The woman riding the white horse slowly emerged from behind the veil. Her figure was graceful, her face hidden beneath a veiled hat, yet she shone like a bright pearl or flawless white jade.*
The crowd strained their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of her.
The Crown Prince, mesmerized, rose to his feet and rode forward, hoping to speak with the beauty.
One woman sneered, “Does she really think she’s some kind of celestial beauty? She doesn’t even dare show her face. How pretentious, it’s disgusting.”
As soon as she spoke, others quickly echoed their agreement.
Like a tall tree catching the wind*, beauties such as Princess Ling Yun, adored by many and pursued fervently by countless men, are bound to provoke jealousy. Her cold and untouchable demeanor only made her more disliked by the other women, who saw her as hypocritically aloof.
But Su Baiyue paid no mind to these remarks. Her focus was entirely on Lu An.
The thin veil of her hat did nothing to block her view; Su Baiyue could clearly see the slender yet tall figure of the young man in front of her. Soon, this seemingly frail body would step onto the battlefield, where he would transform into a true man, hardened by war, before returning victorious and rising to the heights of power.
And all of this would be set in motion by Su Baiyue’s actions. Only by following the plot and thoroughly humiliating Lu An, would this male protagonist fight with all his might to carve out an empire, setting him on the path to greatness.
Lu An was keenly perceptive, so Su Baiyue dared not stare directly at him. Instead, she stole a few fleeting glances, wondering how she could naturally deliver the third whip.
She recalled that Princess Ling Yun delivered the third whip out of frustration, after being provoked by another princess who mocked her frailty. Proud and high-spirited, Princess Ling Yun had attempted to race across the track but accidentally fell from her horse. Lu An had caught her just in time.
However, Princess Ling Yun, with her distaste for anything dirty*, would rather have fallen onto the silk-covered ground than be touched by a lowly stable boy.
In her anger, she had lashed Lu An across the face with the third whip.
The original novel described this third whip in vivid detail, the mark stretching from the male lead’s left temple down to the corner of his right lip, a long, deep line that seemed as though it would tear his face apart. Though the scar later faded to near invisibility, Su Baiyue still felt a heavy sense of responsibility.
After all, the male lead was extraordinarily handsome, and she was hesitant to strike him. Moreover, she doubted her ability to execute such a precise strike without causing serious harm.
Su Baiyue gripped the whip tightly, her nerves mounting.
She mentally rehearsed several times how to strike without truly injuring him. If she accidentally blinded Lu An, the entire plot would unravel.
“Princess Ling Yun,” a male voice suddenly called from the side.
Startled, Su Baiyue turned her head to look. Before she could clearly see who had spoken, she felt herself losing balance and tumbling from the horse.
Su Baiyue: !!! This wasn’t in the script!
The delicate woman fell lightly from the horse, her wide sleeves billowing like a blooming orchid.* The cool wind blew away her veil, revealing Su Baiyue’s pale, almost translucent face, which appeared even more like flawless jade in the soft sunlight.*
Lu An reacted swiftly, catching her in his arms.
The woman in his arms was as light as a cloud, her body soft and delicate. Her normally calm eyes now shimmered with unshed tears, betraying her panic. Her slightly parted lips were as vibrant as flowers, and the jade bracelet on her wrist had slipped to her elbow, revealing a snow-white arm. Her slender fingers clutched tightly at Lu An’s clothes, like a frightened kitten.
“Princess Ling Yun!” The Crown Prince hurriedly dismounted and rushed over.
Startled by his shout, Su Baiyue quickly pushed Lu An away and, in the same motion, swung the whip.
With a sharp “crack,” the whip struck Lu An, but the blow landed in an awkward spot.
The Crown Prince stood frozen, shocked by Su Baiyue’s action.
The stable boy, dressed in his servant’s garb, stood there dazed, his arms still outstretched. The blow had torn a small hole in his robe, exposing the faded undergarments beneath.
“Look at that stable boy—so skinny, but who knew he was so well-built?” one of the more mischievous princesses teased, covering her mouth.
Lu An hesitated only briefly before dropping to his knees to beg for forgiveness. He knelt earnestly, his forehead brushing Su Baiyue’s embroidered shoes as he bowed sincerely.
Big brother, is your little brother okay?
Su Baiyue fought to maintain her cold, aloof persona. Just as she was considering whether to strike another blow, the atmosphere seemed to still around her.
The woman standing on the white silk floor, with her glossy black hair cascading like a waterfall and her smooth, jade-like skin, appeared as though she had descended from the heavens.* Dressed in white, her slender frame and delicate features radiated an ethereal beauty that could move anyone.
The Crown Prince, watching as Su Baiyue slowly turned her face toward him, forgot to breathe.
The legendary jade beauty was so captivating that one couldn’t help but feel reverence. Yet, at the same time, her sweet and cold demeanor was irresistibly alluring.*
“Princess!” Su Baiyue’s head maid, Jing Wen, was the first to react. She rushed forward and draped a large cloak over Su Baiyue, covering her with a hood lined with white tiger fur.
The thick fur made Su Baiyue’s already pale skin appear even more cold and pure. Her lips, peeking out from the fur, looked like a red plum blossom nestled in the snow, exuding an enticing charm.
Though Su Baiyue’s face remained cold and calm, inside, she was panicking.
What if she accidentally ruined the male lead?
Panicked, Su Baiyue was desperate to leave. She threw the whip to the ground and turned to walk away.
Since the whip was stained with blood, it was only natural that the highborn Princess Ling Yun would no longer want it.
As everyone’s eyes remained fixed on Su Baiyue, Lu An quietly bent forward, pressing the blood-stained whip against his chest.
The whip was made of fine materials, soft and delicate, and the handle still carried a faint fragrance. Curled up on the white silk, Lu An inhaled deeply. The cold wind filled his lungs with her faint, cool scent, sending shivers through his entire body.
…
Lu An, born lowly, had clawed his way out of the mud, living like a wild dog in the shadows.
His dilapidated home, with its walls full of holes, was even worse than the nearby horse stables. Yet, Lu An cherished it because it was near the highest outer wall of the Weinan palace. By climbing atop the wall, he could catch glimpses of the small garden not far away.
Princess Ling Yun, so cold and untouched by the world, loved that small garden. She often came to swing beneath the trees.*
The woman in white, with her long robes and simple white embroidered shoes, stood with her black hair cascading like a waterfall, blowing in the wind. Her noble and pale face shone in the cold sunlight, as if she were transparent, glowing with a jade-like luster.*
Lu An lay on top of the wall, breathing heavily. His hands clenched the stone beneath him as his eyes stayed locked on Su Baiyue. His body burned hot, and the heat surged painfully to one point, almost unbearable.
Su Baiyue, sitting on the swing, tilted her head back, basking in the cold sunlight, momentarily relaxed.
After maintaining this aloof, ethereal fairy-like persona* for so long, Su Baiyue felt she could barely tolerate it anymore. Unfortunately, her maid Jing Wen stood dutifully at the garden’s entrance, leaving her alone with only flowers and rocks.
Thankfully, she had managed to sneak a piece of cake from her mother’s room while Jing Wen wasn’t looking.
Ah, it was pure heaven!
After starving for so long, Su Baiyue finally tasted something with the richness of the human world and was nearly moved to tears, completely unaware that someone was watching her.
Her small, cherry-red mouth gently bit into the soft lotus cake, revealing her white teeth as she took a delicate bite. Even the crumbs that landed on her fingers didn’t escape her attention, as she carefully licked them clean, leaving behind only a faint trace of moisture. Her slender fingers held the lotus cake, their paleness contrasting beautifully with the pink of the cake, making them look even more delicious.
No matter how much she savored the small piece of lotus cake, it was eventually finished.
Su Baiyue carefully brushed the crumbs from her clothes, swaying lightly on the swing as she remembered the events of a few days ago.
The plot had progressed smoothly, and she hoped the male lead hadn’t been permanently damaged by her whip. After all, as the male lead, he couldn’t be that fragile.
Reassuring herself with this thought, Su Baiyue noticed that it was getting late. She lifted her skirt and left the garden.
In the corner of the wall, Lu An, his pale face flushed, clutched his waistband tightly and slowly curled up against the wall.
…
The weather grew colder, and during the plotless days, Su Baiyue lazed around indoors. Other than the lack of food, she had little to worry about.
“Princess, it’s snowing outside. It’s quite beautiful,” Jing Wen, noticing that her mistress had been lethargic lately, suggested, “Perhaps you’d like to visit the garden? I heard the red plum blossoms are in full bloom.”
Su Baiyue, her expression indifferent, nodded slightly and draped herself in a large cloak before rising.
The small garden was as clean and orderly as ever.
This was Su Baiyue’s private garden. Due to her peculiar temperament, no one else was allowed inside when she was there—not even Jing Wen, her personal maid.
This was one of the rare places where Su Baiyue could relax. But what she didn’t know was that someone was watching her from a hidden corner.*
Sitting on the swing, cushioned by soft white fox fur, Su Baiyue swayed for a while, feeling both hungry and cold. Deciding that sleeping would help stave off her hunger, she turned to head back to her room when she noticed a paper-wrapped package on the stone table.
Whether it was due to her intense hunger or the fact that the package was giving off a sweet scent, Su Baiyue couldn’t resist walking over and reaching for it.
The package still felt warm, as if it had only recently been left there.
Swallowing her saliva, Su Baiyue carefully tore open a corner, revealing soft, fragrant red bean cakes inside.
Whose heavenly snack was this, forgotten here?
Su Baiyue’s eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on her cold, snow-like face. Her cherry-red lips curved upward, and a small dimple appeared on her pale cheek. From Lu An’s vantage point, he couldn’t see if there was a matching dimple on the other side of her face.
But even this small dimple was enough to drive him mad.*
Su Baiyue thought this package must have been forgotten by one of the maids who cleaned the garden. A few red bean cakes—those maids, who earned a few taels of silver a month, wouldn’t bother returning for them.
Thinking this, Su Baiyue muttered softly, “If I don’t eat them now, they’ll get cold. And once they’re cold, they won’t taste as good.” Then, almost to herself, she added, “If you keep staring at me, I’ll eat you instead!”
The red bean cakes were promptly devoured by Su Baiyue.
Satisfied, she licked the corner of her lips, almost wishing she could eat her own fingers. How could something taste so good?