The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Chapter 595 The Broken Copper Coin

"Then heavens have been kind to you, sending you three at once."

Tangxi Xue smiled gently.

The boy paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Sister is right! Giving away three at once is definitely a steal. And to receive such an interesting sister as a gift makes it even more of a bargain."

"You live here alone, what do you usually eat?"

Feng Zhuo looked around and asked curiously.

He shifted his position on the chair, unable to sit still any longer, so he got up and squatted down next to the stove, shoulder to shoulder with the boy.

"Eat fish, eat moss, eat the occasional bird that happens to pass by without paying attention."

The boy didn't even look up.

"Birds taste best when roasted, but there are fewer birds lately. It's probably because word has spread throughout the bird world that a bird assassin lives in this icy abyss. Their reputation is ruined, and business is tough."

He sighed, his tone carrying a self-satisfied melancholy.

"So I can only eat vegetarian food now. Did you bring any dry food? Share some with me, and I'll treat you to tea. Fair trade, no cheating the young or the old."

"Aren't you a hermit? How come a hermit is so good at business?"

Feng Zhuo was so amused by him that he slapped his thigh.

"It's precisely because they are hermits that they need to be even better at doing business."

The boy raised his head with a sense of self-righteousness.

"Otherwise, how would I survive? Do you think living in seclusion is like cultivating immortality? I've tried fasting, but I gave up after two days. So I adjusted my strategy later."

"Seclusion is an attitude, but how to survive is a skill. You need to have the right attitude, but you also need to have the right skills."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xixue took out the packet of candied fruit from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

"Would you trade your tea for my candied fruit?"

As she spoke, she gently pushed the oil paper package toward him.

The boy's eyes lit up instantly.

He rushed to the table, looked down at the bag of candied fruit, and then looked up at Tang Xixue.

"Candied fruit? Really candied fruit? Not the kind made by drying moss and passing it off as candied fruit?"

He carefully opened the oil paper package, brought it close to his nose, and seemed to freeze in place.

"Oh my god."

His voice suddenly lowered, and his usually boastful tone sounded somewhat hoarse at this moment.

"The last time I ate candied fruit was the last time."

He picked up a piece, popped it into his mouth, and squinted his eyes, as if savoring the taste of something lost and found again.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, and a rare glimpse of genuine, soft, and unguarded light appeared in those eyes that concealed a sharp edge.

"Deal. I'll take the deal."

He gathered the bag of candied fruit in front of him, protectively encircling it with his hand, and gave Feng Zhuo a wary look.

"You didn't say you were going to try and take it from me, did you?"

I won't take it from you.

Feng Zhuo was both amused and exasperated.

"Take whatever you like! We have plenty of pastry shops in Baiyujing; we can fill a whole table with candied fruits and nuts!"

"Baiyujing?"

The boy keenly caught those three words, his gaze lingered on Tang Xixue for a moment, and then he laughed again.

"So they're from Baiyujing. No wonder."

He tilted his head to look at Feng Zhuo and winked mischievously.

"The journey from Baiyujing to here is quite long. You lot are quite something."

After saying that, he gathered the candied fruit closer to himself, and Chong Tangxi smiled brightly.

"Sister, these candied fruits are so sweet."

"Eat as many as you like. But once you've finished them, it won't be easy to buy more in this icy abyss."

Don't worry.

The boy put a candied fruit in his mouth and mumbled a reply.

"I will definitely eat sparingly."

As he spoke, he turned and walked to the stove, placed three rough earthenware teacups on the table, and filled them one by one with the teapot.

Steam rose, and the fragrance of herbs filled the room.

"Try it. It's brewed with snow ginseng slices, a secret recipe, and it'll warm you up. I can't say for sure about other things, but in this icy abyss, my tea is one of a kind."

"You all have to say it's good, whether you like it or not, or I'll be sad."

He clutched his heart, feigning pain.

"I tend to talk more when I'm upset, and you don't want me to talk more, do you?"

Feng Zhuo picked up the teacup and gulped down a big mouthful, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

"This is really good! It's a hundred times better than the marching tea we get in the army! Ah Xue, you should try it, it's really good!"

"Of course."

The boy raised an eyebrow smugly.

"Although I can't beat birds or catch fish, I'm still quite good at making tea. Everyone should have one or two skills they can brag about, otherwise life is so boring."

Tang Xixue picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

The tea was warm, slightly bitter at first, but with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.

The bitterness was familiar, much like the scent of herbs she had once smelled somewhere.

She put down her teacup and her gaze fell on the copper coin at his waist.

"This copper coin of yours is quite old."

The boy's hand holding the teapot paused slightly.

His eyes, which were always full of smiles, dimmed for a moment.

Mu Liang's gaze lingered on the copper coin for a moment.

His observations are always silent, yet never overlooked.

He took in every detail of the copper coin: the missing corner, the worn lines, the gleaming edge.

He didn't speak, but simply filed away his observation.

"This one?"

The boy looked down at the broken copper coin at his waist, then gently stroked its surface with his hand, a stark contrast to his previous nonchalant demeanor.

"Look at the texture, the imperfect curve, how artistic it is. I've polished this over many, many years, it's unique, the only one of its kind in the world."

"It's missing a corner, why not replace it?"

Tangxi Xue asked.

The boy was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

"It can't be changed."

He smiled, a smile that remained light and cheerful.

"This copper coin is very special."

"What makes it special?"

Tang Xixue's tone was filled with curiosity.

The boy looked up at her.

Eyes facing each other.

One is a gentle exploration, the other a tentative probe hidden beneath a playful facade.

After a moment, the boy spoke first.

"Sister, this question doesn't sound like something you asked casually."

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Are you particularly interested in this particular coin? Or have you seen another one that looks similar?

Tang Xixue raised an eyebrow slightly.

What a perceptive young man.

"I just think that if someone wears a broken copper coin with them for so many years, they are either too nostalgic or too stubborn."

Which one are you?

The boy fell silent.

"Probably both."

He said his voice was a few decibels lower than before.

"However, sister, you overlooked one possibility."

"What?"

"Or maybe—I have nothing but this copper coin."

He shrugged and resumed his usual playful demeanor.

"What's this called again? Devotion. Yes, devotion. There aren't many people in the world as devoted as me."

He blinked, deftly changing the subject.

"Oh right, you still haven't told me your names. I've already exposed my 'single-minded' persona in front of you, you should at least show some appreciation, right?"

My name is Feng Zhuo.

Feng Zhuo patted his chest, his voice booming, as if he wanted to shout his name into a slogan.

"Feng Zhuo. What a great name, it sounds like it's going to be a powerful one."

The boy nodded, his gaze shifting to Mu Liang.

"Dusk falls."

Mu Liang only said two words.

"This guy looks like the type who doesn't talk much but is ruthless. I'm guessing he's a bodyguard? Silence means he agrees."

The boy winked at him.

Mu Liang glanced at him and replied with only four words.

"Your chair."

The boy looked down and realized that he had stepped on the chair leg when he spoke, and the chair was now half tilted.

He quickly moved his foot away and gave an awkward laugh.