Xiao Chen yipped excitedly, his little fangs bared in a happy grin as he pounced on a large, glowing purple wildflower that was completely foreign to him. "Mother! Look at this! The grass doesn't prickle, and the sun out here doesn't bite our ears at all!"
Beside him, Xiao Jue was carefully sniffing the base of an ancient, moss-covered stone structure, his ears twitching at the unfamiliar hum of the earth, while Xiao Rui lazily dragged his tail through a crystal-clear stream that bubbled along the edge of the plateau, watching the golden, multi-winged fish dart between the pebbles.
Lin Wan stood at the center of the clearing, her long silk cloak catching the clean mountain breeze. She looked down at the chaotic, joyful scene, her usually cold, unyielding expression melting into a rare, genuine softness.
