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The next morning, as dawn broke.
Jiang Zhen quietly got up, glanced at Lan Xi who was still fast asleep beside him, tucked her in, and then quietly left the room.
The courtyard was quiet and cold, the morning mist still lingering.
"Thump...thump..."
Jiang Zhen held the cool, smooth hairpin in his hand, walked to the door of Bing Di 's room, and knocked.
"Come in."
He pushed open Bing Di 's door, where the latter was sitting on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs listlessly, his emerald eyes gazing out the window in a daze.
Hearing Jiang Zhen enter, she turned her head, her face regaining its usual cold expression.
"What is it?"
Jiang Zhen walked up to her, opened his palm, and the ice marrow jade hairpin lay quietly in his palm.
"For you."
He spoke calmly, as if he were simply handing over an ordinary object.
Bing Di 's gaze was instantly drawn to that icy blue, her pupils contracting almost imperceptibly, clearly recognizing it as the hairpin she had glanced at several times last night.
But she immediately turned her head away, raised her chin slightly, and snorted, "Hmph, who likes this kind of tacky stuff that only human women use? Take it away."
Jiang Zhen had anticipated her reaction, so he didn't insist. He simply withdrew his hand as instructed and said calmly:
"If you don't like it, then just throw it away."
As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to casually throw the hairpin out the window.
"You!" Bing Di turned around abruptly, almost instinctively calling out to stop him.
Seeing Jiang Zhen's ambiguous smile, she immediately realized she had been tricked. Her cheeks flushed slightly with anger, but her eyes remained fixed on the hairpin.
Jiang Zhen, seeing that things were going well, handed the hairpin back to her, this time placing it directly into her outstretched hand.
"I've already bought it, so I can't return it. If you don't like it, you can dispose of it yourself."
After saying that, he didn't give Bing Di a chance to refute him and turned to walk out.
"I'm going to check out, pack my things, and get ready to leave."
The door closed gently.
Inside the room, Bing Di sat alone on the edge of the bed, looking down at the cool, translucent hairpin in his palm.
The hairpin was made of excellent jade, with lifelike snowflake patterns carved into it, and its icy blue color made her feel very comfortable.
She ran her fingers along the smooth hairpin, her emerald eyes filled with a complex mix of anger, embarrassment, and a hint of... joy that she herself was unaware of.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally gave a soft hum and muttered, "...Wasting things is shameful. I'll just...accept it for now."
As she spoke, she awkwardly tried to pin the hairpin to her long, dark green hair, and it took her several attempts to finally secure it.
A touch of icy blue amidst the dark green creates an unexpectedly harmonious and beautiful effect.
She walked to the basin of water in the corner of the room, looked at herself in the reflection on the water, and seemed to slightly raise the corners of her mouth in a tiny arc, which she quickly suppressed.
When Jiang Zhen returned after checking out of the hotel, Bing Di was already standing in the courtyard with a normal expression, as if nothing had happened.
However, the ice marrow jade hairpin had already been quietly placed in her hair.
Jiang Zhen saw this and chuckled inwardly, but didn't say anything.
"Let's go."
He took the hand of Lan Xi , who was rubbing his eyes and had just woken up, and said to Bing Di .
The three of them ate some hot meat porridge and flatbread on the street for breakfast before leaving Dragon City and officially embarking on their journey to Heavenly Dou City.
Once outside the boundaries of Dragon City , the world once again opened up.
On both sides of the official road were snow-covered wilderness and sparse woodlands, the air cold and fresh.
"We're not in a hurry on this trip. We'll head south, sightseeing as we go, treating it all as a journey," Jiang Zhen said to Bing Di .
Bing Di had no objection to this; she was already full of curiosity about the human world, and traveling slowly suited her perfectly.
Her gaze swept across the scenery along the way, taking in anything that struck her as new or interesting.
For example, a scarecrow frozen in the distant fields, a magnificent carriage speeding along the official road, or even a strangely shaped, crooked tree by the roadside.
She would glance at them a few more times, but she would never ask any questions, maintaining her aloof persona as the Northern Heavenly King.
Lan Xi , on the other hand, was much more lively. Everything seemed new and interesting to her, and she would often grab Jiang Zhen's hand and ask him all sorts of questions.
Jiang Zhen patiently answered all the questions, while also keeping an eye on the surrounding environment and Bing Di 's reaction.
We passed through a small town along the way, where there happened to be a small market.
Bing Di still maintained an expression that said, "What haven't I seen?"
But my steps unconsciously slowed down, my eyes lingering on the stalls selling handmade woven items, local snacks, and toys.
Jiang Zhen understood immediately, bought a steaming hot roasted sweet potato for Lan Xi , and also handed one to Bing Di .
Bing Di glanced at it, intending to refuse, but upon smelling the sweet, caramel-like aroma, she silently accepted it.
She peeled off the charred outer skin, just like Jiang Zhen had done, revealing the golden, soft flesh inside. She took a careful bite, and the warm sweetness immediately dispelled the slight chill of her journey.
And so the three of them continued south, at a moderate pace.
Although Bing Di is still sharp-tongued, he often makes sarcastic comments about things he sees, calling them "inferior" or "useless".
But her body language gradually relaxed, no longer always tense, and occasionally she would even unconsciously approach things that interested her to examine them closely.
...
Two and a half months later...
One person and two beasts arrived at the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.
From afar, this one of the largest cities on the continent displays its magnificent grandeur.
The majestic city wall, like a giant dragon, lies on the horizon. The wall is made of the hardest bluish-gray rock, and after weathering the elements, it appears even more imposing and awe-inspiring.
The city walls stood tall, flags fluttered, and the patrolling soldiers' armor gleamed with a cold light in the sunlight.
Compared to the austere frontier style of Dragon City , Heavenly Dou City is full of the grandeur, prosperity and profound heritage of the imperial capital.
The massive city gates were wide open, bustling with traffic and pedestrians. Various magnificent carriages, soul masters dressed in different costumes, merchants, and commoners flowed by, and the noisy crowd could be heard from afar.
"Hmph, it's just so-so, not as good as my and Xue'er's ice palace."
Bing Di pursed her lips and commented as usual, but her gaze lingered for a few more seconds on the towering city walls and the distant, faintly visible imperial palace complex.
Such a massive man-made object was a rarity even in her long life.
Lan Xi's mouth gaped slightly, her azure eyes filled with amazement: "Wow... Brother Ah Zhen, this city is so big and so tall!"
She held Jiang Zhen's hand tightly, looking at the bustling scene before her with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
Jiang Zhen smiled slightly and took her small hand tightly: "Let's go, let's go into the city."
Passing through the deep and grand gate, the sights inside the city are even more dazzling.
The streets, wide enough for ten carriages to travel side by side, are lined with shops.
High-end luxury stores, restaurants with enticing aromas, and shops displaying gorgeous clothing and jewelry are everywhere.
The air was filled with a variety of complex smells—the aroma of food, the sweet scent of cosmetics, and the vibrant "human energy" that belonged to the city.
The trio was quite eye-catching—a cool and unique blue-haired boy, an elfin-like and adorable blue-gold girl, and a young but beautiful girl with dark green hair, attracting the attention of passersby.
Jiang Zhen ignored this and first found a rather grand-looking restaurant, where he treated the two to a hearty meal.
Although Bing Di still commented on all kinds of dishes, he didn't slow down his eating speed at all, especially taking a few extra bites of a crystal clear "chilled crystal cake".
After the meal, Jiang Zhen found a quiet and elegant hotel in the bustling street and booked two superior rooms.
"Get a good rest tonight."
Jiang Zhen said to Bing Di and Lan Xi ,
"Tomorrow, we will set off to take care of important business."
Upon hearing this, Bing Di 's emerald eyes flashed with a barely perceptible look of anticipation and sharpness; she naturally knew what the so-called "serious business" was.
That blessed land, containing "ultimate ice springs" and "immortal herbs," is the eye of both ice and fire.
She nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk into her room.
...
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