In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yuan had already been in Qin for three years.

“It’s snowing.”

Zhu Yuan was sitting by the window reading when he looked up and saw small snowflakes falling from the sky. This was a sight he had never seen in ancient Xia. His hometown was always summery, so there was no such thing as snow. Although the winters of the past two years had been cold, there had been no snow. This was the first time he had seen snow since arriving in Qin.

I remember how unfamiliar I was with the other protons in the beginning. And Zhou Yuan was the quiet type, spending his days in the house with his wolfhound and snake. Over time, the lack of interaction gradually created a rift.

Which of the protons sent here was honest and obedient? Zhou Yuan needed medication year-round for health reasons, and Anian frequently went to the Imperial Pharmacy to get him medicine. Whenever he was alone, she'd always go up and bully him. Xiaobai was a protective dog, but he'd never bit anyone since he was a kid, so he just used his ferocious appearance to intimidate them. Initially, he managed to scare them, but then a bolder proton realized the wolfhound didn't dare bite and turned aggressive, picking on the sickly little prince and bullying him.

Qin Zheng was there too, he saw it by chance.

He and his brothers were flying kites when they heard a quarrel and came to check. When he opened the door, he saw Xiaobai, furious, biting the person who had bullied Zhou Yuan. He was so ferocious that if he had pulled too hard, the person's arm would have been broken.

Seeing this, Qin Zheng quickly picked up his wooden sword and hit it.

Xiaobai let go in pain, still glaring at them viciously.

"Xiaobai." Zhou Yuan said. He was in a very bad state. He stood up from the ground and brushed off the dirt on his body. He walked forward and touched the wolfhound's head, telling it not to be afraid. "Good boy, don't be afraid."

The person who was bitten was obviously scared. He cried and said he would write a letter to his parents at home and report to the emperor to punish him.

Zhu Yuan stood there, calming Bai Lang down. He waited until Bai Lang was alright before saying, "Please go ahead." He then turned and took Xiao Bai and the little snake back to the house. Just two words, nothing more.

When the emperor learned of the incident, he summoned them. Besides himself and the man who had been bitten, there were many others at court, including Qin Zheng. The emperor began to inquire about the incident, and the man who had been bitten evaded the main point. Zhou Yuan interrupted him and explained the whole story. The country he lived in was harmless, and he could afford to offend.

The man was obviously frightened and began to speak without thinking. In comparison, Zhou Yuan was much calmer, and his words left the man at a loss for words. In the end, he had no choice but to cry and tell the emperor about his arm injury.

The emperor obviously knew the whole story. Just as he was about to end it, he suddenly remembered what Zhou Yuan had said, "I already know. I will arrange for servants to take care of the young master of Gu State later. But, Zhou Yuan, you told me that this beast will not bite."

Zhou Yuan remained kneeling respectfully. He had heard from Xinzi that his second brother had been a bit overactive recently. Since they were on good terms with the Qin State, they should be honest and dutiful. The Qin State would not tolerate any other country making small moves under its nose.

This just happened to touch the Qin Emperor's sore spot. He just wanted an outlet to vent his anger.

"Your Majesty, I'm not lying to you. Xiaobai really doesn't bite." He said carefully, "Xiaobai is a spiritual being, as you know. I believe Xiaobai was too frightened. Initially, he hid behind me, but only bit Master Gu when he saw me being bullied. This vicious dog is so protective of his master. Please, Your Majesty, spare Xiaobai. I promise Your Majesty, this kind of situation will never happen again."

The emperor nodded, "I understand, but this evil creature must be punished, otherwise I will not be able to explain to the Gu Kingdom."

Why should a great country be accountable for the results? It's just a matter of disagreement.

Zhu Yuan raised his head and looked at the emperor with a firm gaze. "Your Majesty, you know that wolfhounds hold a very high status in Gu Xia. You have also helped Gu Xia. In the eyes of the Gu Xia people, your status is equal to that of a god. Wolfhounds and snakes are the patron saints of Gu Xia. Animals with spiritual powers are gods. The punishment is small, but I am afraid that the guardian gods will not know the truth and blame Qin."

The emperor slammed the table in anger, "What a joke! I'm afraid of your Guxia God?"

"Of course, Guxia's guardian deity can't harm your Majesty!" Zhou Yuan hurriedly explained, "As a minister, I tend to overthink things, so I'll consider the pros and cons. I have no intention of exonerating the evil dog. As the saying goes, a father's fault lies with his children's misdiscipline. Xiaobai has been with me since he was a child, and I'm willing to take the punishment for the evil dog."

Now it was the emperor's turn to ponder. He knew the Guxia believed in wolves, dogs, and snakes, but he had no idea they would defend them so strongly. He didn't bother to think about it, so he simply gave them a hasty verdict and dismissed them.

Qin Zheng came here regularly from then on. He was genuinely curious about how a man could be willing to endure twenty lashes for a wolf. The punishment wasn't severe; a normal person would have just rested for a few days, but this delicate little prince had been bedridden for a month.

He was punished for his condition? Fortunately, the punishment was light, or it would have cost him his life.

Zhu Yuan tried to stop him at first, but couldn't. This little prince was very willful, and the more he was told not to do something, the more he would do it. He wouldn't listen to me anyway, so he just let him do what he wanted.

Three years have passed since we got together...

Qin Zheng got off the couch and sat on his desk, pushing open another window. He reached out and caught a few snowflakes, then placed them on Zhou Yuan's face. He felt the cold touch on his face, and frowned, avoiding it. Qin Zheng pinched his face with both hands and laughed, "Come on, I'll take you to see the snow."

Zhu Yuan slapped his hand away. The last time he caught a cold and had a fever, it took him ten whole days to recover. The imperial physician had told him to avoid the cold wind and avoid catching a cold. Being sick was not pleasant, and he didn't want to experience it again. "No, it's cold."

"Go, go!" Qin Zheng took out his cloak and put it on him, wrapping him up tightly and even gave him a hand warmer. "I know you've never seen snow before. You want to go but you're afraid of getting sick. Just wrap yourself up tightly. Look, Xiaobai wants to go too! It's a pity the little snake is hibernating, otherwise we could take him along too."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!