The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Ruan Xianrong was stunned and speechless, while Xie Chengyan's eyes flashed with a sickly smile.

Why aren't you saying anything?

She saw murderous intent in his eyes.

He wanted to kill Cheng Qing.

madman.

She pulled her hand away. "No, he didn't touch me."

Xie Chengyan clearly didn't believe it, his tone chilling, "But last time, I clearly saw him hold your hand."

"If I chop off his hand and give it to you as a gift, would you like it?"

Ruan Xianrong shuddered. What kind of mad dog was this?

"Snapped!"

She slapped him across the face. "Xie Chengyan, if you really dare to send me something like that, I'll fight you to the death."

Xie Chengyan tilted his head slightly and laughed.

Holding her hand, he stroked his face, lost in ecstasy, "If you like, you can hit me a few more times."

Ruan Xianrong got goosebumps all over. Did he feel good about slapping him?

She tried to pull her hand away but couldn't. The person kissed her palm. "Did it hurt?"

"roll!"

He kicked out, but not only did he miss, the other man grabbed his ankle and pulled him over. "Still got some energy. Looks like you're not tired enough."

"I was wrong!"

She is definitely not one to put on a brave face. When she looked at herself in the mirror today, her face was whiter than paper, and her lips were almost bloodless.

Can't this scoundrel see that?

He picked her up and placed her on the bed, then tried to lift her skirt.

She hugged the blanket tightly, "Please, I'm begging you, you really can't come again."

Xie Chengyan stopped teasing her and took the ointment from before. "I'll apply the medicine for you."

"What medicine should I use?"

"Doesn't it hurt there?"

I hadn't felt it before, but after he said that, I started to feel a dull ache.

Ruan Xianrong's face flushed instantly, a mixture of shame and anger.

She gripped the blanket tightly, forcing out the words through clenched teeth: "I don't need your fake kindness!"

Xie Chengyan seemed not to hear, and unscrewed the white jade bottle, releasing a bitter herbal scent.

His fingertips were smeared with a bright green ointment, and his other hand reached unequivocally toward the edge of the bedding.

"Don't touch me!" She shrank back, her back pressed against the bed railing, with nowhere left to retreat.

"Niannian." He raised his eyes, his gaze as deep as the night, but his tone was extremely gentle. "Be good, you'll recover faster if you apply the medicine."

A gentle tone of voice sent chills down her spine more than a direct threat.

"You go out, I'll do it myself."

Xie Chengyan sat motionless on the edge of the bed, a cool smile on his face.

He always had this expression whenever she didn't listen to him.

She used to worry that he would hold a grudge and kill her in the future, but now she's willing to risk it all.

"You're looking at me like that again? If you're so capable, just kill me! Kill me then!"

She's been feeling incredibly stifled here these past few days; she's really had enough.

He did that to her, and now he wants to personally apply medicine to her. He may be shameless, but she is.

Xie Chengyan's eyes softened. He didn't say anything, but pulled the person, along with the blanket, over and made them sit on his lap.

"I already said I can do it myself, I don't need you, so let go..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Chengyan pinched her cheeks and said, "Be good."

What's there to listen to? She gets angry just looking at his face, how can she possibly listen to him?

He held her in his arms, gently lifting a corner of the blanket, letting in a cool breeze that sent shivers down his spine.

His calloused fingertips probed inside; the ointment was cool, and she couldn't help but tremble when he touched her, her whole body stiffening like a stone.

She bit her lip tightly, buried her face in his chest, and dared not make a sound.

Xie Chengyan's movements were unexpectedly...delicate.

"Bear with it," he whispered, his breath brushing against her ear. "The first time always hurts a bit, but it'll get better afterward."

The future? Does he even dare to mention the future?

"you......"

She opened her eyes abruptly, intending to curse, but when she met those lustful eyes, she fell silent.

"There will be no future! Xie Chengyan, you're a real pervert, you're disgusting."

His hand, which was applying the ointment, paused slightly.

He looked up and met her eyes, which were filled with anger and tears.

After a long while, he suddenly laughed, but the smile did not reach his eyes; instead, it was filled with a solemn chill.

"Don't you like it?" he asked in a light voice, his fingertips slowly moving up the curve of her leg, stopping at a delicate spot, and pressing down slightly.

Ruan Xianrong trembled.

"Niannian, take a good look at yourself. Is your body trembling because of disgust, or because of...?"

He leaned in, his thin lips almost touching her ear, his voice low and menacing, "...Do you remember how I made it happy?"

"You shameless! Vulgar! Bastard!" Ruan Xianrong trembled with anger and tried to kick him, but he easily subdued her.

"Don't move around, the medicine hasn't been applied yet." His tone returned to calm, as if he wasn't the one who had just spoken out of turn.

But the fingers that roamed over her skin, with a hint of punishment, gently massaged a particularly red and swollen spot on her inner thigh, applying more pressure.

She couldn't help but speak out, cursing under her breath.

The agonizing process of applying the medicine is finally over.

He pulled the blanket up for her, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, sat down on the edge of the bed, and reached out to brush away the sweaty stray hairs on her cheek, but she turned her head away.

His hand froze in mid-air for a moment before slowly retracting.

Xie Chengyan looked at her pale profile, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Compared to the day she entered the palace, she was indeed much more haggard.

She managed to hold back in the end; if this continued, her body really couldn't take it.

Fortunately, he was already by her side, and there was plenty of time in the future. He had a lifetime to slowly wear down her thorns and let her get used to his presence.

Ruan Xianrong lay on the bed for a while, determined not to speak. Xie Chengyan did not force her, but lay down next to her and put his arm around her from behind.

I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep, but the drowsiness came unexpectedly.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a familiar place, in a familiar scene, being held and soaking in the white jade pool.

"This medicinal bath needs to be taken twice a day," the person behind me explained.

Exhausted, Ruan Xianrong leaned against him and bit his shoulder.

I kept biting until I tasted blood in my mouth before I let go.

Xie Chengyan remained expressionless, and even a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

He's sick, he really is sick!

She's already like this, and you're still not angry?

Little did she know, in Xie Chengyan's eyes, she was even more alluring than when she looked terrified that day.

Such thoughts, joy, anger, hatred, and delusion, make one a vibrant person.

God knows how agonizing it was for him to watch her smile at others and act coquettishly towards them.

Sure enough, the person in my arms was alive and more beautiful than in my dream.

Thinking this, she lifted the person up slightly, and Ruan Xianrong subconsciously wrapped her jade-like legs around her waist.

Something pressed against her, and Ruan Xianrong's face changed instantly. "W-what are you going to do?"

"Put me down, I don't want to soak anymore, no..."

My lips were blocked, and I was pressed against the edge of the pool; there was no way to escape.

The water rippled gently, overflowing the pool with a splash, and wet hair clung to the man's shoulders, tangled together.

The misty steam blurred the view, only the man's taut back and the petite figure trapped in his arms, struggling helplessly, were vaguely visible.

The pool water surged higher and higher, with only faint sounds of heavy breathing and groans tinged with sobs.