In the days after returning to Heaven Dou City, life seemed to have returned to its old rhythm, peaceful with a touch of ease.
Jiang Zhen spent most of his time at Dugu Manor, enjoying his leisurely days.
He and the Ice Empress were often inseparable. Sometimes they played around in the courtyard; other times, they embraced atop the roof and watched the stars. Beneath the Ice Empress's cold and stunning exterior, the sweetness and dependence she hid were laid bare before him.
Jiang Zhen was more than happy to enjoy this unique tenderness. Every now and then, he would tease the Snow Empress, who was as cool and aloof as snow, finding a special sort of amusement in the fleeting embarrassment or helplessness that flashed through her ice-blue eyes.
As for Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, her trip to Spirit Hall had made it appear to outsiders that she got along "harmoniously" with the newly ascended "Taiyi Douluo" and had even returned to Heaven Dou together with him. This invisibly boosted her reputation both inside and outside the Heaven Dou Empire's court.
Xue Ye was quite pleased with this and even specifically rewarded her, allowing her infiltration plan to proceed even more smoothly.
That day, the sun was shining brightly, and Jiang Zhen was just about to take the Ice Empress out for a stroll.
The moment he reached the manor gates, he ran straight into Dugu Yan, who was returning from outside in a fury.
Her pretty little face was flushed red, and anger burned in her emerald eyes.
She kept muttering under her breath, "What kind of bullshit Grandmaster is that? And what crappy Shrek Academy? A bunch of country bumpkins who crawled out of who-knows-what backwater village, and they really think they're somebody!"
"The Imperial