In the new year, there should be a new atmosphere.
On New Year’s Eve, Wu Yingxue began her day as usual. She practiced her martial arts, running the Blue Arc Technique to observe the flow of heaven and earth, wielding her spear, and perfecting various spear techniques.
After finishing her training, she instinctively wanted to head to the center of Pingshui County, where Xu Xi was located.
Did she have anything important to do there? Not really. She simply found everything else dull.
Spending ti with him, listening to his stories, or assisting with governnt affairs felt far more fulfilling.
As she prepared to leave, sothing caught her attention. Her red-and-white robe and the light armor over it were frayed and cracked in several places. The gaps in the fabric were noticeable.
For so reason, the phrase “new year, new atmosphere” popped into her mind.
Back when she was still a princess in Dingyuan Palace, she had a new wardrobe every year. During festivals or holidays, wearing damaged clothes was unthinkable.
But those days were long gone.
Now, as soone who had left her past life behind, she cared little about appearances. However, it was New Year’s Eve—a special occasion. eting Xu Xi in shabby clothing didn’t feel right.
“Maybe I should find soone to nd this,” she muttered to herself.
With that thought, she leaped onto the roof, moving as lightly as a bird. In a few effortless bounds, she reached her destination, where a group of won sat together, busy with needlework. These won, whether mothers or wives, weren’t suited for combat. Yet they contributed in their own way, performing simple but essential tasks for the survival of the army.
“Ms. Wu Xiao?” one of the won asked curiously upon seeing her.
Wu Yingxue pointed to her robe and explained her need. It was a simple request: just patch up the holes—nothing fancy.
The won readily agreed, but what happened next completely took her by surprise.
Without warning, they pushed her into a house.
“Ms. Wu Xiao plans to et Mr. Xu, right?”
“We understand, we understand!”
“We’ll nd the robe, but for today, Ms. Wu Xiao, you should change into sothing else.”
“Eh?!” Wu Yingxue’s eyes widened in shock. She had no idea what was happening.
When she stepped out of the house again, everything had changed.
Gone was her usual red-and-white outfit and light armor. Instead, she wore a simple, elegant light green dress. The skirt swayed like rippling water, smooth and graceful. A dark belt cinched her waist, with its ends flowing down symtrically. The fabric shimred with delicate patterns, and her hair was styled into a bun adorned with flowers.
Each step she took was like a painting brought to life. Her usual boldness was replaced by a quiet elegance.
“Is this… really ?” she whispered, staring at her reflection in a bronze mirror.
In her days at the palace, she had occasionally worn long skirts. Yet, no mory of those tis ca close to how stunning she looked now.
Could this be what people called the “eighteen transformations of won”?
For a mont, she was lost in thought, deeply amazed by her transformation.
“I don’t know how to feel about this…” she muttered, tugging at her sleeves and adjusting her collar.
She wasn’t used to such attire. It felt inconvenient and uncomfortable compared to her usual battle gear. But it was New Year’s Eve, and showing up in tattered clothes seed inappropriate.
“I hope sir won’t think it looks bad…” she murmured nervously.
Normally, she would leap onto the rooftops to reach her destination, but wearing a long skirt made that option far too conspicuous. Instead, she walked through the streets, catching the surprised glances of passersby.
The official residence at the center of the county was her destination. Once the ho of county officials, it was now Xu Xi’s office and a warehouse for supplies. Though spacious, it wasn’t used as a residence to avoid disturbing Xu Xi, who was busy with governnt affairs and martial arts.
Most others, including Wu Yingxue, lived in smaller, more crowded quarters. Xu Xi didn’t want special treatnt, so he had converted much of the residence into storage space, leaving only a small area for himself.
“Sir has been so selfless lately that he doesn’t even know how to take care of himself,” Wu Yingxue mumbled as she made her way through the warehouse, navigating the narrow paths between piles of supplies.
When she finally reached Xu Xi’s door, she hesitated.
Standing in her light green dress, she found herself adjusting her hair over and over again. Should she move her bangs to the left? Or the right?
‘Will my hair look ssy?’ she wondered.
She smoothed her collar, even though it was already neat, and tugged slightly at her sleeves, trying to appear less delicate.
‘Maybe he’ll like this change.’ She thought. A little variety might be good.
After a long bout of hesitation, Wu Yingxue took a deep breath, patted her cheeks, and pushed the door open with feigned confidence.
“Sir, I’m here!”
The room was empty.
No Xu Xi. Just a pile of governnt docunts waiting to be dealt with.
“Eh?!” she exclaid, blinking in confusion.
All her preparation and inner turmoil had been for nothing.
“I really am an idiot,” she muttered, resisting the urge to smack herself—mostly because she didn’t want to feel the pain.
Resigned, she sat down at Xu Xi’s desk, taking over his unfinished work. While waiting for his return, she busied herself with the governnt affairs he had left behind.
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