The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Si Xingxuan ran barefoot, stepping on the cold jade floor, through the long corridor of Zheyue Palace.

The night wind blew into his sleeves, causing the hem of his moon-white robe to flutter loudly.

His bare feet stepped on the white marble steps, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet all the way to his heart.

But his pace quickened, so fast that Qizhu could barely keep up, and his eyes filled with tears.

The Hall of Longevity is just ahead.

The vermilion palace door was tightly closed, its intricate begonia patterns shimmering in the moonlight.

He recalled the sharp pain in his heart when Qizhu delivered the message.

It felt like being precisely pierced by a needle as thin as a hair in the most vulnerable spot.

The wind scorched in her bedchamber.

The lights went out.

The doors to the Hall of Longevity are closed.

At this moment, His Highness Prince Xuan was consumed by jealousy.

Before he could make a move, he saw a figure slowly emerge from the shadows of the pillars outside the hall, like a black blade tempered by the night.

"Our prince has gone to rest."

The bodyguard Mu Liang, dressed in a black outfit, stood with his arms crossed and his back straight as a pine tree.

"It's you again? When did you arrive?"

Si Xingxuan frowned.

"Wherever Your Highness is, that's where I will be."

Mu Liang remained silent as a shadow, his cold and stern face hidden in the moonlight, half-lit and half-shadowed, his gaze as steady as a mountain.

Tang Xixue originally wanted them to go to Zhiyuehai Kingdom first, but Li Shuang and the others went with Yue Zhongtian.

Mu Liang used his own savings to hire the Azure Scaled Eagle of the Mountain and Sea, and traveled day and night to land in Xuanxing City before the starlight and snow stopped.

The days he was away from His Highness were enough for him to regret for the rest of his life.

From this day forward, his position will be solely between His Highness and all dangers.

"Your Highness, if you have other matters to attend to, please come again tomorrow."

Mu Liang's voice was firm.

This scene is exactly the same as before.

Si Xing stopped.

His bare feet sank into the cold stone slabs, the chill biting, but it couldn't compare to the coldness in his heart at that moment.

He looked up at Mu Liang, the bodyguard who had never left Tang Xixue's side.

This is her knife, her shield, her most loyal dog.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Si Xingxuan lowered his voice, his long, dark blue hair cascading over his shoulders, a few strands obscuring the reddened corners of his eyes.

Her voice was like a feather falling on a knife's edge, yet it carried a sickly languor and a chilling, manic madness.

"Dare to stop me?"

He took a step forward.

His delicate, jade-like face was expressionless, but his eyes were as deep and dark as the sea before a storm.

Beneath the calm surface, turbulent undercurrents surge.

Despite being a frail and delicate orchid, it is poisonous and gives off an aura of menace, as if a sword is hanging over one's head.

"Under no circumstances should anyone disturb His Highness."

Mu Liangmian stood expressionless in front of him, one hand already on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

His voice was steady and firm, without the slightest hint of yielding.

Even if the person standing in front of him is a prince of Xuanxing City, or a crazy, unpredictable doctor.

Once Your Highness has rested, even if His Majesty were to arrive, he would have to wait outside the palace.

"Oh."

Si Xingxuan chuckled softly, his voice as cold as the most biting wind in the twelfth lunar month.

"Truly a loyal dog to Zhizhi."

He lowered his eyelashes.

In the past, when faced with Mu Liang's obstruction, he could have threatened to poison him and make him mute without hesitation.

At that time, he only cared about himself.

But now, Tang Xixue's importance in his heart is completely different.

Her joy was more important than his victory or defeat.

Her peace is more important than his possessiveness.

"it is good."

He took a step back, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Very good."

He muttered a curse under his breath, not daring to be too loud, for fear of disturbing Tang Xixue's rest.

The way it gritted its teeth and lowered its voice was like a fox with its fur standing on end, subdued by a single look from its owner, its claws still sticking out, but it dared not actually scratch.

He rushed to the Hall of Longevity in a huff, but a single sentence from Mu Liang calmed him down.

That impulsive, reckless impulse was completely extinguished by the cold wind and the chill of dusk.

Then, the more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.

Zhizhi let the little dog Feng into the palace.

Did Zhizhi really choose the little wind dog?

What's wrong with him?

He is richer than Feng Zhuo.

He is gentler than the scorching wind.

He's better at being charming than Feng Zhuo.

He's younger than Feng Zhuo... well, he's not as physically strong or as robust as Feng Zhuo.

But his affection for Zhizhi was unreserved, and he believed it was no less than that of others.

His eyes instantly reddened even more.

"Your Highness, please return."

Mu Liang saw that Si Xingxuan didn't make a big fuss, but just stood at the door and wouldn't leave.

She stood barefoot in the cold early spring night, without wearing an outer robe or binding her long hair.

A cold wind blew past the corner of his robe, causing the thin, moon-white garment to cling tightly to his body, outlining his overly slender figure.

He just stared at the palace gate of the Hall of Longevity, which was utterly broken.

Mu Liang remained silent for a moment, then whispered a word of advice.

These are, after all, people belonging to their prince.

Well, among the people chosen by their prince, he is barely one of them.

"I'm not leaving."

Si Xingxuan turned around, his back to the palace gate and to the twilight.

Those beautiful eyes were brimming with tears, which fell one by one onto the cold stone slab.

A cold wind blew from the mountaintop, and he, being frail, coughed a few times.

The cough was muffled and couldn't be suppressed.

He took out a handkerchief and covered his lips, the embroidered begonia flowers on the handkerchief becoming damp with the hot breath he exhaled.

"Zheyue."

A soft, clear voice came from the direction of the palace gate.

The palace gates had been opened at some point.

Tang Xixue, wearing a moon-white cloak, stood inside the threshold.

She saw that thin body shivering in the cold wind.

"The spring chill is still in the air, and the nights are freezing. How have we managed to get through this?"

She stepped down the steps and walked up to him.

Then she untied the ribbon around her neck, took off her cloak, stood on tiptoe, and draped it over his shoulders.

The cloak still carried her body heat and faint fragrance, and the warmth instantly enveloped him.

"Zhizhi..."

Si Xingxuan turned around and met her gaze.

His eyes were red from crying, his voice choked with sobs, and his tears fell even more heavily.

One by one, the snowflakes fell onto the cloak she had just draped over him.

"I didn't mean to wake you up..."

He lowered his head, his voice hoarse and pitiful.

"I... I've tried to cry as quietly as possible."

Tang Xixue looked at him.

Looking at his bare feet, which were purple from the cold, he was shivering slightly.

"Let's go into the hall."

She reached out and took his hand.

Her body temperature wasn't high, but his hands were even colder.

She frowned, but didn't loosen her grip. Instead, she tightened her hold on his hand and gently led him step by step into the Hall of Longevity.

The hall was covered with warm jade, and the warmth spread from the soles of his feet, dispelling the chill in his bones.

He stood in the hall, his bare feet on the warm, smooth jade, his head bowed, his long hair disheveled and draped over his shoulders, where her cloak was still draped.

It looked just like a lost pet, having gotten itself all messy and disheveled, before finally being taken home by its owner.

"Ah Xue!"

Feng Zhuo sat up from the couch and was stunned when he saw Si Xingxuan's appearance. Then he immediately exploded.

"Why do you care what he does? He's so jealous, you might as well just make him so sour! Using a self-inflicted injury as a ploy, how old is he? Shameless!"

As he spoke, he jumped off the bed and rushed to Tang Xixue, taking the cloak she had just draped over Si Xingxuan's shoulders.

Then he immediately took a dry, thick cloak from the side and draped it over Tang Xixue, wrapping her up tightly.

He performed this action with fluid grace and in one go, as if he had disarmed the enemy on the battlefield and then immediately armed his own people.

"Ah Xue, you're not feeling well yourself. If you give him the cloak, what if you catch a cold?"

He muttered to himself, standing beside Tang Xixue, glaring at Si Xingxuan like a little wolf protecting its master.