand tightly, clasping her frozen right hand in his palm, running forward without looking back.

After a long while, Lin Xingshi finally stared at his back, asking softly:

"...Where can we go?"

Little Nian Beast did not answer. He just ran vigorously on the snow, panting heavily as if he wanted to leave all his worries behind.

The boy and girl ran in the vast white world, their figures seeming ready to be covered by the heavy snow at any moment. But with each step they took, they left footprints in the snow, overlapping and stretching forward, as if heading somewhere far away.

After some time, the boy finally stopped and looked up at the old apartment building.

He brushed the snowflakes off the girl's head, led her to the backyard, and climbed in through the open window. Then he closed the window and drew the curtains.

The living room was pitch black, and the electric fan buzzed quietly. Little Nian Beast bowed his head in silence. He still didn't understand how to face her. But when he turned his head, Lin Xingshi suddenly lunged at him, hugging him tightly.

He was stunned for a long moment, lowering his head to gaze into her eyes.

This was the first time he saw the girl shedding tears, and the first time seeing such dimness in her eyes. Even when he first saw her on that smuggling ship, dirty like a little beggar, her eyes were still lively and spirited. But now everything seemed to have changed.

He knew that something was different.

Lin Xingshi closed her eyes, pressing her face against his chest. Little Nian Beast felt warmth, as if holding a small furnace. After a while, she said, "You didn't leave, that's good..."

Little Nian Beast paused, gently touching her long, fiery red hair that cascaded down her back.

"You don't blame me?" Little Nian Beast asked, trembling, "It's all Little Nian's fault..."

"I don't know... Clearly, you did nothing, just like me, ran away from home." Lin Xingshi said intermittently, "Who should I blame anyway? I can't understand. Maybe we just had bad luck... bad luck, so we had to run away from home... bad luck, so we can't walk together openly, bad luck... so you're a demon, and I'm human."

She paused, "Right... it's just bad luck."

"Xiaoxing, are we leaving?" Little Nian Beast was silent for a long time before he whispered, "Should we leave now, far away, so they can't find us?"

"I can't leave." Lin Xingshi shook her head.

Little Nian Beast was stunned.

"Why?"

"I... I have to go back." Lin Xingshi shook her head, "That person is hurt, and no one is taking care of him. He will die... I must take him to find my family, and if I don't go back, I'll despise myself. It's all my fault, I'm too stupid."

"You said you'd take me away... You also said you wouldn't leave me." Little Nian Beast murmured.

"What are you saying? We will meet again in the future, it's just a temporary separation."

"When?"

"Listen, Little Nian, you have to run far away now. They're all looking for you... If they find you, they'll definitely harm you..."

"When will we meet?"

"You must not get caught... My family hates you, Great Monarch killed many people... so... you have to make sure they don't find you, understand?"

"When will you come to see me?"

"Did you even listen to me?!" As she said this, Lin Xingshi couldn't hold back anymore.

She raised her head angrily, staring at him through a veil of tears, and started hitting him while hoarsely shouting, "You fool! Idiot! Stupid... Why do you never listen to what I say, why don't you listen, I hate you to death! Did you hear me!"

Little Nian Beast was stunned.

"Did you hear me... If you get caught... Xiaoxing will hate you for life, I will hate you to death, and never forgive you." She murmured hoarsely, weakly hitting him. The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, almost dwindling to sobs.

But Little Nian Beast still just furrowed his brows, bewilderedly looking at her. He had never seen Lin Xingshi so angry.

Despite Lin Xingshi saying so much, he still only wanted to ask, "When exactly will we meet?" All Little Nian Beast cared about was that question, but Lin Xingshi never answered him.

Each time he asked, she cried harder and got angrier.

Little Nian Beast didn't want to see her like that, so he dared not ask again, his lips trembling as he held his words in his heart, feeling as if a stone was weighing heavily on his chest.

At last, Little Nian Beast just nodded gently, obediently.

Lin Xingshi looked at him, finally reassured.

After a long silence, she spoke again.

"Mm, that's good..."

Lin Xingshi softly murmured, raised her hand, and wiped away the tears on her cheeks, much like when they first met, brushing the dirt off her face, then slowly released him, slowly turning around.

She wanted to leave now, right away, but she didn't know what she was still waiting for, just kept raising her hand, wiping away the tears, wanting to pound her legs, asking them why aren't you leaving already.