Chapter 87
At dusk, Mingxi led Poppy to the firepool—one of Huǒyáo Jìng’s sacred places. The water glowed from within, reflecting plum blossoms drifting overhead. Poppy sat at the edge, dipping her toes in. The warmth soothed her. He sat close beside her.
Quiet wrapped around them.
She whispered, “Your world is beautiful.”
He whispered back, “So is the way you see it.”
Her heart fluttered. He hesitated and then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, hand trembling slightly. Poppy leaned into the touch, barely breathing.
Mingxi’s voice cracked softly. “If I ever… asked you to be mine… it would be from choice. Not duty. Not a clan expectation. Just… because I cannot imagine a life without you.”
Her cheeks heated, and her pulse raced.
She whispered, “I think… I’d want you to ask.”
He went absolutely still as his tails curled slowly behind him like a blooming flower.
Before he could answer, Minghua yelled from across the clearing, “Are you two getting engaged or what?”
Mingxi facepalmed.
Poppy absolutely died inside.
Lysandra, from somewhere unseen, shouted, but her voice unmistakable, “My prophecy was right!”