Her jaw dropped. “Mingxi—”
“But,” he added gently, “you also emitted a rather impressive sound.”
“I did not scream.”
“You startled the bamboo.”
“I startled nothing.”
“The serpent seemed quite moved.”
“Mingxi.”
He smiled, and then he stepped beside her, matching her pace along the narrow trail. He lowered his voice, less teasing now, more intent.
“Did you know,” he said, “that meeting a serpent shifter on the road is an omen of protection.”
Poppy blinked. “Protection?”
He nodded. “In the southern provinces, snakes are considered guardians of thresholds and changes. They shed skins, cross realms, and sense shifting fates. To encounter one at dawn, especially one who speaks withouthostility…” He paused, eyes drifting toward the bamboo canopy. “Well, it’s said to mean your path is watched. And blessed.”
Poppy stared at him, her earlier embarrassment melting into what he perceived as cautious interest. “Blessed how?”
He looked at her. “In your case?” A heartbeat. “Survival. Strength. A turning point toward what you are meant to become.”
She swallowed. Softly. “Just because a snake slithered over my foot?”
“It did more than that,” Mingxi said, amusement flickering again. “It spoke to you.”
She winced. “Don’t remind me.”
He let out a quiet laugh, careful not to jostle his shoulder. “And it recognized your power. That is not common. Serpent spirits rarely acknowledge Moonborn magic. They’re… competitive.”
“Competitive,” she echoed dryly. “Wonderful.”
“They respect what they consider dangerous.” He paused. “And they found you very dangerous.”
“Because I screamed?”
“Because you purified death-magic with your magic,” he corrected gently and waited a beat. “Though the scream may have contributed.”
She groaned.
He continued, his manner gentler still, “In fox lore, snakes are also messengers. They appear to those whose fates are beginning to unfold.”
Poppy went still and then whispered, “Beginning?”
He nodded once, truth resonating through him like a struck bell. “You are stepping onto your true path,” he said softly. “Even the spirits can feel the shift.”
Poppy looked away, flustered—but she no longer appeared embarrassed.
She chewed her lip and then said, “That’s actually kind of beautiful.”
Mingxi’s smile softened. “It is,” he murmured. “And so are you, Meihua.”
She froze. He knew she was reacting to the fact that he hadn’t used the pet name since the first time. Not since he realized what it meant.
Her throat went dry. “Don’t call me that.”
