The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Tang Xixue bent down and hugged the little white cat Yin Kong into her arms.

The little creature, its fur covered in fine snowflakes, curled up into a ball the moment it came into contact with her body heat, burying its tiny head in her arms.

In the freezing cold, even your breath can freeze into frost.

But it was warm in its owner's arms.

"Meow."

That warmth reached right to its heart.

Yin Kong let out a very soft gurgling sound, unconsciously patted Tang Xixue's sleeve with its paw, and peacefully closed its eyes.

"My sister really cares about this little raccoon dog."

Chu Qiao glanced at the scene out of the corner of her eye and saw it; a slight smile appeared on her lips.

He didn't say much, but lowered his eyes and glanced at the broken copper coin at his waist, gently rubbing the surface of the coin with his fingertip.

By the time the four returned to the cabin, it was completely dark.

The night in the icy abyss was like a basin of thick ink poured from top to bottom, splashing outside the window, with no stars or moon.

Only occasionally did a faint blue light flash across the ice wall, as if something in the darkness had opened its eyes briefly and then closed them again.

"The temperature in the Ice Abyss is going to drop."

The wind whistled against the ice wall, pounding against the small wooden cabin that stood alone in the abyss.

The cold seeped in through every crack in the wooden planks.

As Chu Qiao pushed open the door, the moment the cold wind rushed in, the last spark in the furnace suddenly shone brightly, as if making a final struggle.

He walked quickly to the stove, squatted down, picked up a few pieces of chopped firewood from the corner of the wall, and placed them in the nearly extinguished firebox.

Then he bent down and blew a few long breaths.

"call."

Sparks flew up.

First, a few golden-red specks of light jumped around, like a swarm of fireflies awakened, and then the new firewood ignited.

The flames licked the firewood, making a soft crackling sound.

Warmth returned to the room, gradually pushing back the chill from all sides.

"Done."

Chu Qiao straightened up, dusted off his hands with swift movements, and then began to issue commands very naturally.

"Brother Feng, please clean the fish for me. Remove the scales and gut it."

As he spoke, he took a very thin bone knife from behind the door, shoved the handle into Feng Zhuo's hand, and spoke as if they were not strangers who had only known each other for less than half a day, but roommates who had lived together for a long time.

"Brother Mu, set that pot up."

He pointed to the iron pot in the corner and added a sentence.

"The shelf is next to the pot; be careful not to knock over the water tank."

Mu Liang glanced at him silently, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the corner of the wall.

As the commander of the secret guards, being ordered around by a boy of unknown origin was an experience he had never had before.

"Sister, you can just sit and wait to eat."

Chu Qiao finally turned to Tang Xixue, his tone even softer than before, as if he were giving instructions to the first two, but an invitation to her.

"Is there anything I need to do?"

Tang Xixue sat on a wooden stool, holding a cat in her arms, and asked.

"Your job is to take the first sip and say it's delicious."

Chu Qiao looked serious.

"Okay. I'll take this task."

Tang Xixue nodded and pulled Yin Kong closer to her.

Yin Kong rolled over in her arms, revealing his furry belly.

Feng Zhuo was already squatting at the door, scraping fish scales.

Outside the door was a world of ice and snow. He pressed the fish down on a flat stone slab, scraped the fish's body with the back of his knife, and the silvery scales fell off, creating tiny pits in the snow.

"So, besides leading troops into battle, Ran Zhi can also cook?"

Tang Xixue looked at him with great interest.

Her gaze fell on his hand holding the knife. Those hands, accustomed to wielding spears on the battlefield, were now gripping a bone knife to scrape fish scales, yet he controlled the force with remarkable precision.

"I can do everything!"

Feng Zhuo immediately puffed out his chest proudly, and his hands moved even faster.

"Don't worry, Xue, I'll definitely take good care of you from now on! I can cook, do laundry, make the bed, and fold the blankets—I can do everything!"

"Making a bed? Are you sure you know how to make a bed?"

Tangxi Xue raised an eyebrow.

Her tone was teasing, but she was very serious, as if she were really testing a self-recommending job applicant.

"Of course!"

The wind scorched his face, but he didn't blush or skip a beat.

"Fold it into a perfect square! I've been folding blankets in the army for years. Although they may not be as neat as those folded by the palace maids, they're sturdy! Ah Xue, if you don't believe me, I'll demonstrate for you later."

When he was fighting in the northern frontier, the army was short of cooks, so he often cooked with his soldiers. Scaling and gutting fish was a piece of cake for him.

Moreover, it was for Ah Xue to eat, so he scraped off every single fish scale with extra care. After scraping, he would turn it over and check it against the firelight to make sure nothing was missed before putting it aside.

Tang Xixue looked at Mu Liang again.

He was usually taciturn, but efficient in his work; he was the type who put everything into action and never said a word more.

Mu Liang set up the pot, found an iron rack to prop up the stove, and silently scooped a few ladles of water from the water vat and poured them in.

He did all this without making any unnecessary noise; his movements were extremely concise.

The angle of the pot stand was just right, so the bottom of the pot rested perfectly on the hottest part of the flame.

He even used a wooden stick to gently test the stability of the frame before withdrawing his hand to make sure it wouldn't tip over.

"Ah Liang, don't you have anything to say?"

Tang Xixue suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of mischievousness, as if she already knew the answer.

She knew he wouldn't tell, but she just wanted to tease him.

Mu Liang turned her head and glanced at her.

His eyes remained indifferent, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly.

"have."

"What?"

"The fish is very fresh. The soup should be good."

Then he turned back to continue checking the stability of the pot stand, as if his previous remark had used up his entire year's worth of social obligations.

Tang Xixue couldn't help but smile.

Chu Qiao glanced at Mu Liang, raising an eyebrow slightly.

This person is a guard, but the refinement he exudes in his every move is far beyond that of an ordinary guard.

The action of placing the pot on the fire was done in one smooth motion, without any unnecessary steps. The bottom of the pot was placed at the point where the flame was strongest, with an error of no more than half an inch.

More importantly, he does these things without any instructions, relying entirely on his own judgment.

This kind of keen observation and initiative is not something ordinary guards possess.

interesting.

These three guests are all extraordinary.

"Sister, I've brought out all my most treasured possessions to treat you."

Chu Qiao withdrew his gaze and took out a few dried herbs from a pottery jar in the corner.

The herbs were well preserved, with intact leaves, clear textures, and each leaf as thin as a cicada's wing, gleaming a faint grayish-green in the firelight.

"Then I would be honored."

Tang Xixue found him to be really interesting, with a vibrant and lively energy emanating from his very soul, like an untamed wind.

Despite being trapped in this ancient icy abyss and possessing nothing, it has preserved every single herb perfectly.

He polished every simple tool to perfection, and lived a fulfilling life on his own.