Cold.
That was the first thing she felt.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Just endless cold wrapping around her body like snow swallowing everything whole.
Bai Xueyin slowly opened her eyes.
White.
The world around her was covered in silver snow and pale moonlight.
Frost clung to the wooden windows, while soft winter wind slipped through the quiet room.
For several seconds, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above her.
“…Where am I?”
Her throat felt dry.
The last thing she remembered was her office.
The endless glow of a computer screen.
Unread messages.
Cold coffee.
And the crushing exhaustion that never seemed to end.
She remembered collapsing onto the desk.
Then darkness.
So why…
Why was she lying in a warm fur-covered bed now?
Before she could think further—
“Mama!”
A tiny childish voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Another followed immediately.
“Mama awake!”
“Mamaaa!”
Her eyes widened.
Small fluffy figures rushed toward the bed like tiny storms.
A red panda cub climbed onto her lap first, his fluffy tail swaying excitedly.
Bright amber eyes sparkled as he rubbed against her arm.
“Mama finally wake up!”
Behind him came a beautiful little white fox girl with icy blue eyes, trying to act mature despite her worried expression.
“You slept for very long…”
Then—
Something soft wrapped around her waist.
Xueyin looked down in shock to see a tiny white snake cub coiling around her possessively.
The cub blinked sleepily.
“…Mama warm.”
And beside the bed stood two identical snow leopard cubs.
One calm and silent.
The other glaring suspiciously at her like he was checking whether she was truly awake.
The quieter twin spoke first.
“…Mother.”
The cold voice sounded soft with hidden relief.
The fiercer twin immediately climbed onto the bed next to her.
“You scared us.”
Bai Xueyin froze completely.
Children.
Five children.
Calling her mama.
“…Huh?”
The room fell silent.
The cubs tilted their heads together adorably.
Then the red panda cub suddenly gasped dramatically.
“Mama forgot us?!”
“No!” the snake cub immediately hissed, tightening around her waist.
“Mama mine!”
The fox girl sighed tiredly despite looking barely older than five.
“Brother, don’t squeeze Mother…”
Meanwhile, Bai Xueyin’s mind exploded into chaos.
What was happening?!
Why were there animal children?!
Why did they all look so familiar?!
And most importantly—
Why did her head suddenly hurt when she looked at the snow outside?
Fragments flashed through her mind.
A novel.
A beast world.
A side character.
Bai Xueyin.
The forgotten snow fox woman who disappeared after raising mysterious cubs alone.
Her face instantly turned pale.
“No way…”
She remembered now.
She had transmigrated.
Into a novel.
And not even as the heroine.
But as the tragic side character barely mentioned in the story.
The one readers pitied for only a few lines before forgetting completely.
Bai Xueyin slowly looked down at the cubs clinging to her.
The red panda cub happily holding her sleeve.
The tiny snake cub refusing to let go.
The fox girl quietly watching her with concern.
The snow leopard twins guarding the bedside silently.
Her heart trembled.
Cute.
Too cute.
Dangerously cute.
Then the red panda cub suddenly lifted his tiny paws dramatically.
“Mama hungry?”
As if on cue—
Her stomach growled loudly.
The room became silent again.
Then the cubs all moved at once.
“I catch fish!”
“I get medicine herbs!”
“Mother should rest.”
“No one bother Mama.”
Watching the tiny cubs panic over her, Bai Xueyin felt strangely warm inside despite her confusion.
But she failed to notice something important.
Outside the snow-covered cave—
A pair of cold silver eyes silently stared toward the window from deep within the blizzard.
Watching her wake up.
Watching the cubs.
And for the first time in years—
The wandering snow leopard prince finally confirmed one thing.
His mate had returned.