The next morning, the sunlight was just right, coating the courtyard of Dugu Manor in a layer of warm gold.
A carriage that was not lavishly decorated but still exuded the majesty of royalty stopped outside the manor gates.
The curtain was lifted, and "Xue Qinghe," dressed in the Crown Prince's usual attire, slowly stepped down. She still wore that gentle, refined expression and carried herself with perfect decorum.
She followed the attendants' lead to the main hall.
She held an exquisite jade box in her hands and smiled at Jiang Zhen and Dugu Bo, who had received the report and were waiting in the hall.
"Your Excellencies, forgive me for calling without notice. The palace recently received some 'Snow Peak Soul Mist Tea' that was tributed from the provinces. It is said to be somewhat beneficial for calming the mind and gently nourishing Soul Power."
"I thought Your Excellency might like it, so I brought some over as a small token of appreciation."
The reason was lofty and impeccable.
Jiang Zhen naturally understood that this was merely an excuse. He accepted the jade box, his fingertips brushing against Qian Renxue's hand for an instant by accident. He could feel her tremble almost imperceptibly.
The smile on his face did not change, and his tone held just the right amount of courtesy, along with a trace of barely detectable intimacy. "His Highness the Crown Prince was very thoughtful. Such a generous gift would be rude to refuse. Please, come in."
Ice Empress merely cast a faint glance over before continuing to toy with her ice-blue fingernails. Lan Xi still wore that same gentle, quiet expression.
Dugu Yan studied the young Crown Prince curiously. She could not shake the feeling that the way he looked at Jiang Zhen today was somewhat