This New Year's Eve banquet, watched and calculated by many, ended amidst the evening's sudden snowstorm.
Although some incidents occurred before the feast, they did not affect everyone's mood. During the banquet, people toasted each other and engaged in joyous conversation, fostering closeness akin to a common family gathering, further enhanced by Little Yuanzi's unabashed and childlike laughter.
In the end, everyone kept vigil for the New Year and then dispersed, carrying the scent of alcohol with them.
By this time, the snowstorm had grown significantly, covering the road with a layer of snow. As they walked to the palace gate and saw the carriages waiting for them in the snowstorm, darkness had already descended. Only two lanterns swayed lightly in the wind under the carriages' eaves, emitting a faint red glow, resembling a large python with blood-red eyes waiting for them to step into its tooth-filled maw.
Seeing this scene, Yu Mingyue inexplicably felt a shiver.
