Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: SNEAKING IN

After her bath, Li Hua walked back to her room but paused at the sound of muffled footsteps. Her instincts flared instantly—body dropping into a defensive stance, spiritual essence surging through her meridians as she materialized her daggers in a flash. Through the dim evening light, she caught movement at a window. Her muscles coiled, ready to strike—only to relax a moment later as she recognized the ridiculous scene before her: Li Wei trying to coax Bai Ying through his bedroom window, the frost tiger’s crystalline fur catching the lamplight.

For such a fearsome beast, Bai Ying was making a rather undignified entrance—her massive form stuck halfway through the window, back paws pedaling helplessly in the air as small ice crystals formed wherever she touched.

Li Hua dispersed her daggers with a sheepish smile, grateful no one had noticed her battle-ready response. Some fearsome assassin she was, nearly attacking her brother and his struggling tiger. Though she had to admit, the sight of a frost tiger’s rear end flailing through a window would be enough to startle anyone.

“Eldest brother,” Li Hua whispered, making her brother freeze mid-pull. “Didn’t mother say Bai Ying needs to stay in the outer courtyard?”

Li Wei turned slowly, still holding onto the frost tiger’s front paws, his expression that of a child caught stealing sweets. “But look at her! She’s been so good!” Behind him, Bai Ying somehow managed to make her fierce tiger face look as pitiful as a lost kitten. “And she promised to behave—right, Bai Ying?”

The frost tiger nodded her head vigorously, then sneezed, accidentally creating a small snowfall in Li Wei’s room.

A sudden crackle drew Li Hua’s attention to the window where the pair of thunder bunnies were now perched, their ears sparking with excited lightning as they watched the tiger’s predicament. The wind fox floated behind them, its ethereal tail swishing back and forth as it tried—and failed—to suppress its amusement at the mighty frost tiger’s awkward position.

“Really, eldest brother?” Li Hua crossed her arms, though she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “Didn’t the thunder bunnies just turn father’s cultivation cushion into a pile of lightning-singed silk yesterday? And I know it wasn’t the spring breeze that rearranged mother’s entire herb garden.”

The wind fox attempted to look innocent, though its tail kept twitching guiltily behind its back. The thunder bunnies just blinked their big eyes, little sparks flying from their whiskers as one of them tried to hide what suspiciously looked like another one of father’s cushions behind its back.

“They’re just lonely,” Li Wei protested, still struggling with his half-in, half-out tiger. “And cold. And hungry. And—” Bai Ying chose that moment to wriggle, sending her and Li Wei tumbling backwards into his room in a tangle of limbs, fur, and snowflakes.

Li Hua darted forward, her slippered feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor as she ran to the window. She peered through the window to assess the aftermath of their tumble, her hand flying to her mouth to muffle her laughter at the sight before her. Scrolls and spirit stones lay scattered across Li Wei’s floor, knocked from his shelves by the chaos. A fine mist of frost crystals hung in the air, catching the evening light and turning the whole room into a glittering display that would have been quite beautiful if it weren’t for her brother’s muffled protests from somewhere beneath Bai Ying’s considerable bulk.

“Eldest brother?” She called through barely contained giggles, “Are you alive under there?”

A hand emerged from beneath the frost tiger, waving weakly. “Help… so heavy…” Li Wei’s voice came out squashed. “Bai Ying… you promised… to be lighter…”

The frost tiger made a sound that suspiciously resembled a snort, making no attempt to move as she contentedly began grooming her paw, adding more ice crystals to the winter wonderland that was quickly becoming Li Wei’s room. The thunder bunnies bounced excitedly on the windowsill, their tiny sparks adding twinkling lights to the crystalline display, while the wind fox’s shoulders shook in silent laughter.

Li Hua lost her battle with composure, dissolving into helpless laughter at the sight of her usually dignified oldest brother being used as a cushion by his latest “well-behaved” spiritual beast.

The door was suddenly opened, causing Li Hua to stop her laughing and hide. Peeking at the window, Li Hua noticed it was just Li Hao.

“Eldest brother? What in the world?” He quickly pushed Bai Ying off Li Wei and pulled their brother up. “You ok?”

Li Wei nodded quickly, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Just trying to give Bai Ying a warm place to sleep.”

Li Hao looked at the frost-covered room, then at the thunder bunnies still sparking by the window, and finally at the wind fox trying to appear invisible. Instead of scolding his brother like Li Hua expected, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “You know, if we move your meditation mat to the corner, there’d be more space for Bai Ying to curl up without knocking over your scrolls.”

“Second brother!” Li Hua whispered sharply from the window, though she couldn’t hide her amusement. Trust her second brother to not only accept the situation but try to improve it.

“What?” Li Hao shrugged innocently at Li Hua while helping Li Wei straighten his scrolls. “It’s getting cold, and Bai Ying is technically family now. Besides,” he added with a conspiratorial wink, “better she sleeps here than tries sneaking into Māmā and Bàba’s room like the thunder bunnies did last week.”

One of the thunder bunnies’ ears twitched guiltily at the reminder, sending a small spark that nearly ignited a pile of papers. Li Wei quickly snatched them away.

“See?” Li Hao gestured at the near disaster. “At least Bai Ying’s frost won’t set anything on fire. And if we—” he paused, already moving furniture around with practiced efficiency, “—put these shelves against that wall, and move the desk here…” He turned to the frost tiger who was watching him with keen interest. “Just try not to freeze eldest brother’s ink, alright? I don’t think father would appreciate having to thaw out his son’s scriptures.”

Bai Ying nodded solemnly, though a suspicious amount of frost crystals were already forming around her paws.

Li Hua watched her brothers. Eight years had passed, transforming them from the small boys she’d first met into young cultivators of 15 and 17. Yet in moments like these, Li Hua could still see traces of the 7 and 9 year old children who had first welcomed her into their family—Li Wei, the careful eldest whose heart couldn’t bear to leave any creature in distress, and Li Hao, the energetic second brother who somehow always ended up enabling their schemes.

“I can’t believe you’re encouraging this,” Li Hua said, but she was already climbing through the window to help rearrange the room. After all, if they were going to hide a frost tiger, they might as well do it properly.