“What do I not dare to say?” Chu Yun Zheng immediately retorted.
“Then say it to me,” Chu Yuan continued smiling, his gaze icy cold.
Ruan Ning did not like sleeping with the lights on, so the bedroom was pitch dark, but she recognized Chu Yuan’s outline. She reached back to hug him, leaning against his broad chest, and softly said, “Let’s get married.”
She knew he must have argued with the emperor for a long time, which was why he returned at midnight. She could sense his mood was not good, so she hugged him tighter, trying to calm him.
Chu Yuan seemed to sense her thoughts and gently kissed her hair with a mix of joy and emotion.
Although he had publicly declared her his wife-to-be during the day, Ruan Ning had not seriously considered marrying him until now. They had been sleeping together, and everyone in Bian Xiang Palace tacitly accepted her as the mistress, but Chu Yuan had not touched her. He had shown restraint, making her feel secure. He truly loved and protected her, treating her like a rare treasure. Now she was no longer afraid of him.
After becoming familiar, she realized that although he occasionally fell into fits of rage, he genuinely cherished her more than those who appeared gentle and refined.
When he suggested marriage, she instantly knew her feelings and agreed without hesitation.
Chu Yuan’s kisses moved from her hair to her forehead, then her cheek, finally stopping at her lips. His kisses transformed from lingering to urgent, as if years of unresolved tension found their answer here. All pain and wildness halted at this tranquil harbor. He thought that from now on, he too would have a home.
He whispered, “Let’s go get married.”
He carried Ruan Ning to the central courtyard of Bian Xiang Palace, where two osmanthus trees grew. Even in winter, they remained green, standing side by side at the same height. Chu Yuan gently set her down and said, “Let’s do it here.”
He unbuckled a bundle from his back, opening it to reveal a ceremonial robe. “This is the wedding dress my mother wore.”
Ruan Ning stood still, allowing him to dress her, fastening the ruby-carved buttons. On this moonless night, in the faint starlight, Chu Yuan held her face and smiled: “You are beautiful.”
Ruan Ning smiled and said, “I think so too.”
Chu Yuan laughed happily, putting on a bright red male robe. He lit a pair of red candles and pulled Ruan Ning to kneel together under the trees.
“Let heaven and earth bear witness,” he said, looking at her. “I’m sorry to wrong you.”
“With heaven and earth as witnesses, what is there to wrong?” Ruan Ning replied with a laugh. She guessed the emperor had not agreed to Chu Yuan’s request to marry her, but she didn’t mind; she had never cared about formalities, especially since she was not originally from this world.
Thinking this, she felt melancholic. Chu Yuan’s revealed sorrow worried her. She did not know what he would become after she left.
Without parents or relatives, they bowed three times to the two osmanthus trees. Before Ruan Ning could fully rise, Chu Yuan eagerly embraced her, kissing her and saying, “From now on, I am your husband, and you are my only wife.”
“Mm,” she softly responded, feeling a warm current in her heart, realizing she might be falling in love with him.
Kisses fell like a storm, quickly covering her entire body, both passionate and tender. Ruan Ning, even with some discomfort, didn’t care.
She was like a small boat in a raging storm, rising and falling with his wild movements. Reason and clarity had long abandoned her.
In an intense desire, she hugged him tightly, trying to get even closer. Her passion was quickly reciprocated by Chu Yuan. When he finally broke through the forbidden territory, he let out a long sigh and tensed his body.
Ruan Ning bit the bedding in silence, feeling alternating waves of cold and heat, as if roasted in fire and then thrown into icy water. This strange experience made her dizzy, blurring her sense of pain and desire.
Chu Yuan tried his best to restrain himself, kissing her gently to help her relax. However, she clung to him, her arms wrapping around his neck. Her misty eyes were full of passion as she whispered his name: “A Yuan, A Yuan…”
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Chu Yuan cast aside reason. The entire world shrank to a single point—only her existed, and all he wanted was to possess her.
The wedding candles crackled and burned, casting a rosy light over the gauze curtains. The light trembled like ripples of water. Low, soft moans mixed with the sound of candle flames bursting, lingering throughout the night…
Ruan Ning was awakened by Chu Yuan’s kisses. Struggling to open her eyes, she felt sore all over and too lazy to speak. Chu Yuan smiled contentedly, but as he kissed her lips, his breathing grew heavy again.
Ruan Ning moved slightly in bed and trembled, saying, “No…”
The pleasure from Chu Yuan’s stamina was overwhelming, but the exhaustion afterward was even greater. She felt thoroughly depleted and wanted to lie still.
Chu Yuan wanted to control himself, but once he had tasted her, he found it hard to resist. He coaxed her, “You’re tired, don’t move. Let me.”
“No!” Ruan Ning shouted in panic.
He had made that same offer the night before, and even being still exhausted her. She was frustrated by how much care he took of her—despite her fatigue, she never fainted, often finding herself drawn into passion that drained her even more.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wei repeatedly said yes, then turned to wipe away his tears, holding Chu Yuan’s hand, saying: “Such a joyous event, quickly go tell your mother.”
Zhang Wei glanced at Ruan Ning, noting she wasn’t dressed as a princess and that there had been no prior indication of Chu Yuan’s marriage. He sighed inwardly, realizing the emperor had not approved this union.
He pulled Chu Yuan toward the main hall, revealing an elegant bedroom behind several screens. Snow-blue and ginger-yellow curtains hung low, while a jade incense burner sat on the dressing table beside a sky-blue vase with a half-blooming red plum branch. The memorial tablet of Princess Jin Yuan adorned the dressing table, accompanied by a copper mirror decorated with coral and turquoise. The clean mirror reflected the plum flower’s shadow, as if the room’s mistress had never left.
Ruan Ning quickly realized this was Princess Jin Yuan’s former room, likely untouched since her passing. The absence of female presence and Zhang Wei’s austere appearance suggested he must have deeply loved the deceased princess.
Curious, she glanced at Chu Yuan, wondering if he inherited Zhang Wei’s temperament, explaining his kindness toward her. However, she soon noticed Chu Yuan bore no resemblance to Zhang Wei.
Chu Yuan lit three incense sticks and knelt with Ruan Ning before the memorial tablet, softly saying: “Mother, your son is married and has brought his wife to see you.”
Zhang Wei turned away, wiping tears again.
After paying respects, Chu Yuan helped Ruan Ning up and told Zhang Wei: “The emperor has become increasingly stubborn. I plan to take her away from the capital.”
Zhang Wei was shocked, asking: “Can you leave? Do you have a proper plan?”
This wasn’t Chu Yuan’s first attempt to escape. Each time, the emperor retaliated by killing his close servants in the Bian Xiang Palace to manipulate Chu Yuan’s emotions. To avoid such consequences, he had stopped allowing anyone to serve him for the past two years.
Zhang Wei frowned. People labeled Chu Yuan as bloodthirsty, but he only targeted the emperor’s surveillance squads. Zhang Wei understood that Chu Yuan often acted out of uncontrollable rage, caught in a tragic cycle. When would the emperor finally leave him alone?
Chu Yuan said calmly: “I must go. I can’t let her be controlled by the emperor like I was.”
Zhang Wei asked: “Where are you going, Yuan?”
