When Xiao Yan was fifteen years old, he experienced his first stirrings of love, falling for a young woman.

This woman’s appearance was quite ordinary, and her family ran a noodle soup stall in a small alley on West Phoenix Street in Yunyang City. By rights, someone of Xiao Yan’s status should never have had any interaction with a commoner woman of such humble origins.

However, on that particular day, the tutor who taught Xiao Yan complained to his grandfather, saying that among the five essays Xiao Yan had submitted, he had slipped in a drawing of an “eagle teasing a turtle.” Originally, it wouldn’t have mattered if Xiao Yan dabbled in painting during his spare time from studies, but he had been mischievous enough to write the character “Zhao” on the turtle’s forehead, and that tutor’s surname happened to be Zhao.

So the old gentleman ran to the Old Prince in tears, demanding justice. Poor Master Zhao was nearly seventy years old, and several times while crying, he nearly collapsed on the spot from being unable to catch his breath.

Xiao Yan’s grandfather, Xiao Qishan, had been a formidable figure in his youth with a fiery temper, most annoyed by scholars’ whining, crying, making scenes, and threatening suicide. However, in his old age, he had become more amiable. He comforted Master Zhao thoroughly, promising to properly discipline that little rascal Xiao Yan.

After the Old Prince had coaxed Master Zhao away, he didn’t summon his grandson. Instead, he called over his son, Xiao Yan’s father, Xiao Xingjian, and gave him a severe beating, then assigned him the task of disciplining Xiao Yan.

At that time, Xiao Xingjian had already begun managing the Yanbei Prince’s mansion’s affairs, working himself to the bone every day. Being innocently scolded by his father left him both aggrieved and angry, so he immediately ordered servants to tie up Xiao Yan and beat him with wooden paddles.

The paddles used by the Xiao family were different from ordinary household punishments—they were military batons. One strike would leave flesh bloody and mangled; if it didn’t kill you, it would leave you half-crippled. When Xiao Yan learned his father intended to beat him, he fled.

Xiao Yan felt quite wronged, too. He had indeed drawn that turtle, but the character “Zhao” wasn’t meant to mock Master Zhao—somehow it had ended up in Master Zhao’s hands.

It was already late November, and water froze into ice outside. After fleeing from home, Xiao Yan was afraid his father would send people to catch him, so he only dared to dart through the small alleys of Yunyang City. By the time evening approached, cold and hungry, he stopped in front of a shabby noodle soup restaurant.

The kind of people who ate at such crude establishments were generally peddlers and laborers. The tables, chairs, and bowls were all missing arms and legs. Xiao Yan hesitated for a long while before deciding not to enter—not because he looked down on the environment inside, but because he hadn’t brought any money when he left.

Just as Xiao Yan was wondering whether he should sneak back to the prince’s mansion, a crisp female voice beside him said: “Customer, would you like a bowl of noodle soup? Our broth is made from pork and chicken bones—it’s deliciously fresh.”

Xiao Yan turned his head and saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl standing in front of the noodle shop, looking at him. The eatery had only lit one kerosene lamp, and the flickering firelight cast the girl’s features somewhat dimly, but he could still make out that she had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with a straightforward smile.

If it had been any other young master, even without money, he would have put on airs at this moment, unwilling to lose face in front of common people. But Xiao Yan wasn’t like other young masters. He smiled at the girl without concern, showing his teeth, and said righteously: “I didn’t bring any silver. If you treat me, I’ll have a bowl to try.”

The girl hadn’t encountered this kind of situation before. She was stunned for a moment, then rolled her eyes at Xiao Yan and turned to go inside.

Xiao Yan didn’t know what had happened to him. Just moments ago, he had thought this girl’s appearance was unremarkable, but that single eye-roll seemed to suddenly open his meridians—he found this girl quite lively and spirited.

So while the girl busied herself inside the eatery, he stood outside happily watching her, no longer feeling cold.

He didn’t know how long he had been watching, but as the customers in the eatery gradually decreased and Xiao Yan’s hands and feet were numb from the cold, the girl emerged again.

“Hey! There’s one bowl of noodle soup left—do you want it or not?”

Xiao Yan didn’t feel slighted at all. He looked at the girl with a brilliant smile: “You’re treating me?”

The girl gave him another eye-roll, turned and went back inside. A moment later, she emerged from the kitchen carrying a large bowl of noodle soup. Seeing Xiao Yan still standing outside, she said somewhat impatiently: “Hey! Come in quickly! We’re closing after you finish eating!”

Xiao Yan went in happily.

Though with Xiao Yan’s status, if he wanted to eat for free, there were plenty of people in Yunyang City who would cry and beg him to eat at their establishments, today no one knew his identity, and he was dressed plainly, so this bowl of noodle soup was something he had earned with his charm.

Honestly, the noodle soup wasn’t particularly delicious. Though the portion was generous, the flavor was mediocre. However, Xiao Yan was truly hungry, so he still ate with great relish, especially with the girl sitting not far away under the kerosene lamp doing accounts, her profile creating a warm and beautiful silhouette.

After finishing the bowl of noodle soup, Xiao Yan felt warm both inside and out. He got up and quietly walked behind the girl, craning his neck to look at her account book.

The girl frowned and glanced back at him.

Xiao Yan tried to make his smile look handsome and charming, though unfortunately, he was only fifteen at the time, still quite green, and had a scallion flake stuck to the corner of his mouth, looking rather foolish: “You can read?”

Only after asking did he realize that what the girl was recording in her account book weren’t characters but symbols he couldn’t understand.

Undoubtedly, he earned another eye-roll from the girl: “So what if I can’t read? I can still give you a bowl of rice to eat!”

Xiao Yan quickly nodded: “Miss, you’re right. I usually hate those bookworms who’ve read themselves stupid, always crying, making scenes, and threatening suicide—no manly spirit at all.”

The girl scoffed: “All good-for-nothings say that.”

Just as Xiao Yan was about to argue, someone called “Alian” from the inner room, and the girl responded, “Coming.”

Xiao Yan said cheekily: “So your name is Alian—what a nice name.”

The girl glanced at him sideways and casually asked: “What’s your name?”

Xiao Yan said, “I’m called Ayan.”

The girl looked at him once, got up to go to the inner room, saying as she went: “We’re closing up—you should leave quickly.”

Sure enough, not long after Alian went inside, a middle-aged couple came out to clean up the tables and chairs. Xiao Yan waited a while longer, but seeing that Alian had no intention of coming out again, he touched his nose and left.

Coming out of West Phoenix Street, Xiao Yan figured his father might have forgotten about disciplining him by now, so he sneaked back to the Yanbei Prince’s mansion.

But his father was in a particularly bad mood that day and had been thinking about him the whole time. When Xiao Yan finally managed to sneak back to his courtyard, his father’s four bodyguards were standing in the pitch-black courtyard waiting for him.

This time, Xiao Yan couldn’t escape so easily, so in the end, he still received fifty military baton strikes amid ghostly wails and wolf howls.

Xiao Yan had originally planned to visit Alian’s noodle shop again the next day, but unfortunately, his buttocks were beaten raw, and even with his iron constitution, he couldn’t get up.

On the third day of lying on his stomach in bed, his female cousin came to see him.

When Xiao Yan heard this, he curled his lip and told his attendants: “Say that Young Master is sleeping and has no time.”

Xiao Yan had two female cousins, both nieces from his birth mother, Consort Yun’s natal family. But the one who came today was the one called Yun Chuxue—”First Snow.” Xiao Yan found her name unpleasant, especially today when hearing it made his buttocks ache.

Xiao Yan had never liked his two female cousins since childhood, especially this Yun Chuxue, who was terribly boring and quite scheming.

When they were young, and Xiao Yan pulled her braids, the little girl just wouldn’t cry, only looking at him with a pair of dark, bright eyes until Xiao Yan felt guilty and let go. But somehow, every time he bullied Yun Chuxue, he would suffer misfortune afterward—either being inexplicably punished to write large characters or being sent to a military camp for training. Xiao Yan suspected Yun Chuxue secretly reported on him, though he had never found solid evidence over all these years.

Last month, Xiao Yan had inadvertently overheard his father and mother talking about arranging his engagement to Yun Chuxue—this news was like a bolt from the blue for him.

Though Xiao Yan was the legitimate eldest grandson of the Yanbei Prince’s mansion with noble status, by age fifteen he hadn’t even had a chamber maid. Although the elders had arranged two beautiful, slightly older servant girls for his room—their meaning was clear—he hadn’t touched them.

It wasn’t that Xiao Yan was particularly pure-minded or morally upright. In the depths of night, the young man had fantasized about soft girls under his blankets, but Xiao Yan had a secret he was ashamed to reveal.

He had a large mole in that place all men have…

Well, it didn’t affect function, but it somewhat affected appearance.

Though Xiao Yan was usually shameless, he still cared about face when it came to matters of manhood. Of course, in a few years or decades, with skin as thick as Xiao Yan’s, he certainly wouldn’t care much about this small detail that didn’t affect function, but fifteen-year-old Xiao Yan, who had never experienced intimate matters, was still somewhat shy.

Originally, Xiao Yan had thought that when he married, letting his wife see wouldn’t matter—his wife surely wouldn’t mock him for this. But the prerequisite was that this wife couldn’t be Yun Chuxue!

Though Xiao Yan didn’t want to admit it, he was somewhat wary of his cousin Yun Chuxue. Just the fact that among all the boys and girls his age, everyone had cried in his hands except Yun Chuxue made Xiao Yan instinctively feel she was not to be trifled with.

Xiao Yan simply couldn’t imagine what dire consequences would follow if Yun Chuxue learned his secret.

From then on, Xiao Yan avoided Yun Chuxue whenever he saw her.

As Xiao Yan lay there lost in various thoughts, he suddenly heard a gentle female voice nearby: “Is cousin feeling better?”

Hearing this voice startled Xiao Yan so much that he nearly jumped up from bed, but the movement pulled at his buttock muscles, causing him to grimace in pain with tears in his eyes.

“Damn it! Didn’t I say I was sleeping? Who let you people bring her in?” Xiao Yan roared in grief and indignation.

As soon as his words fell, a cold voice said: “What nonsense are you spouting? It seems that the beating was too light.”

Xiao Yan turned his head to see his birth mother, Consort Yun, standing nearby with a cold expression, while a beautiful young girl stood obediently beside her.

Xiao Yan suddenly felt his teeth ache, then, while his mother wasn’t looking, he glared fiercely at Yun Chuxue.

Yun Chuxue smiled gently at him, her smile making Xiao Yan’s heart feel chilly.

When Consort Yun went to examine the prescription the physician had written for Xiao Yan, Yun Chuxue stood not far from the bed.

“Does cousin want some water?”

Xiao Yan gave her a big eye-roll, looking arrogant: “Don’t trouble yourself.”

Yun Chuxue smiled good-naturedly without saying anything.

Seeing that Consort Yun wasn’t paying attention to this side, Xiao Yan turned his head and looked Yun Chuxue up and down with a critical gaze, then warned her in a low voice: “I won’t marry you—stop dreaming!”

Upon hearing this, Yun Chuxue didn’t blush or change color. Instead, she asked in a casual, matter-of-fact tone: “Why?”

Xiao Yan was at a loss for words for a moment, then suddenly remembered Alian’s eye-roll from that day, so he said righteously: “I have a sweetheart now—I don’t like you.”

Yun Chuxue fell silent.

Yun Chuxue’s silence made Xiao Yan somewhat uncomfortable yet vaguely triumphant, so he pretended not to care and turned his head, only to meet a pair of dark, tranquil eyes. Xiao Yan stared at her for a while, then couldn’t help turning his head away.

Before long, Yun Chuxue’s still calm and gentle voice sounded: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me.”

For some reason, this statement made Xiao Yan furious, because no matter how he heard it, he felt there was an unspoken subtext: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me—I don’t like you either anyway. As long as your surname is Xiao, that’s enough.”

So Xiao Yan roared in exasperation: “It doesn’t matter to you, but it matters to me! I don’t want to marry a woman I don’t like as my wife—I’ll only marry someone I like in this lifetime!”

Yun Chuxue looked at Xiao Yan thoughtfully for a while, then gave him an ambiguous and perfunctory answer: “Oh.”

Xiao Yan felt his injuries had worsened—internal injuries this time.

Finally, Yun Chuxue left with Consort Yun, but Xiao Yan’s mood remained poor for the next several days, until his injuries healed enough for him to move around freely again.

After Xiao Yan’s buttocks healed, the first thing he did was go to Alian’s noodle shop. This time, Xiao Yan still didn’t bring money, and it was intentional.

Alian seemed somewhat surprised to see Xiao Yan. After giving him an eye roll, she went back to her work.

Xiao Yan sat happily in the noodle shop, watching Alian bustle about. The more he watched, the better he thought Alian was—unlike Yun Chuxue, who never showed her emotions, always wearing what seemed like a mask. Xiao Yan felt that if he married Yun Chuxue, they probably wouldn’t have a single argument in their entire lives—what fun would that be?

Alian was different. In front of Alian, he was just an ordinary man. If Alian liked him, she liked him as a person, not his status. The young Xiao Yan had a deeply hidden girlish heart—proud and affected, though he would never admit this himself.

Xiao Yan still stayed until the eatery closed, and then Alian brought him another bowl of noodle soup from the kitchen, setting it heavily in front of him: “Here, eat.”

Xiao Yan happily ate this bowl of noodle soup that he felt he had earned through his charm.

From then on, Xiao Yan came to Alian’s noodle shop every day, always intentionally not bringing money, always waiting until Alian closed up, always eating a bowl of free noodle soup.

Day by day, Xiao Yan liked Alian more and more, feeling more and more that marrying a woman like Alian would be truly living his own real life.

However, Xiao Yan knew his elders would never allow him to marry a woman of Alian’s humble status, so during this period, Xiao Yan was both happy and pained.

Later, Xiao Yan figured it out—if his grandfather and father wouldn’t agree to let him marry the woman he loved, he would take Alian and leave. He didn’t care about inheriting the Yanbei Prince’s mansion anyway. His father worked himself like a dog every day and still had to watch the court’s expression—being Yanbei Prince wasn’t worth it.

He would take his woman to guard Jiajing Pass for life and have a bunch of children—wouldn’t that be a carefree life?

After thinking this through, Xiao Yan became happy, feeling that every day the sky was bluer and the water clearer, and even old Master Zhao, who taught him, looked more pleasant.

However, Xiao Yan’s good mood didn’t last long, because on his grandfather’s birthday, the old man suddenly announced “good news”—his engagement to Yun Chuxue.

Xiao Yan watched the calm-faced Yun Chuxue obediently accept the hairpin his mother gave her, furious inside, but he didn’t make a scene on the spot.

That day, when Xiao Yan went to find Alian, he arrived later than usual, but Alian didn’t ask why. When Alian closed up and brought him a steaming bowl of noodle soup as usual, Xiao Yan held his chopsticks but didn’t eat.

Alian glared at him: “Not eating? If you’re not eating, I’ll take it away.”

Looking at Alian’s lively face, Xiao Yan suddenly didn’t know what to say.

Alian frowned: “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Yan looked at Alian for a long moment, then suddenly said: “Would you be willing to leave with me?”

Alian was stunned.

Xiao Yan said seriously, “I mean, be my wife. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you well—treat you well for the rest of our lives.”

Alian was silent for a long time, then said: “You said leave? Where to? Isn’t Yunyang City good?”

Xiao Yan smiled bitterly: “Something happened at home. I plan to go to Ningxia to seek help from friends. But don’t worry, I still have some savings and some skills—I won’t let you suffer hardship with me.”

This time Alian was silent even longer. Xiao Yan felt somewhat anxious. After a long while, Alian finally said: “I need to think about it.”

Seeing that Alian hadn’t refused outright, Xiao Yan’s heart leaped with joy. The more he thought about it, the sweeter it felt. He immediately pulled a jade pendant from his chest and pressed it into Alian’s hands: “This is for you. Think it over carefully.”

Alian looked down at the jade pendant in her hands without speaking.

Three days after Xiao Yan’s confession, Alian finally gave him her answer.

“When are we leaving?”

Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Alian: “The fifth of next month—I need to make arrangements first.”

That day, Xiao Yan didn’t stay at Alian’s place to eat noodles. He needed to return and plan carefully for his and Alian’s future. Alian stood at the eatery entrance watching him leave, standing there for a long time.

The following days were busy yet peaceful for Xiao Yan. He planned to take Alian to Ningxia first to stay for a while. Wu Xiao of Ningxia had a good relationship with him. After he established himself with the Wu family’s help, he would then move to Jiajing Pass. Fifteen-year-old Xiao Yan was wholeheartedly determined to live the life he wanted.

On the third day of the month—two days before he was to leave Yunyang City—Xiao Yan encountered Yun Chuxue again at the Yanbei Prince’s mansion.

Yun Chuxue looked at Xiao Yan quietly.

Being stared at like this made Xiao Yan suddenly feel guilty, and he also felt somewhat sorry for Yun Chuxue. After all, she hadn’t done anything wrong.

So Xiao Yan unusually spoke to Yun Chuxue with gentle concern: “It’s still cold out. Why didn’t the cousin wear an extra layer when going out?”

Yun Chuxue looked at Xiao Yan for a while, then suddenly asked: “Has cousin been very busy lately?”

Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s heart jumped, wondering if Yun Chuxue’s question meant she had noticed something. But thinking it over, he felt it was unlikely, so he said somewhat impatiently: “Yes, father assigned me some tasks. But they’re not things you should be asking about.”

But Yun Chuxue continued asking: “Will it require traveling far?”

Xiao Yan: “…”

Yun Chuxue looked at Xiao Yan as if waiting for his answer. Xiao Yan was about to ignore her, but still replied irritably: “No traveling!”

Yun Chuxue nodded and said gently, “That’s good. I just saw Nanny Li consulting the almanac at Aunt’s place. She said this month is a rarely seen inauspicious month in decades, not suitable for long journeys. If your cousin has business requiring travel, please postpone it for a while.”

After saying this, Yun Chuxue walked away gracefully.

Watching Yun Chuxue’s retreating figure, Xiao Yan suddenly felt restless.

On the night of the fifth, Xiao Yan still went to the eatery to pick up Alian. Alian had packed a bundle and was waiting there. Xiao Yan knew Alian had no parents—she lived with her uncle and aunt, who didn’t care much about her. He didn’t know what she had told her uncle and aunt. Xiao Yan had previously given Alian two hundred taels of silver to give to her family as betrothal gifts.

Xiao Yan stepped forward and took Alian’s hand—this was their first physical contact. Alian’s hand was somewhat cold, so Xiao Yan breathed on it to warm it.

“Let’s go. The carriage is just ahead.”

But Alian didn’t move; she just looked at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan smiled cheerfully: “What’s wrong? You’re not having second thoughts, are you? It’s too late for second thoughts now.”

Alian shook her head and let Xiao Yan lead her away.

The carriage left Yunyang City and took the official road under the cover of night. Inside the carriage, neither Xiao Yan nor Alian spoke. Xiao Yan was pondering Yun Chuxue’s words from that day, while Alian was probably nervous, having never traveled far before.

So when the carriage suddenly stopped abruptly and arrows shot into the carriage walls, Xiao Yan almost didn’t react in time. But he wasn’t an ordinary weak scholar—he quickly realized he had fallen into an ambush and immediately threw himself down in the carriage with Alian to avoid the hidden arrows.

Xiao Yan had brought only eight personal bodyguards for this elopement, thinking his departure would remain secret since he had made all the preparations himself without involving others. Now, Xiao Yan didn’t want to think carefully about why someone was waiting here to assassinate him.

Xiao Yan lifted the curtain and glanced outside. Under the moonlight, about twenty black-clothed figures were fighting fiercely with his eight bodyguards. His guards were skilled, but their opponents were also formidable. This place was quite far from Yunyang City and rather desolate—aside from their group, no one else passed by, making rescue impossible.

The Xiao family had no cowards. After just one glance outside, Xiao Yan calmly drew his sword and prepared to go out and fight. Just as he was about to leave the carriage, someone grabbed his sleeve.

Xiao Yan looked back at Alian, who was holding his sleeve, and pressed his lips together: “Hide in the carriage.”

But Alian shook her head, desperately pulling at him, tears flowing uncontrollably.