A Loving Couple? Qian Renxue Was Enraged!

As night fell, the imperial palace of the Heaven Dou Empire was already ablaze with light.

Emperor Xue Ye, wishing to demonstrate the importance he placed on Martial Soul Hall, had personally arranged a grand banquet of the highest order.

The sounds of strings and woodwinds echoed incessantly through the great hall, while dozens of graceful dancers twirled across the red carpet in the center.

The long sandalwood tables were laden with rare delicacies and exquisite wines seldom seen anywhere else on the continent.

The sole focus of this banquet was to host Gu Qing, the Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall, who had traveled from afar.

The ministers of the Heaven Dou Empire lined both sides of the hall, each wearing a flattering smile and occasionally raising their wine goblets to toast the seat of honor.

Emperor Xue Ye sat high in the main seat, his face glowing with health as he held a golden cup, clearly in excellent spirits.

As the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe was naturally arranged to sit in the seat of honor closest to Gu Qing.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere of the banquet had reached its peak.

The ministers, their faces flushed with a light tipsiness, whispered and chatted with one another.

Emperor Xue Ye slowly set down his golden goblet and turned his gaze toward Gu Qing, who had been drinking with composure throughout the evening.

"The Holy Son is young and accomplished; truly a rare talent the likes of which the continent has seldom seen."

Hearing the monarch speak, the ministers in the hall immediately ceased their chatter and began to chime in with continuous agreement.

Gu Qing merely swirled the glass cup in his hand, watching the crimson liquid spin within.

"Your Majesty is too kind."

Emperor Xue Ye stroked his graying beard, a hint of gossip suddenly flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He leaned forward slightly, speaking with the tone of an elder concerned for a junior:

"I have heard that the Holy Son has long been betrothed to that exceptionally gifted young lady of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Renxue."

Once these words were spoken, the previously noisy hall became deathly silent.

Everyone pricked up their ears, filled with curiosity about this mysterious young lady of Martial Soul Hall who rarely made an appearance.

The smile on Emperor Xue Ye's face deepened.

"I wonder, how is the relationship between the Holy Son and Miss Qian Renxue?"

Upon hearing this highly sensitive question, Xue Qinghe, sitting to the side, suddenly raised his head.

Those highly penetrating eyes were now fixed firmly on Gu Qing.

His gaze carried an undisguised warning, as if to say that if Gu Qing dared to speak nonsense, he would fight him to the death.

Meeting that warning gaze, Gu Qing's lips curled upward, and a smile quickly spread to his eyes.

He placed the glass cup on the table with deliberate, unhurried movements.

"Since Your Majesty has asked, I shall tell you the truth."

Gu Qing paused intentionally, quite satisfied to see the breathing of the person beside him, Xue Qinghe, become rapid.

"My relationship with her is, naturally, excellent."

Xue Qinghe's fingers tightened around his wine cup until his knuckles turned white.

Ignoring the murderous glare, Gu Qing continued:

"Back at Martial Soul Hall, I affectionately call her Xue'er."

A minister nearby, who was in the middle of drinking, was caught off guard and began to cough violently.

The ministers in the hall looked at one another, their faces filled with astonishment.

That legendary, high-and-mighty pride of heaven from Martial Soul Hall was actually being called "Xue'er" to her face?

Emperor Xue Ye became even more interested, his eyes shining.

"Oh? It seems the Holy Son and Miss Qian Renxue are indeed a perfect match with a deep bond."

Gu Qing crossed his hands and rested them casually on the table, his tone becoming extremely earnest.

"That goes without saying."

"Although Xue'er is strict with others, she is extremely gentle and considerate toward me."

Xue Qinghe's chest began to heave uncontrollably.

It was as if countless flying daggers were being fired wildly from those eyes.

Gu Qing, without a blush or a racing heart, loudly proclaimed the so-called details of their romance to the entire Heaven Dou imperial family.

"In the back garden of the Pope Palace, she often takes a jade comb and combs my hair herself."

"Her touch is as gentle as can be."

"Every night before bed, she insists on coming to my room personally to whisper a soft goodnight before she will leave."

The ministers' jaws were practically hitting the floor.

Was this really the legendary, ruthless, and cold-as-frost successor of Martial Soul Hall?

This was nothing more than a lovesick little woman, hopelessly head over heels!

Gu Qing spoke with increasing enthusiasm, even letting out a long, dramatic sigh for effect.

"Alas, what truly troubles me most is that she is simply too clingy."

"She constantly goes around declaring that she will marry no one but me in this life, and no amount of persuasion works."

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of shattering porcelain rang out abruptly in the quiet grand hall.

The chatter of the crowd came to an immediate, jarring halt.

The gazes of the officials, as if drawn by a magnet, instantly converged on the direction from which the sound originated.

They saw Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, his right hand still suspended in mid-air, holding a wine cup.

That hand was now trembling uncontrollably.

Just a moment ago, the incredibly precious white jade wine cup had been crushed directly into powder.

Crimson wine flowed through his fingers, dripping steadily onto his magnificent python-patterned crown prince robes.

The atmosphere in the grand hall turned extremely bizarre.

Watching Xue Qinghe's face flush a deep red, everyone finally noticed the Crown Prince's slight loss of composure.

This Crown Prince, who usually remained unmoved even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, now had faint veins bulging on his forehead.

Sensing the countless strange gazes cast his way, Xue Qinghe finally snapped back to his senses.

He hurriedly pulled a gold-threaded handkerchief from his sleeve and frantically wiped the wine residue and shards from his hand.

"This Palace... has recently caught a slight cold and is not holding his liquor well; it was merely a slip of the hand."

The officials all put on expressions of sudden realization, turning their heads away in perfect unison to avoid looking any further.

After all, no one dared to provoke the Crown Prince at a time like this.

Emperor Xue Ye watched this scene, a look of extreme amusement appearing on his face.

He found these curious anecdotes about the younger generation quite fascinating.

He turned his gaze back to Gu Qing, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

"But how is it that I have heard that Lady Qian Renxue is a very cold-hearted person?"

Emperor Xue Ye slowly shook his head, his tone revealing clear bewilderment.

"Rumor has it that she shows no favor to any young talent."

"This does not sound at all like the person you just described, Holy Son."

Gu Qing waved his hand dismissively, looking as if it were all a matter of course.

"Your Majesty does not understand the heart of a woman."

"That is merely a facade she uses to ward off the swarms of bees and butterflies."

"Though she may appear unapproachable on the outside, her heart is actually quite fiery."

Xue Qinghe gritted his teeth hard, a faint sound of grinding bone echoing within his mouth.

Gu Qing, however, remained all smiles, his clear, resonant voice echoing through the hall:

"If Your Majesty knew the scene of our first meeting, you would understand."

The appetites of the officials were all thoroughly whetted, each of them wishing they could press their ears closer to hear more.