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Half an hour ago.

A horse-drawn carriage, with its ornate canopy thickly covered in snow, came to a halt at the gates of the city.

Shangguan Qing lifted the curtain and stuck his head out.

Gazing up at the towering city walls, he asked in surprise, “Up ahead... is that the capital?”

“Mm.” Xiao Heng nodded, lifting the curtain slightly so he could look at the stream of people flowing in and out. “It’s the twelfth lunar month. This time of year, traffic into and out of the capital gets especially heavy. It’s not usually this crowded.”

“Not bad at all.” Shangguan Qing remarked.

The State of Zhao was a lower state. Though it couldn’t match the wealth and prosperity of the State of Yan, its government was stable, its people lived in peace and contentment, and there was no shortage of praise for the imperial court and the Emperor.

It was a stark contrast to the ruler of the State of Yan, a tyrant whose name was commonly cursed among the people.

But he ruled with such shrewd ruthlessness that no one dared to rebel under his oppressive regime.

Xiao Heng chuckled softly. The State of Zhao wasn’t yet powerful enough to be considered among the upper states, but he believed that one day, it would rise to that rank.

Such a future would require the concerted effort of countless people, perhaps even across several generations. But so long as they never gave up, there would always be hope.

“Do you want to rest for a bit?” Xiao Heng asked Shangguan Qing.

When Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao had traveled from the State of Zhao to the State of Yan, they had taken the land route. There had been many checkpoints and detours, and without the privileges of imperial status, they couldn’t access many official roads, which caused significant delays that it had taken them nearly two full months to reach Shengdu.

But this time, they traveled back under the identity of the Eldest Imperial Grandson. They took the official grain supply routes reserved for the imperial court and switched to water transport for the latter half of the journey.

They had been lucky as ice only began to form on the river’s surface after they disembarked.

From the beginning of the eleventh month to the beginning of the twelfth, the journey had taken a full month.

“No need, I’m not tired.” Shangguan Qing responded.

Of course he was tired. Xiao Heng was already weary himself, let alone Shangguan Qing, who was still a patient recovering from illness.

But both brothers understood the unspoken truth: Shangguan Qing didn’t have much time left. The fact that he had made it this far was nothing short of a miracle. Each step he took now was like walking on the edge of death’s threshold; no one knew when he might fall.

The carriage entered the city.

Even though Shangguan Qing was utterly exhausted, he still didn’t want to miss the chance to take in the sights of the capital.

“There are so many people selling candied hawthorns!” He exclaimed in amazement.

In the State of Yan, such sights were rare.

Even along an entire street, it was hard to find a single candied hawthorn vendor. Yet here, there were entire shops dedicated solely to selling them.

Xiao Heng told the coachman to stop the carriage in front of one such shop and bought one of each flavor.

“Here.”

He handed over a large bundle of candied hawthorns to Shangguan Qing.

“Candied hawthorns originated from the State of Zhao,” Shangguan Qing said, picking out a particularly large and glossy red skewer. “The State of Yan didn’t have them before.”

So, is that why you love eating candied hawthorns, because they remind you of home?

Xiao Heng watched him silently as he ate.

But in truth, Shangguan Qing didn’t really have much of an appetite. He just fiddled with the skewers a few times in his hands.

“Maybe...” He paused, then said, “Maybe we should go later?”

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Heng asked.

Shangguan Qing stared at the candied hawthorn skewer in his hand and mumbled, “I... um...”

Xiao Heng chuckled. “Are you nervous?”

“Of course not!” Shangguan Qing denied flatly.

Xiao Heng smiled and said, “Don’t worry. When Mother sees you, she’ll be very happy.”

In a low voice, Shangguan Qing muttered, “I’m not... I don’t know how to...”

The last words of every sentence were mumbled beyond recognition, and all Xiao Heng could catch was the intonation. Still, thanks to the bond between brothers, he understood what those garbled words meant.

——“I’m not a top scholar. I don’t know how to study.”

To think that this proud, arrogant older brother could also have moments of such self-doubt. It proved that old saying true: when you care too much about someone’s opinion, you can’t help but become fearful of falling short.

Xiao Heng smiled faintly and said, “Mother will like you.”

Shangguan Qing curled his lips and muttered, “Just look at you, anyone can tell what kind of son she’d like.”

Xiao Heng raised an eyebrow. “So that’s why you’ve been secretly memorizing poems?”

Shangguan Qing’s whole body jolted as if struck by lightning, and he snapped, bristling, “I did not memorize poems!”

Xiao Heng burst into laughter.

These two really were brothers, one secretly training his body behind his wife’s back to build stamina, and the other secretly reciting famous lines of poetry behind everyone’s backs.

No matter how foolish a son might be, he must eventually face his mother. As the day approached dusk, the carriage finally arrived at Zhuque Street.

But Shangguan Qing hesitated and refused to get off the carriage.

And when he finally did, he leaned against the wall in the alley and stubbornly wouldn’t go any further.

Xiao Heng didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

Weren’t you always the shameless one? How are you even more bashful than me when it comes to meeting your own mother?

The two of them stood for a long time in the alley across from the residence. Xiao Heng even saw Little Jing Kong leave before Shangguan Qing, dragging his feet, finally followed him forward.

The snowflakes on their shoulders had accumulated during that long wait.

At first, Princess Xinyang didn’t register who he was calling “elder brother”, but the moment Shangguan Qing stepped over the threshold wearing a crescent-white cloak, holding a skewer of candied hawthorns in his hand, her footsteps suddenly froze.

It was as though the wind around them had stopped altogether, and snowflakes fell in thick, hushed flurries, the entire courtyard was enveloped in stillness.

Her gaze locked unblinkingly onto that handsome face, which bore a few striking similarities to Xiao Heng’s. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat.

Words “elder brother” alone wasn’t proof of anything.

It wasn’t like Xiao Heng didn’t already have older brothers.

But——

Suddenly, her heart ached.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Why did her heart ache so badly just looking at this person?

Her eyes began to burn uncontrollably, and a tightness swelled in her throat.

“Mother, my brother is back.” Xiao Heng said.

But in the very next second, even he himself froze.

His gaze dropped from Princess Xinyang’s breathtaking face to her prominently swollen belly.

Wait a minute.

He had only been gone for nine months, what on earth had happened here?

Shangguan Qing had already been so nervous that his brain short-circuited; his mind buzzed blankly, incapable of forming a single coherent thought.

Xiao Heng had guessed correctly, when it came to meeting their mother, Shangguan Qing was far more nervous than Xiao Heng had ever been.

All those years of shameless bravado, he had used it all up in this moment standing before Princess Xinyang.

I-I really felt shy... what do I do?

Only then did Shangguan Qing realize with a start that he was still clutching the candied hawthorn skewer in his hand.

It was all because he had been too nervous that he had completely forgotten to put away such a childish thing before coming in.

What now?

His image of being the mature, aloof older brother was ruined!

Even Yu Jin was completely stunned. Who was this “elder brother” the Little Marquis had brought back? Judging by his age, he seemed to be about the same as the Little Marquis... could it be——

No way, right? No way?

Wasn’t Young Master Xiao Qing already dead?

“P-Princess…” She looked at Princess Xinyang under the eaves with disbelief.

At this point, Princess Xinyang was already struggling to breathe. Pregnancy had changed her body, and under the effect of hormones, tears welled up without warning, completely unlike the proud and composed woman she had once been.

Xiao Heng gently led his dazed older brother forward to stand before Princess Xinyang and softly said, “Mother, let’s talk inside.”

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…

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