The Fox is backed into a corner

Chu Yun followed the guard into the palace, keeping a safe distance behind him.

"Go warn Xiao Zai," he mouthed towards Hua Nanyi.

Her eyebrows scrunched up in worry above her clear eyes, but Chu Yun tightened his lips into a grim line and nodded at her with a swift tilt of his head.

She bit back her recriminations and left silently. 

The palace guard didn't lead him to the throne room as Chu Yun had hoped, instead he directed him to a small room, away from the busiest wings of the palace.

The guard rapped his knuckles against the door, and a gruff voice said from inside: "Let him in."

When Chu Yun walked inside, the King was facing away from the door, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the window at one of the palace's courtyards.

"Miaoyan, come closer," he said, not turning away from the open window. Both sides of the paper-pane windows had been thrown open, letting all the cold air in.