The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Almost the instant the echo of the door closing completely faded away, Tang Xixue's body, which had been taut like an ice sculpture, suddenly moved.

"Your Highness—please have some self-respect!"

Without any mercy, He Lichen reached out and pushed her away from him, the force so great that she sank slightly into the soft brocade quilt.

He staggered off the bed, bending down with an almost hasty and disheveled air to pick up the belt that had slipped off the bedside.

When their fingertips touched the cold jade, their movements suddenly froze.

His gaze, through the brocade tassels hanging from the edge of the couch and in the dim light, met a pair of smiling eyes.

"So, even the Imperial Advisor is so indiscriminate in his hunger?"

"Tsk—"

"Are you really that hungry...? How can someone like her eat that much?"

In the shadows under the bed, Si Xingxuan lay there leisurely, his hand supporting his chin, his whole body as pale as fragile glass.

"Your battle is still so intense, the bed almost collapsed—"

A pair of eyes, seemingly smiling yet not smiling, curved, revealing undisguised interest and curiosity, as if watching a wonderful excerpt from a traditional opera.

"The dignified Divine Physician Zheyue actually hid under the bed. What a refined hobby!"

He Lichen's usually calm and serene face, as cold as ice and snow, completely darkened the moment she saw Si Xingxuan.

"I've long heard that the Divine Physician Zheyue is unpredictable, but I never imagined you had such a penchant for eavesdropping."

As if offended by some absolute cold, it quickly spread, even freezing the surrounding air.

His fingers gripped the belt so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Oh--"

"I have no choice, after all, I have a date with my beloved, and I've come to keep my appointment."

Si Xingxuan even blinked at He Lichen, the corners of her pale lips curving up in a way that was both innocent and dangerous.

To keep the appointment?

It should be the promise to send her to the underworld.

He shouldn't have tried to save her five years ago; he should have just let her die. She's such a troublesome person he can't get rid of.

"Your Excellency, would you like to take a bath before you leave?"

Tang Xixue lay on the couch, her head turned to the side, her black hair spread like clouds on the pillow, her voice soft and alluring.

He Lichen's body trembled almost imperceptibly as he followed her gaze.

Beside the white jade pool, the young general Feng Zhuo, bound hand and foot to the coiled dragon pillar, was disheveled and staring intently at him.

I don't know who he's trying to anger!

If one's gaze could transform into a swift spear, He Lichen would already be riddled with holes by now.

"..."

He Lichen remained silent.

The silence held a storm brewing. He had initially wavered a little towards her, but seeing the scene under the bed and in the bathtub, he felt she was beyond redemption.

He felt ashamed of his near-loss of control and infatuation.

He forced out the exact same two words that the emperor had uttered when he left, but they sounded even more venomous because of his unique chill and trembling:

"absurd--!"

This time, he didn't even raise his hand to straighten his disheveled clothes.

Her moon-white crane cloak trailed on the ground, and her long, flowing hair cascaded like clouds.

Each step shattered the former splendor and elegance, leaving only a chilling sense of panic as he walked straight toward the palace gate.

"Splash—!"

He flung open the still-trembling door with such force that the servants in the corridor all bowed their heads, none daring to look up at the shattered fairy-like figure.

Outside the door, the long-awaited blizzard suddenly roared in and swallowed him up in an instant.

Snowflakes stained his dark hair, clung to his neck and collarbone, which were flushed an unnatural red, turning into cold, damp marks, but he was completely unaware.

Without looking back, he stepped straight into the vast, chaotic night snow.

His back remained as upright as a bamboo standing tall against the frost, yet his resolute departure somehow conveyed a sense of desolation and defeat, like a crane's feathers falling or a bright moon sinking into an abyss.

"Yo—"

"Princess Mirror couldn't keep the Imperial Advisor."

"Could it be... that it's just boring?"

Si Xingxuan offered his comments.

The dignified and untainted Imperial Preceptor, who valued his reputation, was so angered by Tang Xixue that he stormed off.

But there are still two hot potatoes left in the hall.

A childhood sweetheart consumed by hatred.

A mad, unpredictable doctor with a cunning mind.

The moment the Imperial Preceptor disappeared into the wind and snow, Tang Xixue leaped off the bed like a wisp of smoke.

She went straight to the bath and jumped into the warm water.

"Splash—"

Water splashed and mist billowed.

She had nimbly slipped behind the jade pillar where Feng Zhuo was bound, her fingertips quickly untying the rough knots on his wrists.

As soon as the rope loosened, Feng Zhuo ripped the wet cloth from his mouth. His amber eyes blazed with fury as he reached out to grab her neck, only to be met with a pair of bright, sparkling eyes that seemed to hold the stars.

Tang Xixue's wet long hair clung to her porcelain-white cheeks, and water droplets rolled down her slender neck, disappearing into her slightly open collar.

There was no obsession or greed in her eyes, only a clear and urgent brightness, like snow melting at first. Her red lips parted slightly, and her breath was as fragrant as orchids.

"Burn it, save me—"

The voice was soft and gentle, with a slight tremor from the misty air.

"That madman...wants to kill me."

She knew how dangerous Si Xingxuan was.

Mu Liang alone might be able to deal with him, but she would find it difficult to defend against his unpredictable and treacherous poison techniques.

The loyal bodyguard who had followed her since childhood and was ruthless enough to kill and set fires for her was ultimately poisoned to death when he faced Si Xingxuan.

However, if you add a young general from the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, who is of noble status and holds military power in the northern border, even if Si Xingxuan is crazy, he will have to think twice.

Yes, Tang Xixue is now a disgraced disgrace to the royal family.

But Feng Zhuo is different—he is a general personally appointed by His Majesty, and a young commander whom the people of the North yearn for.

Although Feng Zhuo is young, he is very strong.

He had only wanted to see what she wanted to do by kidnapping him here, so he decided to play along.

If he really wanted to break free, even the gloomy night couldn't hold him back.

"cough."

Si Xingxuan gracefully rose from the shadows, raised her hand to cover her lips, and coughed softly a few times.

He slowly brushed the dust off his robes and walked step by step toward the edge of the bath.

He was emaciated, as if he were succumbing to illness and exhaustion, and his shoulders and back were so thin that they seemed to be broken by the wind and snow outside the window.

Her long, dark blue hair was loosely tied up, secured only by a single plain silver hairpin. The rest of her hair cascaded down like flowing ink, making her profile appear even more slender. Her skin tone was a cold white, as if it had been deprived of sunlight for a long time.

That face was like a meticulously painted landscape, handsome yet aloof.

His gaze swept over Tang Xixue's posture as she stood close to Feng Zhuo, his smile deepening, but his eyes remained devoid of any warmth.

"Princess Mirror, she really is... so innocently endearing."

"Who in the entire capital doesn't know that General Feng despises you the most? And you actually expect him to come and save you now?"

He tilted his head, his eyes landing on Feng Zhuo's tense profile with amusement.

"In my opinion, perhaps I won't even need to lift a finger—"

"The young general himself would snap your beautiful neck first."

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Liang's figure appeared like a dark cloud, gracefully blocking his way, her face cold and indifferent, her eyes devoid of emotion.

Si Xingxuan's smile remained unchanged. He simply raised his hand slightly, his fingertips seemingly brushing against his sleeve, as if ready to poison him at any moment.

"The princess's loyal dog, get out of the way."

"otherwise--"

"I'll poison you too, turning you into a mute puppet."

"Ranzhi—you really won't protect me?"

Tangxi Xue was hidden behind Feng Zhuo Kuan Kuo, and the two of them were immersed in the warm pool water.

She gently tugged at the hem of his soaked clothes with her fingertips, her voice soft and gentle, as if it were melting.

"Tangxi Xue! What tricks are you playing now?!"

Feng Zhuo suddenly turned around, glaring at her fiercely, his anger almost burning through the tears welling up in his eyes.

But the moment her soaked clothes clung to his arm, he froze.

The thin fabric clung to her skin after being soaked, outlining her delicate contours, and the warm moisture and her scent wafted over.

He caught his breath, and then a deeper, almost agonizing, agitation and pain crashed into his heart.

Tang Xixue... what exactly does she want to do?

She was the one who started the chaos and then abandoned us.

Now, how do you plan to play tricks on him?

Beneath the surging anger in his eyes lay a deep, suppressed sorrow that was impossible to dispel.

He is the fiercest fire in the North, born to burn so intensely that no one can approach him, and he is lawless.

In the past, wherever the raging fire went, it burned the entire wilderness, all for one person.

But then, that person stabbed him with a sharp knife.

"In the past... everyone called me Ah Xue."

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, she lowered her eyes, and a faint trace of melancholy tinged her voice:

"But now you're so mean to me."

"Since you're unwilling to protect me—then forget it."

"Mu Liang... will always protect me."

She slowly withdrew her hand, turned around, and took half a step towards Mu Liang's direction.

Just as she was about to leave, Feng Zhuo suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist with trembling hands.

Their skin touched, the pool water was warm, but her fingertips were slightly cool.

And at the very moment he clenched his fist—

Her little finger almost imperceptibly hooked his fingertip.

Feng Zhuo felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Breathing stops, blood flows backward, and the world falls silent in an instant.

The next instant, his eyes reddened sharply:

"You're a habitual liar. Didn't you choose someone else in the first place? Why are you contacting me now?"

His voice was hoarse and broken.

When he was young, Ah Xue would secretly hook his finger to comfort him when he was sad.

In response, she gently flipped her wrist, and her fingertips tapped his hot palm three times very lightly and slowly.

"Don't come near me! I've told you... I'll never forgive you!"

The boy's tears finally broke free at that moment.

It surged down, mingling with the pool water, so hot it almost burned me.

He spoke with unwavering conviction, as if trying to convince himself to stop being foolish and to stop caring about her.