The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"So beautiful."

Tang Xixue's gaze fell on the pastries, and her eyes rippled with surprise.

Qingdai brought over a copper basin filled with warm water.

A few plum blossom petals float on the water, red and white, rising and falling like a moving ink painting.

The water temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold, gently enveloping her slender, pale fingertips.

Tang Xixue immersed her hands in the water.

The fingertips had a faint pink hue, like peach petals just beginning to bloom on a spring branch, or like pearls tinged with the morning glow.

The nails were trimmed neatly and rounded, with a healthy sheen, as if they were covered with a thin layer of beeswax.

The water rippled gently, and the few plum blossom petals spun around with the ripples, as if dancing a silent dance.

She washed her hands and took the handkerchief that Qingdai handed her to dry them.

Then he reached out and picked up a peach-shaped Zhichun pastry from the nine-square grid.

The pastries were still slightly warm, clearly fresh from the oven.

The warmth came from my fingertips, like a small, warm hug.

She didn't rush to eat.

Instead, gently break the pastry in half.

He offered half to Xie Jinlian's lips and kept the other half for himself.

"Little Lotus, have a taste first."

Xie Jinlian opened her mouth and bit off half of the Zhichun pastry.

The salty and savory flavor melts on the tip of the tongue.

The outer crust is crispy, the filling is soft, and it has a faint fragrance, like the spring breeze being kneaded into the dough.

The fragrance wasn't strong; it wafted faintly, yet it made you want to close your eyes and savor it.

He chewed gently.

Ayan's cooking skills are still excellent.

Tangxi Xue also put the other half into her mouth.

In that instant, her eyes lit up.

Her already round eyes now looked like the night sky lit up by fireworks.

His pupils were filled with scattered light, like the afternoon sun shining on a lake, with a gentle breeze rippling out thousands of golden ripples.

She looks adorable when she eats.

It is a kind of beauty that is natural and completely unconscious.

His cheeks puffed out slightly, like a little squirrel hiding some fruit.

As it chews, its nose twitches slightly, like a little rabbit sniffing out the scent of spring.

When they were enjoying the food, their eyes crinkled into smiles, and they exuded a satisfied and languid pleasure.

Like a raccoon dog that has sunbathed enough and eaten its fill of dried fish.

"It's really delicious!"

She swallowed the pastry, then couldn't resist picking up another piece.

This time it was shaped like a magnolia, with pure white petals and very faint bluish edges.

"It's even better than what the imperial kitchen makes!"

As she spoke, she broke off another half and held it to Xie Jinlian's lips.

The movements were natural and practiced.

She instinctively wanted to share all the wonderful things with him.

Sunlight fell on her face.

It landed on the half-piece of pastry she handed over.

It also fell into the smile on his lips.

Yun Boyan stood to the side.

Watching her happily eat after I fed her.

He seemed completely absorbed in the pleasure brought by the delicious food.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of satisfaction I had never felt before.

The sense of satisfaction was peculiar.

It wasn't the pride of success or the joy of a breakthrough in cultivation, but something softer, warmer, and indescribable.

My heart has become exceptionally tender.

It's as soft as a freshly baked Zhichun pastry, melting at the slightest touch.

It turns out that seeing her enjoy the food I made is such a pleasant thing.

The joy was like a hot spring, slowly rising from the bottom of my heart, spreading through my limbs and bones, and reaching the very tip of my heart.

"My sister-in-law likes it."

He spoke, his voice a little softer than usual.

"I'll make it for you again in the future."

"My brother and I will do a lot..."

"Can do everything."

The house has everything you could need.

So, sister-in-law, there's no need to look for someone else outside.

He didn't say those words.

I simply kept that sentence, along with the satisfaction of this moment, hidden in my heart.

"The snacks my sister-in-law made last time were also delicious."

He suddenly remembered that day.

I remember the box of pastries she handed me, the sweet aroma that wafted out when I opened it, and the flutter in my heart when I took my first bite.

"Hmm? Did Ayan get some of the snacks from last time?"

Xie Jinlian raised an eyebrow.

His tone remained calm, yet it sent chills down Yun Boyan's spine.

His brother is really perceptive!

"Yes. It's a thank-you gift for Ayan."

Tangxi Xue nodded in agreement.

She spoke frankly and ate with composure, completely unaware that her words made Yun Boyan's heart beat even faster.

Wuya then stepped forward.

He spoke a few words to Yun Boyan.

The voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it.

But as soon as those words were spoken, Yun Boyan's aura changed instantly.

The original warmth and softness vanished without a trace, like mist blown away by the wind.

Instead, a chill ran through me.

The chill emanated from him, like frost and snow in the twelfth lunar month, like ice in a deep pool, making the surrounding air feel colder.

His gaze darkened.

His usually cold eyes now seemed to be covered in frost.

"A bunch of ants."

"Does he even deserve to defy the immortals?"

He lowered his eyes, his gaze seeming to look down from the heavens, as if even a second glance was too dirty.

Yun Boyan stood there, his body radiating a chilling aura, like a sword about to be drawn from its sheath.

The chill emanated from him, permeating the surrounding air and making the icicles on the eaves seem to freeze even more.

He raised his eyes and glanced in the direction of the Star-Picking Tower.

In that glance, there was surprise, scrutiny, and a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

The Imperial Preceptor He Lichen, who had always remained aloof from worldly affairs and never embroiled in any conflicts, actually made a move.

They had a conflict not long ago.

"Ayan, what happened?"

Xie Jinlian's voice remained calm, like a clear spring rinsing jade.

"Some fools are trying to harm my brother."

Yun Boyan answered truthfully.

"He Lichen took action and resolved the issue."

He turned his head and glanced at Wuya.

That one glance was so faint, yet it made Wuya tense up completely.

"Sweep away all those ants that dare to look up at the sky."

He paused.

"Do not disturb your brother's peace."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Wuya immediately accepted the order, and with a flicker of his body, he transformed into a misty shadow and disappeared into the courtyard.

Tang Xixue was holding a piece of Zhichun pastry, her beautiful face radiating a serene smile.

But the moment I heard those words.

That smile shattered silently.

Like the cold wind blowing across the lake in Beichuan, the ripples didn't even form before the ice froze.

Her master is now frail.

She was the white moonlight she cherished most in her heart.

They carefully protected him, afraid that even a gust of wind would make him cold.

Some people—yet they dared to try and pluck the moon.

She lowered her eyes.

The tenderness and affection from before were gone from those peach blossom eyes.

All that remained was a cold and unfathomable abyss of murderous intent.

He wanted to kill her master.

They all deserve to die.