The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Your Highness, the Heavenly Frost Orchid has arrived."

When the three Heavenly Frost Orchids, sealed in a translucent snow-white porcelain basin, were carefully carried into the Hall of Longevity by a personal maid, Fuyi, and several palace servants from the royal herb garden, the candlelight inside the hall had already burned to the middle, and the light and shadow became increasingly soft.

"Let it go."

Tang Xixue glanced up and then acted swiftly, as she was always trusted.

She had four personal maids: Li Shuang, Qing Dai, Fu Yi, and Wei Yu, who had been with her since childhood.

"I didn't expect him to actually be willing to give it to you."

Si Xingxuan was lazily nestled in a large chair covered with thick silver fox fur, her whole body almost enveloped by the soft velvet blanket.

He curled up slightly, holding a warm hot water bottle against his stomach with one hand.

With his other hand, he held the ancient medical book that Tang Xixue had just given him, and read it carefully under the nearby lamp.

"Now I finally know what it means to spoil someone excessively."

Her pale face was illuminated by a warm yellow glow, which softened her usual gloom and hostility.

"Emperor Shengchen has truly no bottom line when it comes to you, no wonder you've become arrogant because of his favor."

His long eyelashes drooped, casting a tranquil shadow beneath his eyes, revealing a rare serenity and peace.

Compared to the previous image of the damp male ghost under the bed, he now looked much more relaxed, nestled in warmth and the fragrance of books. Even his bloodless lips seemed to have taken on a faint blush from the warmth and focus.

Especially when he was engrossed in the long-lost pulse theory in his hand, his eyes sparkled with pure joy and satisfaction.

"Young Master Si Xing".

Tang Xixue's voice came from the side. She was sitting not far away by a small red clay stove with boiling water on it, and white steam was rising from it.

She skillfully warmed the teapot, added the tea leaves, and poured the tea from a high position while pouring it from a low position. The aroma of the tea blended subtly with the sweet fragrance of several delicate pastries on the side dishes.

She had already had a late-night snack and was now holding a cup of tea to warm her hands.

"Since you find these medical books interesting, take them back and study them at your leisure."

"Including these three Heavenly Frost Orchids."

Her gaze fell on the three Heavenly Frost Orchids, which were placed on a low table by the window, their leaves resembling weeping dew.

Si Xingxuan raised his eyes from between the pages of the book, his gaze first sweeping over the few ancient books he cherished, and then drifting towards the rare orchid.

A cryptic smile played on his lips.

"Fine, I'll let you off this time."

His voice was not loud, slightly hoarse with a hint of illness, but clear and distinct.

He put down his book, pulled the blanket around himself, and turned his gaze to Tang Xixue, his eyes appearing deep and unfathomable in the warm light.

"Next time, don't be so foolish as to provoke me."

These words sound like a warning, yet also like a declaration drawing a line.

He understood everything perfectly.

This isn't just a simple apology from her.

He transcribed the rare prescription, gifted precious medical books, and even this priceless Tian Shuang Orchid.

Each and every one of these things, seemingly "etiquette," is in fact a silent manifestation of "power."

It was clearly telling him that even though she was now infamous and acted outrageously, she was still someone Emperor Shengchen cared about and was willing to indulge and favor.

She has not yet been abandoned; she still has support.

She's such a little fox.

How could he have ever thought she was stupid?

He is clearly extremely cunning.

Si Xingxuan had received a generous gift; if he continued to make trouble, he would be ungrateful.

He turned his gaze back to the medical book in his hands.

"Anyway, there have never been few people on this Lintai who want to see you fall from grace."

Si Xingxuan's gaze slowly swept over the wall of books containing endless medical classics, a lingering light appearing in his eyes, and his voice softened.

"So, may I... come to your study to read again next time?"

"cannot."

Tang Xixue's answer left no room for negotiation; her voice was soft, calm, and composed.

She looked up, her gaze clear and sharp like a mountain stream, and looked straight into his eyes.

There was no hint of feigned indifference or deliberate aloofness, only a resolute clarity.

"Since I have said that I will not provoke Young Master Si Xing again, I will certainly keep my word."

She picked up the slightly warm teacup beside her and gently touched the delicate porcelain glaze with her fingertips.

Therefore, it is best for us to separate the pure from the impure and each follow our own path.

"..."

Si Xingxuan was speechless for a moment.

The expected hesitation, deliberation, or even tacit approval from the other party, which might have been somewhat ingratiating, did not materialize.

This overly decisive rejection, like an extremely fine ice needle, unexpectedly pierced a certain spot in my heart, spreading a slight sense of stagnation.

The walls covered in books, the satisfaction I had just felt while immersed in them, now felt like an irresistible temptation.

She's so mean—

She actually went to such lengths to seduce him.

They were still using medical books.

It makes him want to come back again, to sit in this warm, quiet corner with tea and books, and slowly peruse those rare books...

The idea was so clear that it surprised even himself.

"understood."

His pale lips moved slightly, and his expression turned somber.

The fingers gripping the edge of the blanket twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Someone, see the guest out."

Tang Xixue stopped looking at him and turned to give instructions outside the hall, her voice calm and composed.

"Prepare a warm sedan chair carefully, and make sure to safely escort Young Master Si Xing back to the Lintai Pharmacy."

To be honest, Si Xingxuan also suffered an undeserved misfortune, being targeted by that transmigrated woman and enduring so much humiliation.

Look at how sickly he looks; he doesn't seem like he'll live much longer.

The palace servants on standby responded immediately and acted with great efficiency.

In a short while, a sedan chair covered with thick brocade cushions and with windproof and warm stoves hanging at the four corners came to a steady stop under the outer corridor of the palace.

Two nimble eunuchs stepped forward and carefully and respectfully helped Si Xingxuan, who was wrapped in a velvet blanket and carrying several medical books.

"Young Master Sixing, please get into the sedan chair."

The candlelight inside the hall flickered uneasily for a moment as the brocade curtain was lifted, before returning to normal.

Si Xing stood by the door, not leaving immediately.

He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyelashes casting faint shadows on his pale face.

Those eyes, clear as the sky after the rain, reflected a dancing warm light, yet they were unfathomable, like a cold pool containing nebulae.

A faint smile curved his lips, and his voice, as soft as a feather brushing against ice, penetrated Tang Xixue's ears with perfect clarity:

"Tang Xixue, you are the first person to provoke me and still manage to... escape unscathed."

His voice betrayed no emotion, only a hint of aroused interest.

That excessively handsome face, bathed in the glow of palace lanterns in the corridor and candlelight inside, was indeed otherworldly.

It was even more captivating and dangerous than the lonely, cold moon outside the window.

He never seemed to treat himself poorly; the small blanket he had just used to keep warm on his lap was now neatly tucked into his arms, showing no intention of being polite to Tang Xixue.

Tang Xixue pulled the slightly slippery cloak over her shoulders, her fingertips touching the cool brocade, but her face remained calm, even with a touch of indifferent laziness.

She met his inscrutable gaze, spoke softly, her breath condensing into a cloud of white mist in the air:

"Then... I guess I'm just lucky."

She genuinely felt that this renowned physician, known throughout the Nine Provinces, was a combination of "sickness," "delicateness," and "madness."

Yet, this very quality, when bestowed upon him and accentuated by his flowing silk robes and star-like figure, strangely blended into a captivating charm that was breathtaking.

"ha."

Si Xingxuan chuckled softly.

He leaned slightly toward her, a few strands of unbound hair falling down, his voice lowered, carrying an almost whispered intimacy, yet the words he uttered were chilling:

"Isn't it because he's tough?"

"Having offended countless geniuses across the Nine Provinces, he became a public enemy hated by everyone, yet he can still live a carefree and happy life in the Hall of Longevity."

"Tang Xixue, your life is even tougher than a meteorite that can suppress mountains and rivers."

He straightened up and gave her one last look, his gaze like that of someone observing star trails and spotting a wild, unruly shooting star.

Curiosity, assessment, and waiting for the sight of it burning out in the next moment.

"I'll wait and see."

The moment the words fell, the palace servants standing outside the door respectfully lifted the heavy brocade curtain.

In an instant, a biting wind, carrying the scent of shattered snow, howled and surged into the warm palace like a cold beast breaking free from its restraints, dispersing the warm fragrance that filled the room and causing a few strands of hair to flutter against Tang Xi's snowy cheeks.

Si Xingxuan stopped and stepped calmly into the warm sedan chair that was already waiting at the foot of the steps, with thick brocade curtains hanging down.

The sedan curtain fell behind him, and the palanquin was steadily lifted, crunching softly over the newly laid, untouched white snow on the palace road, as it meandered towards the Lintai Palace.

"Young Master Sixing, please wait."

Tang Xixue stood still, even taking half a step forward, stopping inside the threshold, and gently waved to the receding silhouette of the sedan chair.

His tone was as sincere as if he were seeing off a truly distinguished guest, but a hint of relief flickered deep in his eyes.

Finally... we've sent away this unpredictable and cunning "plague god".

Inside the sedan chair, however, lay a completely different world.

Warm as springtime, the silver frost charcoal burned silently in an exquisite copper basin.

Si Xingxuan did not sit upright, but leaned lazily against the soft brocade cushions inside the car.

He held an ancient book in his arms, his fingertips slowly tracing the rough, ancient texture of the cover, as if touching a lost piece of time.

Outside the sedan window, the dim yellow light of the palace lanterns along the way streamed in through the fine gaps in the brocade curtain, flickering on his pale, handsome face.

He whispered almost silently, his breath brushing against the cool pages of the ancient book in his arms:

"People with tough lives are tempered by wind and snow in their bones, carrying an unyielding and ruthless spirit."

"But the snow in the sky, no matter how high it falls or how wildly it dances, its destiny... is ultimately to fall into the dust and mud, or to vanish into nothingness, or to be tainted by the filthy world."

The sedan chair moved smoothly forward, swallowing his whispers and thoughts entirely in the rumbling of the wheels and the swirling snow.

The eaves of Lintai are already in sight.

"The wind and snow have not yet stopped, so light it, put on your cloak, and continue on your way."

Tang Xixue returned to the palace, turned around and took a thick, dark fox fur cloak from the sandalwood clothes rack beside her.

The cloak was edged with a band of fluffy silver fox fur, and it felt heavy to the touch, with a warm feel inside.

"It's getting late. Thank you for staying and protecting me tonight."

She walked up to Feng Zhuo, and with a wave of her arm, wrapped the young general's tall shoulders with the warmth of her light, cool scent of crabapple blossoms.

"Hmph, you are a princess, after all. You can't let outsiders bully you."

Feng Zhuo seemed to instinctively try to dodge, but his body remained frozen in place.

"Yes, that's the best. Go back and get some rest early."

Tang Xixue tiptoed slightly, her fair and slender fingers deftly looping around his neck to tighten the silk ribbon at his collar.

His warm breath brushed against his chin almost imperceptibly, and his focused expression was exactly the same as it had been on every snowy night years ago when he was about to leave.

"The roads outside are slippery, be careful on your way back, watch your step."

After fastening her cloak, she gently placed an oil-paper umbrella painted with sparse ink plum blossoms into his somewhat bewildered hands.

"Snow in Tangxi!"

Feng Zhuo seemed to be burned by the sudden warmth and closeness, and abruptly turned his face away.

"You, you stay away from me, don't get so close."

Her ears flushed uncontrollably, and her voice rose slightly, carrying an awkward mix of bravado and cowardice.

"Who, who asked you to meddle? Can't I walk by myself?"

However, despite this, the feeling of being tightly wrapped in the warm fox fur seeped into every part of my body, dispelling the bone-chilling cold of the snowy night.

He looked down, somewhat stunned, at her profile as she carefully adjusted his cloak so close to him.

The candlelight danced on her long eyelashes, spreading a soft, warm hue.

His Ah Xue... she was always this good, always treating him with the utmost care and consideration.

Memories flood back like a tide: those snowy nights when he stayed at her place to study late into the night, and when the palace gates were locked, she would always wrap him up tightly like this.

Sometimes the snowstorms were so severe that he would even spend the night in the warm chamber of her side hall...

In that brief moment, a familiar warmth washed over him, and he almost blurted out—

"Ah Xue, the snow is so heavy tonight, I think I'll stay here..."

But the words caught in his throat.