Just now, considering various matters, being originally a woman herself, she hadn’t thought about the gender issue between them. Remembering this now, she immediately raised it as a barrier.

“I don’t mind.”

Hearing his slightly deep and steady voice, Suzhen trembled slightly again. Did Lian Yu truly like men? She tried hard to dispel that strange feeling in her heart and earnestly examined Lian Yu, only to see his gaze burning with intensity. Perhaps he hadn’t slept well—red threads stretched through his eyes, making him appear somewhat stern and oppressive.

She couldn’t help swallowing again, fear arising in her heart. The words she spoke carried a tremor: “But… I mind. I only love women, can only love women, and don’t wish to become a male favorite.”

In her heart, she thought quietly: You’re merely acting on a momentary impulse—just a momentary impulse.

She suddenly wanted to ask him whether he was acting on a momentary impulse, but quickly forced herself to swallow the words back.

But wasn’t this unnecessary? They were impossible from the start! Moreover, at the beginning of any romantic relationship, who would give you an answer you didn’t like? Books and Father both said that distance tests a horse’s strength, and time reveals a person’s heart.

“Being with me, I will treat you well. As long as it doesn’t concern state affairs, I can agree to everything else.”

Lian Yu spoke in a low voice, slowly walking toward her. His eyes were as still and deep as an abyss, carrying an emperor’s majesty that commanded life and death, as if hiding some fierce power that would drag people down.

Suzhen froze, momentarily losing her composure. He was the emperor, the most noble person under heaven. Although Father had said that when you like someone, regardless of status or appearance, sometimes you truly don’t care about anything—but why would he like her? Even if it was just a momentary impulse, why her?

As she pondered, seeing his hand about to touch her shoulder, she suddenly startled in alarm. Cold sweat broke out on her body. She stood up to avoid him and stumbled to the table, grabbing an empty cup and smashing it to the floor.

Pottery shards scattered everywhere. Lian Yu’s gaze suddenly turned fierce as she tremblingly picked up a porcelain shard and pressed it against her own neck.

“Li Huaisu!”

Lian Yu’s form flashed as he leaped before her. She shook her head: “Your Majesty, let us remain sovereign and subject. I will love and respect you, serve as your loyal minister. Is that not good?”

Lian Yu’s lips curved downward in a cold smile: “No!”

Suzhen steeled her heart and pressed the porcelain corner down. Her neck stung with pain as blood pearls emerged. She inwardly cried out in pain, and indeed saw Lian Yu’s expression change as well, malevolent light surging in his eyes, becoming even more severe.

“If it must be so, your subject can only end her life before Your Majesty.”

“You dare!”

Lian Yu ground out these two words through clenched teeth, no longer the refined and pleasant Sixth Young Master of old, but a man she suddenly found strange. Beast-like light flashed in his amber eyes, a trace of savage breath crossing them: “If you dare, I’ll first kill those people of yours in the Ministry of Justice!”

Suzhen was shocked. She stared at him blankly for a moment, then shouted angrily: “Lian Yu, you’re despicable! If you do this… I… I…”

She stammered for a long time, finally collapsing softly to the ground. A clear, sandalwood-like fragrance filled her nostrils as her hand suddenly tightened—she looked up in panic to see he had already grasped the other end of the sharp porcelain.

In her moment of distraction, he had already seized it from her. His palm was scraped with a deep bloody mark from gripping it, but he paid no heed, throwing the shard to the ground and pulling her away from the debris field.

Throughout this, Suzhen only saw his tightly pressed lips and his knife-sharp, clearly defined jaw. She suddenly remembered what White Tiger had told her when going upstairs.

Since her parents died, aside from Leng Xue who remained by her side, no one had treated her this way.

Wu Qing and the others were good to her, but initially she had been the first to bestow kindness upon them.

Yes, she had saved this man’s life, but his rewards to her were already sufficient. He was the Son of Heaven, wasn’t he?

Her eyes grew somewhat moist, though she didn’t know why—whether for their destined incompatibility or hatred for her own momentary weakness.

But she saw Lian Yu half-crouching on the ground, meeting her eyes at the same level, looking into her eyes. The fierce look in his gaze suddenly diminished considerably. Glancing at the blood drops that had fallen on her clothes, he slowly moved his bleeding hand behind his back, while his other hand touched beneath her eyes. His knuckles curved slightly, applying gentle pressure as he wiped away her tears, saying: “There now, don’t cry anymore. That day when people scolded you so harshly, I didn’t see you in such a state. Like this—what I said earlier, think it over carefully. Don’t rush to give me an answer. When you’ve thought it through, we’ll talk again. Think of it like your case investigations—you can’t condemn someone from the start. You must investigate clearly first to avoid misjudgment, isn’t that right?”

Suzhen stared blankly. Lian Yu lowered his head to kiss her eyelids, then his brow moved as if remembering something. He stopped, sat down, and drew her into his arms with one hand, gently patting her back.

His tone became gentler—why? Because her crying annoyed him?

She inhaled the light fragrance on his clothes without pushing away. Right now, she shouldn’t provoke his anger further. When he became truly angry, he could be quite fierce. She needed to reason with him.

The two sat quietly.

She leaned against his broad shoulder: “Hey, Lian Yu.”

“Mm, you may call me that… in private. Just be careful in public.”

“Your Majesty,” Suzhen wrinkled her brow, quickly correcting herself.

“Lian Yu is fine.”

“Your Majesty, actually you’re very good. If your subject were a woman, she would certainly like you. But your subject is a man, so—”

Before she could finish, Lian Yu suddenly released her, staring at her rather strangely. He seemed to have some discomfort in his throat, covering his mouth to cough once before speaking in a slightly hoarse voice: “If you were a woman, you would actually have feelings for me?”

Suzhen thought to herself that he was thinking in the wrong direction, but quickly nodded, following this line of reasoning: “But your subject is a man, so even though I couldn’t help being struck by your jade-like gentlemanly bearing at first sight and felt compelled to pay your bill, I ultimately didn’t dare think too much, maintaining proper etiquette, because that doesn’t conform to worldly morality. Your Majesty, let us maintain sovereign-subject propriety from now on. Your subject will handle affairs for you and can accompany you in leisure to chat and provide entertainment. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? You have many consorts in your palace, so for… intimate matters, just…”

“Find them,” Lian Yu finished her sentence.

Suzhen nodded. Seeing Lian Yu’s gaze calm and seemingly restored to normal, her heart rejoiced, but then she heard him say flatly: “Do you have a handkerchief?”