Qin Dynasty: Starting with clinging to Zhao Ji's thigh

Chapter 240 Winter Snow Welcomes You, Meeting Warms the Cold Year

Her beauty is like jade, her skin like soft butter.

After many years, Ying Jing once again gently embraced this familiar body in his arms.

Although she was wearing a snow-white cloak, her whole body was ice-cold.

A cold wind blew by, and Ying Jing could smell that familiar, faint fragrance, just like back then.

"Thank you for your hard work these years."

Ying Jing gently stroked the face of the beautiful woman in his arms, whispering with some pity.

Xue Ji's eyes were a little misty, as if filled with water: "Being able to help Your Majesty, a little hardship is worth it."

Ying Jing gently shook his head, then clasped her two slightly cold, soft hands together, passing them through his black cloak and pressing them against his heart.

The pounding of her heart emanated a fiery warmth, melting away Yukihime's icy exterior.

"I thought His Majesty wouldn't be coming again this year..."

The voice emanating from Yukihime's red lips revealed an unprecedented fragility.

The fiery heat not only warmed her hands, but the heat emanating from her beating heart quickly enveloped her entire body.

Every inch of my skin seemed to be burning hot.

"I have never forgotten the agreement we made back then."

Ying Jing gently raised his hand and covered her red lips to stop her from speaking, then lifted Xue Ji's entire body up around the waist.

Her soft, boneless body seemed to have no weight at all. Ying Jing slowly walked to the bedside and put her down. He knelt down on one knee and gently took her bare, snowy feet in his hands, pressing them against his chest.

Although she dances all year round, Yukihime's jade feet are obviously very well maintained. Not only do they not have any odor, but they are also smooth, tender, and have fine textures, just as exquisite as the rest of her skin.

Ying Jing gently lifted those exquisite feet, as if holding a finely crafted, priceless treasure.

As Ying Jing's knuckles brushed against the smooth arch of her foot, a cold wind blew through the window, ruffling Xue Ji's hair and sending a chill through her.

"Your Majesty..."

She seemed to instinctively whisper shyly, or perhaps startled by the chill, her arches unconsciously curved slightly, forming an elegant and graceful arc, like a crescent moon that evoked allure.

Ying Jing's warm, large hand gently caressed the exquisitely crafted object, conveying his warmth as he did his best.

Beneath her skin, as thin as a cicada's wing, were veins resembling jade marrow; pale blue blood vessels at her ankles pulsated slightly with her heartbeat; and her rounded heels were even more lustrous than freshly peeled lotus seeds.

Each toe is full and rounded, like a meticulously carved jade sculpture. The light red nail polish on her toenails is evenly colored, exuding a touch of delicate beauty and liveliness, adding a touch of charming allure to her fair skin and jade-like bones.

Night falls, and red candles are lit softly.

A pair of snow-white feet, as smooth as cream, shimmered with a moon-like glow in the candlelight, and were held tenderly in the palm of a handsome young man dressed in a loose crane cloak.

The long-awaited reunion deepened the enchanting atmosphere.

how...

"Bastard!"

A crisp, joyful sound rang out, instantly shattering the enchanting atmosphere.

"You big bad guy, you've finally come! Sister Yukihime has been thinking about you every day!"

Yukihime quickly snapped out of her daze and looked at the pretty Yuki-onna standing to the side, unsure of how to react. In the end, she could only close her eyes shyly, as if that would allow her to escape this somewhat awkward situation.

Ying Jing didn't care that the romantic atmosphere had been broken. Although he was frivolous and greedy, Lord Changxin didn't want to do "that" as soon as they met.

His visit to Feixue Pavilion this time was solely to see Xueji.

"Oh? So you don't want to?"

Ying Jing chuckled softly, casually raising his hand to summon Xue Ji's shoes and socks, and personally and slowly put them on for her.

With just this simple move, even the most powerful martial arts masters would show a serious expression and say, "This kid is no less than me."

"Of course not!"

The Snow Woman replied without hesitation.

But then it seemed a bit cold-hearted, so he added at the end, "Just a little bit this year."

Ying Jing continued what he was doing, his white socks now completely covering his glistening insteps: "It seems you still remember our promise from back then, little Snow Maiden. Are you going to dance before me to prove yourself?"

"Your Majesty's noble body should not be defiled in this way... Let Yukihime do it herself."

Xue Ji couldn't help but speak softly, her beautiful feet exerting slight force as she tried to break free from Ying Jing's large hand with some unease.

But Ying Jing refused to let go, continuing his actions as if nothing had happened. His warm breath hit the back of her foot, making Xue Ji feel hot all over.

"What is dishonorable about dressing your woman in shoes and socks? Nobility is not proven by such things."

My own woman?

Yuki had completely ignored everything else; in that instant, only these five words remained in her mind.

Is this her position in Lord Changxin's heart?

A warm current has spread throughout my body, and my long-parched soul feels as if it has been nourished by sweet spring water, regaining its vitality.

There's a saying that suggests her five-year wait was all worthwhile.

"Your Majesty..."

The snow woman called out softly.

"Call me husband."

Ying Jing raised his head, a gentle smile blooming on his face, which made Xue Ji's heart flutter slightly.

"Yes... my... husband..."

"Who's going to dance for you? I'm just fulfilling a promise I made back then!"

"Are you...are you even listening to me?!"

After saying her piece, Xiaoxue Nu noticed Ying Jing and Xue Ji's intimate and affectionate relationship, so she tried her best to make herself more noticeable.

"Go on, I'm listening."

As Ying Jing spoke, he put a pair of white shoes on Xue Ji's feet before standing up again and turning his gaze to Xue Nu.

Although it had been five years since we last met, she was still very young, only about eleven or twelve years old.

Compared to when she was a delicate and pretty little girl, she has now truly blossomed into a beauty.

Aside from some parts that haven't fully blossomed yet, at least that stunning face, paired with the flute in her hand, does indeed bear some resemblance to the legendary Snow Maiden whose dance captivated the world.

Unfortunately... it's still a bit too small.

However, enjoying the fun of raising a child isn't so bad.

"Yuki-onna, haven't you always talked about wanting to amaze Nagato-kun with your most beautiful dance? Now's your chance."

Xue Ji rose from the edge of the couch, took Ying Jing's arm, and rested her head against his chest, enjoying the tranquility and beauty. She then spoke softly to Xiao Xue Nu.

"Sister Xueji, you're bullying me! I'm not jumping!"

With the protection of Guo Kai and the Empress, even high-ranking officials and nobles dare not provoke Feixue Pavilion.

Little Snow Maiden has not experienced any major changes, and in recent years she has been flattered as Snow Princess's disciple. Her personality is quite different from the ice beauty Ying Jing remembered; instead, she has a somewhat arrogant demeanor.

"Alright, since you don't want to, Snow Woman, then you won't jump."

With a beauty in his arms, Ying Jing had no time to dwell on the little girl's dance; he simply chuckled softly.

But the little snow maiden was a little unhappy, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, she was almost about to jump up: "No way!"

"Oh? Why is that?"

Ying Jing and Xue Ji both wore ambiguous smiles; the girl's desire to show off was practically written all over her face.

“I…I…unless, unless this bastard begs me.”

The young girl was a little embarrassed, but she was also unwilling to just let it go.

The Snow Maiden's life over the years has been incredibly difficult. A casual remark from Ying Jing back then has left her living in constant misery!

I now practice dance for twice as long every day.

All the joy of childhood is gone, leaving only dance.

Countless times, the little girl secretly vowed to herself that she would use the most amazing dance to blow Changxin Jun's mind!

Xue Ji first looked up at Ying Jing, and only when she saw that his smile was still gentle did she feel relieved.

While the little girl may speak without thinking, strictly speaking, her words have already crossed the line and become offensive.

With a gentle smile, Yukihime approached Yuki-onna, bent down, patted her head, and softly said, "Then... Yukihime-neechan begs little Yuki-onna to dance for Nagashino-kun, okay?"

"Then...then I'll reluctantly do it and show Lord Nagashino how well Sister Yuki has taught me!"

At the age of eleven or twelve, even though she has been well protected over the years, the Snow Woman is not entirely ignorant.

The great fire of that year is still clearly etched in my memory and I have never forgotten it. The stability and peace that Feixue Pavilion has enjoyed over the years is all thanks to Lord Changxin.

She was too young and weak to help Lord Nagatoshi like her sister, Yukihime; all she could do was offer a dance.

Despite her young age, the Snow Woman has her own principles.

She was not even ten years old at the time, yet she practiced for six hours every day until today. What has sustained her all these years is the promise to dance before Lord Changxin in five years, to repay the kindness shown to her over the years.

"Little Snow Maiden's dance has already surpassed her master's, but how about letting Snow Princess accompany you this time?"

Yukihime's thoughts are somewhat similar to Yuki-onna's. Although she has been helping Ying Jing manage the Zhao Kingdom's net over the years, she does not believe that she is helping Lord Changxin.

On the contrary, it was Changxin-jun's help that allowed her, a mere dancer, to gain power and prevent her from drifting aimlessly like duckweed in the wind.

A dance could not possibly repay the great kindness of Lord Changxin, but it was the best reward she could give in her own field.

"It would be best if Sister Yukihime accompanied me!"

Despite practicing diligently every day over the years, Yuki-onna has never performed a dance in front of anyone other than Yuki-hime, and is still somewhat nervous.

Having Yukihime by her side was good news for her.

Since the reconstruction of Feixue Pavilion, Xueji has no longer performed in public, and Feixue Yuhuatai has become a legend, never to appear in performances again.

But in reality, it was always placed in a special room next to Yukihime's room, which was used specifically for practicing dance. The entire room was built by the disciples of the Gongshu family using mechanical arts.

In the center of the room, the Snowflake Jade Flower Terrace was crystal clear, as if reflecting fluorescent light. It was surrounded by a crystal lake, with three layers of red candles around it. A lotus flower made of gold leaves stood in the lake, which was truly magnificent.

"Please wait a moment, my husband."

Yukihime chuckled softly and gently turned a vase that appeared to be merely decorative on the right wall of the room.

Suddenly, a hole opened in the roof of the Flying Snow Jade Flower Terrace, and snowflakes fluttered down from the air, painting this crystal world with specks of pure white.

The mechanical bronze beast head spews out cold mist, and the Jade Flower Terrace of Flying Snow is like an awakened ice spirit.

Three thousand crystal beads hung from the dome, refracting a halo of starlight in the candlelight.

With a gentle wave of her delicate hand, Xue Ji shook off her loose coat, revealing her snow-white shoulders and swan-like long neck.

Her wide sleeves, woven from black silkworm silk, brushed against the golden nanmu wood zither pillars. Before the strings even began to play, frost flowers condensed along her skirt, forming ice crystal necklaces. In the blink of an eye, she was already on the Snowflake Jade Flower Platform.

"Sister Yukihime, you're so beautiful..."

The snow woman seemed to be infected by the atmosphere and finally let go of her tension.

The already somewhat sculpted figure began to move, and the fleece clothes on its body fell onto the glass floor.

The moment the tiny, delicate feet touched the ground, the mechanical lotus flowers bloomed one after another.

Petals made of gold foil were cast onto the surface of the crystal lake, shimmering like scattered gold fragments, reflecting the curve of the girl's slender waist, like a new moon sinking into the blue waves.

The Flying Snow Jade Flower Terrace wasn't large, but it was big enough to accommodate these two stunning beauties.

The lights hanging high on both sides are also constructed using mechanical means, capable of capturing the dancers' figures in time with the dance rhythm.

The ambient lighting shone on them, making their skin appear as dazzling as crystal and glass, giving them an ethereal, fairy-like beauty.

The two beauties, one tall and one short, simultaneously gave Ying Jing a stunning smile, and then gently began to spin their supple bodies.

As their figures seemed to fade into afterimages, they suddenly bent over backward, their cascading black hair almost touching the water's surface, creating ripples carrying edelweiss flowers.

The Snow Woman leaped up on the golden lotus on the water, the silver bells on her ankles resonating with the bronze wind chimes on the eaves, creating an ethereal chord. Her graceful figure, stretching out in the air, resembled a newborn white crane.

At that moment, Yukihime suddenly flung open her long sleeves, and the skirt woven from snow silk rippled outwards.

Her beautiful legs, honed by years of dance training, formed a graceful arc, and her toes touched the gold-leaf lotus without leaving a trace of water. Falling snowflakes settled on her eyelashes, turning into tiny water droplets.

Suddenly, a mechanism beneath the ice platform spewed out icy mist, and the Snow Woman seized the opportunity to leap into the air.

The moon-white silk ribbons and Yukihime's crimson gauze intertwined in the air as the girl's delicate toes lightly touched her sister's shoulder, using the momentum to complete a somersault.

The candlelight suddenly turned a deep blue, illuminating the room's ice crystals as if they were sparkling like a galaxy. The Snow Maiden slid down to her knees on the edge of the ice platform, and as she held her jade flute horizontally, she blew down the last snowflake, which landed right in Ying Jing's palm.

After a long while, the dance ended.

The two beauties breathed softly as they looked down at the audience. Ying Jing held a snowflake that had not yet melted between his fingers, and the candlelight gilded his profile.

In a daze, the man standing there with an admiring look on his face was the same figure who had come five years ago, stepping through the firelight.

Two hearts trembled gently at the same time, resonating with each other. Snowflakes fell on them, but they felt no coldness, only warmth.

Yuki gently raised her head, looking through the snowflakes at the man who had brought her hope, and murmured softly from her red lips: "Winter snow welcomes you, our meeting warms the cold of winter..."

Ying Jing moved slightly and arrived at the Flying Snow Jade Flower Platform in the blink of an eye. He stretched out both hands at the same time and grasped two white, soft hands, one large and one small.

"This is perhaps the most beautiful dance in the world today. I am very fortunate that I am the only one who can appreciate this beauty."

Sometimes, beautiful things are only truly precious when enjoyed alone.