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After the Sima brothers' poison was cured, Sima Changfeng couldn't wait to find Shangguan Yan. But Sima Lingfeng stayed behind leisurely, under the pretext of wanting to "sing to the wind and moon" with me. His Sima Zhao's intentions were simply despicable.

Zi Ling suggested going to Shuiyue Temple to pray for his mother, and I naturally agreed. Unexpectedly, Sima Lingfeng immediately intervened and asked to join us. During the meal, he diligently served the dishes, his chopstick-holding hand constantly brushing Zi Ling's fingertips. I twisted the gold thread in my sleeve, the end nearly digging into my flesh, but I could only maintain a calm expression.

She, on the other hand, was completely oblivious, eating until her cheeks were puffed out, rubbing her stomach and complaining of being full, her eyes still lingering over the vegetarian meal. Seeing her like this, my anger inexplicably subsided by half, and I just wanted to hide her silly behavior from everyone else.

"I'll go for a walk with you to digest the food." Sima Lingfeng stood up so quickly that he even knocked over the teacup. I glanced coldly at the water stain on his hem, remembering the information I'd gathered earlier—he was the center of the "Picking Stars and Playing with the Moon" movement, and at least three of his maids had had physical contact with him.

"No need, Master Sima." I wheeled my wheelchair, blocking his path squarely. The wheels just rolled over his shadow, a subtle warning. "We have hawthorn pills at the villa," I said, turning to Ziling, speaking more slowly. "Add some perilla to help dissolve greasiness." Sure enough, her eyes lit up. This girl still couldn't tell the difference between Ophiopogon japonicus and Asparagus cochinchinensis, yet she knew all the digestive herbs in my medicine cabinet like the back of her hand.

When we reached the villa's gate, Sima Lingfeng still clung to me. I decided to rip away his playboy facade: "Chuntao asked me the other day, 'When will you marry her?'" His face instantly turned pale, and he hurriedly defended himself: "She was just trying to gain some benefits from the Moon Worship Sect through me..." Before he could finish, Zi Ling's eyes widened, and she angrily shouted, "Shut up! If you hadn't hinted at any benefits, how could they have harbored such delusions? Your attitude of accepting everyone and showing affection everywhere is nothing more than deception. Life is hard for women, and you know that your frivolous flirtation could be a disaster for them!" With that, she swept away, leaving Sima Lingfeng frozen in place.

This time, I won. I wheeled my wheelchair into the inner room and saw her unpicking her hairpin in front of the mirror, her anger still lingering. A mixture of triumph and jealousy uttered, "Are you glad I didn't put my trust in the wrong person?" As soon as I said that, even I felt a surge of sourness.

But she turned around, gently touched my heart with the tip of her hairpin, and said angrily: "I have never had any feelings for Sima Lingfeng! What I like must be a responsible man. I just feel sorry for those women who were treated with contempt and betrayed by him! How can he be so calm and indifferent!" The candlelight danced in her clear pupils, and the justice and compassion burning in them instantly smoothed out all the wrinkles caused by jealousy in my body.

As her fingertips touched the sword wound on my neck from the previous day, the lingering anger vanished completely. She called me "stupid" and "big idiot" while frantically searching for the Jade Skin Cream, looking even more anxious than if she were injured herself. I let her push my hair aside and carefully examine the wound, feeling absurdly that it was worth it. However, the thought lasted only a moment before deeper emotions surged—when had I, Ouyang Mingri, ever been reduced to resorting to self-harm to gain a moment of her attention and compassion?

But when she tearfully yelled at me, "You big fool, why are you really hurting yourself?", the humiliation in my heart strangely transformed into sweetness. This wound is the mark of how I, following the method she taught me when I entered the palace today and faced my father's threats, threatened him with my own life in exchange for his concession. If I could protect someone she cared about, this wound would not be in vain.

That night, I was reading a medical book under the lamp when she pushed open the door and entered, declaring her intention to fulfill her promise of a night alone with you. My fingertips trembled imperceptibly. I forced myself to remain calm, my gaze sweeping across the single bed in the room. My voice softened unconsciously, "You're a true believer. It's late, so go to bed and get some rest."

But she said with a serious face: "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. I only promised to let you hold me. If you want to sleep, I will go back. But you can't say that I don't keep my promise."

I was left speechless by her righteous words. All my carefully prepared romantic thoughts seemed so unbearable in the eyes of her clear, watery gaze. I wheeled my wheelchair closer, stopping just a step away. I whispered, "Ziling, do you know what 'having a beautiful woman all to yourself' means to others?"

She blinked, her expression pure confusion: "Do you want to hold me? If not, then leave me alone."

All my defenses completely crumbled after hearing her words and the words she'd said earlier: "I won't let anyone I don't like hug me." With a sigh, I finally followed her instructions and gently embraced her.

The candlelight cast our embraced shadows on the wall, swaying and unsteady, like the surging yet settled emotions within me. She had truly come, fulfilling a promise she perhaps didn't fully understand in her own unique, almost innocent way. The aroma of the medicine blended with the faint fragrance of lotus blossoms on her body, strangely calming all the turmoil and anxiety within me.

"Does this... count as 'having a beautiful woman all to myself'?" she suddenly asked softly.

I tilted my head, taking in her delicate profile so close, and all the turmoil in my heart strangely calmed. "Forget it!" I closed my eyes and finally asked the question that had been lingering in my mind for so long, "You said you wouldn't let someone you didn't like hug you... So, do you like me?"

She blushed quietly in the darkness and subconsciously tried to push me away, but I held her tighter. "I...I won't like someone who doesn't like me."

"I've taken note of that." Courage gathered at this moment, and my voice deepened. "Zi Ling, what if I told you that our relationship didn't just start with a chance encounter, but...we've already been married, officially married, in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth? What would you say?"

Her body suddenly stiffened, her breathing stagnant. "Husband...wife?" she repeated, as if she had heard something out of a fairy tale. "Impossible...if I had been married, how could it be..."

I sensed her shock and confusion, my arms loosening slightly, but not letting go. My tone was filled with both regret and tenderness. "Because you were still recovering from your injuries that day, you endured so much for me... You even used a unique method to make me forget that memory. I only learned everything from Master not long ago. But as evidenced by the marriage certificate, and as witnesses of heaven and earth, you and I were once husband and wife. This is a fact." I produced the certificate, no longer concealing it. This wasn't about taking advantage of someone's misfortune, but rather the revelation I had to give her about the deepest bond between us.

She remained silent for a long time, leaning against me. I could clearly feel her rapid heartbeat. After a long moment, she asked softly, her voice trembling, "So...so, you're not trying to tell me that you misunderstood my sister? You've lost your memory, but you've never lost your feelings for me. You're... transferring your feelings to my sister?"

"No," I interrupted her eagerly, my tone more resolute and sincere than ever before. "I've never been moved. You're the only one in my heart. For you, I've been worried about everything; for you, I've lost my appetite. I treated her well before because I'd forgotten you, leaving a gaping hole in my heart, a void I had to find something to fill. If I continue to treat her well in the future, it's only because she's your sister."

Her heart was shaken, and she was silent for a moment, then she murmured softly, "I'm sorry, I don't know anything, I don't remember anything..."

I laughed softly, hugged her tighter, and rested my chin on the top of her head. "You're jealous, which means you have me in your heart. From the beginning to the end, there is only a place for you in my heart. Now, can you also give me a reassurance?"

These words, like gentle spring rain, instantly soothed all her anxieties. Status, past events, seemed unimportant at this moment; only the shared understanding between us was truly real. She buried her face deep in my chest, her voice muffled as she reflected on me through her eyes: "Mingri, you're truly incomprehensible, your thoughts are deep, your actions are treacherous... But I like you. I like your kindness, your willingness to treat patients without hesitation, despite your reluctance. I like your persistence, your willingness to give everything for the people you cherish, without saying anything. And I even love your tolerance for my father..."

Before she could finish her words, I couldn't help myself. I stared at her, my eyes filled with ecstasy, sobs, and a deep affection that almost drowned me. My fingertips gently stroked her eyebrows, as if to confirm that this wasn't a dream. Then, I leaned over and kissed her before she finished her words.

A night of love...