The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The river tilts as the moon sets, and the misty haze flows like jade.

As the night was gradually diluted into a translucent veil by the first rays of icy blue dawn, Pei Yanchuan slowly emerged from the edge of a dreamlike state, where deep sleep and warm fragrance intertwined, from the surface of his consciousness.

The first thing to awaken is not the mind, but the sense of touch.

The incredible softness and weight in my arms.

Tangxi Xue was still in his arms, her breath light and shallow, like the first petal of a flower drifting on a stream in early spring.

She exuded a refreshing yet lingering fragrance of crabapple blossoms, a scent unlike that of cosmetics, but rather like the cool, ethereal aroma emanating from plum blossoms on a snowy night, subtly entwining his breath and seeping into his very being.

Her body was incredibly soft, like a handful of cotton wool soaked in sunlight, or like the rich cream formed from newly melted snow, nestled against him without any defenses.

His jet-black hair cascaded down the pillow, a few strands brushing against his chin, causing a slight itch.

And that face—

So close, yet so beautiful it's almost unreal.

Her long eyelashes, like perched black butterflies, cast soft shadows on her porcelain-white skin.

Her lips were like moist berries, glistening with the luster of morning dew and honey, their slightly parted curves as charming as if she had tasted something sweet in a dream.

He had an urge to try it.

Pei Yanchuan's mind went completely blank with a "buzz".

Then his breathing caught in his throat, and then became rapid and uncontrollable.

My heart pounded like thunder in the wilderness, each beat echoing in my chest, making my eardrums buzz.

The boy, innocent as a sheet of paper when it comes to matters of the heart, was already stiff and at a loss simply by holding this soft body and feeling the warmth emanating from it through the thin nightgown.

The area encircled by her arms looked like it was on fire, or like she was holding a fragile piece of moonlight.

They dared not move, yet could not bear to let go.

"Ah Lin, you're awake?"

Just as he was feeling disoriented, the person in his arms stirred slightly.

The brocade quilt slipped down, revealing the slender, swan-like lines of her shoulders and neck beneath her nightgown, shimmering with a soft, pearly light in the morning glow.

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes just awakened, still veiled with a layer of misty water, but her tone was so natural and intimate as if she had called him a thousand times before.

"……Um."

Pei Yanchuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he responded with a low, hoarse voice that sounded unlike his own.

That "Ah Lin" sounded like a feather tickling the softest spot in my heart, instantly making my ears burn like they were about to smoke.

He lowered his eyelashes, not daring to meet her gaze, his eyes frantically falling on the intricate embroidery of the brocade quilt.

"Your Highness," he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, "did you sleep well last night?"

"Hmm, very good." Tang Xixue stretched her arms slightly, and the morning light flowed through the carved window frame, turning into golden threads on her fair wrists. "A-Lin feels very warm."

She paused, and seemingly casually glanced down at the quilt beneath her.

There are towering peaks there that are hard to ignore.

"You... stayed up all night like that?" Her voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh.

Pei Yanchuan trembled violently.

Almost frantically, she pulled the blanket up sharply, covering herself completely, all the way to her chin, leaving only her clear eyes filled with panic and embarrassment.

The body under the blanket was taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

“No, no…”

He vehemently denied it, his voice muffled beneath the fabric, carrying a weak defense and a deep sense of shame.

"It's not what Your Highness thinks... I... I just... woke up in the morning..."

He was mortified and tormented by this silent bullying.

Last night, we simply lay down fully clothed, and apart from embracing, we did nothing else that crossed the line.

But his body's most honest reaction burned him to the core.

"oh."

She suddenly smiled.

That smile was like the first snow falling into the palm of your hand; with a gentle squeeze, it melted into scalding spring water, seeping into your fingers.

"Yeah?"

She leaned closer, her breath almost brushing against his burning red earlobes.

The warm air, carrying the scent of crabapple blossoms, enveloped him.

"If Ah Lin says no, then no."

"Your Highness, please don't get so close..."

Pei Yanchuan lowered his eyes, the blush on his ears spreading to the side of his neck. His fingertips unconsciously curled and relaxed, crumpling the corner of the blanket.

"Ah Lin spent the whole night serving me on my bed."

Tang Xixue looked up and saw him wishing he could bury himself in the blankets, a sly smile flashing in her eyes.

"Still calling me that so formally?"

Little white flower.

It's so clean that you just want to touch it.

I want to see him tremble, to see him cry, to see his jade-like skin stained with other colors.

"Ah Xue?"

Pei Yanchuan called out hesitantly, the boy's voice hoarse from the morning, yet still clear and melodious like pine soot ink spreading on snow-wave paper.

"That's not right."

Tang Xixue extended her jade-like finger and gently lifted his chin, forcing him to look up.

"Ah Lin should call her 'elder sister'."

The moment their skin touched, Pei Yanchuan trembled again.

"That's an improper way to say it."

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"What do we call each other in private?"

"elder sister……"

He looked up at her with wet eyes, his pupils reflecting the faint light from the window, as clear as obsidian washed in a mountain stream.

That gaze was pure, admiring, and without any impurities, as if looking up at a god in the clouds.

Pure white as paper, beautiful as a poem.

It inexplicably inspires one to want to wrinkle and adorn it with peach blossoms by hand.

"Ah Lin, you're such a good girl—"

Tang Xixue nodded in satisfaction, gently scraped his chin with her fingertips, and then withdrew her hand.

"If you still want to stay here, then stop looking at me like that."

She stopped looking at his unknowingly seductive appearance, threw off the covers and got out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the floor covered with a thick velvet carpet.

The morning light outlined her white nightgown in a hazy, beautiful silhouette, highlighting her slender waist and flowing black hair that reached her waist. Every step she took seemed like walking on clouds.

"What...what happened to me?"

Only Pei Yanchuan remained stiffly wrapped in the blanket, feeling his heart pounding like a drum and the lingering heat.

The heat spread from his abdomen to his limbs and bones, making him dizzy.

As dawn broke, the carved windows of the Hall of Longevity cast a dazzling light on the smooth mica floor, reflecting off the ice-blue canopy curtains of the bed, creating a scene resembling a dreamlike galaxy.

Li Shuang, who had been waiting quietly outside the curtain, immediately stepped forward, her movements as light as a feather falling into a cold pool.

She first draped a soft, snow-white cloak over the princess, and then helped her with her washing and grooming.

The warm water in the copper basin rippled gently, with a few petals of winter plum floating on it, and the steam rising up released a delicate fragrance.

A warm, floral-scented handkerchief was applied to her face. Tang Xixue closed her eyes and let the pear frost gently wipe her face.

"Your Highness, please change your clothes."

Pear Frost brought over a set of neatly folded clothes.

The moon-white brocade upper garment resembled freshly frozen snow, while the lower skirt was layered like flowing clouds. The collar and sleeve edges were embroidered with faint silver patterns of intertwined branches, which not only showed the girl's delicate beauty but also exuded a royal air that could not be taken lightly.

Tang Xixue spread her arms, letting Li Shuang help her change her clothes.

His gaze, however, fell on the floor on the other side of the phoenix bed—

There lay quietly a pair of old boots with worn soles and even some frayed edges.

Next to it was a pair of cloth socks, faded from washing, with fine stitches but clearly thin.

It belongs to Pei Yanchuan.

Her gaze remained unchanged; she spoke softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the morning stillness:

"Shuang'er, prepare a new set of clothes for A-Lin."

He paused, then added:

"Boots and winter socks, also according to his size, choose thick and warm ones, and make sure you have enough."

Since he was a member of her Changsheng Palace, she would not allow him to be mistreated in the slightest.

People always respect clothes before they respect people.

Clothing is the armor of dignity, and she would not allow her people to be without even a decent set of clothes.