Xue Yunlan looked at Xue Qinghe, who was bowing before her, and spoke calmly:
"Since the Crown Prince did it for his younger sister, it is understandable."
As she spoke,
Xue Yunlan slowly walked toward an exquisite mural nearby.
With every step she took, Xue Qinghe's heart grew heavier, his breathing nearly stopped, and an intense suffocating sensation swept over him.
Could it be...
Had this woman discovered something?
Xue Yunlan stopped before the mural and regarded it with an appreciative gaze.
She said lightly:
"Why has the princess stopped playing?"
"To admire a beautiful painting, one naturally needs elegant music to accompany it."
"Y-Yes!"
A hint of panic appeared on Xue Ke's face. Seated before the harp, she slowly plucked the strings, and soft, melodious notes flowed forth.
"The snowy owl in this mural is quite vividly painted."
She suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a trace of amusement.
Xue Qinghe abruptly raised his head, his pupils contracting slightly.
The mural clearly depicted Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix. Where was there a snowy owl?
The music went slightly off-key at that moment.
Xue Yunlan lightly brushed her fingertips over an inconspicuous scratch on the mural. Its shape did indeed closely resemble a snowy owl spreading its wings.
"Legend has it that snowy owls can see through any disguise amidst a blizzard."
Xue Yunlan's gaze stabbed toward him like icy awls.
"Does the Crown Prince think this legend is believable?"
Cold sweat instantly soaked Xue Qinghe's back.
He forced a flawless smile, though his voice was half a note deeper than usual.
"This... Qinghe is poorly informed. I have never seen a snowy owl with my own eyes, so I dare not judge whether the legend is true."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Xue Yunlan slowly turned around.
Her eyes,