After Lin Xihe finished scolding, she glared at Mu Ruoyan with a look of disgust.
But then Mu Ruoyan slowly bent down, kneeling on one knee, her posture as straight as a pine tree.
He looked up at Lin Xihe, his gaze burning like fire, his tone firm and solemn, and declared with resounding conviction: "Lin Xihe, be my empress. No one else will be accepted into the harem, only you will be supreme. Whatever you desire, I will gladly offer it to you."
"Wh...what..." Lin Xihe panicked instantly, her eyes widening in disbelief.
She had never thought about this question before. All along, she thought that Mu Ruoyan kept her by his side simply to keep her company, but she never expected that Mu Ruoyan would give her such a high title.
"Would you like to be my queen and bear my children?"
Mu Ruoyan's eyes grew even gentler, as if they held a sky full of stars.
He had found a way to prolong his life, although the process was painful, requiring monthly bloodletting, medicinal baths, and the ingestion of a special poison to barely survive. But what did these hardships matter in order to be with her for a long time?
Lin Xihe gazed into the deep affection in Mu Ruoyan's eyes, and for a moment, her thoughts drifted away, and she became dazed.
She thought to herself that he shouldn't have met her.
Just as she had once thought, it would have been best if Gu Qinghuai and Ji Zhuo had never crossed paths with her. And...
Or, how wonderful it would be if I only met one of them.
They are all exceptional individuals, the cream of the crop. If they could meet someone who loves them wholeheartedly, they would surely be much happier.
"Mu Ruoyan, I want to wait..."
Lin Xihe hesitated, her voice slightly unsure.
"fine."
Mu Ruoyan raised her hand and gently ruffled her hair, her eyes full of doting affection: "I'm not in a hurry, I'll give you enough time to think it over."
Mu Ruoyan keenly sensed her hesitation.
Although she had agreed to stay by his side, she seemed to still be struggling with inner conflict.
He wasn't angry, but a faint sense of disappointment welled up inside him.
After all, she had stolen it herself.
He knew she was about to get married, but he still used various conditions to entice her to choose him.
So what grounds does he have to be angry?
Fortunately, she eventually agreed to stay by his side. As long as she had feelings for him, he was patient and willing to take things slowly until she truly accepted him.
Lin Xihe nodded gently. Mu Ruoyan did not force her, which warmed her heart.
Recalling how Mu Ruoyan had pressured her because of Gu Qinghuai, she did feel resentment at that time.
This time, however, in order to protect Ji Zhuo, she took the initiative to propose the exchange, and Mu Ruoyan agreed. She should have been grateful, but deep in her heart, the one she cared about and wanted to spend her life with was not him.
Seeing her expression gradually dim, Mu Ruoyan immediately changed the subject to break the slightly oppressive atmosphere, saying in a teasing tone, "Could you have a meal with me first? You were unwilling to move later, and I really worked hard for several hours. I urgently need to replenish my strength now."
Lin Xihe was still immersed in her sadness when she heard Mu Ruoyan start acting silly again. She immediately glared at him reproachfully, then got up and sat down at the round table.
Seeing this, Mu Ruoyan's lips curled up slightly with a smile, and she followed closely behind Lin Xihe to the table.
This time, the two enjoyed a rare and cozy meal together.
During the meal, occasional glances met, filled with tenderness and warmth.
In the afternoon, the sunlight lazily spilled into the room, and Lin Xihe felt drowsiness wash over her like a tide. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she was determined to catch up on a good nap.
Seeing her tired appearance, Mu Ruoyan said softly, "You can get some sleep. I have something to do this afternoon and need to go out of the manor."
Lin Xihe hadn't planned to have Mu Ruoyan stay and rest there, but she couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "What important business could you possibly have in this Great Hao territory?"
Mu Ruoyan's lips curled up slightly, a hint of teasing in his smile, and he said, "Official business, of course. Now that I'm an emperor, I have to pretend to do some serious work, right?"
"Go quickly, no need to rush back."
Lin Xihe casually responded, and as soon as she finished speaking, she turned over and skillfully crawled into the quilt, wrapping herself up tightly, waiting to fall into a deep sleep.
Mu Ruoyan sat quietly by the bed for a while, watching her peacefully sleeping, her eyes gentle and tender.
A moment later, he quietly got up, left the room, and went out, leaving behind a quiet room.
When Lin Xihe woke up again, it was already close to evening outside the window.
Ling Xue had just returned to the courtyard and was quietly tidying up her clothes.
"Girl, why have you been sleeping for so long?"
Seeing Lin Xihe get up, Ling Xue quickly went over to her, draping her coat over her shoulders while asking her with concern.
Lin Xihe rubbed her sleepy eyes and replied wearily, "I wanted to sleep in this morning, but Mu Ruoyan insisted on having lunch with me. I didn't get to sleep until noon. By the way, was it because Tang Bao was bothering you that you came back late?"
"Yes, the little girl is very clingy. I really couldn't refuse, so I came back a little late. But Madam Ji takes very good care of her, so you can rest assured."
Ling Xue understood that Lin Xihe was very concerned about Tang Bao, but the mottled marks on her neck made it really unsuitable for her to go out in public.
"Miss, why don't we bring Tang Bao back?" Ling Xue tentatively suggested.
"No, let's wait until Ah Zhuo comes back."
Lin Xihe refused almost without hesitation.
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