The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The dawn light, like scattered gold, was poured layer upon layer onto the snow-covered mountain path.

The air was washed clean and clear, and with each deep breath, one could smell the crisp fragrance of pine needles and cold plum blossoms, which permeated the heart and soul.

Tangxi Xue's carriage slowly traveled along the winding mountain road, and the dark blue eaves of Lintai gradually appeared in the morning mist.

"Thump—"

The sound of the temple bell broke through the fog, long and deep.

With her delicate hands, Qingdai lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the approaching vermilion gates of the academy. A look of worry crept across her brow.

"Why would Prince Beichen condescend to be the examiner of the four arts?" she asked in a low voice, her voice tinged with worry. "I'm afraid he might use this as an excuse to deliberately make things difficult for Your Highness."

"Of course he will."

Tang Xixue leaned against the soft cushions inside the car, her fingertips casually tracing the plum blossom pattern embroidered with silver thread on her cuffs.

"They're either targeting me or protecting Shen Yan—in any case, they won't make things too comfortable for me."

Before the words had even finished, the carriage had come to a steady stop.

As she stepped off the wooden bench, supported by Qingdai's hand, the sound of swift hooves suddenly came from the other end of the mountain path.

"Ah Xue! Wait for me—!"

A clear voice shattered the tranquility of the mountains, like ice and jade colliding, carrying an undisguised joy and eagerness.

She suddenly looked up.

At the point where the morning light met the snow, a crimson horse, like a flame, broke through the fog.

The young man on horseback wore no crown; his dark hair was tied high with a crimson ribbon, fluttering wildly in the wind as he galloped.

He was dressed in a scarlet outfit, with a black velvet cloak over it. When he rode his horse, the cloak billowed like wings, as if it had drawn the brilliance of the entire snowfield behind him to his front.

As he got close, he suddenly pulled on the reins!

The horse neighed and stood on its hind legs, its front hooves still in mid-air, when the young man pressed one hand on the saddle and leaped off.

Her hem fluttered like a red lotus blooming in the snow, yet when she landed, she was as light as a feather, only splashing up a few specks of snow.

He jogged a few steps to her, slightly out of breath, his breath melting in the cold wind.

A few strands of hair on her forehead were damp with sweat and clung to her smooth temples, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, as if they held the stars that had not slept all night, all reflecting her figure.

"Burn it." Tang Xixue smiled gently at him, her eyes crinkling.

Her smile was like snow reflecting the bright moon, a warm glow spreading beneath the ice. The morning light fell into her eyes, making the surrounding snow seem to be tinged with a touch of gentleness.

The boy's breath hitched.

All the elegant greetings I had rehearsed repeatedly on the way crumbled the moment they met her smiling eyes.

Her ears flushed crimson at a visible speed, spreading all the way to her neck, making it difficult for her to even speak.

"Ah, Ah Xue..." His throat tightened, and his voice grew softer and softer, "Good, good morning."

The last few words were barely uttered, as light as falling snow.

—Ah Xue's smile is so beautiful.

He hurriedly lowered his head to tug at his slightly disheveled cuffs, his fingertips trembling, yet he couldn't help but steal a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

His helpless expression was just like that of a fledgling bird peeking out of its nest in the forest for the first time, dizzy from the sudden burst of sunlight, wanting to get closer but afraid of disturbing the brightness.

"Um—" He cleared his throat, trying to sound more composed, "Shall we go together?"

A morning breeze swept by, and a few snowflakes fell softly from the branches, one of which clung to the tip of his fluttering hair.

"Okay." Tang Xixue's smile deepened, and she reached out to gently brush it away for him.

The touch of fingertips brushing against a strand of hair was so light that the boy trembled all over.

It was as if a tender bamboo shoot had been struck by the first thunder of spring, a subtle, unsettling tremor running through me from the tips of my hair to my fingertips.

That throbbing feeling was raw and surging, almost bursting out of my chest.

"Ah Xue, the snow... the snowy road is difficult to walk on," he stared at the glistening white snow on the ground, his voice lowering even further, "Do... do you want me to hold your hand and lead you?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, her ears turned even redder.

"Then I'll trouble you to burn it."

Tang Xixue smiled gently, extending her slender, jade-like hand and placing it lightly into his palm.

The wind scorched his palms, making them feel as hot as if it were burning the ice and snow.

He carefully took that hand in his, and its touch was warmer than the finest mutton fat jade and softer than flowing silk.

He barely dared to use any force, afraid of crushing this fragile treasure. His steps stiffened, and he took two steps with his hands and feet moving in unison, clumsy like a child just learning to walk.

He only snapped out of his daze when he heard her very soft laughter, which was hidden behind her lips. His cheeks flushed red, and he quickly adjusted his pace.

As he looked down, his gaze was drawn to the string of icy tassels around her waist—the translucent snowflakes swayed gently with her steps, making a clear, tinkling sound, each sound striking his heart.

He remembered the tassel.

When it was tied around Shen Xian's waist, he had watched it countless times from the shadows. Every time he looked at it, his heart felt like it was being pricked by a fine needle, a sour pain.

"Ah Xue," he heard his voice was a little hoarse, "could I have your snowflake tassel?"

He wanted it too.

She wanted something that belonged to her as a keepsake.

Tang Xixue paused slightly, turned her head to look at him, shook her head, but her voice was as gentle as spring water: "No, you can't."

The light in Feng Zhuo's eyes dimmed instantly.

My chest felt like it was being suddenly clenched by something, a suffocating pain.

He hurriedly lowered his eyelashes, his long lashes casting a faint shadow on his fair cheeks, and his nose felt a little sore.

Is he unworthy?

Does Ah Xue... actually not like him?

"Here you are."

A slender white hand suddenly reached out in front of him, with a crystal-clear snowflake-shaped hair ornament lying in its palm, shimmering with tiny iridescent colors in the morning light.

"If you like snowflakes, this is for you, okay?"

She leaned slightly forward, the faint, cool fragrance of her hair brushing against his nose:

"Our burning is unique."

She paused, her eyes curving into crescents:

"I've never given this to anyone else."

Feng Zhuo took the hair ornament in a daze.

The cool crystal against the burning hot palm felt like a wildfire starting there, spreading throughout the body.

His heartbeat pounded wildly in his cochlea, creating a thick, sweet echo that made his fingertips go numb.

His alone...

Ah Xue said it belonged exclusively to him.

He felt like he was about to faint from happiness, his whole body felt light and airy, as if he were walking on clouds.

"Ranzhi, let's go." Tang Xixue waved her hand gently in front of him, and seeing his silly, absent-minded expression, she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. "Stop daydreaming."

"Um!"

He nodded emphatically, carefully pinning the snowflake hair ornament to the front of his scarlet cloak, his movements as cautious as if he were wearing some unparalleled medal.

When he looked up, the light in his eyes was brighter than the morning sun after a snowfall.

"Let's go!"

Snow blankets the fields, and the mountain path winds its way through.

He walked beside her, his crimson robes like fire, his eyes shining.

This crisp, snowy morning has been transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful time of year.

"Ah Xue, today's four arts assessments will affect your ranking on the list of most outstanding talents."

Feng Zhuo calmed his racing heart a little, and his tone became more serious when he talked about serious matters.

Which subject are you planning to take?

The "Feng Hua Ranking" is another important honor list at Lintai, besides the "Deng Yun Ranking" which considers academic performance.

Above the clouds, one naturally exudes elegance.

Talent, reputation, family background, connections, and even appearance and demeanor are all considered.

Currently, the top spot is held by Shen Xian, a virtuous gentleman from the Shen family, followed by his sister Shen Yan.

"I'm good at everything—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Tang Xixue turned her head to look at him, a sly glint in her eyes.

"But Ranzhi, are you—up to the task?"

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and sure enough, she felt the hand holding her tighten a bit.

"Ahem!" Feng Zhuo's ears turned slightly red, and he straightened his back. "Of course I can do it!"

His voice was loud, but his confidence was lacking.

He was born into a military family and was proficient in archery, horsemanship, and horseback riding. However, when it came to calligraphy, painting, music, and other refined arts, it was a complete disaster.

Last time, the teacher even grabbed my ear and scolded me for half an incense stick's time.

"Don't be stubborn in front of me—"

"Last time during the art exam, you broke a string on the Master's treasured zither! And the time before that, you used too much force while painting and poked a hole in the paper..."

Before he could finish speaking, he met Tang Xixue's ambiguous smile.

"Hasn't Ran Zhi always been stationed on the northern border?"

She blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

"How do you know so much about what happened during my exams?"

She leaned closer, her breath brushing against his reddened earlobe:

"So you care about me that much? Who did you ask about me so thoroughly?"

"I...I didn't care about you at all!"

Feng Zhuo was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he almost jumped up, his cheeks turning so red they were practically dripping blood.

"That's all because my brother is such a chatterbox! He just keeps nagging me about it—"

"Oh?" A lazy, chuckling voice came from the steps ahead. "Me, a chatterbox?"

Feng Yi, dressed in a silver-white outfit, leaned casually against the white marble steps of Lintai, arms crossed, leisurely glancing at his younger brother:

"Wasn't it some little brat who kept begging me to find out the princess's test scores and the teacher's comments?"

He leisurely finished off the attack:

"When I said I didn't know, you threw a tantrum, saying you wouldn't eat until you found out, and that you were going to starve yourself to death—"

"..."

The wind scorched him, and he stood frozen in place.

The sky is falling.

The ground has collapsed.

The fragile facade of composure he had painstakingly maintained was shattered by his own brother's few words.

The boy's flushed face gradually turned pale, then back to red, until finally he looked like a puppy drenched in a downpour, listless and dejected, even his flying hair exuding a sense of utter despair.

The puppy felt wronged.

The puppy wants to cry.

"Ha ha."

Tang Xixue looked at the two brothers, then at Feng Zhuo's almost broken expression, and finally couldn't help but turn her head away, her shoulders trembling slightly, and she laughed out loud.

The young man's passionate love, brimming with youthful exuberance, was laid bare in the clear light after the snow, leaving no room for concealment and shining brightly.