The curtains on both sides were like the stage curtains, pulled open to reveal the heavy snow outside and the two female protagonists. The real drama was officially underway, and the theme song of the play suddenly rang in Li Peifeng’s heart.

"Snowflakes flutter~ North wind howls~ Heaven and earth are vast and bleak~"

"A single plum blossom stands proudly in the snow~ Only to bring fragrance to my beloved~ I love whom I love~ Without regret or complaint~ This love will linger in my heart forever..."

Zhao Qingge hugged her shoulders and slowly walked down the steps, her face cold and her heavy eyes occasionally staring at Li Peifeng and occasionally at Huang Tianxuan, saying nothing.

Wu Wenyue bit her lip and clenched her teeth, her gaze sweeping over Li Peifeng and Huang Tianxuan, a dangerous aura evident, and the tear in her black stockings adding a more dangerous beauty to it.

But there was not a trace of panic in Huang Tianxuan’s eyes. She showed a faint look of expectation and said with a smile, "Wenyue? Professor Zhao, my god, why are you all here?! I thought you were downstairs!"

Wu Wenyue spoke first, "Why are you in his room?"

Huang Tianxuan blinked and retorted, "Wenyue, what are you doing in his room? And in this outfit, with your stockings torn..."

Wu Wenyue interrupted, "I’m his girlfriend. I can do whatever I want. I’m asking what you’re doing here?"

Which of his girlfriends are you, huh?!

Huang Tianxuan pointed outside, smiling faintly, "I was bored and wanted to see the snow. Is that not allowed?"

This Miss Huang was indeed a master at playing dumb! Not a word about the earlier exchange of saliva with Li Peifeng!

But Zhao Qingge hadn’t forgotten, and she asked darkly, "Did you just kiss him?"

"He kissed me."

Huang Tianxuan smiled sweetly, "I just asked if he liked me, and who would have thought he would suddenly kiss me."

Wu Wenyue snickered, turned to Li Peifeng and spat through gritted teeth, "Your damn mouth, kissing three people in less than half an hour. Why don’t you just drop dead? You deserve to die!!"

"..."

The three girls’ gazes swept over each other—you look at me, I look at you, and she looks at Li Peifeng—no one spoke, the scene as silent as the calm before a storm.

With his sharp sense of smell, Li Peifeng could detect a tinge of metallic rust from a foreboding blade in the air, mixed with a scent reminiscent of a coffin’s sandalwood.

Li Peifeng was all too familiar with this atmosphere; before the five-in-one family violence in his dream, it was always like this. Now with Manning missing, if Miss Xu were here, she would have led an assault on Huang Tianxuan, Wu Wenyue would target him, and Zhao Qingge would be discontented with everyone, turning into a magic turret ready to blast anyone nearby...

Li Peifeng didn’t want history to repeat itself. Having survived nearly fifteen days, it would be a waste to die on the night of the fifteenth day right before dawn broke on the sixteenth day! No way!

Thus, Li Peifeng decided to employ one of the thirty-six strategies—retreat!

"Click~"

"Wooo~"

But instead of going downstairs, Li Peifeng opened the glass door leading to the terrace. A few snowflakes were sucked into the room with the airflow as he walked out onto the outdoor terrace...

Wearing cotton slippers and with his robust physique in tow, Li Peifeng didn’t feel the chill. Having left the oppressive indoors, he actually felt warmer. He exhaled into the cold air and turned back to say, "Who wanted to see the snow? Come on, it’s not that cold."

Southern girl Huang Tianxuan hesitated for half a second before succumbing to the allure of the snow scene. She tightened her robe and stepped forward, breaking the stalemate. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

As she ventured out, Zhao Qingge and Wu Wenyue paused in silence for a moment before also making their way to the attic, stepping on the thick snow and creaky wooden floor, amidst a background of silence.

At the end of December, although the temperature in the capital had yet to hit its coldest despite the snow, with no wind, it was approximately minus ten degrees Celsius, not too cold to the touch. And having taken [Peiyuan Pill], all three girls had a physique exceeding that of ordinary women, unperturbed by environmental conditions, their hearts focused on the snowy scene below, each lost in thought.

The snow that had fallen all day and night continued to pour down, already blanketing the buildings, roads, and trees in sight. The neighborhood remained in lockdown, devoid of people, the snow without traces, leaving only the colors of night and snow, lending an air of solitude to the scene.

"The snow, it’s getting heavier."

In half a minute, snowflakes had accumulated on their hair. Li Peifeng felt his soul leave his body, ignoring the emotions of the three girls behind him and the current situation. He brushed the snow off his head, turned back to the three, and inexplicably smiled, "Having shared the snow today, it seems we have shared our white hair for life... Wham!"

His response was a faceful of snowball thrown by Wu Wenyue. Even as she saw Li Peifeng shivering, her satisfaction was short-lived as she hummed lightly in her nose and bent down to form a second snowball.

Li Peifeng warned, "I’ll fight back, you know!"

"You dare?"

Wu Wenyue ignored the threat and immediately launched into a second wave of attack, even pulling on Li Peifeng’s collar in a barefaced attempt to shove snow down his neck, "Make a move? Let me chuck it in!"

"Hit him!"

Huang Tianxuan’s eyes lit up as she clutched her robe with one hand while the other joined in to make a snowball, aiming at Li Peifeng’s head.

"Wham!"

The third, the fourth...

"Still more? I’m really going to fight back."

Wu Wenyue and Huang Tianxuan had formed an understanding and continued attacking Li Peifeng. Meanwhile, he made a feigned gesture of returning fire with snow, though more threatening in intent than actual harm.

Zhao Qingge glanced at her round snowball and then at the skirmishing trio. After a moment’s hesitation, she hurled it toward Li Peifeng with force, and as it connected with his head, his light cry of surprise brought a hint of satisfaction to her face. She promptly pursed her lips, turned around silently, and left the terrace.

"Boring, I’m leaving."

"It’s a bit chilly."

Afterward, Wu Wenyue and Huang Tianxuan, seemingly losing interest as well, glanced at Li Peifeng with complex expressions before leaving the terrace one after the other, exiting the attic.

"Hoo~"

At this moment, covered head to toe in snowflakes, Li Peifeng finally felt a hint of cold. The remaining snow trapped inside his clothes began to melt from body heat, tendrils of chill encircling him alongside the solitude left on the terrace.

To be oblivious amidst the biting frost, one must first endure the baptism of fire.

"It’s just some wind and frost."

Li Peifeng murmured to himself, sensing the intense volatility in their hearts, as fierce as the snow outside, from the three girls before they left.