Yi Shangyun slowly raised her eyes and looked over, only to see that it was Xuan Yuanhan approaching her.

Remembering how he had so tightly gripped her wrist without any regard for her feelings, she suddenly felt a sense of fear for the first time at his approach, and instinctively shrank back to the corner of the bed in resistance.

She kept her head down, leaning against the railing of the tatami mat, not daring to speak, nor wanting to speak.

As soon as Xuan Yuanhan walked over, he smelled a familiar, faint fragrance emanating from her. She looked to be in good spirits, but she was still angry and refused to look at him.

He raised his head to touch her hair, but Yi Shangyun dodged away.

Helpless, Xuan Yuanhan could only slowly withdraw his hand, which was still hanging awkwardly in mid-air, and then lift the hem of his robe and sit down beside her.

It seemed that as long as she was by his side, he felt at peace. She was his entire world, his whole world.

The two sat in silence for a while before Xuanyuan Han finally asked, "Are you still angry with me?"

Yi Shangyun didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Xuanyuan Han breathed a sigh of relief and slowly explained, "On the day of your return visit, I had Cheng Liang follow you, not because I didn't trust you. Rather..."

Even now, Xuan Yuanhan still didn't want to tell her that he already knew she was the guardian of Western Qin, thus adding to Yi Shangyun's burden.

It was as if, as long as he didn't say anything, she was just a simple, happy, ordinary woman.

Every night, the thought that so many eyes on this continent were openly and secretly eyeing her, and that they were trying every means to find her, made it impossible for him to sleep.

Heaven knows how much he wished she were just a simple woman in this world, someone who would suddenly enter his life and simply be his wife. But life is unpredictable, and fate plays tricks on us...

Perhaps this is the destiny of the guardians. Ordinary life has never been theirs; they are born with a mission that cannot be hidden.

Now we've seen the beginning, but we can't guess the ending. What will her fate be?

When he was very young, when he was still living in the palace with Consort Chun, he heard his grandfather say that all the guardians of the past had met tragic ends, and they all died protecting the peace of the city of Xiqin.

He felt heartbroken whenever he thought of this.

When he first learned of her identity, he also tried to have her live under an assumed name and stay away from Xi Qin.

But after going around in circles, she eventually returned to this place and to his side.

So he silently made up his mind: "If your arrival is only to protect this world, then I will only protect you."

After a pause, Xuan Yuanhan composed himself and turned to look at Yi Shangyun's profile, saying only, "I have to be careful at all times, for fear that you will suddenly disappear from my side again, just like many times in the past. I am afraid that I might lose you again. Having walked with you all this way, I cannot live without you for even a moment in my life."

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun realized that Xuan Yuanhan's true purpose was actually this, and that he had always cared so much about her. She immediately turned around and looked at Xuan Yuanhan's face in surprise, calling out softly with heartache, "Your Highness...you..."

She was already filled with remorse for misunderstanding him so deeply all this time, and for even saying such cruel things as asking for a divorce.

Just as she was about to apologize to him, she thought about how he hadn't even come to check on her all this time.

Then, with a hint of hesitation, he asked, "Yun'er has been staying at Yanfu Temple for so long, why has Your Highness never come to visit her even once?"

Xuanyuan Han met his gaze and said, "After reading the words you left for me when you left the manor, although I was very angry, I know that, as you said, although as a woman you cannot serve in the court or fight on the battlefield to protect your country like a man, you also have your own things you want to do. Although I have married you, I will not restrict you too much or make you feel that I want to control you in every way."

After Xuan Yuanhan finished speaking, he slowly reached out and took her hand, gently rubbing her wrist, which was still slightly red from where he had hurt her earlier, and asked with concern, "Does it still hurt?"

As Yi Shangyun watched the gentle movements in his hands, a warm feeling welled up in her heart, as if all the grievances she had suffered these past few days had vanished.

Sui shook his head and replied, "It doesn't hurt much now, but it really hurt at the time!"

Xuanyuan Han continued what he was doing, trying to make her feel less pain and more comfortable: "I want you to know how much pain you are in, and how much I have missed you and longed for you these past few days."

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun completely let go of all the misunderstandings and ulterior motives she had towards him, and unexpectedly said, "If that's the case, then please try harder next time, Your Highness."

"What did you say?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan could hardly believe his ears. He stopped what he was doing, raised his deep eyes, and looked into her eyes.

A blush had already crept onto Yun's face as she lowered her head to avoid his eyes, and she whispered, "If it is really as Your Highness says, that the more pain Yun'er feels, the more Your Highness misses and longs for Yun'er, then please be a little more forceful next time."

Suddenly, Xuan Yuanhan brought his exquisitely sculpted face close to Yi Shangyun's, his eyes flashing with intense desire, and said, "No need for next time, it's now."

"What did Your Highness say?"

"What do you mean, 'now'?"

The clouds on the clothes cried out in surprise.

Before she could even raise her head and react, Xuan Yuanhan leaned over and tackled her to the ground. His eyes glazed over as he said, "Yun'er, I want you now! I've waited too long since our wedding! I endured your injuries, but now that you're fully recovered, you must make it up to me. In a moment, I will show you just how much I've missed you and longed for you."

After saying that, he leaned in and sealed her lips with a kiss.

Yi Shangyun was overjoyed and quickly began to respond to his kiss.

Upon sensing her acquiescence, Xuan Yuanhan was provoked and took the opportunity to place a hand on her chest, then ripped off all her clothes.

The curtains were draped over the ceiling, and the candlelight flickered inside the hall.

Everything seemed just right, and the two burning hot bodies finally intertwined passionately.

The next morning.

Soft rays of light quietly filtered through the window lattice into Lin Yuexuan's bedroom.

When Yi Shangyun woke up alone, the sun was already high in the sky.

He turned over and looked at the bedside beside him, only to find that Xuanyuan Han was no longer in the bedroom.

So, she gently rubbed her eyes, pulled up the quilt and smelled it. It was still that familiar scent. But when she smelled it more carefully, she realized that she was now completely naked, and her bare body was covered with the man's pleasant scent. She recalled how intense their lovemaking had been that night!

In the end, she was completely exhausted from being tossed and turned by Xuan Yuanhan. No matter how much she begged for mercy, he refused to let her go.

Even when Yi Shangyun begged him to let her rest for a bit, he would take the opportunity to press himself tightly against her smooth, fair body and hold her firmly in his arms, as if afraid that she might sneak away again if he wasn't careful.

Since their wedding, this was only their first night together. She truly hadn't expected Xuan Yuanhan's stamina to be so abundant. What would happen every night after that? Wouldn't she...?

She didn't even dare to think about it any further. Yi Shangyun hurriedly got up and called Yan'er to help her with her hair and makeup: "Yan'er, Yan'er..."

Following Xuan Yuanhan's orders before leaving, they could only quietly guard outside the door, and no one was allowed to enter the palace to disturb them without the princess's summons.

At this moment, she finally received her master's summons.

As soon as Yan'er entered carrying a basin of water, she seemed quite startled and said, "Miss, ever since you entered the Prince Qin's mansion, you've become increasingly lazy. When you were still in the mansion, you never got up this late! If the master and mistress find out, what will they do!"

Yi Shangyun himself found it unbelievable that he had slept until this hour, so he blurted out, "How can you blame me? It's all because His Highness insisted on..."

The naive Yan'er knew nothing of the world; she was only busy washing and grooming Yi Shangyun while curiously asking, "What do you want...?"

Yi Shangyun snapped out of her daze, a blush spreading across her face. She quickly changed her words, saying, "It's nothing, it's just that His Highness couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and insisted on having me... chat with him."

Yan'er tilted her head, looking puzzled: "Chatting? It's the middle of the night, why aren't you sleeping? What's there to chat about?"

Yi Shangyun said evasively, "Is that so? There's nothing to talk about, so I didn't listen. I didn't take any of what His Highness said last night to heart. As a result, I don't remember anything after waking up! Please don't ask me any further."

In this way, Yan'er's inquisitive mouth was completely shut up.

Soon, Yan'er helped him get dressed, and Yun asked from her clothes, "Where did Your Highness go?"

Yan'er said, "His Highness attends court at dawn every day, he should be back soon, right?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun muttered to himself, "No, it seems I'd better hide quickly, or I'm definitely not having a good night."

As she spoke, she suddenly stood up straight, but was unexpectedly struck by a sharp pain in her lower back, and in pain she couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

Seeing this, Yan'er looked at her strange expression and asked, puzzled, "Could it be... that chatting hurts your back?"