On this winter night, the tea was cold, and so were the pastries, yet the proud and handsome young man showed not the slightest disdain.

Even in the simple act of eating, he was elegant, like a captivating painting. Shen Miao adjusted the lamp wick slightly and noticed that Xie Jingxing’s clothes seemed to carry a chill, as if he had just returned from outside. She asked, “Have you been here all this time?”

Xie Jingxing couldn’t have been hanging on the tree in the Shen residence all day. What he said earlier was likely just casual talk. Shen Miao refused to believe that the noble Prince Rui spent his days so idly.

Xie Jingxing smiled nonchalantly, “Didn’t you ask me to kill Princess Ming’an?”

Shen Miao was startled and looked at Xie Jingxing, cautiously asking, “You killed her?”

“Not just that.”

Shen Miao fell silent. Xie Jingxing’s methods—in truth, she had experienced them firsthand. Two years ago, when Xie Jingxing was still the young Marquis of Lin’an, during the Lantern Festival, he had slaughtered those mysterious masked men without leaving a single survivor. Two years later, in the secret chamber of the Lin’an Marquis Mansion, he dealt with Xie Changchao cleanly and decisively. In some ways, Shen Miao believed Xie Jingxing possessed certain qualities an emperor should have. But Xie Jingxing and Fu Xiuyi were different people. Perhaps because Fu Xiuyi could play along for the throne, enduring for many years, while Xie Jingxing would arrogantly confront his enemies directly with blade in hand.

Perhaps this was the pride inherent in the Great Liang Empire’s bones.

Shen Miao thought for a while, then shook her head. Great Liang was far away—what did it matter to her? Looking back at Xie Jingxing, she suddenly found the current situation strange. Since when had Shen Miao considered herself and Xie Jingxing as being on the same side? Had she truly come to regard Xie Jingxing as an ally?

She asked, “What did you do to her?” How would Xie Jingxing deal with Princess Ming’an? In Shen Miao’s heart, there was a bit of anticipation, an anticipation tinged with malice. Having spent too long in the rear palace, Shen Miao was not a purely kind-hearted woman who couldn’t bear to see blood. And facing someone as vicious and ruthless as Princess Ming’an, Shen Miao would not have the slightest compassion.

“Are you that eager to know?” Xie Jingxing looked at her with amusement, saying lazily, “You’ll know tomorrow.”

Shen Miao pondered the meaning of Xie Jingxing’s words. Did it mean Princess Ming’an’s death would be quite sensational? She asked, “What about Xie Changwu?”

If Xie Jingxing had dealt with Princess Ming’an, there was no reason to spare Xie Changwu.

Indeed, Xie Jingxing replied, “Killed him.”

“Aren’t you afraid that the Marquis of Lin’an will be heartbroken when he learns of this?” Shen Miao looked at him and asked.

The fire in the room was burning vigorously. Xie Jingxing picked up his teacup and took a sip, his thin lips moistened by the tea appearing somewhat crimson. Yet his smile remained as casual as ever as he said, “What do the Lin’an Marquis family affairs have to do with me?”

Though it was a cold statement, Shen Miao could see a hint of self-mockery in the young man’s carefree smile. Her heart stirred slightly.

From the moment he took action against the Xie brothers, Xie Jingxing had truly severed all ties with the Lin’an Marquis Mansion. Because if one day Xie Ding traced his whereabouts, even if Xie Ding had no previous hostility toward Xie Jingxing, because of the deaths of the Xie brothers, he would never be at peace for the rest of his life. A father and son becoming enemies—though not biological father and son—was Xie Jingxing truly as indifferent as he appeared on the surface, or did he simply hide all his emotions, both good and bad, behind those eyes always filled with smiles?

Everyone in the world had secrets they were unwilling to share, and Shen Miao had no way of knowing Xie Jingxing’s thoughts. On this snowy winter night, was Xie Jingxing sitting in the tree outside the Shen residence truly just to pluck a flower to give her, or was he, like her, unable to sleep and using the heavy snow to clear and settle those unpleasant thoughts?

If so, perhaps they did have some similarities.

Shen Miao suddenly found herself looking at Xie Jingxing more favorably.

Xie Jingxing caught her gaze and paused briefly before saying, “What’s that look? Feeling sorry for me?”

Shen Miao smiled, “I can hardly take care of myself. What right do I have to feel sorry for others? Especially for someone as powerful as Prince Rui.” Shen Miao spoke with a hint of teasing, and perhaps even she hadn’t realized that her words seemed intended to change the subject and ease Xie Jingxing’s mind a bit.

Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow, looking at Shen Miao. Suddenly, he placed both hands on the table, leaned closer to her, and said with a smile, “Don’t belittle yourself. As my ally, you certainly have the right to be above others.” In the winter night, his voice seemed deliberately lowered, carrying a slight warmth as he continued softly, “Of course, if you were my woman, then you would have all the rights in the world.”

His features were exceptionally beautiful. Even in her previous life, when Shen Miao had seen countless beauties in the palace, she had never seen anyone as handsome as him. It wasn’t just his appearance that was attractive, but as if elegance and charm were carved into his bones and deep into his soul. His every movement was captivating, like spring flowers blooming layer upon layer even in winter, making one feel both cold and hot. When he stared at someone carefully, it would make the other person suddenly feel an illusion that in this world, only they were being taken seriously.

His gaze fell on Shen Miao’s lips. He slightly tilted his head, a fleeting smile, and slowly lowered his head.

Under the lamp, their shadows intertwined in an almost intimate manner, the man tall and the woman petite, making a perfect picture of harmony.

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat, and she pushed Xie Jingxing away. Perhaps feeling that her action was too abrupt and unnatural, she picked up the cold tea in front of her and took a sip, forgetting that this tea had just been drunk by Xie Jingxing. She coughed lightly, turning her head away to avoid his face, while her face gradually began to flush.

Xie Jingxing was unexpectedly pushed by Shen Miao, almost falling over. Collapsing back into his chair, he looked up to see Shen Miao hurriedly picking up the tea to drink. His previous displeasure instantly vanished, and he suddenly found it amusing.

He said lazily, “Hey.”

Shen Miao wouldn’t look at him, keeping her eyes on the shadows on the floor. The amusement in Xie Jingxing’s eyes deepened, and he deliberately teased, “So you know how to be shy?”

Shen Miao suddenly raised her head, glaring at him.

Yet even this glare, perhaps because of the warm light in the room, appeared soft and yielding, making it all the more heart-stirring. Her features were delicate and lovely, yet usually she was dignified and composed, quite unlike her appearance, rarely showing girlish emotions. At this moment, with three parts embarrassment and seven parts shy indignation, her fair cheeks were flushed as if from wine, giving her a unique charm. It suddenly reminded one of that winter night two years ago when she wore inner garments with her long hair loose, standing by the window with a hazy drunkenness, yet wanting to point and look at fireworks with a bold spirit. Thinking of this, one could almost taste the crisp scent of plum blossom wine.

Xie Jingxing curved his lips into a smile and said, “Shen Miao.”

“What is it?” Shen Miao held back her frustration. When it came to Xie Jingxing, if he were forceful or used schemes and tactics, Shen Miao could face him calmly. But Xie Jingxing seemed to tease her like a little girl, which was quite vexing, and instead left Shen Miao not knowing how to respond. In her previous life in the palace, people were respectful and obedient to her face, while gossiping behind her back. But from beginning to end, she had only dealt with rigid people who strictly adhered to palace rules and etiquette. She had never encountered someone as arrogant and unpredictable as Xie Jingxing. It seemed that all her strategies lost their effectiveness against his unpredictable ways.

“You’re drinking from my teacup,” Xie Jingxing reminded her.

Shen Miao instinctively looked down, and then felt so embarrassed she wanted to leave immediately. She suddenly realized that allowing Xie Jingxing into her room tonight on some strange impulse was the biggest mistake she had made!

“Feeling shy?” Xie Jingxing seemed to greatly enjoy seeing her embarrassment and continued to lean closer.

“It’s getting late,” Shen Miao said formally. “Shouldn’t you be leaving?”

Xie Jingxing didn’t speak, just stared at her for a while. His gaze was sharp and profound, almost unbearable for ordinary people, yet Shen Miao maintained her composure as she returned his gaze. After a moment, Xie Jingxing stood up and said, “Fine, since you’re feeling shy, I won’t disturb you anymore.” His ambiguous words were suggestive, though he didn’t notice Shen Miao’s instantly stiffening face.

He walked to the window, and Shen Miao stood up as well. Xie Jingxing opened the window, and the cold wind immediately rushed in through the opening, causing Shen Miao to shiver.

“It’s cold outside, no need to see me out,” Xie Jingxing said. “Thanks for your hospitality. The tea was good, and so were the pastries.” With a flash of his figure, he was already in the courtyard outside the window.

Shen Miao went over to close the window, but amid the swirling snow, the purple-robed young man with his striking appearance suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back, smiling warmly.

“By the way, you’re quite adorable when you’re shy.”

Shen Miao slammed the window shut with a “bang.”

She shouldn’t have been soft-hearted! This man was too annoying!

After closing the window, Shen Miao sat back on the bed and looked at the oil lamp by the bedside, which was so faint it was almost extinguished. Yet her eyes were exceptionally bright, shining like fine jade and jewels, emitting a brilliant luster in the night.

She thought, if it were in her previous life, Xie Jingxing’s behavior would have been considered impudent. She could have shouted “How dare you!” and then had him dragged out and beheaded. Yet in this life, she had been teased and left without recourse.

But why had she felt embarrassed?

In the flickering lamplight, that person had slightly bowed his head, and she could almost count each of his long eyelashes. His gaze was more enchanting and intoxicating than moonlight, and his lips were thin and slightly cool…

Shen Miao gave a start and suddenly came back to her senses. She rubbed her forehead, thinking that perhaps she was too tired these days, and thus had become delusional. A man as handsome as Xie Jingxing would attract any woman, just like the top courtesans in brothels. She reassured herself this way, yet it couldn’t calm her somewhat unusual heartbeat. As she lay in bed, she didn’t realize that the corners of her lips had imperceptibly turned upward.

…

Winter in Dinjing was particularly cold. The common people living at the Emperor’s feet, even if they were just ordinary commoners, all felt a sense of pride, believing themselves different from those in the outer city, and they all wanted to maintain some superiority. Not to mention the officials and nobles. Therefore, in winter, people tended to rise later, except for the street vendors who had to set up their stalls early. Ordinary people preferred to stay warm inside for a while longer before going out.

Heavy snow had fallen all night yesterday, making it extremely cold outside. Fortunately, the snow had stopped early this morning, so people were still willing to go out. As it got a bit later, the streets gradually became more crowded.

After a whole night of snow, Wanli Lake’s surface had completely frozen into solid ice. Usually, there would be old men fishing, but now they were unwilling to come, and not for any other reason than that the ice was so hard that even drilling holes was difficult. Better to wait until the weather warmed up before returning.

Though Wanli Lake had fewer old fishermen, it had gained a group of playful children. The lake surface was shiny, and children loved to wear hard-soled boots or find a piece of wood to chase and frolic on the ice. Most of these playing children were the sons and daughters of shopkeepers and street vendors. Their mothers scolded them, saying they would dirty their newly made padded jackets and also feared that the ice might suddenly break. But children, being at an age of mischief, would hardly obey their mothers and still secretly took pieces of wood to play at Wanli Lake with their friends.

Today was no different.

Several children, around five or six years old, carrying wooden planks, walked toward the center of Wanli Lake. The lake surface was very slippery, and the children had to walk very carefully. Falling wasn’t a big deal, but if the ice made their new clothes wet and dirty, they would certainly face their mothers’ scolding when they returned home. So they all walked especially slowly.

Finally reaching near the center of Wanli Lake, the children put down their wooden planks and sat on them, with one person pushing from behind, sliding from the center of the lake outward, finding it particularly fun. A little girl in a flowered jacket, with hair still in a child’s style, held her wooden plank and walked a bit further back, perhaps wanting to go farther, but suddenly stopped.

“Achun, why are you standing there?” an older boy, seeing his sister standing in front of him in a daze, came forward to ask.

“Brother,” the little girl called Achun pointed ahead, “that ice sculpture looks so strange.”

…

In the southern part of the city, there were exquisite taverns and also some ordinary shops. The owners of these shops were mostly people with some savings, relatively well-off but not able to afford the space of a large tavern. Nevertheless, due to the excellent location and environment of the southern city, even the ordinary shops did quite well.

Usually, the shopkeepers or shopkeepers’ wives were busy with their affairs. When not busy, they liked to sit together to chat and drink tea. Today, perhaps a bit early, there weren’t many customers, so several neighboring shopkeepers gathered at the doorway to talk.

Just as they were saying how the weather was getting colder day by day, they saw several children running toward them, all out of breath. These children were the sons and daughters of the shopkeepers and vendors in the area, usually playmates. The female shopkeeper selling rouge took a close look and suddenly raised her eyebrows in anger, saying, “Dongzi, did you take Achun to Wanli Lake again? I made Achun a new cotton jacket yesterday, and now it’s all wet. Are you asking for a beating?”

As she spoke, the other shopkeepers also began scolding their children, because this group of children all looked disheveled—their clothes torn and wet, their whole bodies in a mess, some even missing a shoe, as if they had hurriedly fled from somewhere.

Just as she was about to say a few more words, the boy called Dongzi suddenly burst into tears, saying, “At Wanli Lake… at Wanli Lake there are people…”

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. A middle-aged man in plain clothes said, “Oh no, could it be that some child has fallen into the water?”

Drowning accidents at Wanli Lake were common throughout the year, fewer in winter, but not unheard of. There had been cases of children playing on the ice when it cracked, causing them to fall into the water and die. At these words, everyone’s expression changed. The female shopkeeper selling rouge was a warm-hearted person and anxiously stamped her foot, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go have a look. We’re all neighbors here. It’s worrying if any child has fallen into the water. Come, let’s go see!”

Hearing this, everyone agreed and followed the female shopkeeper toward Wanli Lake.

When they reached Wanli Lake, they were stunned. The usually quiet Wanli Lake in winter, visited only by playful children, was now surrounded by many people, with even more people walking toward the center of the lake.

“This… doesn’t seem like someone fell in,” the female shopkeeper murmured.

If there had been an accident, some people would have helped, some would have watched, but there wouldn’t have been so many people all walking toward the center of the lake. Especially among those walking toward the center, there were many richly dressed young nobles, which was quite unusual. It wasn’t that wealthy families weren’t good, but in this world where everyone minds their own business, the indifference of wealthy young masters toward ordinary people’s affairs was common. Now… since when had Dinjing gained so many warm-hearted people?

At this moment, there were also people walking toward the center of Wanli Lake. Cai Lin was shivering all over, despite being dressed extremely heavily with a fur cape on top. But the lake surface was always much colder than the ground, especially with the ice blocks beneath his feet sending chills straight through his boots. Even Cai Lin, a pampered young master, could barely handle it.

“What’s on the lake surface?” Cai Lin asked his fair-weather friends. “Why is everyone rushing to look here so early in the morning?”

Early in the morning, Cai Lin had found the young masters he usually hung out with, planning to visit the gambling house today. But his friend said there was a big commotion at Wanli Lake and insisted on bringing him along to see.

“I don’t know either,” the person said. “But I heard from the servants there was something, so I brought you along to see. Hehe,” he leaned closer to Cai Lin and whispered, “Usually we only hear about beautiful corpses in plays and books, but today we can see a real, genuine beautiful corpse.”

“A corpse?” Cai Lin was startled and immediately said, “I’m not going.” Although he usually liked curious things, it was mostly just talk; deep down, he was somewhat timid. Even though he was once known as a little tyrant, after being humiliated by Shen Miao at the examination platform two years ago, he had become more restrained.

But his friend insisted, “We’ve already come this far, just go take a look. Just one look, what are you afraid of?”

Cai Lin couldn’t stand being challenged and immediately said, “Who’s afraid? I’ll go with you right now! I want to see what’s so special that’s got you so excited.”

The two had already walked most of the way and were now very close to the center of the lake. When they reached the very center, there were already many people gathered around pointing and discussing. His friend pulled Cai Lin, pushing through the crowd to the front, and pointed at the thing in the middle, saying, “Look, look, it’s this!”

Cai Lin looked up where his friend was pointing.

The winter in Dinjing was cold, especially recently. If one left a bucket of water outside in the courtyard, by the next day, it would undoubtedly be a bucket of ice. And anything that touched water, such as tree branches or eaves, would certainly be adorned with icicles after a night.

In the center of Wanli Lake, there were three standing “ice sculptures.”

To call them ice sculptures wasn’t quite accurate. Within these three human-shaped blocks of ice, one could see the distinct forms of people through the transparent ice. This made it clear that these were not the work of skilled craftsmen but rather three living people, or more accurately, people who had been frozen to death, their final postures preserved in ice as sculptures.

What most amazed people was the posture of these three individuals.

In the center was a woman, her clothes partially undone, exposing much of her snow-white body. The man beside her was reaching to undo her undergarment, while the man behind her had his hands on her waist from behind. The woman was leaning back, half-resting against the man behind her. Although her expression was somewhat rigid, these suggestive poses resembled a living erotic painting, making people’s imaginations run wild. Most of the people surrounding these ice sculptures were men, some common folk, others wealthy young masters. Some might have come out of curiosity, others with the mentality that it would be a waste not to look. Even if it was a corpse, it was still a beautiful woman, and these ice sculptures were so lifelike that far from being horrifying, they gave off an air of sensuality from the inside out.

Yet the truth was being overlooked.

People always focus their attention on what interests them. The men were eagerly discussing where this living erotic scene came from, or where they found such a promiscuous woman, but no one considered what kind of case this was—three people had been frozen to death alive, which should have been a terrifying event.

Cai Lin stared at the three ice sculptures. Originally, he was somewhat afraid of corpses. But these ice sculptures didn’t appear frightening; rather, they had a sense of vulgar entertainment from the marketplace, so he continued to look. His friend beside him said, “The woman is quite beautiful. Look, how could an ordinary family raise such a beauty, and in such an alluring pose?”

In his words, it was as if he were evaluating a new girl from a brothel.

Cai Lin agreed with his friend while carefully studying the female ice sculpture. Even through the thin layer of ice on the surface, he could vaguely make out the woman’s features. Her features were very beautiful, and even somewhat familiar.

Familiar?

Cai Lin asked, “This girl looks somewhat familiar to me. Think about it—could she be a girl from some brothel we’ve seen?”

His friend carefully examined for a while, then shook his head, “Impossible. From the highest-class brothels to the imperial entertainment establishments in Dinjing, I’ve been to all of them and seen all the girls. But I haven’t seen this one.” He casually said, “Look at her gold-embroidered undergarment. Perhaps she’s from some official’s family, or even from the palace.”

He meant this as an offhand remark, but Cai Lin was suddenly startled.

From the palace?

He looked up at the woman, and what appeared before him was a young, arrogant woman in thin golden silk at a palace banquet. That somewhat domineering face gradually overlapped with the rigid face in front of him, until they became one person.

“Princess Ming’an!” Cai Lin exclaimed involuntarily.

“What?” His friend was startled. Being merely from a wealthy merchant family, he didn’t have the opportunity to interact with palace officials in daily life, so he didn’t understand what Cai Lin meant.

Cai Lin’s face changed instantly. He finally understood why the female corpse looked familiar. Previously, at the tribute banquet in Ming Qi, because he had been paying attention to Shen Miao and competing with her in archery, Princess Ming’an, who was also present, had caught his attention. At that time, Cai Lin felt somewhat sympathetic toward Princess Ming’an.

And now, the woman in the ice sculpture, posing in an erotic scene with two men—who else could it be but Princess Ming’an?

Although Cai Lin’s words didn’t receive his friend’s confirmation, there were people with sharp ears nearby who heard and asked him, “The Princess Ming’an you mentioned, is she the Princess Ming’an from Qin?”

“Really? The woman inside is Princess Ming’an?”

“How could a princess of a country… That’s false, right?”

“Come to think of it, the woman’s attire does resemble a princess’s.”

…

The sensation at Wanli Lake in Dinjing City, where Princess Ming’an and two men were frozen in an extremely sensual pose, became the talk of the Ming Qi citizens, and the news quickly reached the palace. Naturally, it also reached the Shen residence.

Due to her late-night conversation with Xie Jingxing, Shen Miao had found it even harder to fall asleep and had only dozed off as dawn broke. This made her oversleep. Jingzhe and Guyu, seeing Shen Miao sleeping soundly, dared not disturb her. By the time Shen Miao got up for breakfast, it was already very late.

As she was drinking the porridge made in the kitchen and thinking about Xie Jingxing’s words from last night, she saw Luo Tan rushing in from outside.

Luo Tan’s injuries had improved significantly under Gao Yang’s treatment in recent days. Although Gao Yang had repeatedly emphasized that Luo Tan needed to rest well, Luo Tan was not the type to remain still. She continued with her usual activities, sometimes making people wonder if the person who had nearly lost her life a few days ago was her.

“Little cousin! Little cousin!” Luo Tan rushed in and sat down opposite Shen Miao.

Shen Miao didn’t even look up, continuing to eat her porridge. These days, Shen Xin didn’t allow Luo Tan and Shen Miao to go out again, to avoid encountering villains like last time. Therefore, Luo Tan had to stay in the residence and was probably extremely bored. Shen Miao always felt that when she met Luo Tan, it was as if Luo Tan were her younger sister, and so she was much more tolerant.

“Little cousin, stop eating for a moment and listen to this big news.” Luo Tan sat up straight.

Shen Miao put down her spoon reluctantly and asked, “What is it now?”

“Princess Ming’an is dead!” Luo Tan said. “Early this morning, her body was discovered at Wanli Lake, with two men… doing that kind of thing. But for some reason, they were frozen into ice blocks. The whole city is talking about it now!”