You will always be the only one in the harem, and you can do whatever you want.

Even if I'm Chu Heng in public and Yuan Bai in private, it's up to you. Okay?

You Ran was somewhat embarrassed and angry. "What do you mean by pretending to be Yuan Bai again? Are you trying to constantly remind me of my foolishness when I was young?!"

Chu Heng quickly shook his head, "No, no, no, if you don't like it, I won't dress up."

He took another step closer, now standing right in front of You Ran.

You Ran subconsciously took a step back, her calf hit the edge of the bed, and she fell backward.

Chu Heng immediately reached out and scooped her up, then spun her to the side and pinned her against the wall.

You Ran quickly put her hands in front of her chest, her face flushed, and whispered, "Let me go."

After saying that, he looked at his two children on the bed.

Chu Heng's arms trembled slightly. Five years had passed, and he had finally held her in his arms, finally felt her alive and well, no longer that illusory shadow.

Afraid that she would push him away again, he hurriedly said, "You Ran, don't move. Even if it's just a dream, let me hold you a little longer."

You Ran indeed paused, and couldn't help but recall what Empress Dowager Zhou had once said: during the three years he frantically searched for her, he had experienced hallucinations.

My nose feels slightly sore.

In fact, over the past few years, she has gradually been able to reconcile Chu Heng with her senior brother, and her dislike for Chu Heng has slowly faded away.

The fact that they are the same person means that her senior brother is also deeply in love with her.

He just couldn't marry her because of his awkward position.

Besides, she genuinely wanted to marry him to escape the Crown Prince's forced marriage, and her senior brother happened to be the right person for the marriage. Whether she had romantic feelings for him is debatable.

So she wasn't too upset when her senior brother repeatedly delayed and refused the marriage proposal.

She stormed off in a fit of anger, unable to accept that the person she had rejected had suddenly become the person she desperately wanted to marry.

From another perspective, her senior brother was determined to marry her even if he had a different identity, and his affection for her was so profound that she couldn't help but feel a little smug.

So when I heard Chu Heng say that, I felt a pang of pity and some emotion welling up inside me.

He is the ruler of a country; what kind of stunning beauty could he not have?

Chu Heng felt the person in his arms soften, and his anxiety eased a bit. He pressed on, "Seven days ago, I received a message by carrier pigeon that I had really found you. I immediately rode my Akhal-Teke horse here, and eight horses died along the way before I finally arrived in Wufeng County."

You Ran was slightly surprised.

Chu Heng's tone already carried a hint of grievance as he slowly rested his chin on her shoulder. "I can't wait to see you, to hug you. I don't want to only see you in my dreams, in my hallucinations anymore... I want to hug you, to hug you forever and ever."

You Ran's lips were slightly parted, unsure of what to say.

Having lived two lives, this was the first time she had been hit by such sweet words.

Just then, Qianqian on the bed suddenly murmured in her sleep, a muffled, babyish voice: "Daddy... I have a daddy..."

Chu Heng was unfamiliar with the child's sleep-talking and didn't know what he was saying.

You Ran heard it clearly, and a wave of bitterness washed over her.

Chu Heng turned his head to look, and seeing that the child had not woken up, he quickly continued, "I've thought it all out. After the two children return to the capital, we'll register them in the Chu family genealogy. My son will be made Crown Prince, and my daughter will be the eldest princess. When my son grows up and is able to govern, we'll travel around like Father Emperor and Mother Emperor, how about that?"

You Ran: ...

She couldn't help but retort, "Why would you push my son into a fire pit? What if he doesn't want to be the crown prince, doesn't want to take over the government?"

Chu Heng: ...

He pulled the person closer to his chest and chuckled, "You're the only one in the world who would dare to call the position of crown prince a pit of fire."

Isn't that so?

Chu Heng laughed again, "Yes, it's only because you're not in this fiery pit that I've cultivated alone for two years, and only then did I find the pain unbearable..."

You Ran: "So you're trying to drag us into this fire pit with you?"

Chu Heng quickly corrected himself, "No, no, as long as you're here, the hellhole becomes a paradise."

"Alright, we'll talk about the future later." A sweet feeling rose in You Ran's heart, and she pushed him away. "You've already hugged me, let go of me! I want to sleep."

Chu Heng had no choice but to let go of her, and asked anxiously, "Can...I sleep with you?"

You Ran gave him a disdainful once-over. "What do you think?"

Chu Heng touched his nose, then turned and left reluctantly.

She lay back on the bed leisurely, tucked the blankets around her son and daughter, and closed her eyes. All she could see was Chu Heng's unshaven face and the familiar scent of agarwood at the tip of her nose.

She sighed; she still hadn't decided where she would go in the future.

Two years ago, after learning that he had ascended the throne, she never imagined that she would have to enter the palace.

She's been floating around for at least two thousand years.

What kind of place is the imperial harem? It's a place where three thousand beauties vie for power.

She didn't want to share with others, nor did she want to be trapped inside high walls, and she didn't want her son and daughter to be involved in that inexplicable conflict.

Isn't it good to be free and do whatever you want?

Wouldn't it be great if your children could live freely and unrestrainedly with you in the future?

But he actually said that she would always be the only one in the harem, and that she could do whatever she wanted.

That's just wishful thinking.

How could a monarch have only one woman in his harem?

Even if he agreed, the court officials would not.

Lost in her thoughts, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but suddenly I felt someone squeeze in next to me.

She suddenly awoke with a start and struck with lightning speed.

But that hand was grabbed by another hand that was even faster.

Chu Heng said softly, "It's me."

She said irritably, "What is it now? Disturbing someone's sleep is like murder and arson, don't you know that?!"

I felt like my mind was only half clear.

Chu Heng put her hand back to her side, took the opportunity to hug her waist, and said in a wronged tone, "I've washed up and eaten. As long as I hold you and get a good night's sleep, I promise you'll see a refreshed and handsome me tomorrow."

The remaining half of You Ran's mind was also jolted awake by anger. "Who wants to see you looking refreshed, handsome, and dashing?"

"Son!" Chu Heng's words successfully cut her off.

You Ran swallowed the rest of her words.

Sure enough, he knew to use the most powerful weapon to shut her up.

She deliberately squeezed out a little, saying, "You should get a good night's sleep. Go sleep in your own room!"

She simply couldn't believe that the emperor himself wouldn't be given a luxurious room by the inn's guards and secret agents.

There might even be a luxury king-size bed.

After saying that, he squeezed out a little more.

Chu Heng suddenly felt nothing behind him and fell off the bed with a thud.

You Ran: ...

After waiting for a while without hearing him get up, she couldn't help but call out, "Hello?"

Chu Heng said in a low voice, "Fine, as long as you're here, I should be able to get a good night's sleep. Lying here is the same."

You Ran: ...