So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Ning Yu was so angry she wanted to slap him again; her good temper completely vanished around Xie Xun.

But her body and limbs were held tightly by him, and she was too strong to break free. She could only stretch her legs and kick his robes. The chains flowed with her movements in the dim and enchanting tent, making a soft sound.

Xie Xun hadn't touched her body for several days, and he couldn't help himself when he did. Even though he saw her pushing and cursing, he still found her lively appearance pleasing to the eye, so he loosened his restraint on her.

Ning Yu was about to slap him when Xie Xun swiftly grabbed her wrist. "Getting addicted to hitting him?"

"Get out of here."

"This is my bedchamber. Who are you letting out?"

Ning Yu wiped her mouth hard, her hands trembling as she pushed him away.

Seeing her disgusted look, Xie Xun grabbed her wrist, lowered his head and kissed her lips even more fiercely. Not satisfied, he then probed in and entwined his tongue with hers in a passionate kiss.

"Ugh---Hmm---" came out of her throat with an incoherent whimper.

Their breaths grew increasingly hot. Ning Yu bit his lips and tasted blood, but he didn't stop; in fact, he kissed her even more fiercely.

She scratched his back fiercely a few times, felt a chill beneath her, and despair flashed in her eyes.

Xie Xun tasted the tears on her face, paused slightly, stepped back, and looked at her wet face.

Their eyes met, but Ning Yu looked away from him.

"Why are you crying? You're made of water."

"My body still hurts."

After saying that, she got out of his arms, lifted the blanket, and went to sleep on the innermost side of the bed.

Xie Xun didn't like her being so far away, so he reached back and pulled her into his arms.

The man's body was like a scorching furnace. Ning Yu, who was afraid of the cold in winter, felt her whole body warm up when she was snuggled in his arms.

She didn't want to touch his body, so she rolled back. Xie Xun didn't notice her little movement, lowered his eyelids to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and asked, "Don't you want to untie that chain?"

The Lunar New Year is approaching, and it's almost the first year of their relationship. He wants to take her out for a trip.

Ning Yu paused, then looked up at him. "When are you going to untie me?"

Xie Xun pulled her closer to him, placing his other hand on her lower abdomen. "Why is there still no sign of labor?"

Ning Yu was terrified at the mere mention of this. She didn't want to get pregnant. She had taken a contraceptive that night in Xianyang City, but she couldn't find the clothes she was wearing when she returned to the palace, so she didn't have any more medicine. She figured she shouldn't get pregnant from these two encounters.

"Have the imperial physician come and take a look tomorrow, and make sure he drinks plenty of nourishing soup."

Ning Yu turned her back to him.

Her back was pressed against his chest, his strong arms holding her tightly in his embrace. He leaned close to her ear and whispered hoarsely, "One more time?"

"I'm sleepy."

"How can you live if you don't do it?"

Ning Yu felt his restless hands roaming over her body. She gritted her teeth and said, "I told you, my body still hurts. Your Majesty should still remember the beastly things you did, right?"

"---"

Seeing her but not being able to have her, Xie Xun didn't expect he could be so tolerant. Looking at her indifferent profile, he still didn't move, kissed her ear, and hugged her tightly in his arms.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky outside the window, followed by rolling thunder and heavy rain. Ning Yu, who had been unable to sleep, nestled in his arms and drifted off to sleep sometime during the night.

Xie Xun heard her soft breathing, slowly pulled his arm away and sat up, grabbed her ankle and untied the chain, threw it to the corner of the bed, and lay down again.

After not doing it for several days, he felt that the fire in his body couldn't be extinguished, and holding her made him feel even more uncomfortable. He wanted to take a cold shower.

The woman in his arms was sleeping soundly. Looking at her face, he barely suppressed the urge to immediately pin her down on the bed and kill her. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her lips deeply.

When Ning Yu woke up the next day, the rain had stopped. As soon as she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in his arms, clinging to him like an octopus.

She sleeps very soundly.

She bit her lip and gently stepped out of his embrace. Almost at the same moment, the arm around her waist tightened suddenly, as if it were an iron clamp, making it impossible for her to move.

"Why haven't you gone to the morning court session yet?"

"You really don't want to see me that much?" He rubbed his head against her hair.

Ning Yu didn't speak, but pushed him to sit up. As she kicked, she realized that the chain on her ankle was gone. She was overjoyed, but before she could look closely, the man suddenly grabbed her ankle and tried to lock her up with the chain.

Enraged, she swiftly kicked him in the face, then punched him in the chest, before looping around behind him and grabbing his shoulder blade, showing no mercy as she intended to inflict serious damage.

Xie Xun reacted too quickly, dissipating the force on her foot and avoiding her ruthless move, before fastening the shackles on her with his other hand.

Ning Yu couldn't beat him, and seeing that she was locked up again, the little bit of joy in her heart immediately disappeared. She climbed on top of him and was about to beat him up.

Xie Xun liked this position, so he grabbed her waist and sat on her. Her delicate body stiffened abruptly, and her hand stopped just in front of his face.

"Shameless beast."

"I've heard that the Third Elder of Leshan isn't very skilled in martial arts, but he's good at making poisons. Did you learn from Leshan?"

Ning Yu wouldn't tell him about her own affairs, and twisted her body to get down, but this guy's eyes were full of desire as he looked at her, and he grabbed her waist and pressed her down hard.

So she couldn't resist and the two started fighting on the bed.

The palace servants waiting outside were still waiting to be summoned, and they could vaguely hear cracking sounds coming from inside, like the sound of chains.

The head maid remembered the lady's melancholy appearance all day long and, fearing that she might do something rash, quickly pushed open the door and went in.

"go out!"

Suddenly, a man's voice came from the inner hall. The head maid stopped in her tracks, and the palace servants behind her rushed into her, nearly falling over one after another.

Is it His Majesty?!

When did His Majesty arrive? Did he come in the middle of the night last night in the rain? She's been waiting at the palace gate since early this morning, but hasn't seen His Majesty return.

"aunt."

The reminder from the palace servants behind her prompted the head maid to quickly retreat and instruct her subordinates to prepare meals, hot soup, and all the necessary items for washing and grooming.

The commotion in the inner hall soon subsided. When the head maid came in with her attendants, she found that the two masters had already come out of the washroom, washed up, and changed their clothes.

She hurriedly had the palace servants file in and laid out a table full of breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the Emperor's cloak on the shelf. Sure enough, he had come in the middle of the night; he still cared about his wife.

She glanced at the lady's face; she looked much better than she had two days ago, her complexion visibly improved. She wondered what the two had been up to, but her face was rosy and seemed to carry a hint of resentment.

A cold gaze swept over her, startling her, and she quickly lowered her head.