Chapter 376 Getting Beaten

Jiang Huan couldn't help but interrupt Huo Lin.

"Why are you suddenly saying all this tonight? Is it because you think I've been only eating and sleeping lately and haven't been taking care of anything, so you're handing over all the family's assets to me so you can secretly relax?"

She tried to make her tone sound relaxed, but her eyes were fixed on him, not missing a single change in his expression.

Upon hearing this, Huo Lin abruptly stopped his rambling.

He looked up at her, met her uneasy eyes, paused for a moment, then chuckled, and gently brushed the strands of hair at her temples with a soft touch, as if soothing a frightened little animal.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked in a relaxed tone, with a hint of helpless smile. "It's just that you're quite pregnant now and can't do everything yourself, so I thought I'd tell you more so you'd have some idea."

His explanation was reasonable, and his expression didn't reveal any major flaws.

But the moment he finished speaking, Jiang Huan could still hear the barely concealed panic in his heart.

Did I say too much and frighten her?

But that dream felt too real. Without her, the world was cold and desolate. I was all alone, and in the end...

[No, we must not repeat the same mistake. I must ensure absolute safety, that no matter what happens, she and the child are safe, sound, and prosperous.]

The fragmented thoughts in her voice made Jiang Huan's heart sink.

So it was all because of that precognitive dream?

This incredibly powerful man, who ruled the world, was so terrified by a mere dream that he became almost obsessively determined to arrange every possible escape route for her.

Seeing Huo Lin's forced composure, Jiang Huan felt a pang of tenderness and sorrow in her heart.

She suddenly stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Huo Lin's waist, burying her face in his chest.

"Huo Lin," she said in a muffled but firm voice, "I'm tired. I don't want to hear it. Don't go anywhere tonight. Just stay here and sleep with me."

Huo Lin's body visibly stiffened, as if he hadn't expected her to do that so suddenly.

He hesitated, then raised his hand and gently patted her back: "You're not feeling well right now, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Jiang Huan raised her head and deliberately glared at him, but her eyes were a little red, so she didn't seem intimidating at all, and instead looked more like she was being coquettish.

"I just wanted you to lie there quietly and be a heater. What, is the Emperor now unwilling to even sleep with his Imperial Noble Consort? Or does he think I'm taking up too much space?"

As she spoke, she tightened her grip on him, as if afraid he would run away.

Looking at her domineering and dependent appearance, Huo Lin felt a strange tension in his heart ease slightly.

He finally gave in, gently laying her down on the soft inner side of the bed, while he lay down on her outer side fully clothed, pulling her and the thin blanket into his arms.

"Alright, I'll sleep with you." His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice low and gentle. "Sleep now, I'm here."

The candles inside the hall were quietly extinguished by the palace servants, leaving only a lamp burning in the corner, emitting a soft, dim yellow glow.

Jiang Huan nestled in Huo Lin's warm embrace, listening to his gradually calming heartbeat, her eyelids began to droop, and she drifted off to sleep.

However, in the middle of the night, Jiang Huan was half asleep when she suddenly felt Huo Lin's body tremble violently beside her. His breathing became rapid, and his arms tightened unconsciously, making it hard for her to breathe.

"Don't go... Jiang Huan... come back..."

He mumbled incoherently in his sleep, cold sweat beading on his forehead, clearly trapped in that terrible dream again.

"I...I cannot..."

In her half-awake state, Jiang Huan felt a sharp pain from being gripped so tightly, and her ears were ringing. Instinctively, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

"Don't make noise... go to sleep..."

After the injection, Jiang Huan vaguely sensed something was wrong and groggily opened her eyes.

She looked at her hand still hanging in mid-air and the faint red mark on Huo Lin's face, blinked, and was not fully awake yet.

Huo Lin touched his cheek, looked at Jiang Huan's bewildered expression, his lips curled up slightly, but his face deliberately became serious.

"Jiang Huan".

He slowly uttered two words, drawing out the last syllable, deliberately saying, "You've got some nerve, daring to hit me?"

Jiang Huan finally came to her senses. Seeing Huo Lin's dangerous expression, her heart skipped a beat, and she instantly cowered.

Oh no, I was half asleep and my hand slipped!

Is he angry?

She tried to cover it up, whispering, "I couldn't wake you up. You were having a nightmare, talking in your sleep, and you were choking me so much I couldn't breathe..."

Huo Lin narrowed his eyes, then suddenly lowered his head and gently bit the tip of her finger that she hadn't had time to retract, rubbing it lightly.

[Hmph, I deserve a sweet treat after being slapped.]

Jiang Huan trembled, a tingling sensation instantly spreading from her fingertips throughout her body, and her face flushed red.

"You...you were born in the Year of the Dog!" She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it firmly.

Huo Lin looked at her, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, and his eyes darkened further, his breathing becoming noticeably heavier.

He released her fingertips and instead kissed her lips, a punitive nibble that quickly softened, his large hands beginning to linger restlessly on her back.

The temperature in the air suddenly rose.

Jiang Huan was so dizzy from his kisses that her body went limp, and she almost melted in his arms.

In her confusion and passion, she suddenly remembered that she was pregnant, instantly sobered up, and quickly pressed her hand against his chest.

"No...child..."

Huo Lin abruptly stopped, his body stiffening, his forehead pressed against hers, breathing heavily, his eyes still burning with desire.

He took several deep breaths to barely suppress the surging desire, his voice terribly hoarse.

"Jiang Huan, you are truly... my nemesis!"

He glared at her fiercely, like a large dog that hadn't gotten any meat, full of resentment.

Jiang Huan couldn't help but chuckle when she saw his aggrieved and unsatisfied expression.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a light peck on the lips with a mischievous smile.

"Be good, just bear with it a little longer, for our baby's sake."

Huo Lin slumped his shoulders, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and let out a muffled groan.

[Understood. For the sake of my children, I will endure it.]

But it feels so uncomfortable, like I'm suffocating...

Jiang Huan felt the warm breath coming from the crook of his neck and the almost tangible feeling of grievance, and reached out to rub his slightly messy hair.

"Okay, go to sleep now. I'll make you something delicious tomorrow to make it up to you, okay?"

Huo Lin nuzzled against her neck and reluctantly hummed in agreement.

"A knife hangs over the word 'patience,' this is unbearable."

[Once the baby is born, I will definitely...]

[Forget it, I can't think about it anymore, I need to go to sleep!]

Holding her like this is nice enough.