Shared Snow (2)

"Crash—"

As the courtyard gate was opened from within, some of the snow on the eaves trembled loose and fell.

Xu Yuan stared for a moment at the empty space before the inner courtyard gate and the flawless blanket of white snow. He instinctively leaned out and glanced to the side, only to spot the princess in drifting red robes beside the gate.

Li Qingyan stood with her arms folded, leaning against the wall beneath the eaves. Her long, slender lashes were lowered as though she were lost in thought; even the sound of the gate opening had failed to disturb her. The white dusting on her shoulders and hair spoke of how long she had been waiting there in silence.

Xu Yuan slowly stepped outside and brushed the white crystals from her shoulders and hair, asking with a slightly strange expression, "You came so early today. What were you thinking about?"

Li Qingyan slowly raised her eyes. Her slender lashes, too, were touched with picturesque white snow. After watching the man for several breaths, she glanced at the room inside the courtyard and said in a light voice, "Prime Minister Xu and the others are back?"

The inner courtyard's formation sealed off the inside from the outside. With the gate open, the formation was temporarily lifted, and since those inside had not kept their voices down, it was not difficult for someone of Li Qingyan's cultivation to hear them clearly.

Xu Yuan smiled and asked in return, "What, are you still afraid of meeting people even now?"

The familiar tease earned him a roll of Li Qingyan's eyes.

"Prime Minister Xu must have gathered you all for something important. Come take a walk outside with me instead."

Xu Yuan shifted slightly aside to make room for her, gesturing inside