417. I Didn't Eat That Much

In the extreme north, the snowstorm raged on.

Inside the cave where Snow Empress resided, a black spatial vortex appeared, and a golden-haired youth stepped out from it.

Qian Renjue had grown accustomed to the frigid temperature here.

With a brief glance around, he spotted today’s main character.

Snow Empress had already been sitting on the swing early, waiting for him. Her figure was elegant, her snow-colored hair flowing to the ground.

Dressed in a white gown, she resembled a blooming snow lotus.

Her pure, ice-blue eyes gazed into the void with a thoughtful expression.

Would he be angry about what she had done? Probably not. As long as that silver-haired troublemaker didn’t appear…

Lost in her thoughts, Snow Empress sensed a familiar presence.

Her flawless, sacred face tilted slightly toward the source of the aura.

Seeing Qian Renjue, her cold and beautiful countenance softened, and her eyes lit up with a faint trace of joy.

Hidden within them was an almost imperceptible greed.

Her pink, delicate lips pressed lightly together, a hint of moistness glistening between them.

With no trace of formality, she softly called out,
“Qian Renjue.”

“Mm,” Qian Renjue responded, meeting her gaze with a warm smile.

He knew that the trace of greed in her eyes wasn’t directed at him—it was for the snacks he had brought.

For Snow Empress, who had no contact with the outside world, the food Qian Renjue brought was always novel and delicious, enriching her otherwise plain taste experiences.

“Here, I brought extra this time,” Qian Renjue said with a smile, walking over to Snow Empress and gently placing the large bag Hu Liena had prepared into her open arms.

“Thank you~”

Snow Empress glanced at the assortment of snacks in the bag, immediately enveloping them in a soul power barrier to protect them from the cold.

Unable to resist, she quickly began selecting her favorite treats.

Out of all the snacks, her favorite was still the vibrant candied hawthorn.

Its icy exterior concealed a rare burst of color in this frozen world.

She held one in her hand, gently licking it.

Her ice-blue eyes squinted slightly in satisfaction as the sweet and faintly sour taste spread across her tongue.

It was far better than any thousand-year snow lotus she had ever tasted.

“Heh,” Qian Renjue shook his head helplessly, smiling.

He walked behind Snow Empress, placed his hands on her smooth shoulders, and began gently pushing the swing.

Snow Empress sat quietly, letting him touch her as she continued savoring her candied hawthorn, seemingly lost in its flavor.

She hadn’t eaten anything like this in days.

“Snow Empress, won’t eating like this make you gain weight?” Qian Renjue asked curiously.

He visited Snow Empress every three days, always bringing her food.

The quantity he brought each time wasn’t small, but she always managed to finish it all.

Just the other day, he had brought her an entire sack of snacks, and yesterday she had told him it was already gone.

“Gain weight?”

Snow Empress paused, lowering her gaze to her curvaceous figure before shaking her head.

“It’s fine. I have an excellent metabolism.”

“Hmm?”

Qian Renjue’s expression turned slightly odd, though he was used to her remarks.

He shook his head with a chuckle.
“I didn’t mean just that part of you. I meant your arms and legs—eating too much can make them gain weight.”

Hearing this, Snow Empress froze, then quickly stored the snacks in her storage ring.

Still licking her candied hawthorn, she spoke with a hint of guilt,
“I didn’t eat that much.”

“Alright,” Qian Renjue replied with a smile, reassuring her,
“Don’t worry. You’ll still get to enjoy these treats in the future.”

Snow Empress fell silent, listening to his words.



The Snow Empress said nothing, her toes pressed against the ground to steady herself.

She leaned silently into Qian Renjue’s embrace, her emotions conflicted.

Deception left her feeling uneasy.

“What’s wrong, Snow Empress?”

Qian Renjue tilted his head in confusion, glancing down to meet her gaze.

As she looked up at him, their eyes locked, and he unintentionally caught a glimpse of her delicate figure.

Snow Empress didn’t mind; she already knew Qian Renjue had a fondness for such things.

Her candy-colored lips parted slightly.

“Qian Renjue, let’s leave right away.”

“Now?”

Qian Renjue raised an eyebrow, his tone curious.
“You’re not going to finish those snacks? I can stay here for three days.”

“No need. I can always have them later,” Snow Empress replied with a shake of her head, her elegant feet lightly swaying.

Looking at him, her voice softened, and she habitually made a request.

“Qian Renjue, help me put on my shoes.”

“Alright.”

Qian Renjue nodded obediently, crouching down before her.

For the umpteenth time, his hands wrapped around her cool, snow-white feet.

Snow Empress had grown more comfortable with him, her movements carefree and natural.

As Qian Renjue helped her with her shoes, she held a candied hawthorn between her lips while her other foot rested on his shoulder.

Gently, she rubbed her foot against him, her cheeks flushing.

The sensation was peculiar, almost thrilling.

Snow Empress found herself indulging in this moment every time, exploring the tingling feeling it gave her.

She even felt an impulsive urge to press her foot against Qian Renjue’s face but restrained herself.

Watching the youth crouched before her, she asked curiously, her eyes shimmering,

“Qian Renjue, do you dislike chubby women?”

“Hmm?”

Qian Renjue looked up, shaking his head slightly.

“I’m not sure,” he replied.
“If it’s too much weight, then probably not.”

Snow Empress nodded slightly, her thoughts wandering to her godson.

That must be the type Qian Renjue wouldn’t like.

Should I kick Xiao Bai out of the family later to avoid any inconvenience?

She released the candied hawthorn from her lips and explained casually,

“I really didn’t eat much.”

“Haha, it’s fine. No matter how much you eat, I can take care of it,” Qian Renjue said with a laugh.

Snow Empress frowned slightly, her mood souring.

She chose not to explain further; she hadn’t eaten much at all. Most of what she received earlier had been given to Bing’er.

“All done,” Qian Renjue said as he stood up, the crystal shoes now perfectly fitted on her flawless feet.

Looking at the shoes, Snow Empress felt her irritation fade.

I’ll forgive him this time.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you there,” she said, her feet firmly on the ground as she reached out her hand to Qian Renjue.

“Take you there?”

Qian Renjue’s eyes filled with curiosity, though he said nothing further.

Holding her cool, delicate hand, he followed her out of the cave.


---

The two stepped out of the icy cavern.

Snow Empress didn’t stop walking, her hand still holding Qian Renjue’s as she walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, almost leaning against him.

A faint blush adorned her face.

Beside her, Qian Renjue silently activated his [Eye of Insight].

His expression turned peculiar as he detected three incredibly powerful auras behind a snow-covered ice mound not far from the cave.

He didn’t need to think much to figure out who they were.

The other two rulers of the Extreme North—the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion and the Titan Snow Demon King—as well as Snow Empress’s godson, the Ice Bear King!

Noticing the flicker of emotion in Qian Renjue’s eyes, Snow Empress paused briefly.

Her slender fingers entwined with his as she lowered her gaze and whispered softly,

“Qian Renjue… I’m sorry.”