The evil female is weak and the males of the whole continent are out of control and fall.

Chapter 709 It’s New Year!
Or rather, they heard it but couldn't control their steps.

He continued walking with steady yet resolute steps until he reached the edge of the hot spring pool before stopping.

The two were less than a meter apart, and the rising steam almost hit his tense jaw.

Bai Wanwan frowned slightly at his unusual and oppressive approach.

In the shimmering water, she saw his deep eyes fixed intently on her face, churning with complex emotions—a profound depth she couldn't decipher, and a deep, overwhelming sadness that made her heart clench inexplicably.

“Jinying,” she reminded again, a hint of tension in her voice, “you shouldn’t be here.”

After saying that, she turned around and swam to the other side of the pool to create that unsettling distance.

Just then, Jin Ying (Fu Jinshen) made a move.

He slowly crouched down to her level, handing her the soft bath towel in his hand, his voice low and husky:
"Here you go, don't catch a cold."

Bai Wan was slightly taken aback. At this moment, she was completely immersed in the water and could not reach out to catch it, as doing so would inevitably expose the underwater scenery.

She could only force herself to remain calm and said, "Thank you, it's fine to leave it there." She gestured to the dry stone platform by the pool.

But Ember Shadow did not leave immediately as she wished.

He remained squatting by the pool, so close that she could clearly see the tiny water droplets from the hot spring clinging to his thick eyelashes.

He looked at her and said, word by word, "I'm leaving tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of me during this time."

These words were clearly a farewell, yet his eyes held an intense, almost predatory quality, as if he wanted to etch her image into the depths of his soul.

Hearing him clearly say that he wanted to leave, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had finally let go of those inappropriate thoughts.

She tried to keep her tone calm and polite: "You're welcome. You helped us. If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

“Hmm,” Jin Ying (Fu Jinshen) responded softly.

He watched her maintain such a wary and distinct distance, his back teeth clenching unconsciously, his tongue pressing against the pervasive, boundless bitterness.

He stood up abruptly, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions surging deep within his eyes.

“Don’t be afraid,” he turned around, his voice returning to its usual cold indifference, but with a barely perceptible hoarseness, “I’m leaving.”

After saying that, he didn't linger and strode away from the hot spring room, leaving behind the suffocating steam and her relieved expression.

The footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing at the end of the corridor, leaving Bai Wanwan alone in the spring water, her heart unable to find peace for a long time.

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Even after Jin Ying left, life continued to flow forward amidst the swirling snow.

The weather grew increasingly frigid, and snowflakes fell incessantly day and night, completely covering the mountains, rivers, trees, and the entire tribe. The world seemed to have fallen into a boundless, pure, and tranquil white dream.

Amidst this snow-covered landscape, Bai Wanwan longs for the festive atmosphere of the year-end, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, and for the anticipation and joy of family reunions during the New Year.

So, during the coldest time of year on this continent, when the days are shortest, she decided to spend the New Year here with her family once again.

This year will be the New Year when their whole family is together the most.

Thinking about this made her so excited that she couldn't sleep.

Early in the morning, before dawn, Bai Wanwan got out of bed with great enthusiasm.

She pulled out some decorations that she had redeemed with points the night before and began to organize them.

Zhu Xiu, lying on the bed, reached out to pull her back. "It's so early in the morning, and it's so cold. Why are you up so early?" This was unlike his little female who loved to stay in bed.

"Today is an exception. I'm happy and can't sleep. You should sleep a little longer."

After saying that, she ignored Zhu Xiu and went downstairs to get busy with the decorations she had exchanged...

Inside the warm main house, the huge hearth burned brightly.

Bai Wanwan sat on a low couch covered with thick animal hides, surrounded by a circle of cubs of all sizes.

She took out a square piece of paper cut from thin bark paper, folded it skillfully a few times, and then used a small bone knife to carve and draw on it.

"Mommy, what's this?" A little leopard cub curiously touched the paper in her hand with its paw.

"This is the character '福' (fu), which means good fortune is coming," she explained patiently, unfolding the bark paper to reveal a smooth-lined, slightly naive-looking character.

She also cut out many of her own window decoration patterns.

"I want to learn too! I want to learn too!" the kids shouted eagerly.

She smiled as she distributed the tools and taught them step by step.

Although the children's cuts were crooked and some even accidentally cut them into several pieces, their focus and joy were incredibly genuine.

The paper-cut window decorations were carefully pasted onto the windows and door frames by Bai Wanwan and her children using cooked rice paste.

The red paper-cut window decorations, reflecting the boundless white snow outside the window, were particularly eye-catching and instantly added boundless vitality and warmth to the cold stone house.

Bai Wanwan carried a string of small lanterns, looked up at the high wall, then turned and waved to the beastman who was standing not far away, watching them with a smile.

"Yan Lie, Jin Yi, help me hang it up."

After a lively afternoon, Bai Wanwan finished decorating the house and then led the beastmen to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner.

What you eat is important, but the process is also important.

So while giving instructions, Bai Wanwan also personally handled some things that the beastmen didn't know how to do.

Perhaps even the heavens were infected by the joyful laughter and peaceful atmosphere filling the stone house, for by the afternoon, the incessant snowflakes that had been falling for days gradually subsided until they completely stopped.

The long-awaited, slightly pale winter sunlight pierced through the thin clouds and shone on the courtyard covered with thick snow, reflecting a dazzling, crystalline light.

This sudden clear weather instantly ignited the children's desire to play, which had been kept indoors all winter.

The young cubs exchanged glances and immediately squeezed into the kitchen, gathering around Bai Wanwan and tugging at her clothes.

One by one, they looked up at her with their big, watery, longing eyes, pleading in unison:
"Mommy, Mommy! The snow has stopped! Shall we go out and play for a while?"

"We'll only play for a little while! We promise we won't go far, we'll stay in the yard!"

"Please, Mom! We want to build a little snow wolf!"

Looking at the expectant little faces of her children, Bai Wanwan felt a slight itch in her heart, as if gently tickled by a feather.

She also wanted to feel the fresh air after the snow and step on the soft, white snow...

(End of this chapter)