The four words "outshining all others" spoken by General Huo made Zhu Xu suddenly picture General Huo in a fairy dress.
"Is General Huo going too?" Zhu Xu asked with a smile.
When General Huo met Zhu Xu's smiling eyes, he was startled, clearly having not considered this question.
"To ensure Her Imperial Highness stays at the flower viewing party until the end, I have been by Her Imperial Highness's side," Huo Gui said, turning to leave the tea room first.
As Huo Gui's figure disappeared, the smile on Zhu Xu's lips also vanished.
The Flower Viewing Grand Gathering.
To put it nicely, it was a gathering to admire flowers. To put it even more nicely, it was a place for male and female deities to exchange glances.
Such a gathering was truly an ordeal for Zhu Xu, whose heart already belonged to someone.
An hour later, the flower viewing party was about to begin. General Huo Gui walked into the tea room with a frown. To his surprise, before he could urge her, Zhu Xu emerged from the tea room first.
"General Huo, let's go." Zhu Xu's tone was heavy, clearly still resistant to attending the flower viewing party.
Huo Gui paused, then agreed.
She didn't want to go to the flower viewing party, yet she was so cooperative. She must not want to make things difficult for him. Thinking this, Huo Gui felt particularly touched.
"By the way, General Huo, do you want to change into something brighter? I think this one is nice." As Zhu Xu spoke, she conjured a brightly colored fairy dress.
General Huo's expression changed multiple times, and the gratitude he had felt vanished without a trace.
"Just kidding, General Huo." Seeing the growing resistance and bewilderment in Huo Gui's eyes, Zhu Xu quickly put away the fairy dress in her hand.
General Huo was a military general; playing too much would not be good.
"Your Highness, let us go." Huo Gui stepped past Zhu Xu.
"Why is the Imperial Daughter here?"
"Is she also here to appraise male deities?"
"It's understandable. Isn't the Imperial Daughter about to come of age?"
General Huo Gui was a military general by nature, and his strides were naturally faster than other deities. This time, going to the flower viewing party, his pace was even faster than usual.
And so, less than a quarter of an hour after setting off, Zhu Xu and General Huo Gui arrived at the venue of the flower viewing party.
"The Imperial Daughter isn't any better than us. Look, as soon as she arrived, all the male deities who were about to talk to you are now looking at her."
"Don't say that. Who can help it when her father is the Jade Emperor?" The Water God rolled her eyes, showing her disdain for Zhu Xu.
Many goddesses who had gathered together followed suit. The Flower God, who had remained silent, stood out exceptionally.
The Water God, fanning herself with her fan, took a few steps towards the Flower God. "Flower God, what do you think?"
"The Imperial Daughter has a graceful figure, respects her elders and teachers, and is courteous and dignified. It's hard not to like her."
The Flower God's features were gentle, and her voice was soft and melodious as she spoke, yet it was clear she was being sincere.
"Are you saying my figure isn't graceful enough? That I'm not respectful enough to elders and teachers?! That I'm not courteous enough?!"
The Water God's expression immediately changed. The upturned corners of her eyes became sharp, revealing her intimidating aura to the fullest.
The Flower God said no more, merely smiled, and took a step back.
"Today, I want to see if these male deities have any eyes at all," the Water God declared, then walked to the center of the blooming flowers.
The Water God gestured to the celestial musicians playing for the Heavenly Realm, and then began to dance in the center of the hundred flowers.
The Water God's dance was graceful, her body as pliant as water, like a part of the water itself, both alluring and bewitching.
As expected, all the male deities were captivated by the Water God's dance. Those who were slowly approaching Zhu Xu quickly "scrambled" to the Water God's feet.
Watching the backs of these male deities, Zhu Xu let out an involuntary sigh of relief. She turned and grabbed a few desserts from the corners.
"What's so great about the Imperial Daughter? She's no different from mortals who only care about their appetites."
After eating only a few pieces of pastry, the Water God, twisting her serpentine waist, strolled towards Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu continued to diligently eat her pastries, not sparing the Water God a glance.
Not seeing the reaction she desired, the Water God, unwilling to give up, was about to utter more sarcastic remarks.
Just then, a group of male deities approached, holding flowers. The Water God temporarily abandoned her intention, accepted the bouquets, and smiled gently at the male deities.
Zhu Xu paid them no mind, completely engrossed in the tea snacks and desserts of the Hundred Flower Banquet.
Suddenly, the Water God's voice drifted from somewhere.
"You're asking about that male deity from the North Sea? He has a terrible physique and bad breath."
"The male deity from the South Mountain is okay. I tried him that day, and his physique was decent."
"Don't even think about the male deities from the Nine Heavens. They're all lazy and gluttonous; they're so bloated that even the Matchmaker is embarrassed to tie them their threads."
...
The Water God's voice echoed throughout the flower viewing party.
In an instant, the entire flower viewing party became lively.
Especially the male deity from the North Sea and the male deities from the Heavenly Realm, who became furious.
The Water God had been a frequent guest at the flower viewing party for many years, always presenting herself as a pure maiden. Such remarks shattered the beautiful image she had in the hearts of many male deities.
This sudden voice surprised Zhu Xu as well. She looked up at the Water God, wondering if she had said it herself.
Only when Zhu Xu looked up did she realize that it wasn't just the voice; images had also appeared in the center of the flower viewing party.
Is this a koi?
Zhu Xu's pupils constricted as she saw the koi pond beside the Water God in the image. The corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably.
Has Zhao Xue arrived?
Zhu Xu's eyes curved as she scanned the surroundings, finally spotting Zhao Xue's figure not far away.
Zhu Xu eagerly rushed towards Zhao Xue.
As she embraced him warmly, Zhao Xue remained stiff.
"Darling, Father Emperor has restricted my movements," Zhu Xu said to Zhao Xue in a dejected tone.
Darling?
Zhao Xue lowered his head in disbelief. He remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say.
"Zhao Xue, I didn't look for you today. Are you angry?" Zhu Xu looked up, her moist eyes meeting Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes.
"No... No." After not seeing each other for nearly twelve hours, Zhao Xue seemed overly nervous in front of Zhu Xu.
"That's good." Zhu Xu smiled, and for a moment, all the beauty of the flowers seemed to fade.
"Is it okay?" Zhao Xue asked, tucking Zhu Xu's head into his chest.
Zhu Xu: "Hm?"
"Is it okay to hug me in front of so many people?"