Unbeknownst to Li Meirong, a dozen pairs of sharp, gleaming eyes were currently observing her and the infuriating man beside her. Carefully hidden from view were the summoned servants of the Bai Clan's palace.

An entire horde of foxes varying in all shapes and sizes, from a single bushy tail to a majestic multitude of tails flapping all around them, silently encircled the vicinity. Their slanted pupils' and shrewd gaze assessed the scenery before them with crafty and curious delight.

In order to better hide in such close proximity, the lower-ranked gods of the Huli Jing Clan had all transformed into common fox spirits, and were lurking atop the wide, tall trees and between the red-fringed flower bushes just outside the open courtyard. Their snouts twitched with excitement at the scene, some of them revealing their long, gleaming teeth in a roguish smile.

Despite their celestial aura and lofty rank among the immortals, the fox gods of the Bai clan nevertheless had no choice but to hide their presence between the bushes of a mortal realm like a pack of mischievous scoundrels.

It wasn't because they wanted to conceal themselves. They simply had no choice in the matter!

The Sovereign Lord had instructed his servants not to approach the newly ordained Lady of the clan senselessly, but luckily for them, he had neglected to mention anything about eavesdropping from a safe distance.

This particular situation provided the perfect example of showing the difficulty in managing the illustrious Huli Jing clan, as it was not the trickery of the celestial foxes' nature – although their crafty ways could potentially pose a problem if not properly controlled – but more so their self-righteous mindset of always finding a wiggle room to bypass strictly given commands.

See, they were not, in fact, defying His Lordship's orders, thought the crafty Huli Jing Foxes. They were simply assessing the worthiness of their Sovereign Lady!

So far, they were uninspired in their assumptions...

"I wonder what they are talking about…" a rather squeaky voice suddenly questioned, coming from behind a shrub. His bright tails waved slightly behind him as he came forward.

"'Tis a bit hard to tell. His Lordship has erected a barrier. Are you able to hear anything, Senior?" a fuzzy-looking brown fox asked the four-tailed elder servant. Her single tail and matted fur was unimpressive compared to the other fox.

The four-tailed fox grimaced and shook his head sullenly.

A loud huff sounded from the side of a tall tree, catching both of the foxes' attention.

"They are obviously discussing Her Ladyship's good fortune for being the chosen bride!" a slate grey, six-tailed fox interjected. "Look how happy our Lord looks – he's practically grinning from ear to ear."

Both of the foxes immediately lowered their head, showing their respect in the presence of the six-tailed grey fox.

The six-tailed fox, better known as Lang Ju among the rest of the clan members, had come from a long line of palace attendants. Hence his luxurious amount of tails, which signified a higher station within the clan. The spying Huli Jing Foxes may have all been servants, but their rank among their own kind was much higher than the majority of the common members of the clan combined.

Lang Ju's long years of service in the Bai palace and high status in the clan had provided him with many more opportunities to bask in His Lordship's otherworldly presence in comparison to the rest of the clan members. Therefore, he naturally knew the Sovereign Lord a little better than the other attending servants.

The Sovereign Lord may possess a constantly apathetic, uncaring face, but Lang Ju was proficient in perceiving his Lordship's mood! The surrounding foxes all gathered around Lang Ju at this moment, listening to his assessment with rapt attention.

However, despite Lang Ju's seniority and unshakeable position in the clan, his words were just too ludicrous to believe in…

The Sovereign Lord grinning? What a joke! His Lordship showing any sign of joy in such a situation? This was unheard of!

Besides Lang Ju, the rest of the Bai palace attendants weren't blind nor deaf! They had also heard of the Sovereign Lord's chilly disposition and were all very aware of how truthful was the reputation which preceded him.

It was a well known fact that the Sovereign Lord only smiled when he slaughtered his enemies!

The other foxes raised their brows in disbelief, then wordlessly directed their attention back to the Sovereign Lord, paying no heed to Lang Ju's silly words.

Thin, unmoving lips; cold, calculating eyes; sword-like brows without even the smallest furrow; an overbearing air enveloping him.

That perfect face was as expressionless as a porcelain mask.

What was this nonsense about 'looking happy' that Lang Ju spoke of? His Lordship may as well be chopping heads off with that expression! Everything about his appearance was unreadable – or rather, so open to interpretation that it might as well be meaningless.

The foxes glanced back at their six-tailed companion in disdain, and he glared indignantly back at them.

"I am not lying, you fools!" Lang Ju pointed towards Bai Qingyue with his paw, waving it here and there as he motioned. "Look, here, see how his mouth is stretching? He just smiled, and he is not killing anyone! That clearly means he's happy!"

The grey fluffy tails sprouting from Lang Ju's backside swished arrogantly as he huffed. Only elite servants such as himself would be able to discern His Lordship's true thoughts!

Sure enough, if one observed carefully, the corners of Bai Qingyue's lips could be seen to curve upwards ever-so-slightly.

All the foxes stared back in bewildered awe – it was impossible, it must have been! But unless they were seeing an illusion, then it meant that the icy Sovereign Lord was, unquestionably, smiling!

The brown, fuzzy-coated fox gasped as if she saw the whole world turn upside down. She rubbed her eyes twice just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. No matter how hard she rubbed, the Sovereign Lord's expression only became more and more obvious!

"I think Senior Lang Ju is right – he really is smiling! I have never seen our Lordship look so happy before," she exclaimed.