novelraw Chapter 694 - 674: Idiot
Chapter 694 - 674: Idiot
Since that day when Lan Ningzhen flirted with him, Xie Jue had been deliberately avoiding her. He didn’t want to get too entangled with a Beiman Woman, and Lan Ningzhen’s status was too high to treat her with harsh words. All he could do was evade her. But avoiding her once didn’t mean he could escape forever. The Great Queen adored this younger sister immensely, and Lan Ningzhen visited the Prince Manor frequently. Before each visit, she would notify the Princess, instructing her to keep Xie Jue in the mansion. As a strategist in the manor, Xie Jue could only obey orders. Each time Lan Ningzhen came, she managed to find him, leaving him no place to hide.
Fox City was only so big. Xie Jue had no friends there, making it almost impossible for him to find peace. As such, Lan Ningzhen’s persistent harassment was alarmingly effective.
Once, he had just woken up from a nap when he saw Lan Ningzhen leaning on the windowsill with a radiant smile, her hands cupping her cheeks as she gazed at him with shining eyes. It was a look filled with genuine affection, as if her fondness for him had penetrated her very bones. There was not a hint of pretense in her gaze. Xie Jue felt perplexed—could it truly be possible for someone to fall in love at first sight, so utterly enamored?
She didn’t even know what kind of person he really was.
The Beiman winter was snowy yet bright, with dazzling sunlight spilling through the flurries and landing on her cheeks. It was an image of unrestrained youth and exuberance. Xie Jue’s heart grew heavier with inexplicable discomfort.
"Miss Lan, I don’t like you. Please stop wasting your time on me." Xie Jue didn’t know how many times he had clearly expressed his feelings to Lan Ningzhen.
Lan Ningzhen paid no heed to his cold rejections. Day after day, she continued seeking him out. The Lan Family was a prominent clan in Beiman, and their daughters were usually married into the Imperial Family. Even the Beiman King had heard of the youngest daughter of the Right General, Lan Ningzhen, renowned for her bold demeanor and a demeanor reminiscent of a General. He planned to marry her to Dugu Jing. Dugu Jing had just turned fifteen this year and would be eligible for marriage within a year. However, Lan Ningzhen seemed unwilling to marry Dugu Jing, visiting the Second Prince Manor daily. Occasionally, there were rumors outside claiming that Lan Ningzhen had fallen for a strategist in the Second Prince Manor.
As the year-end approached, Fox City was busy preparing for New Year celebrations. Xie Jue’s status and rank prevented him from attending palace banquets in the Imperial City. The Second Prince was riding high in power, causing the Great Prince and the Sixth Prince to back off from competing with him. The Beiman King traditionally favored harmony among his sons, believing that unity was the key to victory against Yanyang. Thus, no one would stir up trouble during the New Year. The Beiman King, stationed in the Imperial Court, did not act so easily. Moreover, the Priest remained a looming presence. Therefore, Xie Jue was not in a hurry. The Second Prince provided him daily updates on court affairs, giving him a grasp of the situation.
Lan Ningzhen came looking for Xie Jue again. Although he rejected her feelings, he couldn’t help noticing how, in some mysterious way, Lan Ningzhen was inadvertently aiding his plans. The Second Prince and the Sixth Prince had fallen out to the point of being irreconcilable foes. If Lan Ningzhen ended up marrying Dugu Jing, the relationship between the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince could gradually smooth over. This was contrary to Xie Jue’s expectations, and thus Lan Ningzhen could not marry Dugu Jing.
Would he have to sacrifice himself for the nation just to prevent Lan Ningzhen from marrying Dugu Jing?
"What are you brooding over in the manor all day? I’ll take you out for some fun!" Xie Jue was lost in thought when Lan Ningzhen grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the mansion.
He, a grown man, couldn’t match the strength of a young woman. Confused, he marveled at Lan Ningzhen’s remarkable strength, easily pulling him along and even leading him out of the city!
Since arriving in Fox City, Xie Jue hadn’t yet left its gates.
Fox City’s entry and exit were heavily regulated, requiring a special token. Although Xie Jue was the Second Prince’s strategist, he had no dedicated token allowing him to leave the city. Lan Ningzhen, however, had one. After riding horses out of the city together, they arrived at a frozen lake. The lake had originally been a body of water, with snow-capped mountains in the distance. The Sha Ling Tian Mountain range stretched thousands of miles, vast and imposing. Snow on the mountains didn’t melt year-round, and even halfway down the slopes was covered in snow now. Standing at the foot of the mountain, the sheer enormity of the place made one feel insignificant. In the boundless expanse, it seemed as though only he and she existed, isolated in desolation.
The lake had frozen over by November, and many people were skating on its icy surface.
Fox City had many ice rinks, and skating was a popular winter pastime among Beiman people. Even three-year-olds were adept at skating. They had specially crafted skates that allowed effortless movement on ice.
Xie Jue couldn’t skate!
The Shaling River flowed steadily year-round and didn’t freeze over during winter. While there were some rinks and snowy mountain areas in Ningzhou City, they weren’t suited for skating or skiing. Skating was a skill mastered only by a small handful there. Xie Jue had grown up in the capital, where frost games served merely to entertain aristocrats. Performers needed to train for a year or longer to master the sport. Occupied by heavy academic responsibilities, Xie Jue had never cared for such amusements.
Lan Ningzhen expressed her surprise, "You don’t know how to skate?"
"No!" Xie Jue lied, "People in Qianling Town worry every day about filling their bellies; they don’t have the leisure for entertainment."
While Xie Jue thought his words would provoke guilt or prompt her to stop pressuring him, Lan Ningzhen’s reaction was unexpected. "Then you’ve missed out on a lot of fun. You’re lucky to have met me—I’ll teach you!"
Xie Jue: "..."
He remembered his childhood days when Fang Chuning once offered to teach him ice skating, but he had refused. Back then, his days were consumed with endless studies and lessons, leaving no time for play. Fang Chuning and Zhang Boju tricked him into going to the rink, but he had been so upset that he didn’t talk to them for two days. Afterward, Fang Chuning never tricked him into playing again.
Later, he heard Fang Chuning and Zhang Boju had gathered a group of noble youths for skating fun and even organized a mock combat performance.
Xie Jue was about to refuse when he saw the spark of anticipation in Lan Ningzhen’s eyes. For some reason, he thought of the disappointed look Fang Chuning must have had when his childhood invitation to play was rejected.
In a moment of distraction, Lan Ningzhen had already retrieved an ice skate. The frozen lake was deserted; it wasn’t a designated rink, making it too dangerous to play on. If the ice cracked and someone fell into the freezing water below, it would spell disaster with no rescue in sight.
Xie Jue put on the skates. For a novice, simply standing upright while wearing the special shoes was challenging. As soon as he stood up, he fell to the ice in a terribly awkward manner.
Lan Ningzhen: "..."
Lan Ningzhen had meant to remind him not to rise, offering to support him, when she saw him fall. She understood Xie Jue’s pride and strong personality—he always strove to excel in everything he did.
This determination seemed ingrained in every male of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s lineage—from the youthful Marquis Zhenbei to Xie Xun, as well as Xie Zhang and Xie Jue. They all shared this characteristic!
Lan Ningzhen hadn’t intended to laugh, knowing that once she did, Xie Jue would surely react with embarrassed fury. Yet, she couldn’t restrain herself. Standing on the icy lake, hands on her hips, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hahahaha... Mr. Helian, you look like a snow bear!"
The thick winter clothing made anyone who fell look like a bear, after all.
Xie Jue raised his gaze and glared at her fiercely, his youthful indignation showing as his cheeks flushed red with anger. After laughing enough, Lan Ningzhen slid gracefully over on the ice, extending her hand to him with a hint of exasperated fondness, "Come on, you idiot!"