*

After the banquet, Pei Linmo waited at the palace gate for a long time, but still did not see Nan Qing, so he had to return to the post station first.

Unable to fall asleep by midnight, he secretly made his way to the Crown Princess's residence in Nanqing.

After Nanqing turned ten, she moved out of the palace and established her own residence outside the palace.

Pei Linmo had secretly sent people to investigate this residence, so he knew that the Crown Princess's residence was no less guarded than the palace, with hundreds of guards, both overt and covert.

But when he climbed over the wall and entered, he found that the guards at the Crown Princess's residence were particularly lax tonight. Not only were there guards every three steps in the past, but there were also guards every ten steps. Even the breathing sounds in the shadows were few and far between.

Pei Linmo frowned, a doubt in his heart, but he had no time to think about anything else. The layout of the Crown Princess's residence appeared in his mind, and he went straight to the bedroom where Nan Qing lived.

A quarter of an hour later, Pei Linmo stood in front of a tightly closed window. The inside was dark and silent, clearly indicating that the people in the hall had already gone to bed.

He stood in the silence, his deep eyes fixed on the carved wooden window in front of him, his gaze heavy, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Inside the window, Nan Qing leaned against the couch, looking through the night towards the wooden window, and couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

She knew this man would definitely sneak over tonight, so she rearranged the guards in the manor. As soon as he came out of the post station, the secret guards relayed the news to her, so she waited.

But the current situation really made her furious. Was he just going to stand in front of her window in the middle of the night?

Nearly fifteen minutes later, the figure outside the window was still there, neither opening the window to come in nor leaving.

Looking at that motionless figure, Nan Qing grew angrier and angrier. She threw off the thin blanket and walked to the window.

She forcefully pulled open the wooden window, reached out a hand, grabbed the front of the person outside the window, and pulled them close with gritted teeth.

"Pei Linmo!"

"Why are you standing in front of my window like a door god in the middle of the night? Or are you so incompetent at being a thief that you can't even do your job properly?"

The two suddenly closed the distance, their noses almost touching, and their eyes met. Only then did Nan Qing see a hint of a smile in his dark eyes.

"Wait for you."

The warm breath brushed against her cheek. Pei Linmo reached out his right hand, across the windowsill, and gently wrapped it around her waist. The soft, warm touch made him tighten his grip even more.

At first, he only had this person in his heart, so he didn't think much about it. But when he stood in front of the window, he realized that she was also waiting for him.

Nan Qing then realized that she had been tricked instead of catching him, and she was furious. She raised her hand to push him away.

Pei Linmo noticed her movement, nimbly flipped inside, deftly closed the window with one hand, and used the other to grab Nan Qing's slender waist, pinning her against the window in an instant, and laughed:

"Isn't the Crown Princess waiting for me?"

The hall was dark, with only the hazy moonlight filtering through the window paper.

Nan Qing was trapped between the window frame and his chest. Using the dim light, she looked at the man before her and stubbornly said:

"Who knows? Maybe I'm waiting for someone else?"

The words had barely left his mouth when he felt the arm around his waist suddenly tighten. Pei Linmo's eyes darkened, and his voice carried a dangerous undertone as he said:

"oh?"

"Then I'll see who dares to come tonight."

Seeing that familiar expression, Nan Qing chuckled inwardly, reached out, and poked him hard in the chest a few times before saying:

"Pei Linmo, I'll ask you one more time, are you willing to be my royal consort?"

Pei Linmo was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked in return:

"How many royal consorts and noble servants will Your Highness have in the future?"

"Among those scions of noble families at today's banquet, does Your Highness intend to recruit a few into the palace?"

Nan Qing was taken aback by his words, then chuckled. She tugged at his collar, pulling him closer, her red lips almost touching his.

What if I told you, "It's just you?"

Looking at the person before him, Pei Linmo's eyes grew heavy, and his voice became hoarse: "Does Your Highness know that once these words are spoken, they cannot be taken back?"

From the moment he met her in Changgechuan, he knew that he lived this life only for her.

The last time she asked him if he would be her royal consort, he did not agree. It was not that he was unwilling to give up his current power. For him, neither the Liang Kingdom nor power could compare to the smile in the corner of the woman's eye.

However, he does need some time to do certain things.

He would never allow anyone else to take her place as imperial consort.

As for the so-called noble lady, well, if she has someone else in her heart, then he will turn this whole world into a cage and lock her up.

Seeing the growing wickedness in his eyes, Nan Qing stood on tiptoe and bit his lips hard, saying:

"I always keep my word. But you, have you learned how to please me?"

The evil aura emanating from this person was different from that of the Heavenly Realm and also vastly different from that of the Underworld. She only sensed that he must be in the far north beyond the Three Realms, but she had never explored it. Now, however, she was somewhat interested in his identity.

Unlike the pure and righteous immortals, the sinister ghosts, or the violent demons, it still carries a hint of ancient aura.

But all the ancient gods have fallen, so he couldn't possibly be one of them. Moreover, he was surrounded by malevolent energy, and his soul was pitch black, formless and shapeless, which made him somewhat intriguing.

Nan Qing's kiss was fleeting. Feeling the slight pain on his lips, Pei Linmo came to his senses, his lips tightened, and his voice was very low:

"If I say I don't know, will the Crown Princess teach me herself?"

These words suddenly reminded her of Tan Taibei from the previous small world, and how she abandoned him to ascend alone. Xiao Ba said that he had been searching for her in another world for a thousand years, and Nan Qing's heart softened.

"Pei Linmo, I will ascend the throne in three years."

She said this rather abruptly, without explaining why she said it, but Pei Linmo understood what she meant.

Upon hearing this, the dark turmoil in Pei Linmo's eyes gradually subsided, eventually turning into a smile. He bent down, looked at the person in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and finally the kiss landed on her brow.

"Then the Crown Princess must not say these things to others again."

When he said this last time, Nanqing deliberately provoked him. This time, when he said it again, Nanqing still raised her chin, her red lips slightly curved, and said:

"It depends on your performance."

Pei Linmo chuckled softly, took her hand, led her to the edge of the bed, pressed her down onto the bed, tucked her in with a light blanket, sat on the edge of the bed, gazed at her, and said with a smile:

"Then why don't you give me a chance to prove myself now, Your Highness, and let your subject... keep watch for you at night?"

The last word, with its lingering tone, was exceptionally clear in the silent bedchamber.

Nanqing suddenly reached out and grabbed his collar, forcing him to lean closer. As their breaths mingled, Nanqing reached out and touched his lips.

"This prince grants your request."

After saying that, she pushed the person away, pulled the brocade quilt over herself, closed her eyes, and fell peacefully asleep.

The soft warmth on his lips vanished in an instant. Pei Linmo chuckled softly, his fingertips gently brushing over the spot she had just touched.

"The Crown Princess certainly knows how to torment people."

His voice was very low as he sat quietly on the edge of the bed, his gaze lingering on her peaceful sleeping face.

That night, he stayed until dawn, and then left the Crown Princess's residence openly and legitimately.