Lin Qinghe's eyes welled up with tears from the pain, and she glared fiercely at You Rong.
*You're asking me? Why don't you let go of my mouth so I can speak!*
You Rong was stunned, and after a moment of realization, he quickly released the hand covering Lin Qinghe's mouth. He picked her up, his voice trembling with ecstasy, and asked, "Your Majesty, you answer me... you've never let anyone share your bed before, have you? Is that right... is that right!"
Lin Qinghe, lying on You Rong, scowled in pain and bit down hard on his shoulder with all her might.
*Bastard!*
*If I'm in pain, you won't have an easy time either!*
You Rong let out a muffled groan of pain but didn't stop Lin Qinghe. He lowered his head to kiss her temples and asked in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, what I said just now, was I right? Your Majesty, I want to know, please answer me... will you?"
Lin Qinghe tasted a hint of coppery sweetness in her mouth. She bit a deep imprint into You Rong's shoulder to vent her frustration, feeling a little better from the pent-up emotions. She released her mouth, sniffled, and grumbled irritably, "You already know... why are you still asking..."
Even though he already knew the answer, hearing it from Lin Qinghe's own lips made You Rong's heart pound uncontrollably, filling him with ecstatic joy.
You Rong leaned in and kissed the corner of Lin Qinghe's lips. "That male favorite just now... was that deliberate on Your Majesty's part?"
Lin Qinghe pouted. "Yes! I wanted to make you jealous! You clearly like me in your heart, but you insist on being stubborn and refusing to admit it... Would it kill you to say you love me!"
You Rong smiled, his gaze on Lin Qinghe filled with an overwhelming tenderness. His fair hand gently stroked her delicate face, and he said hoarsely, "Yes, Your Majesty, I was wrong. I promise it won't happen again. I love Your Majesty, I love Your Majesty... I will say it as many times as Your Majesty wants me to."
The warm breath brushed against her face, and Lin Qinghe uncomfortably turned her head away. "I know. You... you should go out first..."
You Rong's eyes darkened. He suddenly pushed Lin Qinghe down onto the bed. Their black hair intertwined, and he stared intensely at her beneath him, his voice hoarse. "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I won't complain no matter how Your Majesty punishes me afterward, but now... I can't go out..."
"You... mmph..." Lin Qinghe's attempt to scold was cut off, swallowed entirely by You Rong...
He grabbed Lin Qinghe's hands, interlocking their fingers, and pressed them firmly into the bedding. You Rong hugged Lin Qinghe from behind, repeatedly kissing the back of her neck and murmuring, "Your Majesty, I love you. I love Your Majesty the most. Your Majesty..."
She was his and his alone. He had possessed her, and only him. The mere thought of it made him unable to control his desire to claim her!
Lin Qinghe was tossed and turned until she fell into a daze. As she drifted off, besides You Rong's repeated murmurs of love, a system prompt sounded in her mind: "Progress increased by 25%. Total progress is 99%."
You Rong pulled the quilt over Lin Qinghe and tucked her in. He gazed at the sleeping figure, his handsome face full of doting affection. He cupped Lin Qinghe's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, saying once more, "Your Majesty, I love you!"
Evening.
Lin Qinghe's eyelids fluttered twice. The moment she opened her eyes, a wave of soreness washed over her, and she gritted her teeth.
*You Rong, you scoundrel! This is insubordination, a grave disrespect! I want to have your head cut off!*
*But... forget it. Given that the progress bar has reached 99%, I won't hold it against you!*
"Your Majesty... you're awake."
Lin Qinghe turned her head. You Rong was already dressed and standing by the bed. She pouted, indicating she didn't want to talk to him.
You Rong smiled faintly and sat down by the bed. He reached out to pull her into his arms and gently apologized. "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry. It's time for dinner, and you haven't eaten all day. You should get up and have dinner. After dinner, whatever punishment Your Majesty wishes to give me, I will accept it."
Lin Qinghe snorted. "That doesn't sound like you're admitting fault at all. It's more like you're saying, 'I know I was wrong, and I'll do it again next time!'"
You Rong chuckled. "Your Majesty, I didn't..."
"If I say you did, then you did! Don't think I won't punish you!"
"Alright, alright, Your Majesty says I did, so I did. Your Majesty wants to punish me, so I will be punished. I obey, but you must get up and have some dinner. Be careful not to starve yourself, okay?" You Rong coaxed her dotingly.
Lin Qinghe was indeed hungry. She "mmmed" reluctantly and pushed You Rong away to get out of bed, but her legs were weak, as if she were walking on cotton, and she almost fell. You Rong quickly caught her.
"Your Majesty... shall I carry you out for dinner?"
Lin Qinghe shot You Rong a glare. "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you..."
"Yes, it's all my fault. I deserve to die. Your Majesty, please give me a chance to atone for my mistakes. I will carry you out for dinner." As he spoke, You Rong scooped her up, his steps steady as he walked out of the inner chamber.
A meal was laid out outside. Lin Qinghe had been worried about the presence of palace maids. She would have lost face if they saw her in this state. Fortunately, there was no one else when they went out.
You Rong seemed to read Lin Qinghe's mind, his deep eyes full of a smile. "Your Majesty, I've sent all the palace maids out, fearing they might disturb Your Majesty's rest. I've been serving Your Majesty in Changning Palace all day."
*So, my clothes were changed by him? He even bathed me during that time...* Lin Qinghe's cheeks flushed, and she said in embarrassment and anger, "I know! Since you want to do the work of these servants, then be quick about it. I want to eat, so serve me my meal!"
You Rong was not offended. He smiled and replied, "Yes, I will serve Your Majesty your meal."
You Rong picked up his chopsticks and served Lin Qinghe. All she had to do was give him a look for what she wanted to eat, and he would immediately offer the dish to her lips. He even used a spoon to blow the soup cool and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful.
Looking at the compliant You Rong, and then recalling the cold and indifferent You Rong from a few days ago, Lin Qinghe felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
*Hmph!*
*See if you're still stubbornly refusing to admit it. I told you, I will definitely make you chase after me and say you love me!*
Lin Qinghe, in a good mood, had eaten half her fill when You Rong offered her soup. She slightly turned her face away.
You Rong paused. "Your Majesty, what is this..."
Lin Qinghe said irritably, "You eat too. You've been in Changning Palace all day, and I imagine you haven't eaten either!"
The smile in You Rong's eyes deepened. "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey." He then drank the soup from the spoon Lin Qinghe had used, showing no signs of disgust. Sudan Novel Network
They had already done more intimate things, but when Lin Qinghe thought about them sharing a spoon, her cheeks inexplicably felt warm. To hide her unusual reaction, she picked up her chopsticks and kept serving You Rong food, urging him to eat more.
After dinner, You Rong's eyes flickered. He took Lin Qinghe's hand, his fingers intertwining with hers, and reminded her, "Your Majesty, the matter of enfeoffing an Imperial Husband should be canceled."
He expected Lin Qinghe to agree, but instead, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Why should the matter of enfeoffing an Imperial Husband be canceled? I never intended to cancel it, and I am still planning for you to be in charge of the entire affair."