She lay quietly against Ye Jingyu’s chest, crying her heart out, tears flowing ceaselessly, soaking her robes, drenching his chest, and dampening Ye Jingyu’s spirit, which remained as parched as ever…
All the longing, all the loneliness, all the heartache accumulated over these days were finally unleashed with this torrent of sobs and tears…
Little Tao Tao had already employed a unique power of the Dragon Clan—spatial confinement—completely isolating the bedchamber from the outside world. No matter how loud Luo Ling’er’s cries became, the palace maids outside could not hear a single sound. Furthermore, it showed a rare moment of understanding, turning and walking away…
Ye Jingyu held Luo Ling'er tightly, letting her weep, with no intention of comforting her. He understood; she needed to vent, he understood; she needed an embrace, he understood; she needed him…
The bitterness in his heart surged continuously, his unspoken words overwhelming him. Every cry from Luo Ling'er, every teardrop, stabbed sharply into Ye Jingyu…
It was him, it was entirely his fault that this girl, who should have been joyous every day, was now so deeply saddened. It was him, it was his fault that this pure and lovely maiden was now gripped by such devastating pain…
He made a silent vow in his heart: never again would he cause her distress, never again would he bring her sorrow. No matter where he went, he would take her with him, cherish her, and protect her…
No one could separate the two of them—absolutely no one, not even a deity…
Clasping Luo Ling’er’s slender frame tightly, Ye Jingyu lowered his lips to her face once more…
He kissed her forehead, kissed her eyes, kissed her cheeks, wiping away each trailing tear with his lips…
Slowly, Ye Jingyu’s lips settled again upon Luo Ling’er’s mouth, his tongue tentatively venturing inside…
Luo Ling’er offered no resistance whatsoever, gradually ceasing her weeping, letting go of her sorrow, savoring this exquisite moment…
Ye Jingyu’s large hands began to roam restlessly over her body, tracing the line of her spine, sweeping across her delicate shoulders, brushing against every inch of skin on her form…
Luo Ling’er simply held tightly to Ye Jingyu’s neck with both hands, allowing his hands the freedom to explore her body…
Her body grew increasingly hot, her heartbeat quickened rapidly, her breathing became increasingly ragged…
Slowly, the layers of clothing covering her dwindled, and the skin exposed on her body flushed a deeper hue…
When she was left with only a single dudou chemise, Ye Jingyu’s body pressed down upon hers…
Luo Ling’er remained lost in a trance. A year and a half of yearning had made her forget propriety, forget modesty, forget her station, forget the present moment, forget everything she ought to forget. She simply yielded, allowing him to claim her body…
Claiming her flesh, claiming her heart, claiming her entire being…
“Ah…” Suddenly, a sharp cry escaped Ye Jingyu’s lips… A sliver of crimson blood beaded at the corner of his mouth…
His movements instantly halted. He looked up at the flushed Luo Ling’er below him with an expression of wronged surprise…
“Why did you bite me…”
“You’re being wicked…” Luo Ling’er murmured petulantly…
“You don’t like it when I’m wicked?”
“I don’t like it…”
“Mmm… then I won’t be wicked anymore…” Ye Jingyu said, attempting to move up, but Luo Ling’er seized him, pulling him back down until her entire body covered his. Now completely bare, Ye Jingyu’s chest rested directly against the soft, yielding curves of her form, yet his face held a mask of injury…
“But I want you to be wicked…”
“Mmm, but you said you didn’t like it?”
“But I love you…”
“……”
Ye Jingyu was rendered speechless for a moment, his eyes fixed intently on Luo Ling’er, on her lovely face, on her pure gaze…
“I love you too, Ling’er…” He whispered the endearment softly, and before she could reply, Ye Jingyu captured her lips again, giving her no chance to speak… His hands resumed their explorations…
After a while longer…
Ye Jingyu lifted his head again…
“This… this is the Imperial Palace…”
“Hm?” Luo Ling’er responded, her expression still hazy with rapture…
“Do you think it’s appropriate if we really do this here?” Ye Jingyu asked, a hint of concern in his tone…
“You’re scared?” Luo Ling’er whispered…
“Nonsense! There is nothing in this world I dare not do…” Ye Jingyu puffed out his chest boastfully, signaling his might…
“Then come on then…”
“But it will hurt you…”
“I’m not afraid…”
“Then here I come…”
“Mm…” Luo Ling’er nodded slightly, tinged with shyness…
Ye Jingyu was about to advance, ready to pluck this delicate, exquisite blossom…
“Wait…” Luo Ling’er suddenly stopped him…
“What is it now?”
“It’s my first time?”
“It’s my first time too…”
“But I’m afraid of the pain?”
“Weren’t you just saying you weren’t afraid?”
“That was then…”
“Then forget it…”
“No, don’t stop…”
“Then I’m coming in…”
“Mm…”
Ye Jingyu was just about to initiate the final advance…
“Wait…”
“Now what?”
“There’s a mosquito…”
“Damn it…” A flash of silver light cut through the air, and silence descended upon the chamber…
Immediately following, a sharp, painful groan shattered the quiet, and a splash of vivid red stained the pristine sheets…
Upon the grand bed, passion churned and crested…
After the storm, a wave of tender affection followed. Luo Ling’er lay nestled in Ye Jingyu’s embrace like a small kitten, while Ye Jingyu gazed up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky with an air of satisfied triumph…
He genuinely hadn't expected his moment to arrive in the Imperial Palace, and not like this!
Proud, exceedingly proud, swelling with self-satisfaction…
Just as he began to muse on his own greatness and significance, he felt the body in his arms begin to tremble faintly…
He looked down to see that Luo Ling’er’s face, which had been dry only moments before, was once again wet with streaming tears…
“Ling’er, does it still hurt badly?” Ye Jingyu asked, his heart aching…
Luo Ling’er remained silent, merely shaking her head lightly…
“Then what is it?” Ye Jingyu questioned, his concern evident…
“Little Ye Zi, I’m getting married…” Luo Ling’er looked up, her pure eyes blazing with the world’s most agonizing sorrow…
Little Ye Zi, I’m getting married. This short sentence carried the weight of countless unspoken words held within Luo Ling’er’s heart…
She was going to marry, but the man she was marrying was not him. This was the reason for the preceding frenzy, the reason for that moment of unrestrained surrender…
She had given him the most precious thing she possessed, yet she could not halt the fate that decreed she would wed another…
The realization of her inner turmoil struck Ye Jingyu with overwhelming emotion. An inexpressible feeling washed over his entire being…