A Conversation with Qian Renxue, Bibi Dong's Past

In the Imperial Garden pavilion, the moon hung high in the sky.

The tea in Qian Renxue's hand had long since gone cold, yet she still held the rim of the cup, her fingertips unconsciously brushing over the smooth porcelain.

Tonight, she had removed her crown and changed into plain sleepwear. Her golden hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and the imperial majesty she wore during the day had faded away, revealing a rare softness and exhaustion.

Lin Chen sat across from her, sharing the silence without taking the initiative to start a conversation. He knew that Qian Renxue had not called him here tonight merely to admire the moon.

Sure enough, after a long silence, Qian Renxue spoke softly. "Lin Chen, do you know? My mother... she has never smiled at me."

Lin Chen did not interrupt and quietly listened as she continued.

"Ever since I could remember, the way she looked at me had always been cold. Like there was a thick layer of ice between us that I could never break through."

Qian Renxue's voice was low, as if she were speaking to herself. "When I was little and practiced my martial soul, I would fall and get hurt all over. Other children had their mothers hold and comfort them. When I went to find her, she stood high above me in the hall, glanced down at me, and only said, 'Get up. Keep practicing.'"

She paused slightly. "Later, I stopped falling. I cultivated desperately and did everything as perfectly as I could, hoping she would notice me. But when I entered the core ranks of Spirit Hall, she did not even offer a word of praise."

She raised her head and looked toward the moonlight. She smiled, but there was no resentment in it, only faint