The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Yuan Qi stood to the side, hands at his sides, without saying a word.

A silent sigh welled up inside me.

"Those design drawings were clearly drawn stroke by stroke by the prince when he was young."

At that time, the young Prince Beichen was only twelve or thirteen years old.

He was hunched over his desk, his expression incredibly serious, revising the layout of the house over and over again, the discarded drafts piled up to half his height.

On the edge of the drawing, there were once a few small words written in childish handwriting.

He later covered it up with ink, but Yuanqi vaguely remembered that it seemed to be the character for "snow".

At that time, the prince said, "When we bring her back in the future, she needs to have a spacious place to live."

From beginning to end, the "she" the prince spoke of was never Shen Yan.

Because after the prince ordered him to steal the baby girl and throw her away, he didn't ask about Miss Shen for several years.

Later, for some reason, they suddenly started protecting each other again, inexplicably and without any cause.

Yuanqi thought to himself silently, but dared not say it out loud. However, he knew perfectly well that Princess Jing held a special place in his master's heart.

"My cousin is so busy with work, how could he possibly remember those little preferences of the girls?"

Hua Rongshi remained oblivious to the subtle atmosphere and continued to chat with a smile.

He reached out and caught a snowflake that had fallen from the eaves, watching it melt in his palm as if he were holding his own little snowflake.

"But it doesn't matter, it just so happens that's my favorite swing bed. If I could spend a night rolling around on it with my wife..."

He tilted his head back, his peach blossom eyes filled with longing, and a charming yet unrestrained smile played on his lips.

"I can't even imagine how intoxicating and unforgettable that taste must be."

"Hua Rongshi! You're delusional! Stop daydreaming!"

Bei Chenji coldly interrupted him, his voice as cold as ice.

"She would never even come to this lousy place."

His tone was too certain, carrying an undeniable sharpness.

"Why can't you do it?"

Hua Rongshi was taken aback. Before she could refute him, she saw that Bei Chenji's gaze had already shifted elsewhere.

There was something clearly hidden in that gaze: irritation and a kind of annoyance at having a sore spot touched.

"This broken swing is not pretty at all."

Bei Chenji really wanted to have that hanging swing bed taken down.

Does he have a bad memory?

Actually, it's very good.

He clearly remembered that during the Flower Festival in the palace that year, the crabapple blossoms in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom.

A small figure, dressed in a bright red dress, sat on a swing, her skirt fluttering in the wind, her laughter like the clear sound of silver bells.

Someone was gently pushing her from behind, very slowly and steadily, as if afraid she would be frightened.

She swung higher and higher, yet never showed a trace of fear.

Instead, she opened her arms wide, facing the wind, and called out, "Brother Xuan Yin!"

He stood at a distance, separated by a shower of crabapple blossoms.

He remembered that image and knew she liked swings.

He also remembered that the little girl had been skilled in painting since she was a child.

With a proper grip on the pen, the flowers and birds he paints are lifelike.

She also has beautiful handwriting, with elegant strokes that are both dignified and graceful.

She loved reading since she was a child.

She would like a bright and spacious study, with bookshelves filled with her favorite books.

I love the painting studio by the lake, with its vast expanse of misty waters outside the window and the lake breeze flowing through the room; it's the best place for painting and calligraphy.

So in his design drawings, he drew such a large studio.

"But to be honest, what I like best is this garden full of crabapple blossoms."

Hua Rongshi walked to a crabapple tree and reached out to pluck a branch.

The crabapple branches were still covered with remnants of snow, and the flower buds were tightly closed, wrapped in a thin layer of ice.

They will only bloom when spring truly arrives.

"When spring arrives and the flowers bloom, the garden will be filled with fragrance, and the petals will fall into the lake with the wind, filling the entire Mirror Moon Lake with its aroma."

"My wife's favorite flower is the crabapple; she'll be delighted to see it."

He pinned the crabapple blossom to his lapel, then turned and smiled brightly at Bei Chenji.

"My cousin is so thoughtful; he even specially reserved a training ground for martial arts."

"I was just worried about not having a place to practice martial arts in Baiyujing. This is practically a wedding room tailor-made for me!"

"Shut up."

Bei Chenji's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I don't want to hear it."

He's so annoyed.

I'm annoyed by Hua Rong's incessant chatter and by her constant calling me "my wife."

He was smugly decorating the house.

What bothers me even more is the inexplicable anxiety in my heart.

"Is my cousin getting anxious?"

Hua Rongshi tilted her head to look at him, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Are you worried about Shen Yan? Is your cousin angry that I didn't show her any chivalry?"

He thought about it and figured that was probably the reason, so he straightened his expression and said seriously.

"I'm truly sorry, cousin. I will not let anyone who intends to harm my wife get away with it."

As he said this, a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

"If you want to protect her next time, cousin, you can find her before I do. Don't wait until I take action before you settle scores."

"I'm just angry that you're so incompetent."

Bei Chenji's dark gaze fell on his face, his features sharp as if carved by a knife, his eyes arrogant and cold.

Why is she still alive?

Those merciless words fell.

Hua Rongshi was stunned, her peach blossom eyes widening slightly.

Then, as if he understood something, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Cousin, is this love turned to hate? I never imagined that Shiyin and Shenyan's elopement would hurt you so much. You're a pitiful person too, I understand you."

He sighed, his voice filled with pity.

"Being abandoned is truly painful. If you're feeling down, cousin, feel free to talk to me. We're brothers, there's no need to keep things to ourselves."

As soon as Hua Rongshi finished speaking, he saw that Bei Chenji completely ignored him.

With a flick of his purple wide sleeves, he turned and strode away.

His back was as cold and hard as iron, and his steps were fast and hurried.

Bei Chenji was afraid that if he didn't leave soon, Hua Rongshi would become very pitiful.

It'll be annoying if they start crying then!

"My cousin really needs to get his eye condition treated properly."

Hua Rongshi watched her cousin's departing figure, shook her head, and sighed with regret.

"It's a pity that I sent the divine physician Zheyue to Jingye Xuelu. My wife suffered so much, her body definitely needs to be properly recuperated, and Zheyue's medical skills are superb, which will come in handy."

He was completely unaware of his cousin's true thoughts.

They couldn't understand the murderous intent that was about to overflow from that figure's back.

He agreed to paint a picture for Si Xingxuan in exchange for the opportunity to visit Jingye Xuelu for medical treatment.

"I wonder what Si Xingxuan wants me to draw?"

Hua Rong muttered to herself as she strolled back to her bedroom.

He had already personally hung a painting on the wall of the bedroom.

That was a portrait of Tangxi Snow that he treasured.

The woman in the painting has exquisite features and a gentle, radiant smile.

He stood before the painting, gazing up at it with a tender, lingering look in his peach-blossom eyes.

"My wife, you are so beautiful."