Meanwhile, on the other side.
A flash of cold light and restrained emotion passed through Qian Renxue's eyes, but on the surface, she still maintained that gentle demeanor, chatting and laughing with the people around her in a manner so perfect it was almost flawless.
Perhaps if she kept acting like this, she might really stop being able to tell whether she was Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue...
Qian Renxue smiled bitterly in her heart.
At the same time, from the corner of her eye, she glanced over and happened to land on Shen Hanyu's side.
After a brief moment of daze and amazement, Qian Renxue's heart suddenly sank.
Because Shen Hanyu had shown her a rather strange smile, one that made her tremble from the depths of her heart, as if some secret had been pierced through.
The Snow Emperor also gave Qian Renxue a slight glance before looking away and ignoring her.
It was only at this moment that Qian Renxue noticed the woman standing beside Shen Hanyu, one who was in no way inferior to her, and could even be said to surpass her slightly.
Most men and women harbor a sense of rivalry, just like now, when Qian Renxue saw the Snow Emperor, a deep sense of comparison arose within her, especially intense the moment she saw Shen Hanyu wrap his arm around the Snow Emperor's waist.
Looking at the Snow Emperor's incomparably noble and cold-beautiful face, then at Shen Hanyu beside her with his mild smiling expression, an extreme sense of grievance and dissatisfaction suddenly surged in Qian Renxue's heart.
Why did this woman, who only appeared a few years older than her, seem to live so happily, with a lover by her side, while she herself could only stay in the cold imperial palace dealing with a bunch of old fogeys, burying her prime years here, living in tension day after day for more than ten years, until in the end she no longer even knew what she was doing all this for...
...
Stepping to the side to calm her emotions a little, Qian Renxue once again regained her previous calm appearance. Holding a cup of wine, she walked toward Shen Hanyu and the Snow Emperor.
Shen Hanyu raised an eyebrow slightly. What was this situation? He remembered they had never met Qian Renxue before, yet here she was, taking the initiative to approach them when they hadn't gone to her.
"I've seen Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
Shen Hanyu said softly, the corners of his mouth curving into a slight arc.
Qian Renxue elegantly approached the two with her wine cup, waved her hand lightly, then smiled and asked:
"I see the two of you look unfamiliar. Are you from the Star Luo Empire?"
Shen Hanyu smiled and replied:
"Your Highness is overthinking. My beloved and I are both native-born citizens of the Heaven Dou Empire; we simply rarely show ourselves in public."
Qian Renxue smiled gently and said:
"So that's how it is. May I know how to address you, sir? And this lady..."
Shen Hanyu wrapped his arm around the Snow Emperor's waist and said with a smile:
"Shen Hanyu. My beloved, Snow Emperor."
A trace of doubt appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes. The first name seemed vaguely familiar to her somewhere, while the latter name was almost completely unheard of.
Qian Renxue silently noted down these two names, planning to have her subordinates investigate them thoroughly later. She always felt that Shen Hanyu's earlier smile was off.
As everyone knows, a woman's intuition can be terrifyingly accurate at certain moments.
"So it's Brother Shen and Miss Snow. A pleasure to meet you..."
"Later, if the two honored guests encounter any issues in Heaven Dou City, feel free to come find me. I feel an instant rapport with both of you..."
"Your Highness is too courteous..."
"No need for such formality..."
"Then I must thank Your Highness..."
The two went back and forth in awkward small talk, neither fearing the embarrassment, nor willing to end it first.
Finally, after a moment, Qian Renxue was the one who lost. She waved her hand somewhat dejectedly and said:
"Brother Shen, I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first..."
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, take care..."
Shen Hanyu said the final line with a smile, after which the curve of his lips grew even more pronounced. Trying to out-awkward him, huh? Let's see who can last longer.
Turning back, he found the Snow Emperor staring straight at him.
Shen Hanyu withdrew his smile and asked:
"Xue'er, what's wrong?"
The Snow Emperor let out a soft, cold hum and said word by word:
"It seems you quite enjoy chatting with her..."
Shen Hanyu: "..."
...
After some emergency rescue, Shen Hanyu still managed to perfectly resolve the issue.
As time passed, Shen Hanyu felt that the Snow Emperor was becoming more and more prone to jealousy. At first, she would only turn cold; then she started openly guarding her "food," even showing some rejection toward Shen Liuyu's approach; now the Snow Emperor had learned to express her own opinions.
Before Shen Hanyu could even sigh, a sharp, duck-like voice exploded.
"His Majesty arrives!!!"
Everyone immediately fell silent. With a squad of heavily armored guards forming up at the hall entrance, an old man with white hair and beard slowly walked in.
He wore luxurious, heavy ceremonial robes, his cheeks somewhat sunken, exuding an awe-inspiring pressure even without anger, and holding a staff that clearly looked extremely valuable.
"Greetings, Your Majesty ×n"
"May Your Majesty enjoy eternal life, good health, blessings and longevity, and the enduring vitality of pine and crane ×n."
Almost all the nobles and officials knelt respectfully, while the guests bowed.
Yet remarkably, the greeting phrases were shouted in perfect unison and coordination, which surprised Shen Hanyu slightly.
Of course, neither he nor the Snow Emperor would bow or anything, and no one noticed them anyway.
Xue Ye, now in his sixties or seventies, looked as decrepit as someone in their eighties or nineties. If not for the fact that he was at least a Soul King-level spirit master, the Heaven Dou Empire would probably have already fallen into the hands of Spirit Hall.
Xue Ye gave a faint smile, raised his hand to indicate everyone could rise, and said to Xue Qinghe beside him:
"Qinghe, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Yes, Father Emperor, rest assured..."
Qian Renxue nodded respectfully, showing not a single flaw. After all, she had done this sort of thing no fewer than eight hundred times if not a thousand.
Xue Ye then walked toward the area where many academy and sect personnel were gathered, his steps still carrying some imperial majesty.
"My friends, it has been several years. How have you all been?"
Xue Ye forced a smile and said.
He recognized many faces here; they were almost all old acquaintances.
Everyone stepped forward to respond, and for a moment it became as noisy as a marketplace.
Xue Ye could only return smiles, occasionally giving brief replies. This scene had continued for several years now; his energy was growing worse, and many things were beyond his strength. He had to let the Crown Prince handle them. As a result, he rarely had chances to talk with these old friends who were also old rivals.
An emperor stands high and is honored, yet is also pitiable. For the sake of a nation, they sacrifice much, but in the end, they still succumb to the passage of time.
Finally managing to extricate himself from the crowd, Xue Ye was already somewhat out of breath. The maid beside him hurried forward to support him, only to be gently pushed away by Xue Ye.
"Several esteemed deans, it has been more than ten years since we last met, hasn't it?"
Xue Ye looked at the four great academy deans led by Shui Ningbing with a complicated expression.
"Yes, Your Majesty... in the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed."
Huo Yun and Feng Lin also said with some emotion.
They had seen the young Xue Ye, full of vigor and ambition as a young emperor. Back then, they were merely outstanding youths in the academies; now, one side was an aged emperor, while the other was in the prime of middle age—the difference was stark.
Lei Bao also sighed and said:
"Your Majesty, we're all getting old..."
A trace of reminiscence appeared in Shui Ningbing's eyes, along with a hint of sorrow.
Xue Ye suddenly smiled and said:
"Keep this old man company and chat for a while. Perhaps there will be no more chances to meet in the future..."
Everyone exchanged glances, their voices gradually quieting as they waited in silence...
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