178: Chapter 178: Wang Dong'er: Sister Xue, how was it last night?

The sun was high, nearing noon, when the warm sunlight finally filtered through the window lattice, awakening those in deep sleep.

Lu Jing slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness waking from a state of deep satisfaction and exhaustion.

The first thing he felt was the warm, soft, and smooth skin within his arm's embrace, along with the unique scent lingering at the tip of his nose—a mixture of the crisp cold of ice and snow and a certain ambiguous, sweet fragrance.

He turned his head slightly, and what came into view was the Snow Empress's stunningly beautiful profile, just inches away, still sleeping peacefully.

Her long, silvery-white hair, like the finest silk, was spread across the pillow, intertwined with his scattered black hair, making it hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

Her long eyelashes, like the wings of an ice butterfly, cast faint shadows beneath her eyelids.

Her sleeping face was serene, lacking a bit of her usual cold detachment, and instead possessing an indescribable gentleness and... attachment.

Her lips, which were usually slightly pursed and had an icy texture, were also more relaxed at this moment.

The corners of her mouth seemed to still retain a faint, barely perceptible curve of satisfaction.

Lu Jing quietly looked at the delicate body in his arms, so perfect it didn't seem mortal. Feeling her steady breathing and warm, soft touch, an unprecedented, strange, and satisfying emotion welled up in his heart.

Before this moment, even he had never imagined that this Snow Empress—who had ruled the Far North Ice Plains for hundreds of thousands of years, possessed heaven-defying cultivation, and was as cold and aloof as the moon in the sky—would one day lie in his arms so docilely and without reservation, becoming his wife.

Fate, or perhaps the trajectory woven by countless choices and coincidences, was truly mysterious and unfathomable.

The scroll of the future appeared even more magnificent and worth anticipating precisely because of these unpredictable accidents and variables.

Just then, the person in his arms seemed to sense his focused gaze; her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her ice-blue eyes, still misty with the haze of waking, were like an ice lake shrouded in morning mist, breathtakingly beautiful.

Her gaze met Lu Jing's smiling eyes, and she was slightly startled at first.

Immediately after, that ice lake seemed to have a red-hot iron rod thrown into it, causing it to ripple violently!

Her flawless, fair cheeks were rapidly dyed with a mesmerizing, luscious flush, visible to the naked eye, which spread all the way to her delicate earlobes and slender neck.

Like a startled fawn, she subconsciously wanted to avoid Lu Jing's gaze, yet she seemed drawn by the tenderness and smile within it.

She just shyly and quickly glanced at him before lowering her eyelids again, her long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a startled butterfly.

That appearance of extreme shyness beneath her usual coldness overlapped with her posture from last night inside the bed curtains—inexperienced yet bravely exploring, yielding and accommodating—making Lu Jing's heart skip a beat faster.

"It... it's getting late... We... we should get up." The Snow Empress's voice carried the slight huskiness of just waking up, along with an inseparable shyness, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, almost inaudible.

Lu Jing looked at her and felt even more affection in his heart.

He knew the Snow Empress was thin-skinned, so he didn't tease her anymore, just nodded with a smile and said gently, "Alright."

The two of them lay quietly in each other's arms for a while longer, feeling this tranquility and tenderness in the morning light.

Then, the Snow Empress struggled slightly, signaling for Lu Jing to let go.

Lu Jing complied and let go, watching her sit up. Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, covering most of the beautiful scenery, yet adding a touch of alluring reticence.

Half an hour later, both of them were ready.

The Snow Empress had changed into a brand-new white dress, simple in style but of excellent quality.

Her silver hair was loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and a few strands of loose hair fell by her cheeks, making her skin look even more like white jade.

She tried hard to maintain her usual cold, ethereal, and otherworldly appearance.

However, the lingering passion at the corners of her eyes and brows, not yet fully dissipated, and the seductive flush that she couldn't hide, faintly lingering on her cheeks and ears, silently told the story of everything that happened last night.

Lu Jing was also dressed neatly in a clean black outfit, which accentuated his tall and upright posture, making him look spirited, though deep in his eyes, there was a trace of post-satisfaction languor.

He reached out and, very naturally, took hold of the Snow Empress's small hand, which was still slightly cool but soft as if it had no bones.

The Snow Empress's hand trembled slightly, but she didn't refuse, letting him hold it. The flush that had just begun to fade quietly climbed back onto her cheeks.

Just like that, hand in hand, they walked out of the room and headed towards the courtyard in the inner residence.

...

In the courtyard, the sunlight was just right.

Beside an old stone table, Qian Renxue, Wang Donger, and Xiao Wu were sitting together, with exquisite tea snacks and clear tea laid out before them, chatting and laughing while drinking tea.

The atmosphere looked relaxed and pleasant.

When Lu Jing and the Snow Empress walked over from the corridor, holding hands, the three of them turned their gazes simultaneously toward them.

When they saw their naturally clasped hands and the charming, not-yet-faded flush on the Snow Empress's face.

In the eyes of Qian Renxue and Wang Donger, a trace of understanding flashed simultaneously, along with a strange mixture of gratification and teasing.

The smiles on their faces became brighter simultaneously, though the meaning behind those smiles was different for each of them.

Xiao Wu blinked her large pink eyes, scanning back and forth between their tightly clasped hands and the Snow Empress's slightly red cheeks, as if trying hard to digest something.

The two walked to the stone table, and Lu Jing naturally pulled out a chair, letting the Snow Empress sit down first before taking his own seat next to her.

Just as he sat down, Wang Donger immediately leaned over, almost stretching half her body across.

Her pair of azure blue eyes were sparkling, flashing with mischief and curiosity.

With a mischievous, bright smile on her face, she leaned towards the Snow Empress, lowered her voice, and teased in a tone that only they could hear, yet was clear enough:

"Snow Empress~ how was it? Last night... was it okay? My Xiao Jing... didn't bully you, right? Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?"

"Boom—!"

Wang Donger's blunt, almost explicit teasing was like throwing a red-hot coal into the Snow Empress's already burning heart!

The last bit of cold composure she had just tried so hard to maintain instantly collapsed!

Her stunningly beautiful face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato, and even her petite earlobes and slender neck were dyed with an alluring shade of pink!

She lowered her head in panic, wishing she could bury her face in the teacup in front of her, her hands unconsciously twisting the corners of her clothes, completely unsure of how to answer.

What could she say? Say that Lu Jing was... very strong last night? Very gentle? That he guided her to experience an extreme pleasure and satisfaction she had never imagined? Or say that although she was inexperienced at first, she... seemed to have learned quite well afterward?