The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Which one do you think it is?

Tang Xixue countered with a question, gently pushing the question back to her.

The boy paused for a moment, then smiled.

That smile was more genuine than ever before, carrying a kind of delighted amusement.

"Sister, that's not fair of you. I'm the one asking you the question, so how did it turn into you testing me?"

He leaned against the stove, arms crossed, tilting his head to look at her, his eyes gleaming with a sense of camaraderie in the firelight.

"Let me guess. The pear tree is too plain, it doesn't suit you. You should be like the crabapple, the kind that looks beautiful at first glance, but you only realize it has thorns when you get closer. Am I right?"

Feng Zhuo, who was standing next to him, almost spat out his tea.

"With thorns? You're saying Ah Xue has thorns?"

"I didn't say it was a thorn."

The boy shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"What I meant was, it looks nice at first glance, but you only realize how complicated it is when you get closer. Brother Feng, do you have some issues with your reading comprehension?"

"You just clearly said it was thorny!"

"Then you misheard."

The boy turned his head with a smile and looked at Tang Xixue again.

"But if you think the barbed tone is unpleasant, I can use another word. Sharpness? No, that's too direct. Showing off one's sharpness? That's not right either. You haven't shown it off; you've hidden it all. Hidden in your smile, hidden in your words, hidden in..."

He extended his index finger and drew a circle in the air, pointing it at her eyes.

"Hide it here."

Tang Xixue picked up her teacup, blew on the steam, and remained calm.

"You have a keen eye for detail."

"Of course."

The boy proudly raised his chin.

"My greatest skill in this icy abyss is learning to read people. Although there haven't been many people to read over the years, it is precisely because there are few that I have to look at each one very carefully."

"But you're the first one I haven't figured out after looking at you for so long, sister."

Do you pry into the background of everyone you meet for the first time?

Tangxi Xue asked.

"Of course not."

The boy shook his head, his tone suddenly becoming more serious.

"Most people are boring; you can see through them in just a few words, and they're not worth digging into."

He looked at her.

"But you're different. You remind me of something..."

He paused.

The unfinished sentence hung in the smoke and fire, then was drowned out by the crackling of the stove fire.

Feng Zhuo looked at him and then at Tang Xixue, scratching his head in frustration.

"What did you remember? Just say it! It's so frustrating to only get halfway through a sentence!"

The boy blinked, concealing his momentary daze, and his tone returned to its previous cheerfulness.

"I'm reminded of someone who's worth getting to the bottom of. Alright, Brother Feng, you're more anxious than I am."

Feng Zhu muttered "teasing people," then picked up his teacup and took a big gulp.

Tang Xixue looked at him but did not ask any further questions.

"The 'tang' in 'begonia'."

She answered gently.

"Begonia is good."

The boy leaned against the stove, arms crossed, speaking in a light and casual tone, as if he were just chatting.

"Crabapple blossoms are beautiful. In spring, the trees are full of flowers, looking like rosy clouds from afar. I used to..."

He then waved his hand and smiled.

"Forget it, let's not talk about the past. The past is the most boring thing, it's all in the past."

"The past wasn't necessarily all meaningless."

Tang Xixue's words made the boy's hand stop in mid-air.

"Some things from the past are worth mentioning. For example, this copper coin of yours, just because you don't tell me its origin doesn't mean it's unimportant."

The boy turned his head and looked at her.

The firelight flickered in his eyes, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.

"Sister, you're really being unfair."

His tone carried a hint of helpless laughter.

"Everyone else pretends not to see it, but you saw it and then pointed it out. This puts me in a difficult position, as I'm not good at being sentimental."

"I didn't ask you to be sentimental."

Tang Xixue picked up her teacup, her tone indifferent.

"I'm just saying that some things don't need to be hidden."

The boy's lips moved slightly.

He wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

Then he picked up his teacup and raised it to the three of them, as if offering a toast.

"Come, come, welcome to my humble abode, my three distinguished guests. Although my little place is drafty, the roof leaks, and the chairs are practically falling apart, there's tea, a fire, and an absolutely adorable little one to keep you company. Aren't you touched by all this?"

Feng Zhuo finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, you are truly the most unconventional hermit I have ever met."

"Thank you for the compliment."

The boy made an extremely exaggerated bow, his sleeves almost falling into the fire.

"Being unserious is my least noteworthy virtue. Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet."

He straightened up, placed the teacup on the table, and looked at Tang Xixue with an enigmatic smile on his lips.

"My name is Chu Qiao. The Chu River stretches for a thousand miles, and a bridge lies across its waters."

His tone suddenly became more serious.

"It's a bridge that nobody ever walks on. But we're lucky today, it seems like someone has finally reached the bridgehead."

"Chuqiao, what a great name!"

Tangxi Xue observed his wit, eloquence, and unconventional style, and her heart stirred slightly.

Like the untamed Chu River, it flows freely and unrestrained.

Like a rainbow spanning danger, it allows one to pass through at will.

"The moon shines through the clouds, revealing all things; the wind blows through the cracks, unraveling a thousand mysteries."

This young man's laughter, anger, and curses all became literary works; he seemed carefree and unrestrained, but in reality, he possessed hidden wit and sharp insight.

His eyes are incredibly sharp; he can see through people and things with remarkable insight.

What's even more remarkable is that after living alone in the icy abyss for many years, he neither went mad nor became despondent; instead, he developed a knack for finding joy in his own company.

This kind of temperament is extraordinary.

She had seen many obedient officials and respectful retainers, but rarely had she seen such a humble yet confident, unrestrained and intelligent young man.

The desire to find talented people was gently stirred, but it was quickly suppressed.

After all, we still don't know the details.

To survive alone in the eternal ice abyss for so long, one could not possibly be an ordinary person.

She still has no answers to his origins, his teachers, or why he is trapped here.

Don't rush to hire people; observe their actions first.

"Young Master Chu, where is this place? Is there a way out?"

Tang Xixue asked.

"This is the Dragon's Nest of Silver Dust Star Continent."

Chu Qiao held his teacup and leaned back in his chair, which immediately groaned under the weight. He quickly sat up straight again.

"It is frozen year-round, with turbulent currents above, making it difficult for birds to fly over and even for celestial ships to sail. For ordinary people to want to get out from there is just a dream."

He paused, lowered his voice, as if he were sharing some earth-shattering secret.

"However, there is an underground river that might lead to the outside world."

"underground river?"

Feng Zhuo put down his teacup, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes. Some people who strayed into this place in the past left via the underground river. However, that place is extremely secluded, hidden throughout the entire Ice Abyss..."

He pointed his thumb to his chest, beaming with pride.

"Only I know this."

Mu Liang's gaze fell on his face, and she spoke softly.

"Since you know the way out, why don't you leave yourself?"

Chu Qiao paused slightly, then shrugged.

"Well, firstly, it's too boring walking alone. There's no one to talk to on the street. What if I get bored to death?"

"Secondly, that underground river isn't an easy route either, and I'm too lazy to take the risk alone."

He fiddled with the copper coins at his waist, speaking casually.

"Third, there are reasons why I'm staying, but that's a secret."