He looked up and saw a woman in black being escorted in by guards.

Ying Yuan recognized the woman at a glance. It was the Snow Girl he had been thinking about day and night.

"Snow Girl!" Ying Yuan stood up in surprise and walked quickly to the Snow Girl.

The Snow Girl looked at Ying Yuan, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"You...why are you back?" Ying Yuan asked.

The Snow Girl did not answer Ying Yuan's question, but said coldly: "I am here to take your life."

A flash of surprise flashed across Ying Yuan's eyes, but he immediately regained his composure. He looked at the Snow Girl with interest and chuckled, "Take my life? My beloved, are you kidding me?"

The Snow Girl's eyes were cold, not joking at all. "I'm not joking. You killed the Mo brothers, and today I will avenge them!"

The smile on Ying Yuan's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold majesty. "Xue Nu, do you really think you can kill me?"

The Snow Girl stopped talking, and a slender ice sword appeared out of thin air in her hand, with the tip of the sword pointing directly at Ying Yuan.

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly, and the guards drew their weapons and surrounded the Snow Girl.

"Everyone, step back." Ying Yuan waved his hand, signaling the guards to retreat.

Although the guards were puzzled, they still obeyed Ying Yuan's order and stepped aside.

"Snow Girl, I'll give you one more chance. Put down your weapons and I'll forgive you for what happened." Ying Yuan's voice was low and powerful.

"No need." The Snow Girl said in a cold tone without any hesitation.

As soon as she finished speaking, the Snow Girl flashed and turned into a white phantom, attacking Ying Yuan.

Ying Yuan stood still, with a gleam of light in his eyes. Just when the Snow Girl's ice sword was about to pierce him, he slightly turned his body and easily dodged the Snow Girl's attack.

The Snow Girl missed her attack and changed her shape again. The ice sword coiled towards Ying Yuan like a spirit snake.

Ying Yuan's figure was graceful, and he was able to handle the Snow Girl's attacks with ease, as if he was strolling in the garden.

In the hall, the figures of the two people intertwined, sword energy was everywhere, and the cold air was pressing.

Although Ying Yuan was a martial arts expert, he was not in a hurry to attack. Instead, he was on the defensive, as if testing the strength of the Snow Girl.

The Snow Girl's moves were deadly, and each sword was aimed directly at Ying Yuan's vital points, but she was never able to break through Ying Yuan's defense.

"Snow Girl, your swordsmanship is exquisite, but your strength is insufficient." Ying Yuan commented while dodging Snow Girl's attack.

The Snow Girl ignored Ying Yuan's comments and instead became more aggressive.

"It seems that you really want to fight me to the death." Ying Yuan sighed lightly, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

He no longer dodged, but took the initiative to attack.

He flashed in front of the Snow Girl and slapped her on the chest.

The Snow Girl's face changed and she quickly swung her sword to block.

"clang!"

With a crisp sound, the Snow Girl's ice sword broke.

Ying Yuan's palm force continued to surge and hit the Snow Girl's chest heavily.

The Snow Girl groaned, spurted out a mouthful of blood, flew backwards, and fell heavily to the ground.

Ying Yuan did not pursue the victory, but stood where he was, looking at the Snow Girl quietly.

"Why...why don't you kill me?" The Snow Girl asked with difficulty, covering her chest.

Ying Yuan walked up to Xue Nu and looked down at her, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"I said I will wait for you to come back." Ying Yuan's voice was low and hoarse.

The Snow Girl looked at Ying Yuan with confusion in her eyes.

"You...what do you mean?" asked the Snow Girl.

Ying Yuan did not answer Xue Nu's question, but bent down and picked her up.

"What...what are you going to do?" the Snow Girl asked struggling.

Ying Yuan ignored Xue Nu's struggle and carried her out of the hall.

He carried the Snow Girl back to his bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.

"You have a good rest, I will send someone to take care of you." Ying Yuan said.

After saying this, he turned and left the bedroom.

Snow Girl lay on the bed, watching Ying Yuan's back as he left, her heart filled with doubts and confusion. She didn't understand why Ying Yuan did this.

He could have killed himself, so why did he save himself?

Could it be... that he really still has feelings for me?
A ripple appeared in the Snow Girl's heart.

……

Ying Yuan returned to the imperial study with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

He didn't know why he wanted to save the Snow Girl.

Perhaps it was because he still had a little fantasy about the Snow Girl in his heart.

Or maybe it was because he didn't want to see the Snow Girl die.

He didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong, but he knew that he couldn't turn back.

He could only take it one step at a time and hope that everything would be alright.

……

In the following days, Ying Yuan showed even greater care to Xue Nu.

He sent people to take good care of the Snow Girl and visited her every day.

The Snow Girl's body gradually recovered, but the doubts in her heart grew deeper and deeper.

She didn't know what Ying Yuan wanted to do, nor did she know how to face him.

She wanted to leave Xianyang Palace and return to the Mo family, but she couldn't bear to leave Ying Yuan.

She was in a dilemma and didn't know how to choose.

One day, Ying Yuan came to Xue Nu's bedroom and saw Xue Nu standing in a daze by the window.

He walked over to the snow girl and gently put his arm around her shoulders.

"What are you thinking about?" Ying Yuan asked.

The Snow Girl raised her head and looked at Ying Yuan, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"I'm wondering what I should do." said the Snow Girl.

Ying Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, "You don't have to think too much. I will take care of everything."

The Snow Girl looked at Ying Yuan, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"You...can you really protect me?" asked the Snow Girl.

Ying Yuan nodded and said, "I can protect you and give you everything you want."

The Snow Girl looked at Ying Yuan, her heart full of contradictions.

She didn't know whether she should believe Ying Yuan, but she knew that she had no choice.

She could only choose to believe him and leave her fate to him.

"Okay, I believe you." said the Snow Girl.

When Ying Yuan heard Xue Nu's words, his heart was filled with joy.

He hugged the snow girl tightly and whispered in her ear: "You won't regret it."

Xue Nu's heart was beating fast, and Ying Yuan's breath sprayed on her ears, making her feel hot. She wanted to push Ying Yuan away, but she couldn't bear to do so.

"You...will you really be nice to me?" the Snow Girl asked with a trembling voice.

Ying Yuan smiled and said, "I will give you the best things in the world."

The Snow Girl raised her head and looked into Ying Yuan's eyes, trying to find a hint of falsehood in them, but all she saw was sincerity.

"I believe you." said the Snow Girl.

A satisfied smile appeared on Ying Yuan's face. He lowered his head and kissed the Snow Girl's lips.

This kiss was gentle and lingering, as if to merge the two into one.

The Snow Girl closed her eyes and felt Ying Yuan's enthusiasm. Her heart was filled with sweetness and happiness.

……

Xianyang Palace, Imperial Garden.

Ying Yuan and Xue Nu strolled in the garden, admiring the beautiful scenery. (End of this chapter)