As the year draws to a close, today is another day of heavy snowfall. Large, fluffy snowflakes drift down from the dim sky, and in the blink of an eye, the entire Northern You Kingdom is covered in white, making it impossible to tell whether it is morning or evening.

At this moment, Feng Jin was hiding in her room to avoid the cold. There was a stove for heating in the room, so she didn't feel the slightest bit cold. She leaned close to the window frame and looked at the snowy scenery outside, as if it were a world apart from her own.

In the vast expanse of snow before her, a purple figure gradually appeared. Upon closer inspection, she recognized her as Su Ruan.

Seeing Su Ruan getting closer and closer to Fuxi Courtyard, Feng Jin hurriedly ran to the door to greet her. Before she could even speak, Su Ruan interrupted her, saying, "The weather has been so unpredictable lately. I haven't been out much since I came here. I was thinking of coming here to relax, sister. I hope you won't mind?"

With a smile on her face, Feng Jin invited Su Ruan inside while exchanging pleasantries, saying, "Princess, you are too kind. We sisters should visit each other more often. Besides, I'm quite bored staying in the room alone. It's good to have someone to keep me company."

Holding Feng Jin's hands warmly, Su Ruan smiled, her cherry lips curving upwards like a blooming white lotus: "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. I'll have to come here often to relieve my boredom. I hope you won't find it troublesome."

She gazed out the window at the vast expanse of white snow, lost in thought amidst the white expanse before her. After a long silence, she suddenly changed the subject: "I've heard that in Jianglan Kingdom, the princess's beauty is renowned, capable of captivating a nation. Princes and nobles from various kingdoms have long admired you. Both your beauty and your status are things many would rather die for. Yet why did you choose to marry Mu Beichen, even... as a concubine? Don't you feel you've wronged yourself?"

Su Ruan also looked out the window with her and sighed, "The marriage of royal children is never their own choice. Although I am a princess of a country, I was born with a mission, and this time I was sent to the Northern You Kingdom for a political marriage. It was decided by my father, mother and ministers... Since I was born, while I have enjoyed a life of luxury that ordinary people cannot imagine, there are also many things that are beyond my control. Perhaps this is the greatest tragedy of royal children."

Feng Jin stared intently at Su Ruan's slowly changing expression. She frowned, and her face quickly darkened. After a slight hesitation, she said slowly, "I never imagined that those royal nobles who live in the admiration of others, who always seem so glamorous on the surface, are actually more likely to have things not go their way."

As the conversation began and ended, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Throughout history, royal wars have never ceased, and those who are drawn into them never meet a good end. Yu Changxiao, once the General Who Guards the North of the Northern You Dynasty, held a pivotal position in the court. He was supposed to be entrusted by the late emperor to assist Mu Qiye, but due to a moment of negligence, he was accused of treason by the Regent's faction.

The reason is simple: Yu Changxiao's influence was too great, hindering his nemesis Mu Feiyu's path to seizing the throne. Therefore, he had to die.

Just then, Mu Beichen returned from court. Upon arriving at his residence, he headed straight for Fuxi Courtyard. However, the moment he pushed open the door, he immediately noticed Su Ruan's presence and froze in surprise, exclaiming, "Su Ruan? What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Jin and Su Ruan turned their heads simultaneously, all their gazes falling on Mu Beichen.

Taking advantage of their silence, Su Ruan immediately walked over to Mu Beichen, raised her beautiful eyebrows slightly, and said with a smile, "I'm new here, so I've come to ask you for advice on how to serve the prince."

Immediately afterwards, Mu Beichen smiled slightly out of politeness: "I have been busy with official duties lately and have not had time to visit you. It is kind of you to have such a thought."

"That's enough from the prince."

Su Ruan gazed intently up at him, her captivating phoenix eyes suddenly welling with tears. She pursed her red lips and whispered, "I came all the way from Jianglan Kingdom to marry into Beiyou Kingdom, not for any other reason than for Your Highness. I don't ask that Your Highness favor only me; I only hope that no matter when or where, Your Highness will always think of me..."

Unbeknownst to her, Su Ruan's words had completely changed their tone; every sentence, every word, was an expression of her grievances.

"..."

At this moment, Feng Jin felt that as the mistress of the house, she was more like a superfluous third party, unable to get a word in edgewise from beginning to end.

Just as Mu Beichen was about to continue speaking to comfort Su Ruan, he looked up and was suddenly met with her eyes blazing with anger. He was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Feng Jin gave Mu Beichen a wink, then forced a smile and said stiffly, "It's getting late, Achen, why don't we see the princess off?"

Su Ruan understood the unspoken meaning behind Feng Jin's words; it was clearly an order to leave. She smiled sweetly, carefully listening to the footsteps behind her, and walked out of Fuxi Courtyard at a leisurely pace.

To her utter surprise, Mu Beichen actually escorted Su Ruan away! She stared at their departing figures, then stood there gritting her teeth and stamping her feet. Turning around, she angrily returned to her room.

He escorted Su Ruan back to Ningxiang Pavilion. No matter how much she tried to persuade him to stay, he refused. Even though he could tell Su Ruan was unhappy, he showed no intention of changing his mind. He knew that Fuxi Courtyard was more important. If he dared to stay overnight there, his little princess would definitely make him suffer.

Thinking of this, he immediately returned to Fuxi Courtyard by the same route, but by then, the gate of Fuxi Courtyard was already tightly closed. He called out outside the door for a long time before finally hearing a voice from inside: "Get out! Get away from me, I don't want to see you!"

"..."

Upon hearing that sudden angry shout, Mu Beichen was immediately speechless. He had no idea what he had done wrong. He had only followed her instructions to send Su Ruan back. How could he have offended both sides in the blink of an eye?

Since the morning court session, he had only intended to go to Fuxi Courtyard to see her, but now that he had been standing in the wind and snow for so long, he was hungry and cold and had no interest in making her happy anymore, so he simply turned around and left.