The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The night was as dark as ink, and the candlelight bathed the room in a soft amber hue.

Outside the window, silver bell petals occasionally drifted down silently.

Tang Xixue reached out and gently rubbed Pei Yanchuan's head, her movements as tender as if she were soothing an extremely tired cat.

His soft hair slipped through her fingers, carrying a faint scent of ink.

"Rest now. Ah Lin hasn't closed his eyes at all on this journey, has he?"

Pei Yanchuan was slightly taken aback, then lowered his eyes.

The candlelight cast a faint shadow on her eyelashes, obscuring the fleeting moisture in her eyes.

He really hasn't had a break in a long time.

From the moment he learned of the accident involving his father, mother, and sister, and hurriedly boarded a carriage to leave Baiyujing, chasing the stars and the moon, his heart never relaxed.

After a long and arduous journey, they arrived in Yunchuan only to be besieged, rescued, and reunited with their father...

Each and every one of these things was overwhelming, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

But he never spoke of his sadness.

"Your Highness..."

His voice was a little hoarse, as if it had been soaked by the night wind.

"Shhh."

Tang Xixue gently pressed her fingertips against his lips, stopping him from saying the rest of his words.

"Rest first."

She had absorbed a great deal of cultural and spiritual energy from his intimate moment.

That gentle, upright, and scholarly aura was slowly seeping into her meridians.

She looked down at her fingertips, which were tinged with a faint pink.

They should be able to hold out for a few more days.

She silently calculated in her mind, then looked up at Pei Yanchuan.

The boy's eyelashes were still slightly damp, and traces of the kiss remained on his lips.

But a deeper weariness was clearly hidden in his eyes, not physical, but mental.

"The Regent is now safe and sound."

She softened her voice, speaking each word gently and slowly.

"I will send someone to look for Madam Mei and Ranran."

"Just get a good night's sleep and recharge your energy."

"Even if the sky falls, we'll hold it up again once you wake up."

She knew his heartstrings were constantly taut.

From the moment I received the devastating news, this string was stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

She couldn't bear those pains for him, but she could stay by his side and let him know that he wasn't alone.

Pei Yanchuan gazed at her, the candlelight flickering in his eyes, reflecting her image as if it were his entire world.

"Your Highness."

His voice sounded strained when he spoke.

"Thank you for coming for me. And thank you... for saving my father."

He had a thousand words stuck in his throat, but he didn't know where to begin.

"I have a way to find my mother and sister."

He took a deep breath to make his voice sound more steady.

"Your Highness, you only need to focus on finding your soul. You can handle Ying Lin's matter yourself."

He was telling the truth.

He offered to sleep with the emperor, not out of any romantic intentions.

In the boy's innocent understanding, serving the emperor meant companionship, comfort, and letting the prince know that someone was by his side.

He had never thought about those romantic affairs, nor did he know the true meaning behind those two words.

He just felt that His Highness was so kind, coming all the way for him, not only saving him from the arrows, but also bringing back his father.

She was physically weak and prone to feeling cold; he knew she was sensitive to the cold.

She didn't like being alone, and he knew she lacked a sense of security.

He wanted to warm her bed, to repay her kindness and gratitude with his meager warmth.

He is a very meticulous person.

He knew that Mu Liang and the others were still on their way, and that she would surely feel uneasy being alone through the long night.

He thought that lying down with His Highness to fall asleep was equivalent to serving him in bed.

That's why he blushed, mustered up his courage, and said those words.

If only he knew the true way to serve someone in bed—it's the warmth of a red silk curtain, the pleasure of lovemaking.

Let alone recommend himself, he probably couldn't even utter those two words.

She was so ashamed that she hid in the pile of books, burying her face in the still-wet ink on the Xuan paper.

"Ah Lin, you're welcome."

Tang Xixue curved her lips into a gentle smile.

"Haven't you already...slept with me in bed?"

She deliberately spoke the words "serving him in bed" softly and slowly, and as she watched Pei Yanchuan's ear tips turn crimson at a visible speed, she couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He was truly a pure and innocent young scholar.

She thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud—it's good for him to remain so innocent.

"Then... Your Highness, please rest as well."

Pei Yanchuan lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her. He felt that this time he had truly learned how to serve someone in bed.

He learned it!

"You must have had a long and tiring journey."

He lay down obediently and properly, without making any inappropriate moves.

Tang Xixue leaned closer and pressed her cheek against his arm.

His arm stiffened slightly for a moment, then relaxed and carefully wrapped around her shoulder.

With her by his side, his heart, which had been numb with pain, was finally enveloped in warmth.

"Mother and sister... will be alright."

He spoke softly, unsure whether he was comforting her or himself.

The people of War King Qi Wang have already gone to search for their whereabouts.

As for Qi Zhan—that high and mighty Emperor of Yun Chuan—not only would he not help him, but he would be his biggest obstacle.

Pei Yanchuan closed his eyes, suppressing his chaotic thoughts for the time being.

He quietly stayed by Tang Xixue's side, showering her with his own fortune without reservation.

Wen Hua's gentle warmth, like jade, seeped into her body, bit by bit.

He did miss his mother and sister.

Worrying about it is pointless.

He has already laid down his search butterflies, and the Cloud Scale Guards have already quietly set out.

There's no point in rushing things; the more critical the situation, the calmer you need to be.

He couldn't let His Highness worry, nor could he let Qi Zhan find out.

So he suppressed all his anxiety and, in front of His Highness, simply acted as a confidant and easy-going person.

Only when her breathing became long and steady, and she sank into a peaceful sleep, did Pei Yanchuan very gently and slowly withdraw from her side.

He donned a blue snowflake-patterned robe, stepped onto the cold ground, and silently walked towards the study.

Their footsteps were extremely light, as if afraid of disturbing the frost falling from the eaves.

The candles were relit, casting a hazy glow on his handsome profile.

"Young Master."

Mo Jian's voice came from the shadows, extremely low.

"The Cloud Scale Guards have been dispatched to follow the tracking butterfly, traversing mountains and valleys until they found the Cloud Ridge Divine Mountain."

Pei Yanchuan's fingertips paused slightly.

"The Regent's wife and the young lady... are indeed still alive."

Mo Jian's voice carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement.

"Both of your tracking butterflies can sense the presence of the 'Child Gu.' They're deep within the sacred mountain, but..."

"Just what?"

"The people from Guixu Palace are guarding it. We dared not alert them, so we scouted from a distance and then retreated."

Pei Yanchuan remained silent for a moment.

The flickering candlelight reflected a deep, dark hue in my eyes.

"It's good that we found it."

He spoke slowly, his voice so steady that no emotion could be discerned.

"Don't alert them. Assess the situation first before making any plans, lest they act rashly and harm Mother and Sister."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"Have the Cloud Scale Guards keep a close watch on them, and make sure their whereabouts are not exposed."

"Yes."

Mo Jian bowed his head and accepted the order, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the young master is young, he is more composed than anyone else.

If it were anyone else, upon learning that their loved ones were still alive, they would probably have been unable to restrain themselves and acted impulsively.

But the young master did not. He suppressed all his anxiety and urgency, remaining as calm as a deep pool of water.

"Thank goodness for your tracking butterfly."

Mo Jian couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Otherwise, there would be absolutely no clue as to finding the princess and the young lady."

The Qi clan are born Gu masters.

This is a talent etched in our blood, innate and passed down through generations.

Pei Yanchuan is undoubtedly a genius among geniuses.

He had never studied Gu magic before, but after only a short time, he quickly grasped its essence and successfully cultivated the Tracking Butterfly.

Those two little butterflies were raised by him using Gu magic.

The child gu was given to the mother and younger sister, who liked it and kept it by their side every day.

He never imagined that one day, these two little butterflies would become his only hope of finding his loved ones.