A night passed in the blink of an eye.
After days of gloomy weather mixed with rain and snow, a bright, sunny day had finally arrived.
Warm sunlight streamed through the window lattice, spilling across the face of the handsome young man on the bed. His eyes shone with spirit, and in that light, he looked extraordinarily imposing.
Hong Yuan had passed the test.
He looked down at the young lady nestled in his arms, her cheeks flushed and her features delicate and refined.
Though the skies had cleared, the melting snow made the air colder still. Like a cat afraid of the cold, she curled into a ball and rolled into his arms, her small fists resting against his chest.
She wore a pale green undergarment on her upper body, so thin that the snow-bright skin beneath showed through.
She had worn a dress over it last night, but she was a restless sleeper, and the dress had slipped to the foot of the bed.
Her lower undergarment had somehow slid down to the crook of her knees. Hong Yuan could feel the smooth, tender skin pressed against him. He was hardly surprised; he had learned as much last night.
The young lady was named Ou Shuyao. True to her name, she had the quiet, bookish air of a well-bred daughter.
Hong Yuan was no prude, but he was not about to hit the road the moment they met. Last night, he had merely held her and talked with her.
With his gentle reassurances and careful prompting, her initial panic and shyness had given way to smiling eyes. She could not help opening her heart and telling him many things she had kept to herself.
She came from a branch of the Ou Family. Her parents had died young,