He was like a vixen incarnate, seducing Xu Nian into a life of depravity.
The crisp metallic clanging sound lasted for most of the night, finally stopping amidst Xu Nian's tearful pleas.
Ye Lin hugged and kissed her contentedly, only calming down after Xu Nian impatiently slapped him.
He touched his cheek and, under Xu Nian's embarrassed and annoyed glare, reluctantly helped her untie the chains on her ankles.
"Take it out and throw it away," Xu Nian said through gritted teeth, glaring at the chain.
"Okay, I'll take it out and throw it away, don't be angry, okay?" Knowing he was in the wrong, Ye Lin put on his coat and went to throw away the chains.
When he returned after throwing away his things, he found that the door had been locked from the inside.
Standing at the door of his dormitory, Ye Lin sighed silently, then leaped to the window and expertly climbed in.
Xu Nian was neither surprised nor disappointed to see Ye Lin return so quickly.
"My lady, I really know I was wrong. I promise this will never happen again," Ye Lin swore against her will.
"Don't call me mistress, you are my mistress. You've betrayed the Heavenly Gang and you still guarantee there won't be a next time? I'd be a fool to believe you." Xu Nian curled up in the corner of the bed, ignoring Ye Lin's pitiful and apologetic appearance.
Women really shouldn't be too protective of men; if they are, they're bound to suffer the consequences.
Her previous guilt was completely wasted.
...
Xu Nian stayed at Ye Lin's princely residence. Fearing that she would fail the exam, Ye Lin personally tutored her.
Ye Lin's extensive knowledge impressed Xu Nian. She poked his head and asked, "Ye Lin, how do you know everything?"
"My mother is grooming me to be her heir; these are just some of what I've learned," Ye Lin said casually.
"So, do you want to be the emperor in the future?" Xu Nian was stunned. The empress had gone to great lengths to cultivate Ye Lin, so how come he handed over the throne to Qu Nuannuan in the story?
“No, Niannian, do you want to be the empress?” Ye Lin pondered. If Xu Nian wanted to, he could take it for her.
"I don't want to," Xu Nian said, shaking her head.
The pinnacle of power is certainly tempting, but she has to consider many unstable factors.
The position of empress represents not only power, but also the responsibility of caring for the entire world.
She felt inadequate and unable to support the livelihood of all the people in the world.
"If Niannian doesn't want to, then forget it." Ye Lin pouted, his relaxed tone and demeanor making Xu Nian both amused and exasperated.
The power that so many people spend their entire lives pursuing becomes, in his words, a gift that can be given away casually.
Ye Lin's teaching is very strict; Xu Nian has no choice but to study hard.
Under his supervision, Xu Nian's writing skills improved by leaps and bounds.
On the day of the Qiuwei exam, Ye Lin escorted Xu Nian into the exam hall. His anxious appearance made Xu Nian laugh.
"This is my exam, why are you more nervous than me, the one being tested?" Xu Nian stood on tiptoe and pinched Ye Lin's cheek.
"Don't laugh. Your exam results are crucial to whether we can get married this year. If you fail, I'll punish you." Ye Lin scolded Xu Nian with a stern face.
"Oh! My future husband is so eager to get married!" Xu Nian teased Ye Lin, leaning against him.
Under his embarrassed and annoyed gaze, Xu Nian stopped laughing. "Wait for my good news, I won't let you down."
She took the package he had prepared for her, and after going through layers of checks by the proctoring institute, she entered the Qiuwei examination room.
After nine days and seven nights and three exams, Xu Nian was in a daze when she came out of the examination room.
As soon as she got into Ye Lin's carriage, she fell asleep immediately, unaware of when Ye Lin carried her off the carriage.
After returning to his princely residence with his entourage, Ye Lin looked at Xu Nian on the bed with heartache.
She's lost so much weight!
After instructing the kitchen to prepare food, Ye Lin curled up on the other side of the bed.
Hearing her soft, gentle breathing, his recent unease vanished, and slowly, a pleasant smile appeared on his lips.
When Xu Nian woke up, she saw Ye Lin's face very close to hers, and he blinked at her.
Seeing that she was awake, he reached out and pulled her closer to him. "My wife, thank you for your hard work."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I can't possibly let you marry a good-for-nothing, can I?" Xu Nian chuckled.
This is indeed a matriarchal world. Put yourself in their shoes, who would want to marry someone who is truly useless?
Everyone has a natural tendency to admire the strong; it's just a matter of how much you can control it.
"Niannian, actually I prefer the way you obediently rely on me. I want to be needed by you, to be the one who shelters you. And you just need to live happily, I'll take care of the storms." Ye Lin's fingertips touched the corner of Xu Nian's eyes.
His focused expression told Xu Nian that he was speaking his truest thoughts.
"Ye Lin, we are both independent individuals. You want to cherish me, and I want to cherish you too!" Xu Nian smiled, her eyes crinkling, and her tender gaze made Ye Lin's heart skip a beat.
He seemed to hear the sound of flowers blooming.
Ye Lin's face turned red at a visible speed, and her shy and bashful appearance made Xu Nian's heart flutter.
Help! There's a monster here!
Xu Nian was ultimately seduced by beauty and did something she would later regret.
...
In mid-September, on the eve of the results announcement, Xu Nian and Ye Lin were summoned to the palace together.
Seeing the two of them so affectionate, the Empress felt a toothache and a bit too full.
However, Ye Lin's happy appearance made the Empress feel very gratified.
Her son is different from her; he has never experienced unrequited love or the pain of romantic love. How wonderful!
They were granted a marriage, and then the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was instructed to choose an auspicious day before banishing the two from the palace.
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