In the Li Manor, within the room of a certain "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant," Li Mo sat on his bed, gazing at an opened chest as he celebrated his birthday.

After awakening from the haze of infancy, those long-sealed memories surged forth, each one vivid as if reliving yesterday.

Exactly seventeen of them—one for every year.

"Ice Block..."

Li Mo stared blankly upward.

The fireworks of a snowy night had once illuminated her crimson dress, the slightly crooked white cat-eared hat, the slender legs wrapped in white silk socks, and the snowflakes clinging to her raven hair tied up with a jade hairpin.

If Christmas had Santa Claus, then the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had their own New Year Goddess.

And she had suddenly appeared by his side, delivering a birthday surprise.

That was exactly how Little Li felt right now.

"I found this while cleaning the room. It seems... these belong to you."

Ying Bing lowered her eyes, sitting beside him.

"..."

Li Mo glanced at the pacifier inside the chest.

Even if he had been a little troublemaker in his infancy, there was no way he could have gone out to buy this thing right after birth.

"Then it must have been a gift from my New Year Fairy."

Li Mo set the pacifier aside and picked up a jade pendant carved with white bamboo—a symbol of a boy growing into a gentleman, now worthy of wearing fine jade.

Back when he had gone shopping with Ice Block, he had admired its craftsmanship, but despite haggling for half the day and even deploying the "walk away if you won’t sell" tactic, he had failed to secure it.

Yet Ice Block had gone back and bought it for him.

"As long as you like it..."

Watching him happily fasten the jade pendant, Ying Bing quietly removed her shoes and settled onto the bed, her silk-socked feet tucked delicately to the side.

While brewing tea, she stole glances at him from the corner of her eye.

Suddenly, the tea in the cup rippled slightly. Her eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips, withdrawing her foot.

"This wooden sword is so cool. If I’d had one as a kid, all the other children would’ve been green with envy."

Li Mo held the tiny wooden sword in his left hand, his expression solemn.

Yes, ever since he was little, Gentleman Li had dreamed of being a swordsman!

"Do they all suit your tastes?"

Ying Bing feigned nonchalance as she gazed at the fireworks outside, her serene eyes shimmering under their glow.

Li Mo hugged the chest and answered earnestly, "Yes, but each one fits a different age of my heart."

"Then what suits your heart the most now?"

"Of course, it’s the jade..."

Li Mo had been torn between the pendant and the wooden sword.

But his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, drifting toward the pristine white silk socks and the slender, delicate feet tucked beside him.

"..."

Ice Block’s complexion had always been fair, but now it suddenly contrasted starkly with her white cat-eared hat, the difference in hue becoming glaringly obvious.

As everyone knew—

Jade symbolized purity.

Bamboo stood for unyielding integrity.

When combined, "jade bamboo" represented the unblemished honor of a noble gentleman—something righteous men had always cherished.

And as everyone also knew, Little Li was the epitome of a righteous gentleman.

Gentlemen love jade bamboo √

Li Mo is a righteous gentleman √

Therefore, Li Mo was merely appreciating the refined elegance befitting a gentleman. What was wrong with that?

Besides, Ice Block had taken off her shoes herself, her legs crossed and displayed before him, her jade-like skin bathed in the fiery glow of the fireworks.

Perhaps she didn’t realize—

The budding grace of an orchid in a secluded valley could put even the most celebrated flowers to shame.

In this moment, Li Mo felt that even if he were a peerless Sword Immortal or the reigning Sword God, his grip on the wooden sword would tremble slightly.

And he was only a hair’s breadth away from becoming the "Cloud-Crossing Sword Hero" anyway.

Not to mention, no other swordsman was as skilled in foot massage as he was...

"Ice Block, today’s my birthday. The sixteen gifts you gave me are all the best, but the last one..."

"But... I haven’t washed today."

"How could you doubt yourself? The Frost Fairy is spotless—bathing is just a hobby for you."

"..."

"Fine. I have a bathtub in my room..."

Gentleman Li stroked his chin as if contemplating a matter of grave importance.

The Frost Fairy gave him a quiet look, her pearly teeth biting her lip as she silently shifted her legs toward him.

If she let him continue, the next thing she knew, she’d be bathing in his room.

"Ice Block, this is the happiest birthday I’ve ever had."

"Just this once..."

Truth be told, Ice Block was used to him massaging her feet. But today, Little Li, emboldened by his birthday, had grown a bit too audacious.

He didn’t even spare her calves.

Ying Bing reached into her oversized doll-shaped purse for her coin pouch, intending to count her money to distract herself.

Only to realize—

The pouch was empty.

She had nearly forgotten—in her rush to buy gifts today, she hadn’t haggled at all, paying whatever price was asked.

Unable to distract herself with counting coins, her thoughts burst like the fireworks outside, one after another, rippling across the surface of her heart.

Little Li had been a troublemaker since infancy.

It seemed that growing up hadn’t made him any better.

Did men only grow more wicked with age?

What about next year...?

An hour later, the fireworks outside gradually faded, leaving only a haze of smoke over the night sky. The New Year’s Eve festivities had ended, and so had Li Mo’s birthday.

"Let’s start dual cultivation. I’m close to breaking through."

The seventeen-year-old Li Mo, now slightly more mischievous, decided it was time to get down to business.

After all, he had long mastered the secrets of dual cultivation.

"I’m going back to my room."

Ying Bing gently withdrew her foot, hugging her knees as she eyed him warily.

"No training today?"

"But when I arrived, I ran into your parents outside your door."

Ying Bing stated coolly.

Li Mo: "..."

Given his past misdeeds, his father would undoubtedly make a detour past his room during his nightly trips to the outhouse—keeping a particularly close watch.

Besides, tomorrow was the first day of the new year, and he had to accompany his parents to the Ying family’s ancestral home to pay respects.

After that, they were headed to Rotten Ke Mountain.

"Alright then."

"I’m leaving."

Ying Bing slipped her boots back on and stood to leave.

With her usual icy demeanor, she reached the door—only to trip over her own feet. Whether it was from sitting too long or her legs going numb, no one could say...

The next morning, before relatives and friends arrived, Li Dalong and his wife rose early, gathering the prepared offerings and rousing Li Mo from bed.

After New Year’s Eve, the festive atmosphere in Qinghe County only grew stronger. Perhaps tomorrow would be even livelier.

The front yard of the Li Manor was strewn with firecracker remnants and snow. Once everyone was ready, Li Dalong handed Li Mo some incense sticks.

"In the past, we never took you to pay respects because you were too young. But now you’re a man. From now on, you’ll join us in these rituals. No matter how high you soar in the future, don’t forget to come to the Ying family’s ancestral home and light incense during the New Year."

His father patted his shoulder before walking ahead.

Holding the incense, Li Mo turned to Ying Bing beside him:

"Ice Block, are you coming too?"

"Alright."

Ying Bing gazed toward the old house.

It was no longer the shadow of her childhood.

Now, she felt mostly puzzlement and doubt.

Li Mo and Ice Block shared the same thought—

Why had that black Nian beast targeted the Ying family?

What does this have to do with that block of ice?

A single trip to the old family estate won't be enough to answer these questions—perhaps a journey to Mount Ranke is also necessary to uncover the truth.