At this moment, Xue Ye spoke with imposing authority:
"Qinghe, Zichang, Spirit Hall's Holy Son's entourage will soon arrive in Heaven Dou City."
"I order the two of you to go at once and receive the Holy Son on behalf of the imperial family at Heaven Dou Hall. Do not show the slightest neglect."
"Yes, Father!"
Qian Renxue and the Second Prince, Xue Zichang, stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Immediately afterward, Xue Zichang was the first to leave Heaven Dou Hall, completely ignoring Qian Renxue behind him. The surrounding civil and military officials looked at their noses, then their hearts, all pretending they had seen nothing.
A flash of killing intent passed through Qian Renxue's eyes before she swiftly concealed it and followed him out of Heaven Dou Hall. An unconscious smile of delight appeared on her lips as an incomparably handsome face surfaced in her mind...
At this time, outside Heaven Dou City.
A large number of royal guards stood parted on either side.
Two extraordinary princes stood ahead.
One had short pale-gold hair and wore luxurious gold-trimmed brocade robes. With his hands clasped behind his back, he appeared dignified without losing his air of warmth.
The other wore equally luxurious gold-trimmed brocade robes, but his brows carried a defiant arrogance. His gaze was lofty, and he looked utterly superior.
At this moment, Xue Zichang gazed into the distance and spoke in a teasing tone:
"Brother, I heard that Spirit Hall's Holy Son has come to our Heaven Dou Empire this time to strengthen relations between our two sides. What do you think of that?"
Qian Renxue gave him an indifferent glance and replied coldly:
"His visit represents the Spirit Hall behind him. I would not dare make reckless guesses..."
Before she could finish, however, Xue Zichang cut her off with a sneer:
"Enough, Brother. Put away those high-sounding words of yours."
"It was one thing for you to flatter Father all day, but now that it is only the two of us, are you still trying to disgust me?"
"If you ask me, Spirit Hall must have ulterior motives in sending someone here this time!"
Killing intent surged in Qian Renxue's eyes. With a light snort, she concealed it, having already marked Xue Zichang as the first prince she would eliminate!
About ten minutes later, Spirit Hall's grand procession approached from afar, and Xue Zichang narrowed his eyes slightly.
A faint smile curled Qian Renxue's lips, while tenderness flashed through her beautiful eyes...
After a long while, the procession drew near.
A magnificent carriage stopped. Its curtain was lifted, and a handsome man dressed in white, like an immortal cast down from the heavens, stepped out.
The instant he appeared, he became the focus of the entire scene. Even the Second Prince, Xue Zichang, revealed an envious expression.
"I am the First Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe. Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son."
"By His Majesty's command, I have come to escort Your Highness the Holy Son to Heaven Dou Hall to have an audience with His Majesty!"
Standing before the man she loved, Qian Renxue suppressed the longing she had endured over the past year and spoke with a calm smile.
Jin Lingfeng looked at the man standing before him, a strange glint passing through his eyes. He quickly activated the third skill of the Demon Crocodile Head Spirit Bone: Demon Crocodile Heel Pupil.
Within his eyes, Qian Renxue's true appearance emerged. After not seeing her for a year, the young girl had grown even more beautiful, delicate and radiant.
Endless joy instantly flowed into Jin Lingfeng's eyes. He hurriedly returned the greeting with a smile:
"I am Spirit Hall's Holy Son, Jin Lingfeng. Greetings, Your Highness the First Prince. Thank you for waiting here to receive me."
At the side, Xue Zichang froze slightly. He had just discovered something extraordinary: the way this Spirit Hall Holy Son looked at Xue Qinghe was exceptionally gentle!
Just like the way a man looked at a woman he liked!
Then he looked at Xue Qinghe. Although she appeared perfectly normal on the surface, the smile on her lips also seemed rather excited!
Could it be... love at first sight? A taste for men?
At that thought, Xue Zichang inexplicably shuddered, then became wildly excited. If he could confirm that Xue Qinghe liked men, she would certainly lose her qualifications to compete for the position of Crown Prince!
He quickly put on a smile, stepped forward to greet Jin Lingfeng, and said with a smile:
"Greetings, Holy Son. I am the Second Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Zichang."
"I, too, have come under His Majesty's orders to escort Your Highness the Holy Son to Heaven Dou Hall."
Jin Lingfeng noticed the flash of killing intent in the eyes of the girl he loved, Qian Renxue, and immediately classified the fellow before him as an enemy.
Yet he still returned the greeting politely on the surface:
"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness the Second Prince. Let us be on our way to Heaven Dou Hall."
Xue Zichang's expression turned serious as he said:
"Your Highness the Holy Son, please forgive me."
"The Heaven Dou Empire has a strict decree: whenever people from the Star Luo Empire or Spirit Hall arrive, their accompanying entourage and carriages are forbidden from entering Heaven Dou City."
"Why not ride in my carriage and head to Heaven Dou Hall with me?"
"Or you may ride in my brother's carriage."
As Xue Zichang spoke, he pointed toward the two carriages on either side.
Qian Renxue's expression turned slightly cold. Xue Zichang was arrogant and cunning. He had just been hostile and rejecting toward Jin Lingfeng, so there was no way he would want to share a carriage with him.
That left only one possibility: he must have noticed something and deliberately said this so that she and Jin Lingfeng would ride together!
Qian Renxue was inwardly shocked. Just as she was about to tell Jin Lingfeng to take Xue Zichang's carriage, Jin Lingfeng beat her to it with a smile:
"Since the Heaven Dou Empire has such a rule, it must be observed. Then I shall share a carriage with His Highness the First Prince."
At that moment, both Xue Zichang and Jin Lingfeng turned to look at Qian Renxue. She could only smile and make an inviting gesture.
"Your Highness the Holy Son, please."
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Jin Lingfeng and Qian Renxue entered the carriage one after the other. The exquisite curtain fell, and the carriage slowly headed toward Heaven Dou Hall.
Behind them, endless coldness surfaced in Xue Zichang's eyes. He gave the departing carriage a deep look, quickly boarded his own carriage, and ordered his men to follow.
On the other side, inside Qian Renxue's carriage, Jin Lingfeng looked at Qian Renxue, whose appearance had returned to normal, in his arms and kissed her excitedly.
Though Qian Renxue was nervous and uneasy, she could not withstand the man's blazing passion. She could only close her eyes shyly and let him have his way.
As they released the longing and tenderness they had suppressed for a year, the atmosphere inside the carriage became ambiguous, and even the air seemed infused with sweetness...
After a long while, inside the carriage.
Qian Renxue's eyes brimmed with springtime tenderness as she shot the rogue an annoyed glare.
Their eyes met, their affection lingering endlessly. In each other's eyes, there was no one left but the other.
The young girl's heart was incomparably sweet. After being apart for a year, the young man's love for her had clearly not diminished.
At this moment, Jin Lingfeng asked in a deep voice:
"Xue'er, how are things for you in the palace now?"
"Tell me everything in detail so I can find a way to help you."
Helplessness flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes as she slowly said:
"Lingfeng, Xue Ye has always been wary of me."
"Among the other three princes, aside from the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng..."
"The Second Prince, Xue Zichang, and the Third Prince, Xue Ying, are both formidable enemies."
"Most importantly, a Poison Douluo is stationed within the palace."
"He is exceptionally skilled with poison. Trying to poison several princes under his watch without being discovered is simply as difficult as reaching the heavens..."
Looking at the exhausted girl, Jin Lingfeng felt deeply distressed. He could not imagine how much grievance she had endured while hiding in the palace over the past year.
"Xue'er, I have a way to deal with the Poison Douluo. Don't worry."
"Look at you. The pressure this past year must have been immense, right?"
"Your skin isn't even as good as it was a year ago. It pains me to see it."
He stretched out his arm, pulled the beauty's delicate body into his embrace, and spoke tender words of love.
Qian Renxue rested her head against the chest of the man she loved, listening to his strong heartbeat. A happy smile lifted her soft lips.
Yet she still pouted and pretended to be displeased as she said resentfully:
"Fine, Lingfeng. You actually dared to say my skin isn't as good as before."
"You're sick of me! You don't love me anymore!"
"You bastard, you heartless scoundrel!"
But the moment those words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Qian Renxue did not want to be like this, but with her proud and spoiled nature, she simply could not restrain herself.
Ever since she fell in love with Jin Lingfeng, she had become overly sensitive, afraid that she might upset the man she loved...
However, when Qian Renxue cautiously raised her head, she found Jin Lingfeng gazing at her with tender affection.
A heartfelt smile appeared on his lips as he took her jade-like hand and said deeply:
"Xue'er, you are still the same as you were a year ago."
"I like watching you act spoiled around me and listening to you chatter in my ear."
"If one day you became exceptionally gentle, I definitely would not be able to get used to it."
The young man's heartfelt words entered the girl's ears, making her cheeks flush as she was deeply moved.
This feeling of being cherished, loved, and accepted was truly wonderful. Qian Renxue swore that she would stay with the man before her for the rest of her life, never leaving him nor abandoning him.
Still, though her heart was full of sweetness and happiness, she gave a proud little snort and said:
"Hmph, you make it sound nice, but I won't believe you!"
"If men were reliable, sows could climb trees!"
"Better to believe a man has evil intentions than to believe anything that comes out of his mouth!"
Jin Lingfeng smiled bitterly. After a year apart, the girl he loved had become even sharper-tongued, but he still liked her.
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