A woman rode forward gently from behind the veil on her white horse. Her graceful posture and the veiled hat hid her features, yet her presence was as striking as a luminous pearl or pristine jade.

The crowd craned their necks, eager for a better look.

The Crown Prince rose to his feet, gazing at her in a daze, and rode his horse closer, intent on speaking to this beauty.

A woman in the crowd scoffed disdainfully, “Does she think she’s some celestial beauty? Can’t even show her face. Such pretense and affectation—absolutely disgusting.”

Her comment was immediately echoed by others.

Beauty attracts attention, and for someone like Mistress Ling Yun, admired and pampered by countless men, it was inevitable to draw jealousy. Her aloof and unworldly demeanor made her even less liked by women, who saw her as arrogantly feigning purity.

But Su Baiyue paid no mind to these words. At this moment, her attention was entirely fixed on Lu Gan.

The thin veil of her hat didn’t obstruct her view. She could clearly see the slender yet tall figure of the young man before her. Soon, this seemingly fragile body would step onto the battlefield, enduring hellish trials to become a true man. Then he would return triumphant, reaching the peak of his life.

And all of this had to happen because of Su Baiyue. Only if she pushed Lu Gan into the mud, following the storyline, would the male lead struggle desperately to conquer the battlefield and embark on his glorious journey to success.

Lu Gan had a sharp intuition, so Su Baiyue didn’t dare to stare too boldly and only glanced subtly. She was racking her brain over how to naturally execute the third lash.

She remembered that Mistress Ling Yun delivered the third lash after being provoked by a certain princess who mocked her as weak and sickly. Proud as Mistress Ling Yun was, she decided to ride wildly on the horse track out of spite, only to fall off the horse accidentally. At that moment, Lu Gan, quick as lightning, caught her.

However, Mistress Ling Yun couldn’t stand filth. She would rather fall onto white silk-laden ground than be touched by a dirty, lowly stable hand.

So, the third lash, driven by her fury, struck Lu Gan squarely on the face.

The original novel described this lash in vivid detail, noting that the mark stretched from the left corner of the male lead’s forehead down to the right corner of his lips, a long streak as if to split his face open. Although the scar faded later to the point of near invisibility, Su Baiyue still felt an immense burden.

After all, the male lead was just too good-looking. On the one hand, she couldn’t bring herself to harm him, and on the other, she doubted her skill to execute such a precise act.

Clutching the whip tightly, Su Baiyue grew increasingly nervous.

She even rehearsed in her mind several times how to strike without genuinely injuring the male lead. If she accidentally blinded him, the entire plot of the novel might have to be rewritten.

“Mistress Ling Yun.” A male voice called from the side.

Startled, Su Baiyue turned her head to look but hadn’t yet seen who it was when she suddenly felt her body tilt. She slipped sideways off the horse.

Su Baiyue: What the heck! This wasn’t in the script!

The delicate woman fell lightly from the horse like a gust of wind might topple her. Her wide sleeves fluttered like a blooming orchid. The thin veil of her hat was blown away by the cold breeze, falling to the ground, revealing Su Baiyue’s pale, nearly translucent face. Under the faint sunlight, her complexion appeared like pristine jade.

Lu Gan reacted instantly, reaching out to catch her firmly.

The woman in his arms was light as a cloud, soft and boneless. Her calm autumn-like eyes held a hint of wateriness, betraying a trace of panic. Her slightly parted lips were vibrant as flowers. On her delicate wrist, a translucent jade bracelet slid down to her elbow, revealing a stretch of snow-white forearm. Her slender jade fingers clutched at Lu Gan’s robes, resembling a frightened kitten.

“Mistress Ling Yun!” The Crown Prince dismounted in haste, rushing over.

Startled back to her senses by his shout, Su Baiyue quickly pushed Lu Gan away. Her whip lashed out as she did so.

With a crisp snap, the whip struck Lu Gan, but the spot it hit was… rather awkward.

Even the Crown Prince was stunned by Su Baiyue’s action, frozen in place.

The stable hand in his servant’s garb stood dazed, his arms still outstretched from catching her. His robe at the abdomen had been torn open by the whip, revealing a patch of undergarment worn thin from washing.

“Well, well, that little stable boy, he may look scrawny, but who knew he had such… assets,” a flirtatious princess murmured with a sly smile.

Lu Gan was startled for only a moment before hurriedly dropping to his knees, bowing in apology. His forehead pressed earnestly to the ground, brushing the hem of Su Baiyue’s voluminous skirt before stopping just shy of her embroidered shoes. His kowtowing was genuine.

Dude, is your little bro okay?

Su Baiyue worked hard to maintain her cold, aloof persona, debating whether to strike another lash when she suddenly felt the air grow heavy and still.

The woman standing on the white silk ground had jet-black, glossy hair cascading like a waterfall and skin smooth as the finest jade. She was like an ethereal fairy descended from the heavens. Dressed in white, her slender figure was delicate, exuding a frail elegance that evoked pity.

When the Crown Prince caught sight of Su Baiyue’s face as she turned gracefully, he forgot to breathe.

The legendary jade beauty, her allure was so divine that it evoked reverence, yet her cool and sweet demeanor inexplicably drew people in.

“Mistress Ling Yun!” Su Baiyue’s personal maid, Jingwen, reacted first. She swiftly threw a thick cloak over Su Baiyue and pulled the hood, lined with white tiger fur, up to cover her.

The soft fur emphasized her cold, pristine beauty even more. Her exposed lips were like red plum blossoms in snow, exuding a captivating charm.

For someone so seemingly indifferent and serene, she still carried an unintentional allure, scratching at people’s hearts.

Meanwhile, Su Baiyue’s inner panic reached a peak.

If the male lead can’t get erection again because of me, what do I do?

Feeling guilty, Su Baiyue desperately wanted to leave the scene. Tossing her whip to the ground, she turned and walked away.

The whip was stained with blood—naturally, a refined woman like Mistress Ling Yun would never use it again.

Kneeling on the ground, Lu Gan leaned forward slightly. While everyone’s attention remained fixed on Su Baiyue, he quietly pressed the blood-stained whip to his chest.

The whip was of the finest quality, soft and delicate, with a faint lingering fragrance on its handle. Curling up on the white silk ground, Lu Gan took a deep breath. The cold wind filled his lungs, bringing with it a faint, icy scent that seeped into his very being, leaving him utterly dazed.

…

Lu Gan, born of lowly status, was a creature dragged out of the mud, living in the shadows like a stray dog.

He resided in a rundown shack that leaked wind from every corner, worse than the nearby stables. But Lu Gan cherished this little shack because it stood against the tallest outer wall of the Weinan Wangfu. Climbing atop the wall, he could glimpse the small garden not far ahead.

Mistress Ling Yun, ethereal and untouched by worldly concerns, adored that little garden. Every few days, she’d visit to swing on the hanging seat.

A woman in a flowing white dress, her feet in plain, soft-soled embroidered shoes, her hair cascading like a waterfall in the breeze. Her noble, pale face caught the cool sunlight, glowing as if translucent, exuding a jade-like sheen.

Lu Gan lay sprawled atop the wall, panting heavily, clutching the edge beneath him. His eyes fixed on Su Baiyue, heat surging through his body, gathering intensely at one point, leaving him trembling in pain.

Sitting on the swing, Su Baiyue basked in the cool sunlight, a rare moment of relaxation.

After maintaining this unearthly fairy-like facade for so long, she felt like her mouth had turned bland enough to grow feathers. Unfortunately, her loyal maid Jingwen stood guard at the garden gate, leaving her alone with nothing but flowers and stones for company.

But fortunately, she had managed to sneak a piece of pastry from her mother’s room while Jingwen wasn’t looking.

Oh, the taste of heaven!

Starving for so long, Su Baiyue was nearly moved to tears by this taste of the mortal world, completely unaware that her current actions were being observed by someone.

Her cherry-red lips lightly nibbled at the soft lotus cake, revealing pristine white teeth as she bit down gently. Her delicate tongue carefully licks away crumbs from her fingertips, leaving faint traces of moisture. Her pale fingers held the lotus cake, and even her slightly pink fingertips looked more delectable than the treat.

A small piece of Furong Cake—no matter how much one cherishes it—will eventually be eaten up.

Su Baiyue carefully brushed off the crumbs on her body, swayed gently on the swing once more, and finally remembered the events of the past few days.

The storyline was progressing smoothly now. The male lead shouldn’t have been so badly beaten by her that he became… uh… nonfunctional, right? He’s the male lead, after all—how could he be that fragile?

Comforting herself with this thought, Su Baiyue noticed the sky was getting darker. She lifted her skirt and left the small garden.

Over by the corner wall, Lu Gan’s pale face flushed crimson as he tightly clutched his waistband, slowly curling up against the base of the wall.

…

The weather grew colder by the day. During this period when the plot wasn’t advancing, Su Baiyue lazed about indoors. Aside from the slightly lacking food, she had no real worries.

“Mistress Ling Yun, snow has fallen outside. It’s quite beautiful,” Jing Wen, noticing her mistress had been listless and lethargic these past few days, suggested, “Why not take a look at the small garden? I heard the red plum blossoms are in full bloom.”

Su Baiyue’s expression remained indifferent as she gave a small nod. Draping a heavy cloak over her shoulders, she got up.

The small garden was as tidy as ever.

This was Su Baiyue’s private little garden. Because this Mistress Ling Yun had such an odd temperament, no one was allowed inside whenever she was there. Even Jing Wen, her personal maid, couldn’t set foot in this private space.

It was one of the rare places where Su Baiyue could truly breathe a sigh of relief. What she didn’t know, however, was that someone was watching her from a shadowy corner.

Sitting on the swing cushioned with a soft white fox fur, Su Baiyue swayed gently for a while. She soon felt both hungry and cold, deciding that sleeping might be the best way to forget about hunger. Just as she was about to turn and head back to her room, she suddenly noticed an oiled paper package sitting on the stone table.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she was starving or if the oiled paper package really exuded such an enticingly sweet scent, but she found herself walking over and placing a hand on it.

The paper package still carried a faint warmth, as if someone had only recently left it there.

Swallowing hard, Su Baiyue cautiously tore open a corner, revealing soft and fragrant red bean cakes inside.

Which little fairy left this divine treat behind?!

Her eyes lit up, and the icy coldness of her snow-like face melted into a smile. Her cherry-red lips curved gently, and a small dimple appeared on her fair cheek. From Lu Gan’s perspective, however, he couldn’t tell if an identical dimple adorned the other side of her face.

But just that one small dimple was already enough to drive him insane.

Su Baiyue speculated that it must have been a maid cleaning the garden who had accidentally left it behind. A few pieces of red bean cake weren’t worth much; surely, those maids earning a couple of taels of silver each month wouldn’t bother returning for them.

Thinking this, Su Baiyue muttered to herself, “If I don’t eat it now, it’ll get cold. If it gets cold, it won’t taste good…” Finally, her murmurs turned into a playful threat, “If you keep staring at me, I’ll eat you instead!”

The red bean cake found its way into Su Baiyue’s belly.

Licking the corners of her lips in satisfaction, she almost wished she could swallow her own fingers along with it. It was so delicious—how could anything in this world taste as divine as these red bean cakes?!