“Yi’er, are you alright?” Yuchi Yan sat sideways beside Qin Yining, looking worriedly at her pale face. “It’s my fault for frightening you.”

Hearing him address her so intimately, Qin Yining felt goosebumps rising all over her body. She frowned and got down from the bed, avoiding Yuchi Yan, then knelt down to pay her respects: “This humble woman greets Your Majesty.”

The beauty’s complexion was deathly pale, her shoulder stained with blood. Her originally plump oval face had now grown so thin it was almost melon seed-shaped. She was already slender by nature, but now possessed an even more delicate and sickly beauty that made Yuchi Yan’s heart melt. How could he bear to let her kneel?

“Rise quickly. There’s no need for such ceremony before me, and you’re still injured.” The Emperor sat on the beauty couch, leaning forward and extending his arms to help Qin Yining up.

But Qin Yining nimbly knelt and retreated, still enduring the pain in her shoulder as she performed the proper ritual: “Propriety cannot be abandoned. Long live Your Majesty!”

The beauty couch wasn’t high, and Yuchi Yan couldn’t reach her even when bending and stretching out his hands. He simply rose and stepped forward to help her up, his eyes full of tender affection as he said: “I told you such ceremony isn’t necessary. Quickly go lie down.” He supported her toward the thousand-work bed.

Qin Yining frowned tightly as she avoided his hands, stopping to call out: “Er’Bai, come here.”

The small white ball crouched beside the beauty couch stretched its little short legs, wiggled its small bottom, and hopped to Qin Yining’s feet. It actually sat there, grasping her dress hem with both small paws.

“This is your pet?” Yuchi Yan bent down and picked up the palm-sized little rabbit. He saw this small creature was snow white all over, with only a black circle around its left eye. Its two little ears drooped down, its cheeks were chubby, its body plump, and around its neck hung a red plum blossom cord—very adorable indeed.

“Truly, what kind of person raises what kind of pet. You are so exquisite, and your little rabbit is too.” Holding Er’Bai in one hand and supporting Qin Yining’s left hand with the other, he said: “You must lie down quickly.”

Qin Yining once again pulled her hand away and sat down by the bedside, taking Er’Bai from Yuchi Yan’s hands and placing it on the thousand-work bed spread with emerald brocade bedding.

Yuchi Yan wasn’t angry either, just stood there smiling, gazing down at her with a smile, as if appreciating a work of art he had long desired and finally obtained.

Nanny Jiao, Xing Yu, Fu Xue, and the young eunuchs nearby quickly retreated to the outer hall.

Miss Qin was neither cold nor warm, yet His Majesty still eagerly approached her—that sight was truly… they couldn’t bear to watch.

Hadn’t the Grand Emperor treated that person who was made into “human oil candle” exactly like this? Could it be that His Majesty would follow in his father’s footsteps? Would Great Yan have another formidable Empress?

Yuchi Yan didn’t care what others thought. He had long admired Qin Yining. When Qin Yining had been ordered to participate in peace negotiations, he had urgently chased after her to confess his feelings, only to have Qin Yining slap his hand away and scold him for not understanding propriety and being inappropriate in public. He had been deeply hurt then and had a big fight with Prince Ning. It was only later that he understood why Qin Yining had rejected him.

Her status at that time made it impossible for her to do otherwise. If she had dared show any closeness to him, his father the Emperor would have become suspicious.

He had thought then that if one day he stood at the pinnacle of power, he wouldn’t need to consider anything else.

Now he had finally achieved this. Among all the countless women in the world willing to submit to him, the one he most wanted was right before him.

Yuchi Yan was in high spirits and became even more gentle and attentive toward Qin Yining.

“Yi’er, lie down and rest quickly. The imperial physicians will come soon. I’ve already instructed Nanny Jiao that during these days, she must take good care of your health and make up for all the deficiencies.”

Qin Yining was already dizzy and disoriented, forcing herself to maintain her spirits. Listening to Yuchi Yan’s voice, her ears were buzzing.

If you want me to rest, then you should leave!

Qin Yining really wished she could drive him out, but since he was the Emperor, she couldn’t be too obvious lest others gossip.

“Your Majesty, please attend to important matters. Don’t waste time lingering here.”

“Important matters are endless, but right now you are my most important matter.”

Yuchi Yan actually sat down next to Qin Yining, even using his index finger to lightly trace across her cheek, which had turned pink from fever.

“Look at you, don’t be shy. We have plenty of time ahead.” Yuchi Yan thought her rosy cheeks were surely due to bashfulness.

Qin Yining’s head buzzed, and she nearly fainted from anger on the spot.

Unable to endure any longer, she pushed away Yuchi Yan’s hand: “Your Majesty, please conduct yourself with dignity!”

Yuchi Yan froze, meeting Qin Yining’s almond eyes that appeared even more lustrous from fever. With both confusion and grievance, he said: “Yi’er, you’re about to become my Empress. Why are you still…”

“Your Majesty is a scholar, not a mountain bandit or highway robber forcing a captive bride. I have no romantic feelings for Your Majesty whatsoever—only admiration for your scholarship. Why must you force what cannot be?”

Yuchi Yan was stunned.

Qin Yining rose and knelt before the bed, saying solemnly: “Your Majesty, this humble woman respects your position and admires your learning, but has no emotional attachment to you.”

Eunuch Lu, who had just returned with four imperial physicians, entered the outer hall just in time to hear these words. He was immediately frightened out of his wits and quickly stopped in his tracks.

The four imperial physicians exchanged glances, all terrified and pale, wisely retreating silently.

What a joke! The Son of Heaven being rejected by a young woman—if they, who shouldn’t witness such scenes, were to see this, would they have any life left afterward?

Yuchi Yan looked down at Qin Yining, emotions churning in his eyes—from shock to realization, from realization to fury. He bent down and seized Qin Yining’s chin, forcing her to look up at him, roaring:

“You don’t like me? Then tell me, what kind of person do you like? Hmm? Do you like that man surnamed Pang?”

Their faces were extremely close—so close that Qin Yining could smell the ambergris on Yuchi Yan’s body and see the two flames burning in his eyes.

She knew she couldn’t discuss emotions with an emperor.

But at this moment, if she didn’t discuss emotions with him, she would have even less right to speak of “refusal.” Because without discussing romantic feelings, her rejection would be complete defiance of imperial decree.

“Your Majesty, regardless of whom my heart favors, I feel no attraction toward you.”

Yuchi Yan was so angry he tightened his grip, his fingers pressing into her smooth skin, yet finding it fragrantly soft, making him want to devour her completely!

Yuchi Yan felt himself ignited, whether by rage or desire, he didn’t know. Right now he only wanted to seize this ungrateful person and punish her thoroughly!

His mind went blank as he looked at her pale lips, his gaze darkening as he bent down to kiss her fiercely.

Qin Yining was terrified out of her wits and quickly turned her head to dodge, tumbling to the ground. But Yuchi Yan’s momentum didn’t decrease—he fell directly onto her. Though his lips didn’t land on hers, they brushed past her cheek and fell upon her neck.

Yuchi Yan breathed in her body fragrance tinged with faint jasmine scent, mixed with the sweet metallic smell of blood. This truly excited his boiling blood, feeling as if the scent from her body was like soul-stealing poison that made him willingly intoxicated.