There was no charcoal fire burning in the room, and the air was ice-cold, yet the large hand lightly gripping her waist was so warm and powerful.

Yu Lingxi’s hair had been completely brushed to one side, cascading down her shoulder. The cool, fine-tipped brush wandered across the hollow of her waist, with a line of text not yet complete and a tendency to continue downward.

“…It tickles.” Her fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly as she involuntarily shuddered.

The hand on her waist tightened, then pinched again. This fine white paper of her skin was too delicate, almost reluctant to absorb the ink. The black characters against her translucent white skin were nearly bewitching.

Ning Yin methodically put down his brush, his voice slightly hoarse: “What is Suisui’s body made of, to be so soft and smooth?”

He lowered his head to smell, concluding: “And still fragrant.”

Yu Lingxi, who had just been feeling cold, now felt hot again.

If they were at the prince’s manor, she wouldn’t mind Ning Yin’s peculiarities. But now that they were in her family residence, thinking that her siblings might come over, or that someone might pass by the pavilion, she felt less at ease.

“Nonsense.” Yu Lingxi instinctively tried to cover herself with her clothes.

“What’s the rush?”

Ning Yin held her outer garment down. “I haven’t yet sealed it with my private stamp.”

Upon glimpsing that familiar black jade seal, Yu Lingxi was momentarily speechless…

He carried this object with him at all times!

“Had I known this, I would never have given you that piece of jade in the first place.”

Yu Lingxi grumbled softly in annoyance, her cheeks gaining a few more touches of vivid charm.

Ning Yin spoke with perfect seriousness while his fingers were already untying her skirt sash.

Without seal ink, he frowned almost imperceptibly.

Seeing the person behind her remaining motionless for so long, what little reserve Yu Lingxi had left was about to crumble. She couldn’t help but bury her face in Ning Yin’s arm, saying bashfully: “How much longer do you want me to freeze? Hurry up.”

A permissive light laugh came from behind.

Who knows what Ning Yin was fiddling with, but shortly after, the smooth black jade seal gently pressed against the spot below her lower back.

Ning Yin casually used his sleeve to wipe his fingers, then bent down, his straight nose following the line of her waist downward, pressing his thin lips against the ink marks in the hollow of her waist.

A quiet and devout kiss. Yu Lingxi felt a warm current flowing up from her waist, spreading throughout her body.

It was truly maddening.

Her face reddened, and she couldn’t help but shiver, sneezing once.

The person behind her unfastened his great cloak and enfolded her within it. The man’s scorching body temperature dispelled the cold of late winter.

Yu Lingxi coveted this warmth and solidity, unconsciously softening her body as she leaned against him. After a while, a thought occurred to her: “This isn’t fair.”

“Hmm?” Ning Yin gently pinched her chin.

Yu Lingxi looked up at him, lightly humming: “I want to stamp a seal too, leave a unique mark on your body.”

“So that’s what this is about.”

Ning Yin lightly stroked the corner of her lips with his thumb. “I’ll have one carved for you later.”

“Really?” Yu Lingxi was amazed at his compliance.

Ning Yin’s dark pupils diffused some excitement as he leisurely played with her temple hair: “Once I find that pigment, I’ll carve one for Suisui.”

Pigment?

Did carving a seal require pigment?

Yu Lingxi didn’t understand much about craftsmanship, and soon this doubt was diluted by anticipation.

Ning Yin had broad shoulders, long legs, and a narrow waist. His body was extremely agile, his skin colder and whiter than most people’s. If a bright red seal were to be stamped on it, surely…

That image was something she hadn’t dared to imagine in her previous life.

She must have been influenced by Ning Yin; her thoughts were becoming improper as well.

Yu Lingxi decided to find a proper topic of conversation. After thinking for a moment, she asked softly: “Ning Yin, do you want to be emperor?”

Ning Yin’s voice was calm and light, cutting straight to the point: “Is this General Gu’s meaning, or Yu Huanchen’s?”

“I want to ask for myself.” Yu Lingxi said.

She did not doubt Ning Yin’s feelings. The little madman’s love was always ardent and obsessive, and on the other side of obsession was a fidelity uncommon among men.

She just wasn’t sure if she could bear the responsibility of being the mother of the nation.

“Want to be emperor?” Ning Yin asked with an unchanged expression.

Yu Lingxi momentarily didn’t notice the oddity of his words and instinctively shook her head: “Not really…”

Then she shook her head again, sighing softly: “I don’t know.”

If Ning Yin wanted to contend for the heir position and wanted to stand even higher, she shouldn’t become his restraint.

“What do you think?” Yu Lingxi asked.

“I want to speak of love.”

Ning Yin blinked once, speaking more plainly, “On the bed.”

Yu Lingxi hurriedly pressed down his descending hand, backing away slightly: “I’m at home, don’t you dare…”

“Want to press Sui.” Ning Yin pinched the hollow of her waist.

Yu Lingxi instantly went soft all over, hurriedly breaking free from his embrace, hastily gathering her scattered middle and winter garments.

Ning Yin gave a low laugh, raising his hand to smell the maiden fragrance lingering on his fingers, bringing them to his lips for a kiss.

Being in her residence, Yu Lingxi didn’t dare to be too indulgent, and with much coaxing, finally saw Ning Yin off before nightfall.

Ning Yin sat in his carriage, expressionless, his eyes so deep they could swallow a person.

For someone of his temperament, today was already a great exercise in restraint.

“Tomorrow, I’ll come to pick you up.”

Ning Yin dropped these words, not caring what expression Yu Yuan wore beside him, and had his attendants drive the carriage away.

Yu Lingxi turned back, cautiously glancing at Yu Yuan, and smiled: “Father, isn’t your daughter’s eye for choosing a husband quite impressive?”

His daughter smiled brightly, but Yu Yuan’s heart sank like the sea.

After a while, he sighed deeply, raised his hand to pat his daughter’s shoulder, and left without saying anything.

Returning to her room, Yu Lingxi’s first action was to close the doors and windows, remove her clothes, and stand with her back to the full-length bronze mirror, twisting her head to look at the love poem on her lower back.

But the angle was truly awkward, so she had to take up her dresser’s rhombic mirror, adjusting the angles of the two mirrors.

Her slender waist was as white as snow, with the ink characters faintly visible.

Yu Lingxi had thought Ning Yin would write some teasing words like “pressing Suisui,” but after looking for a long time with the two mirrors, she only saw eight bold and free-spirited characters:

【Suisui for a thousand autumns, Lingxi forever joyful】

The seal beside the characters wasn’t the bright red of ordinary seal ink, but a slightly darker crimson.

Yu Lingxi slowly put down the rhombic mirror, half-dressed, standing before the mirror for a long time.

What to do? She raised her hand to cover her cheeks.

It seemed she couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

…

Prince Jing’s manor, bath pool.

Mist swirled as the handsome man stood in the center of the vast pool, exposing his upper body, chiseled as if by axe and knife, agile and long. His black hair fell to his waist. Fine water droplets slid along his collarbone, past the pale scars on his chest, flowing through the valleys of his waist and abdomen, finally dropping into the water.

“Your Highness, the witness has been arranged properly.”

Zhe Ji’s tall shadow was cast on the door as he dutifully reported: “However, the medical records from the Imperial Medical Academy from that year are difficult to restore.”

Ning Yin closed his eyes, sneering: “Have the pawn at the Imperial Medical Academy make a trip. Whether the Empress has given birth to a child can be verified with one examination.”

“I understand.”

Zhe Ji said, “Also, that red blood Your Highness entrusted someone to find has been located.”

Seeing Ning Yin’s silent assent, Zhe Ji opened the door, holding a tray with both hands: “Do you need my assistance?”

“Not necessary.” Ning Yin lifted his fingers slightly.

Zhe Ji placed the tray on the table by the pool, cupped his hands in salute, and withdrew.

Ning Yin opened his pink-colored eyes, stepped up the stone stairs through the mist, and casually grabbed a bath towel to wipe his body.

On the tray was a white jade box. Through the transparent jade, one could faintly see the red dye inside.

Ning Yin tossed the half-wet towel aside, then took a silver needle from the tray, calmly holding it over the candle flame for a moment.

He scrutinized himself in the full-length bronze mirror for a long time, then pressed the silver needle, dipped in red dye, against his chest.

Needle by needle, he pricked red characters into the scar on his heart.

Crimson liquid gathered into beads, indistinguishable whether it was dye or blood.

An hour later, the bright red character “Lingxi” faintly appeared on his cold white, solid chest.

She was the goodness at the tip of his heart, a name carved into his scars.

On the soft couch lay a folded moon-white undergarment. Ning Yin picked it up and wiped away the blood droplets from his chest.

This way, his and her traces would forever merge.

The candle flame flickered. Ning Yin didn’t dress but found a chair, crossed his legs, and sat down, looking at his naked self in the mirror.

At first, when he had just emerged from the bath, the color of the tattoo was an extremely vivid red.

But after a while, the character “Lingxi” gradually faded in color as his body temperature dropped, finally becoming one with his skin tone.

Ning Yin placed the silver needle back on the tray with satisfaction, then stood up and grabbed a robe to put on.

When they meet tomorrow, hopefully, Yu Yuan will have come to his senses. Otherwise…

Ning Yin’s lips moved slightly as he raised his hand to touch his heart.