If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

An almost terrifying feeling welled up inside me.

It's better to avoid trouble, and Xi Lingxian didn't want to provoke that madman.

After packing their bags, the ladies boarded their carriages and returned home one after another.

On the way back to the city, snowflakes began to fall gently from the sky.

When they returned to the Xi residence by the Qingxi River, the scattered snowflakes had turned into a heavy snowfall.

In Jiankang, the Winter Solstice is considered as important as the Lunar New Year and is also known as "Minor New Year". It is the most important winter festival besides the Laba Festival and Lunar New Year's Eve.

Xi Lingxian presented her father and grandmother with shoes and socks that she had sewn herself. It is a custom to present shoes and socks as gifts on the Winter Solstice, which means to drive away disasters and welcome good fortune and longevity, and to bring blessings and long life to the elders.

The eldest brother, Xi Rui, didn't receive such a high treatment; he received a new net bag, just like Xi Song.

Xi Jian prepared a red fox fur cloak made of brocade and feathers for his beloved daughter. It was a red fox that he had hunted in the mountains for several months, and it was very precious.

Once Xi Lingxian got home, she completely forgot about Wang Jue and Xiao Yun, and started trying on the new clothes her father had made for her at the sewing shop.

Xi Jian smiled knowingly and said, "Fanfan, we have distinguished guests coming to our house today. You should make another one of these knotted cords as a gift for them."

"No way, not just anyone can get something I make myself."

"The storeroom is full of good things to give as gifts; what's a knotted net like mine?"

Xi Lingxian tilted her chin up, her tone haughty.

Xi Jian said to the person behind the screen, "Come out."

"Look who's here!"

A tall young man slowly emerged from behind the sandalwood Suzhou embroidery screen, dressed in a black close-fitting outfit with a gray squirrel fur cloak over it, and a long sword hanging at his waist.

Xi Lingxian stared at that face, stunned for a moment.

"Brother!" she called out, her voice filled with a joy she herself was unaware of.

When the young man saw her, a big smile spread across his dark face, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

He strode over, looked her up and down, stretched out his hand, and compared it to the top of her head, saying with a smile, "Little girl, you've grown taller."

Xi Lingxian looked up at him. "Brother, what brings you here?"

Xi Jian: "I felt that Awen was lonely in Jingkou, so I invited him to come to the capital to celebrate the festival with us. More people would make it more lively."

The man who came was named Xi Wen. His parents starved to death during the chaos of the world. He fainted while begging and was rescued by Xi Jian by chance.

He joined the army as a soldier at the age of twelve, followed Xi Jian in his campaigns, and once saved Xi Jian on the battlefield, after which Xi Jian adopted him as his son.

Xi Rui: "Brother Wen, how is things in Jingkou while my father and I were away? Is it still peaceful there?"

"My adoptive father still wields considerable influence, and the people of Later Zhao are behaving themselves; it's just that the uncles and elders of the other tribes are all concerned about my adoptive father, fearing that he might be bullied by those civil officials in the court."

Xi Jian laughed loudly: "Those guys who can't keep their mouths shut, do they think I've been wasting all these years?"

Xi Rui: "Father, Brother Wen has come all this way, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, I just hunted a deer this morning, and it just so happens to be snowing. Let's go to the Reed Flower Hall next to the plum grove and enjoy the snow while we roast the deer."

Xi Jian: "Go ahead, I still have some memorials to review. I'll come find you after I've approved them."

Luhua Hall is a small waterside pavilion next to the plum grove, with three sides open and bright, facing the plum grove directly.

The women brought over a charcoal stove, iron mesh, long chopsticks, and wine cups, and laid out thick felt mats and several low tables under the eaves.

The kitchen staff marinated the venison in sauce, sliced ​​it thinly, arranged it on white porcelain plates, and served it out one plate at a time.

The meat was freshly roasted over charcoal until it was glowing red, and a wire mesh was placed on top of it, sizzling and steaming.

Xi Rui bustled about in the corridor, happy to see his sworn brother whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Xi Wen sat cross-legged on a felt mat under the eaves, holding a bowl of hot wine in his hand. He drank half of the bowl in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and let out a long sigh.

"A-Rui," he called out, "how much longer do we need to roast this meat?"

Eating barbecue would leave you smelling like barbecue, so Xi Lingxian changed into some old clothes. When she arrived, the others had already started eating.

"What's wrong with you guys? Why didn't you wait for me?"

"My sworn brother is still hungry, how could I wait for you, making you so slow?"

Xi Wen raised his hand and poured Xi Lingxian a cup of plum blossom wine. "Sister-in-law, I heard that you and A-Song went to study at the academy. I couldn't believe it when Father told me. How are you adjusting?"

When asked this question, Xi Lingxian's long-suppressed resentment rose up, and she complained that Xiao Yun was using his position to settle personal scores and was petty and narrow-minded.

Xi Wen was puzzled: "The Prince of Chenliu is actually that kind of person? How despicable!"

Xi Rui: "When Qingyu reminded me before, I felt that this guy was no good. Now that I see him clearly, it's a good thing. We should just not have anything to do with each other anymore."

Xi Lingxian clicked her tongue, dissatisfied, and said, "Is this all you've heard after all this talk?"

Xi Rui and Xi Wen exchanged glances. "Otherwise?"

Xi Song was overjoyed: "My sister wanted you to praise her. During that time, she studied tirelessly, even to the point of exhaustion, just to prove herself. If she had had that same dedication to studying when she was young, Xie Wanyi wouldn't have been worthy of the title of the most talented woman."

Xi Lingxian slapped him in a huff.

Xi Rui and Xi Wen burst into laughter.

With his mouth full of venison, Xi Wen nudged Xi Rui with his elbow, "Quick, quick, praise our sister a bit. She took such a big slap just to save face, that's amazing."

Xi Rui also had something in his mouth, and he nodded and gave a thumbs-up indistinctly.

Xi Lingxian immediately lost interest in dealing with these two roughnecks.

But Xi Rui was indeed skilled at roasting venison; the heat was just right, and the meat was neither fishy nor dry. Xi Lingxian ate several pieces with her wine.

She was getting a little tired of the plum wine, and when she saw a different wine pot, she reached out to grab it, but Xi Rui stopped her, saying, "Don't touch it, this isn't for you to drink."

"What is that?"

"...Deer blood wine is warming in winter, but it's too strong, so you can't drink it."

Xi Lingxian's eyes darted around. "Isn't deer blood wine an aphrodisiac?"

Xi Wen felt a piece of meat stuck in his throat.

Xi Rui spat out the wine in his mouth.

Xi Song relied on his words, his eyes glazed over.

"Who told you?" Xi Rui wiped the wine from his lips, his face flushed slightly, half from embarrassment and half from anger.

Who corrupted his little sister? How could she say something like that about male enhancement?

"I'm not stupid. Deer blood wine and deer blood pills are not rare in aristocratic families. Everyone knows what they are used for."

Xi Rui chewed on the venison, speechless for a long time.

Xi Song blinked, her face slightly flushed, and gently fanned it away. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of two figures at the other end of the corridor.

Xi Lingxian followed her gaze, and the next moment, she lifted her foot to leave!

At the other end of the corridor, Xi Jian walked ahead, wearing a gray-blue cotton robe with a black cloak over it; Wang Jue lagged half a step behind him, wearing a dark blue robe, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, her face aloof and her eyes distant. The two walked side by side, seemingly talking about something.

Xi Song stepped forward and bowed: "Father, Second Brother."

Xi Jian pointed to Xi Wen and introduced him to Wang Jue, "This is Xi Wen, my adopted son, who is now the commander of the Jingkou army under my command; Wen'er, this is the young master of the Langya Wang clan."

Xi Wen cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Master Wang, Xi Wen is very polite."

Wang Jue nodded slightly.

Xi Jian sat down in the main seat, and a maidservant came forward to pour wine.

"Fanfan, why aren't you saying anything?"

Xi Lingxian turned around and unexpectedly met a pair of long eyes that seemed to be filled with endless frost, but a faint smile was on her lips.

This intensely incongruous feeling, combined with that ethereal, moon-like beauty, inexplicably made Xi Lingxian feel uneasy.

"No, Father, I'm full. You two continue your conversation, I'll head back now."

Xi Jian understood his daughter's feelings and did not force her to change her mind.

"It seems that Miss Xi hasn't handed in her punishment copy yet."

The man beside him, who stood like a lone pine tree, suddenly spoke.

Xi Lingxian, who had already taken a step forward, suddenly felt her eyelids twitch.

Xi Rui asked with a face full of curiosity, "What kind of punishment is copying?"

Xi Song blurted out, "On her first day of school, my elder sister ate snacks in the classroom, violating the school rules. As a result, Brother Wang Er punished her by making her copy the ancient precepts three times."

Xi Jian rubbed his forehead.

Xi Rui's lips twitched slightly.

Xi Lingxian was speechless for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, Master, I will go back and write now."

The words "Master" seemed like a tiny ant crawling into Wang Jue's heart, sending shivers down his spine.

He nodded solemnly, "I will check on it in half an hour."

"..."