Chu Heng visibly relaxed a bit. "It won't do if I don't scare you, but it wouldn't be good if I scared Qianqian and Wanwan. They might even think that their father looks older than their grandfather..."
"Furthermore... if those senior officials find out, they will definitely inquire about the reason, and they might even take their anger out on you..."
You Ran was taken aback for a moment, then thought of a solution. She released him, turned him around, stared into his eyes and said, “You must get it dyed. I have a way to make you only need to dye it once every few months, so you don’t have to use this easy-to-fade and troublesome dye anymore.”
Chu Heng was overjoyed, "Really?"
You Ran reached out and pinched one side of the towel.
Chu Heng resisted the urge to refuse, and then saw her slowly lift the towel covering her head.
There was heartache in her eyes.
And... a stunning three-pointer?
He was shocked.
What does this mean?
You Ran suddenly laughed, "So the White-Haired Demon Emperor is also so handsome that he seems otherworldly..."
After saying that, she lifted his chin and kissed him directly.
Chu Heng: !!!
All that anxiety I've been feeling, afraid she'd dislike me, turns out it was just a lonely anxiety all along?!
The cloak fell to the ground.
The towel fell to the ground.
Then the clothes were laid to the ground one by one.
Then the sound of rushing water came from the hot spring pool.
Indescribable.
...
By the time the two had finished their fuss and returned to Feng'an Palace, it was almost dawn.
However, Chu Heng was quite satisfied.
His white hair was no longer a problem. You Ran used a hair dye for him that was said to be permanent and that he only needed to touch up the color of the new white hair that grew on his head in a few months.
In the future, every night she can ride on his neck and ruffle his hair, and he won't have to hold back anymore...
Oh, and... most importantly, when I'm feeling emotional, I like to run my fingers through his hair...
He was very happy...
...
The third day is the day for the bride to return to her parents' home.
Normally, when imperial concubines returned to their parents' homes, a custom known as "visiting relatives," they would not be accompanied by the emperor.
But Chu Heng still came.
The Yun family was in a flurry of activity, which only subsided when the Emperor and Empress arrived in person.
First, everyone in the Yun household paid their respects to the Emperor and Empress, and then the Emperor and Empress greeted their elders.
Seeing the satisfied smiles on the faces of the Emperor and Empress, Madam Yun and Madam Su finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Yun family was prosperous and powerful, unparalleled for a time.
Of the four great ducal mansions in the capital, only three remained after Empress Jiang's incident.
The wife of the heir of the Chiang family, who was from the Duke of England's mansion, had long since kept her tail between her legs and dared not make any rash moves.
The only legitimate grandson of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is still young and has never been particularly prominent.
The Yun family of the Duke of Pingguo's mansion became the undisputed leader.
On the way back to the palace, You Ran kept thinking about this matter.
Seeing the troubled look on her face, Chu Heng asked gently, "Is something bothering you?"
You Ran sighed, "Seeing that my cousins in the Yun family are all quite successful, and that my father and second uncle are in a position of great power and are now favored by the emperor, I'm afraid they will attract the envy of petty people."
He smiled faintly, "You Ran wouldn't be referring to me, would you? Since ancient times, those who have made great contributions have threatened their rulers. If the ruler is not threatened, how can petty people make any moves?"
She looked at him leisurely. "Can you?"
Chu Hengyi looked at her, "Would the Yun family do that?"
You Ran shook her head as expected, "No. The Yun family has been framed by villains, had their property confiscated and been exiled. If it weren't for the protection of Father and Mother, they would probably have been wiped out. We are already very content to be alive and well now."
Chu Heng's gaze became calm. "The game between ruler and subject is a matter of weighing the pros and cons. But I trust You Ran, and as long as You Ran trusts the Yun family, I will trust them as well."
He nodded leisurely, understanding what he meant.
He believed in her, she believed in her family, and therefore he believed in her family as well.
If one day she begins to doubt her own family, or if he stops trusting her, then the emperor's trust will be shaken.
Chu Heng grasped her hand. "You Ran, let's not talk about this. Now that you've entered the palace, then... can you return that thing to me?"
You Ran was confused. "What is that?"
Chu Heng was visibly nervous. "It's just... it was that day, I was drunk, and I wrote this nonsense..."
You raised your eyes leisurely, "Are you talking about a divorce agreement?"
Chu Heng immediately covered her mouth, "Don't say those three words! I will never let you go!"
You Ran blinked her large, open eyes, which curved into crescent moons.
Chu Heng sighed, lowered his hand, and knew it wouldn't be that easy.
You Ran smiled slyly, "How can I just return something so important? I'll have to wait until the crucial moment to bring it out."
He didn't even fill in the date so that she would agree to marry him first and then divorce him.
Chu Heng: ...
He lamented with deep sorrow, "I have made a mistake that will haunt me for eternity..."
"A king's word is as good as gold; how can he go back on his word so easily?" she said with a charming smile.
His expression was somewhat somber. "What constitutes a critical moment?"
“For example… if you did something that wronged me…” she replied casually.
He grasped the key phrase, and a look of delight crossed his face. "Only when I have wronged you will I use it?"
"Hmm...or...if I'm in a bad mood and want to leave the palace..." Before he could finish speaking, the dark figure in front of him covered his mouth, swallowing the last syllable between his lips and teeth.
After a long while, he released her, his lips glistening, his voice hoarse, "There must be no other reason. I will not betray you, and I will never give you the chance to use it."
She snuggled into his arms, hugging him comfortably. "Hmm, I hope so..."
She suddenly looked up again, "In my previous life, in that cellar, didn't you already recognize me?"
Chu Heng's jaw was clenched tightly, clearly indicating that he did not want to speak.
She tilted her head back and kissed his chin. "Hmm? Or... did you actually have designs on me back when you stayed at the Duke's mansion for half a year?"
Chu Heng grabbed her and kissed her for a while before honestly answering, "Yes, when I rescued you from the pond at the Duke's mansion, I was amazed by your appearance. Later, seeing how you managed the Duke's mansion so well and with such grace, I regretted that your fiancé was that idiot Yun Tianbai."
You Ran chuckled, "Oh dear, if it were in the previous life, you would have used some tricks to ruin my relationship with..."
Chu Heng shook his head, "In my previous life, I was already a deposed crown prince, and I could have lost my life at the hands of the new crown prince at any moment. How could I..."
So after Jiang Youran officially married into the Duke's mansion, he moved out.
Being close to someone you can't have is also a kind of suffering.
Who could have known that, years later, he would meet her again in such a desperate situation, in such a different guise?
"So, you deliberately didn't call me by my real name, and insisted on calling me 'Little Crybaby'!" she said, somewhat displeased. "That nickname is really bad."
He hugged her tighter. "Yeah, you were determined to die back then, so I had to make you angry. You could hit me or yell at me."
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