Chapter Seventy-Seven

These past few days, Si Yanmo has been "tied up" by him, so she doesn't have to deal with the divination matters and simply doesn't think about them anymore.

On the contrary, it gave me the same sense of freedom I had when I was in Southern Metropolis, where I could do whatever I wanted every day without having to do anything.

Her conversations with Zhou Yanqing shifted from matters of state to everyday family matters, and more often than not, she simply expressed concern for Zhou Yanqing as a person.

This finally gave Zhou Yanqing the feeling that she belonged to him and that she was his wife.

He reached out and put his arm around the girl's shoulder, letting her lean on his shoulder. "No, they wouldn't dare to bully me."

"Oh? Your Highness the King of Qin is that capable?"

"Of course." The puppy proudly raised its chin; if it really had a tail, it would definitely be sticking up right now.

The two snuggled together while watching the play, looking just like a loving young couple.

I didn't tell you last time, but do you remember the first time we met?

Hearing his question, Si Yanmo raised her head, puffed out her cheeks, and looked annoyed. "Of course I remember. Someone came up and scared me, pinching my wrist until it was red."

Hearing her say that, Zhou Yanqing felt a little embarrassed, and her ears turned a barely perceptible blush. "That's not what I meant... that's not what I meant."

"So what do you want to say?"

"I don't actually like people telling my fortune, but when I saw you that day, that light green dress was really beautiful, like Yun Ji from a picture book."

"Oh~" Si Yanmo raised an eyebrow, "Do you think I'm a fairy descended from heaven?"

"No, no, that's not it!" The puppy's ears turned even redder. "I just said it looked like it, thinking you might be a little more accurate, but who knew you weren't accurate at all!"

"Is it really inaccurate?" Si Yanmo deliberately squeezed his hand. "But I think it's very accurate!"

He recoiled as if burned, quickly pulling his hand back. "How was that accurate? You didn't even foresee that you'd marry me later!"

"That's because your destiny has changed!"

Seeing that the girl was upset by him, Zhou Yanqing quickly tugged at her sleeve to apologize and pulled her into his arms again.

"Then... if you had foreseen this, would you... have run away?"

He asked tentatively, his heart filled with unease.

Si Yanmo did not answer directly, "If I run away, will you catch me and bring me back?"

"Of course! We'll find you no matter where you are!"

Zhou Yanqing was extremely grateful for the marriage he had arranged with the Southern Emperor. He now felt that exchanging those two cities for his Amo was an incredible bargain.

"Yeah, back then you probably wanted to catch that conman and beat him up!" Si Yanmo chuckled softly, looking down.

"How could that be?" the man quickly denied.

"Why wouldn't you? We weren't like we are now back then. While you wouldn't actually kill me, you certainly wouldn't trust me like you do now, and you wouldn't..."

"Don't know what?" Zhou Yanqing leaned closer to her, his hand unconsciously stroking her face.

Si Yanmo's eyes were naturally deep and alluring. When she didn't wear makeup, she didn't have such a strong aggression; instead, she exuded a coldness.

But she was so gentle, and when she looked into his eyes, there was always a smile. Coupled with the beauty mark under her eye that made her look even more pitiful, the coldness disappeared, replaced by tenderness that could melt away all his hardness. He was unconsciously drawn to the emotions in her eyes, wishing he could drown in them.

“Amo…” His voice became somewhat hoarse, and there seemed to be greed in his eyes, “Finish what you have to say.”

“No one would be this nice to me…” Si Yanmo unconsciously raised her hand and grasped the index finger that the man was using to trace her face.

As his index finger was enveloped by that warm, soft hand, Zhou Yanqing's palm unconsciously broke out in a sweat, which slid into Si Yanmo's fingers and spread out.

She lowered her head and placed a kiss on his fingertips, her warm breath lingering around him, causing the man to tremble involuntarily.

"cough……"

He tried to stay calm, grasped her hand in return, and gently kneaded and caressed it, "Stop it..."

"There are still people here."

His Highness the King of Qin rarely showed such a flustered and embarrassed expression, so much so that Zhang Jiao'er, who was performing, dared not look at him. If she didn't have to continue singing, she would have loved to pretend she didn't exist at all.

Reminded by him, Si Yanmo became aware of the gazes around her and tried to pull her hand away.

Zhou Yanqing wasn't about to let her off so easily. He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin. "You flirted and then ran away? Is Princess Qin really that irresponsible?"

The guilty party filed the first lawsuit!

Si Yanmo punched him, "Didn't you say there were people there?"

“Then I’ve changed my mind. So what if there are other people?” Zhou Yanqing pulled her hand and placed it against his chest. “It’s only natural for me to be intimate with my wife.”

"You're really... getting more and more reckless!"

"Thank you very much, Madam," Zhou Yanqing smiled as he met her eyes, his fingertip touching her beauty mark before tracing her lips. "Madam, the effects of the medicine on my body haven't worn off yet, what should we do?"

Hearing this, Si Yanmo remembered the blood Zhou Yanqing had vomited when she mentioned divorce that day, and she couldn't help but worry. "By the way, that day... why didn't you tell me?"

Seeing her worry, the man's heart instantly filled with sweetness. The spoiled man had learned to tease his wife.

He clutched his chest, feigning pain: "Why did you say you were leaving? I might as well be dead."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Si Yanmo angrily punched him, but in the end, she still felt sorry for him, so she took his hand and placed it on his chest, "How are you now? Is there anything else that's uncomfortable?"

"It hurts~" He covered her hand, his eyes brimming with tears, "My whole body aches."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Si Yanmo was so concerned that she forgot about the actor on stage and reached out to lift his clothes.

Zhou Yanqing was startled. He was naturally happy to see Si Yanmo care about him, but he still had to save face if he really opened his collar in front of so many people.

He quickly pressed down on the woman's fidgeting hands, had someone pull her into his arms, and whispered in her ear, "Does Madam want Zhang Jiao'er to see her too?"

Upon hearing this, Si Yanmo was startled and turned to look at the stage. When their eyes met, the person on the stage quickly turned their head away, as if nothing had happened.

This time, Si Yanmo blushed. She buried her head in Zhou Yanqing's arms and said in a muffled voice, "It's all your fault!"

Zhou Yanqing laughed and covered her little head with her sleeve, coaxing, "Alright, alright, it's all my fault. Shall we still listen to the opera?"

The little head in his arms hesitated for a moment, then shook. Zhou Yanqing understood, waved his hand, and everyone immediately and tactfully withdrew.

In an instant, only two people remained in the room.

He gently patted the back of the person in his arms, "Alright, everyone's gone, stop being such a clingy little turtle!"

"Who is the little turtle!"

Si Yanmo raised her head, and the man's curved eyebrows and eyes came into her view, which made her anger subside by half.

She sat up straight, cleared her throat to hide the turmoil in her heart, and asked, "Um, are you really okay?"

"Something's wrong? How can nothing be wrong?" The little dog snuggled pitifully into her arms. "It's hot and uncomfortable, but unfortunately no one cares about me."

Since the matter was ultimately caused by her, Si Yanmo felt guilty and did not try to avoid it.

"Then... I'll help you? Just like before?"

She was referring to Zhou Yanqing solving the problem herself, while she was responsible for assisting.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yanqing disagreed this time. "What if it doesn't work?"

She finally realized that this man had gone too far, so she simply pushed him away and said, "Then just bear with it."

"How could you be so cruel?" the puppy said sadly, standing up. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

He patted her head. "Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat."

"Then I want to eat the stir-fried pork you made yesterday!"

"Greedy cat!" Zhou Yanqing chuckled and poked her head. He turned to open the cage door, but a metallic taste suddenly rose in his throat.

"Zhou Yanqing!"

The pool of bright red on the ground stung her eyes. Si Yanmo wanted to reach out to help him, but she was bound by the red cloth. She watched as the man who had been perfectly fine just moments before fell back onto the bed.

She rushed over and wiped away the blood, her eyes involuntarily reddening.

Seeing this, Zhou Yanqing tenderly raised her hand to stroke her eyebrows and eyes, forcing a smile, "Why are you still crying? It's okay."

"How could nothing be wrong?"

Tears welled in her eyes, and Si Yanmo realized that he hadn't lied to her. "I'm sorry."

The man wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb and comforted her, "What are you sorry for? I didn't even know it would turn out like this, cough cough cough..."

Seeing him cough, Si Yanmo's heart clenched. "Alright, alright, stop talking."

"Someone come here!" she shouted, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "Someone come here quickly!"

Soon, Chen Wu, who had been keeping watch nearby, realized something was wrong and ran in.

"Go, get the medicine for His Highness!"

Chen Wu, always quick-witted, immediately realized the situation and ran to get the remedy.

A moment after Si Yanmo fed him, Zhou Yanqing's pain eased somewhat. "It seems this thing is getting more and more serious."

Upon hearing this, Si Yanmo was overwhelmed with guilt. Every time Ye Shenge had an episode, no matter how angry Zhou Yanqing was, he would help her resolve it, ensuring that she always felt comfortable.

She still doesn't know how much pain she would experience if that thing wasn't resolved, but looking at the man in front of her who had practiced martial arts for many years and suffered countless injuries, his face was pale and fine beads of sweat were still constantly appearing on his forehead.

She knew that this pain was something most people couldn't endure.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

A tear fell on Zhou Yanqing's cheek, bringing a burning sensation that was even more torturous than the pain in her body.

He frantically wiped away her tears and coaxed her, "Silly girl, it doesn't hurt, don't cry, it's really okay."

If this little bit of pain can earn me her concern, then that would be perfect.

Si Yanmo knew, of course, that he was lying to her. She raised her hand to stroke his cheek and wipe away his sweat. She felt touched, guilty, and a complex mix of emotions that she couldn't quite describe.

She leaned down and placed a kiss on the man's forehead, while using her other hand to untie his belt.

"Amo!" Zhou Yanqing stopped her movements, her voice full of advice to be cautious.

He was willing to be with Si Yanmo, but he didn't want it to be in this way. Was it out of guilt, or just to help her? He didn't want his beloved girl to be tainted by his own defilement.

"You're still going to reject me at a time like this?"