Chu Chen was unaware that the princesses were taking action because of him. He assumed his post as the overseer of the Weapons Department under the Ministry of Works, mobilizing craftsmen and apprentices to diligently forge armaments for the Imperial Army.
The autumn days flowed by like moonlight in one's hand, beautiful and fleeting, impossible to grasp.
Winter's sprites, giggling, swayed their hexagonal, translucent forms, quietly descending from the clouds to the mortal realm.
"Chu Chen!"
"Your Highness!"
Chu Chen and Princess Xin Yue stood on opposite sides of the street, waving their arms at each other.
As they drew closer, Chu Chen noticed that Princess Xin Yue's attire was very familiar; the pattern and style bore a striking resemblance to the "Neishang Yunyi" (Rainbow Cloud Robe).
Princess Xin Yue wore a golden hairpin, a snow-white robe adorned with cloud patterns, and a pale pink cloak draped over her shoulders, falling to her knees.
Her fair hands, unprotected, were shyly tucked into her sleeves, as if unwilling to be seen.
"Are you done looking?"
Princess Xin Yue turned her head away and asked coolly.
Her ears, however, had unconsciously turned rosy.
"Uh~ I apologize, Princess Xin Yue, your attire is truly stunning, as beautiful and pure as an elf."
Chu Chen apologized awkwardly and chuckled.
"Elf? What is that? A beautiful kind of creature?"
Hearing of something entirely new, Princess Xin Yue became curious.
"Elves, generally speaking, come in many forms. Some are our size, male and female, while others are palm-sized with wings, also male and female."
Chu Chen recalled the depictions of elves he had seen in his previous life and explained, "Whether they are great elves or small elves, they are all exceptionally good-looking, with handsome men and beautiful women. They are a pure race."
"And they are optimistic, kind, and enjoy singing, dancing, and good food."
"It sounds like a fantastical race. Do such beings exist in Yun Yue Kingdom, or rather, on the Qing Zhou Continent? You didn't make it up to amuse me, did you?"
Princess Xin Yue looked at Chu Chen with some suspicion, her eyes revealing a hint of danger.
If Chu Chen dared to say yes, she would consider herself a fool and make him pay dearly!
"How could I possibly? The world is vast and full of wonders. Even with the many travelers in Yun Yue Kingdom, one cannot claim to have visited every corner of the Qing Zhou Continent, can they?"
Chu Chen shrugged and smiled, "Perhaps, in some inconspicuous place, elves do exist."
"Really? If they truly exist, I would very much like to meet them and befriend them!"
Princess Xin Yue pondered, feeling that Chu Chen's words held truth. She began to believe in the existence of elves and looked forward to the day she might see them.
"Speaking of which, Your Highness, you didn't oversleep this time and actually arrived as promised. You've truly impressed me."
Chu Chen quickly changed the subject, teasing her.
When he had served Princess Xin Yue in the palace before, she used to sleep in every morning and refuse to get up.
"Hmph, it's not because someone said they wanted to have a snowball fight and build snowmen with me. The thought of being able to beat someone up openly made me unable to sleep."
Princess Xin Yue placed her hands on her hips and snorted haughtily.
"Haha, that will depend on your aim, Your Highness, whether you can hit me with a snowball."
Chu Chen laughed heartily.
"Alright, this is a private meeting. Stop with the 'subject' and 'Your Highness' titles. You can call me by my name, and I'll call you by yours."
"No objections allowed!"
Princess Xin Yue frowned, displeased with Chu Chen's formal address.
Chu Chen scratched his head, nodded in agreement, and then invited, "Alright, Xin Yue, let's head to my residence first. I specifically told them not to clear the snow, so we can have our snowball fight and build snowmen."
"Great, let's go quickly!" Princess Xin Yue became excited at the thought of the upcoming games.
She had already envisioned herself hitting Chu Chen's face with snowballs, forcing him to beg for mercy.
Outside the Chu residence, Princess Xin Yue looked up, then at Chu Chen with a half-smile, "Didn't the Empress confiscate your property? Where did you get the money to buy such a fine mansion? It must have cost thousands of taels, right?"
"His Majesty's personal guards weren't thorough enough when they confiscated my property; they even left me ten thousand taels of silver."
Chu Chen replied jokingly.
"Hmph, you truly have a knack for making money."
Princess Xin Yue didn't believe him and teased him before pushing the door open and entering.
They arrived in the courtyard and, seeing the thick snow on both sides, Princess Xin Yue excitedly ran over, cupped snow in her hands, and tossed it into the air.
The white snow rose and then fell again, drifting down as if descending anew.
"How is it? Plenty of snow, isn't it? I specifically left so much for you. Shall we first..."
"Take this!"
Before Chu Chen could finish speaking, he was hit by a snowball, completely unprepared.
"Damn it, Xin Yue! You ambushed me!"
Chu Chen angrily bent down, rolled a snowball, and shouted, "See how I'll teach you a lesson! Eat this!"
"Nyah nyah nyah~ Missed! You missed! Hee hee!"
Princess Xin Yue shifted her feet nimbly, dodging Chu Chen's thrown snowball.
Chu Chen looked at her in surprise, "Has Xin Yue started cultivating? Two months have yielded some results!"
Without further ado, Chu Chen immersed himself in the snowball fight.
Snowballs flew everywhere within the courtyard, occasionally hitting each other, eliciting bursts of laughter.
More often, they hit the trees and courtyard walls.
After a while, Chu Chen reached out to brush the snow from Xin Yue's hair and smiled, "You were so wild just now, and now you need my help?"
"Hmph, it's because someone doesn't know how to cherish a lady and didn't go easy on me."
Princess Xin Yue turned her head away with a slight pout, but the smile on her lips betrayed her current mood.
"Alright, it's clean now. Let's stop throwing snowballs and go build snowmen."
Chu Chen patted Princess Xin Yue's shoulder and pointed to the ground.
"Okay! One each, let's see who builds a better-looking one!"
"Agreed!"
Chu Chen readily agreed, thinking to himself, "Little one, I'm from the north and have been building snowmen since I was a child. You, a princess raised in the palace, want to surpass me?"
Before long, the snowmen were built, and Chu Chen's was clearly more aesthetically pleasing.
Princess Xin Yue, annoyed, ran directly to Chu Chen's snowman and kicked it, saying with a laugh, "Now mine looks better!"
"Alright, I thought you had changed your spoiled ways, but it seems you're still the same! See how I'll teach you a lesson!"
Chu Chen, angered, pounced on Princess Xin Yue, pushing her down onto the thick snow.
He intended to flip her over and spank her, but Princess Xin Yue, her face flushed, looked up at Chu Chen, her beautiful large eyes blinking with her eyelashes.
"..."
Chu Chen froze for a moment and couldn't help but lean closer.
Princess Xin Yue was stunned, looking blankly as their lips met.