The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The carriage drove smoothly toward the heart of Mirror Moon Lake, the sound of its wheels rolling over the bluestone path as delicate as pearls falling onto a plate.

In the distance, the outline of the mountains and rivers gradually emerged from the morning mist.

Inside the car, spring was in full bloom, and the snow had just melted.

A banished immortal descends to the mortal world, all for one person.

At this moment, whether it was Chao Han, who was driving the carriage in front, Mu Liang, who was secretly following and protecting them, or Song Jun, who was in the carriage behind them, they all wished they could find a corner to hide in.

They are all top-notch experts, and their hearing is incredibly good.

"This is too hot! I must be dreaming."

Songjun deeply regretted why he had chosen to learn martial arts.

He sat stiffly on the brocade cushion by the car door, his back straight as a pine tree, but every muscle in his body was taut as a stone.

As a top-notch guard, his exceptional senses were never a burden, but now they have become an endless torment.

He could hear the sounds coming from across the carriage.

He shouldn't be in the car; he should be under the car.

"No... why is it that every time you see Princess Mirror, it's always such a gruesome meal..."

"Can't you be a little more gentle and poetic? This is so intense and dramatic, my heart can hardly take it."

He pursed his lips tightly, his eyes fixed on his nose, his mind a jumble of thoughts, while a thousand horses galloped through his mind.

Chao Han's ears burned, and she drove the carriage towards a quieter road.

Hearing the soft, delicate breathing behind the carriage curtain, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Waaah..."

The Imperial Advisor is a hypocritical beast!

Didn't you hear His Highness say he didn't want it?

He gripped the reins tightly, took several deep breaths, and managed to suppress the urge to lift the carriage curtain and pull the Grand Preceptor out.

Inside the carriage, the jade hairpin that He Lichen used to tie her hair had slipped off at some point, and her black hair, like a midnight starry river, cascaded down, brushing against the peach-blossom cheeks of the person beneath her.

Tang Xixue's dark hair lay scattered on the brocade cushions, her eyes misty with the air of Jiangnan's rain and mist.

A touch of crimson at the corner of her eyes, like a cherry blossom trembling and blooming in the snow, glistening with dew and tinged with desire, looked at him with a deadly allure.

She was somewhat dazed at the moment.

Is this really her immortal brother Huai Xian, who sits high on a cloud platform, untouched by worldly dust?

What happened to the promised aloofness and celibacy?

He seemed like a completely different person, so enthusiastic that she couldn't handle it.

She felt as if she had been caught in a sudden summer downpour.

Every drop of rain is scalding hot, every gust of wind is intense.

He Lichen's slender fingers gripped her soft waist, the force just right so that she couldn't escape, yet he couldn't bear to hurt her in the slightest.

The moon-white wide sleeves slipped down with the movement, revealing a slender yet strong wrist, with faint blue veins on the wrist bones rising and falling slightly, suppressing a deeper desire.

"Zhizhi..."

He pulled away from her lips, his hot breath brushing against her ear, his voice hoarse beyond words.

"Did I... go too far?"

Even so, the undercurrent surging in those deep eyes showed no sign of abating.

"Brother Huaixian..."

Tang Xixue's lips curled into a breathtaking smile, like a night-blooming cereus suddenly blooming under the moonlight.

"You kissed me so fiercely, yet you say such things..."

Her voice was so soft it seemed to melt water, like a stream in early spring.

"You're such a hypocrite."

He Lichen's breath hitched, and the hand gripping her waist tightened even more.

Her waist was so slender it seemed as if it would break at any moment, yet it burned like a wildfire in my palm.

She returned his kiss passionately, her jade-like fingers, as smooth as pearls and silk, directly ripped open his belt.

"Zhizhi, you can't..."

His voice was terribly hoarse, and with his other hand he gently held her mischievous little hand, his fingertips trembling.

How could he possibly treat her with disrespect?

Kissing her here was the most unconventional thing he had ever done in his life.

"Brother Huaixian...don't you want me?"

Tang Xixue blinked, her long eyelashes still glistening with tiny tears, looking both innocent and alluring.

She suddenly tilted her head back and gently kissed his Adam's apple.

He Lichen's entire body tensed up, almost to the point of collapse.

"I didn't mean to... Little darling, don't do anything rash! Be good!"

He Lichen's voice was hoarse, and he stopped trying to provoke her.

His self-control, which he was so proud of, crumbled completely in front of her, shattering into the shimmering light on Mirror Moon Lake.

He was clearly in control just a moment ago, how did it suddenly become her who was in control?

She had him completely under her thumb!

"You really didn't think about it?" She moved closer.

Every inch of air in this cramped space burns with a dangerous yet sweet flame.

"..."

He Lichen wanted to meld her into his very being, and to hear her call his name with a tearful voice when she was at her most intense.

But not here, and we shouldn't be in such a rush.

"Then why is Brother Huaixian...?"

Tang Xixue blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings as they brushed against his cheek.

"Is the body really that honest?"

She could clearly feel his taut muscles and hear his heart pounding like a drum.

He Lichen closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Stop fooling around."

He was about to explode, but this little brat was oblivious to his own mortality and kept adding fuel to the fire.

"Zhizhi..." His voice was terribly low and hoarse, with a rare hint of embarrassment, "Let me... have some peace and quiet."

Although he said he would stay quiet, he still couldn't bear to let her go.

She adored his out-of-control demeanor when he was with her—a celestial being fallen to earth, his coldness melting away, all for her alone.

The carriage had stopped sometime earlier.

"Who dares to be so presumptuous before the imperial palace?"

A sound pierced the air, as cold as an ice blade in the depths of a northern winter, easily cutting through the air that still retained a hint of warmth.

That voice was filled with undisguised sarcasm and the oppressive aura of someone who had long held a superior position; every word was clear and distinct, startling the birds roosting in the forest into flight.

Bei Chenji stood with his hands behind his back, three zhang away from the carriage.

She wore a deep purple robe embroidered with gold dragon patterns, which shimmered with a deep, cold light in the first rays of dawn, like a mixture of solidified twilight and molten gold.

The lake breeze swept across his wide robe sleeves, making the dragons embroidered with hidden lines on them seem to move faintly in the sea of ​​clouds.

"Are you going to come out yourselves, or do the guards have to escort you out?"

His features were deep and unfathomable, as if carved from a cold abyss. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line devoid of warmth, and the chill emanating from him almost caused the surrounding morning dew to condense into frost.

What's even more suffocating is that he wasn't alone.

When Songjun glimpsed the scene ahead from behind the carriage, he felt as if the top of his head was about to explode.

Good heavens! What kind of chaotic scene is this?!

Led by the esteemed King Beichen, the delegations from various countries who came to observe the ceremony unexpectedly bumped into them here.

The procession of carriages and ceremonial guards stretched out, and the canopies were as numerous as clouds, almost blocking the entire open platform leading to the Shanhe Palace.

"Tsk, it looks... like Sister Xue's carriage?"

A clear, melodious voice, like shattered jade, rang out first, carrying an undisguised playfulness.

Crown Prince Kongsangyu of the Canglan Empire leaned against his jade carriage, his azure silk robe shimmering with a deep-sea-like luster.

He toyed with a shimmering pearl between his fingers, a bright smile playing on his lips, his sea-blue eyes curving slightly.

"Whom is the Prince of Kongsang referring to?" someone asked.

"Naturally, it's that... renowned throughout the Nine Provinces, with unparalleled beauty—Princess Jingyue."

Kong Sangyu smiled and replied, her voice as gentle as spring water, praising him, but without a trace of sincerity, full of veiled criticism.

"Oh--"

A deep, magnetic chuckle rang out, carrying a cold, metallic quality.

"I never expected Chenyao to have such an open-minded culture—"

Qi Si, the regent of the Yun Chuan Empire, wore a black and red robe that accentuated his tall and slender figure.

His handsome features were nonchalant, yet they exuded a dangerous aura, like the red spider lily.

Beside him stood the young war god Qi Wang, renowned for his military exploits, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his aura as solid and imposing as a mountain.

Upon hearing the name of Princess Jingyue, a fierce look instantly appeared on his handsome face.

I have an urge to draw my sword.

"Please be careful what you say."

When the Crown Prince of the Menghua Empire, Hua Rongshi, spoke, he was wearing a brocade robe embroidered with intricate silver threads. His face was more beautiful than a woman's, but at this moment his face was covered with frost as he coldly glanced at Kong Sangyu.

"Did you see her? Yet you dare to slander Princess Mirror's reputation without reason."

"Does she have any reputation left? I wonder what she's hooked up with this time—some shady, disreputable guy!"

Bei Chenji harbored deep resentment towards Tang Xixue, and his words were barbed.

Just then, the carriage curtain was slowly lifted from the inside by a slender, jade-like hand with distinct knuckles.

The first thing that caught everyone's eye was a corner of a spotless white sleeve, followed by a figure calmly stepping down.

Clad in white, her robes were as pure as snow, her wide sleeves flowing like clouds.

Her cascading black hair was only half-bound by a jade hairpin, the rest cascading over her shoulders and back, flowing with a dark, jade-like luster in the morning light.

The newcomer had refined and elegant features, like a distant mountain and cold river depicted in ink painting.

"A wild man? Is the Prince of Beichen referring to me?"

He stood still, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the crowd.

The morning breeze ruffled a few strands of hair at his temples, his robes fluttering, making him look like a celestial being about to ride the wind and depart for the heavens.

The entire room fell silent instantly, and everyone gasped in shock.

"Gentlemen."

He Lichen's eyes were as cold and clear as ancient ice.

"Do you have any objections to me?"