…because he wanted to.

This wasn’t the first time she had heard him say these words. That night at the night market on West Jin Street, he had said the same thing to her. But hearing him say it now, she felt there was some meaning hidden between these few words that she couldn’t discern or explain.

She kept her eyes closed and said softly, “Your Highness naturally does things because you want to do them. Even if Your Highness didn’t say so, I would understand.”

The tip of her nose warmed as his kiss fell upon it. His hand gently held the back of her neck, and she heard his voice deepen: “The things I do are not all because I want to do them.”

She opened her eyes slightly.

He lifted her head, his gaze meeting hers, and repeated, “But I am good to you because I want to be.”

Her delicate eyebrows relaxed. Seeing his expression so solemn, she didn’t understand why he emphasized this statement repeatedly, and simply replied, “I understand Your Highness.”

He raised his lips slightly: “Will you always remember these words of mine?”

She nodded, “I will always remember these words.”

A trace of satisfaction appeared between his brows. His large hand encircled her waist, embracing her as he sat up. His long fingers gathered her hair as he bent down to place a kiss on her soft, white neck.

She could feel his tongue and teeth gently grazing her skin. Her body trembled involuntarily as she lowered her eyes to look at him.

As one who regularly practiced martial arts, his waist and abdomen were firm. His fine silk pants were half-removed at the knee. His long legs were slightly bent, half-concealing his aroused manhood. Yet this vague, obscured sight was extremely alluring.

She couldn’t help but avert her gaze, breathing lightly, “I fear I’ll be enchanted to death by Your Highness in this state…”

His hot tongue trailed upward, capturing her lips so she couldn’t continue speaking. The hand supporting her body exerted force, and he stood up while holding her, then placed her on the vermilion wooden clothing table.

His kisses left her eyes misty. She could see the blue ceremonial robe with golden threads gleaming on the ground. The man before her had a fire in his eyes, and her own heart was pounding rapidly.

She thought he would finally make a move, but she saw him only reach for those complex garments and place them beside her.

He didn’t take the inner garment but shook open the purple robe with its sash, draping it over her naked body. His large hand reached in to adjust the sash and tie it properly, then he raised his eyes and asked, “Does it fit?”

The cool fabric brushed against her skin, which had been teased by him to extreme sensitivity, making her twist slightly. Without the inner garment, the front of the purple robe remained open, making her appearance even more seductive than when she was completely naked.

She supported herself with both hands behind her on the table and said softly, “Surely the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau made it according to the size of my official robes. It fits very well.”

He lowered his gaze, reaching out to lightly pull at her half-open collar, his eyes peering directly into that snow-white valley, and said, “This part needs to be tightened.”

Her face seemed to be on fire, so tight it was unbearable. His gaze now was increasingly unrestrained, without the earlier ferocity or the subsequent tenderness, leaving only thoroughness. She didn’t even need his touch—his gaze alone was enough to make her nipples stand erect and tremble.

His eyes were fiery, his palms scorching, but his expression remained steady. He went to get the red gauze skirt to dress her, his movements detailed and slow, holding up the skirt band, letting the thin gauze and smooth silk brush against her legs and waist bit by bit, finally tying the skirt band casually.

Her face was almost bleeding with embarrassment.

The skirt was empty underneath, and she was completely bare inside the robe. This set of solemn and dignified ceremonial attire now appeared so seductive and wanton. Only then did she realize how inexperienced and immature she was before him?

He embraced her waist, his hand unhurriedly reaching inside her clothing, and said hoarsely, “I love seeing you in your proper, serious appearance.”

That night in this hall, looking at her dignified crimson official robe, his mind was full of her bold and seductive actions. Though so contradictory, it was also so stimulating, making him imagine all sorts of indecent scenarios.

She couldn’t speak, almost drowning in this intoxicating, soul-invading warm atmosphere. She vaguely felt he was quite different from usual, but had no time to ponder why he had suddenly changed. Looking over his shoulder, she could see the blue ceremonial robe and gold belt on the ground, and couldn’t help saying, “Your Highness, that ceremonial robe…”

His hand continued to unhurriedly caress her body, without speaking.

Her eyes suddenly darkened, and she said softly, “Your Highness will soon ascend the throne. At that time, when you sit upon the dragon throne, I will call ‘Your Majesty’ from below, but I fear I will no longer be able to be close to Your Highness like this.”

He still did not speak, but his fingers stiffened slightly.

She lay on his shoulder, and seeing he remained silent, worried he might be angry again, she softly laughed, “Your Highness’s actions today would make me mistakenly believe that Your Highness deeply loves me.”

She had meant it as a joke to force him to speak, thinking he would immediately refute her, but after waiting for a while, she did not hear him say a single word.

He only turned his head to kiss her ear, kissing for a long time before saying softly, “I do not seek ten thousand years of life, but only wish heaven would grant me thirty-five years. Ten years to secure the realm, ten years to nurture the people, twenty years to achieve peace, and this life would be enough.”

She was slightly stunned, not expecting him to say such things to her. After a good while, she lowered her eyelashes, embraced his back tightly, and smiled gently, “Then I will accompany Your Highness for thirty-five years, to see Your Highness secure the realm, nurture the people, and achieve peace… never leaving Your Highness’s side until death.”

He gripped her waist forcefully, “Meng Tinghui.”

She responded, not knowing why he always liked to call her name this way, and why she extremely enjoyed hearing him call her so, as if this simple utterance could encompass all he wanted to say and all she wished to hear—even if what he wanted to say might not be what she wished to hear.

She could feel his intense yet restrained emotions, and discern the increasingly fierce flames in his eyes. That fire burned unquenchable, burning her whole body hot, until she could no longer resist his silent invitation.

He stared at her for a moment, then kissed her, placing delicate kisses over every inch of exposed skin, then burying his head lower, biting and kissing her bare, tender breasts inside her robe, sometimes gently, sometimes firmly.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, closer until his hard, burning manhood pressed against her wet, tender petals. Only then did she breathe lightly by his ear, “Your Highness…”

He cupped her soft buttocks with both hands, swaying her slightly from left to right, making her rub and lightly bump against him. Seeing her red lips trembling and her continuous gasps, he closed his eyes slightly and called to her again: “Meng Tinghui.”

The man before her still had a restrained expression, which made her even more aroused and unable to suppress her trembling. She became increasingly moist below, and her lower abdomen seemed to be bitten by thousands of ants. Unconsciously, she supported her waist and suddenly took him in.

She felt a pain and saw his brows tighten sharply. The hands supporting her buttocks also stiffened and stopped moving.

She knew it would hurt, but hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. She bit her lip without making a sound, her whole body tensing, not knowing what to do next.

He didn’t move, only gazed at her intently, feeling her gradually becoming wetter and hotter inside. Only then did he slowly withdraw a little, afraid of hurting her.

She frowned and let out a soft cry, seemingly in pain, but also in pleasure.

This cry made him even harder and hotter. It felt as if his heart was being bitten between her lips, both sour and itchy, extremely difficult to bear. He couldn’t help but try to go deeper, and seeing her brows relax slightly, he went deeper still…

Her two hands gripped his shoulders tightly, her face flushed. Below, she first felt both pain and itching, then the pain gradually subsided while the itching intensified. When his movements became slightly faster, she felt a wave of tingling numbness, and couldn’t help but gasp out loud: “Your Highness…”

He lowered his head to take her earlobe in his mouth, his tongue quickly teasing and swirling. Feeling her tremble in his arms, he freed one hand and with one motion lifted the red gauze skirt to her waist. His long fingers caressed the inside of her thigh, then reached to where they were joined, gently pressing that point above.

She couldn’t withstand such stimulation and reached up to pull his hair, but her hand was weak, her whole body lacking strength. The two legs wrapped around his waist trembled repeatedly, her mouth letting out continuous gasps and moans.

He gradually slowed down and hoarsely said by her ear, “Let’s go to the inner chamber.”

She had been left mentally scattered by him, and just as she was regaining her senses, she felt herself lifted as he carried her all the way to the inner chamber.

The dark blue curtains were about to fall, and the soft couch was covered with cool, fine silk. The black canopy above, with several clusters of golden flowers, filled the entire room with an alluring atmosphere.

When he set her down, her lower abdomen involuntarily contracted slightly. Raising her eyes, she saw his expression change immediately. Before she could react, he thrust forcefully, deeply entering her.

Their clothes were in disarray and entangled. He even reached out to tear her skirt. She laughed and cried out in surprise, raising her hands to block him, her legs tightly clamping his body. She lightly bit her red lips and tried to contract slightly inside.

He indeed stopped, breathing heavily, both hands gripping her waist, his thrusts becoming increasingly fierce. He buried his head to bite her lips and said fiercely, “You are truly… bold… unrestrained…”

Each break in his voice was at the moment he deeply entered her body. She gasped urgently, reaching out to brace against the inner wall of the couch, then exploring to press his waist and buttocks, her fingertips digging into his flesh. Her whole body was trembling, her calves stretched almost to the point of spasm.

He pulled her up with one motion, pressing her body against a nearby bedpost, his waist slowing down, only lightly and shallowly grinding against her, one hand kneading her breast.

She trembled even more violently, her waist instinctively arching forward, but he deliberately pulled back, leaving her desiring but unable to obtain satisfaction. After several such exchanges, she finally wept softly: “Your Highness, I know I was wrong…”

His eyebrow slanted upward as he suddenly pulled her into his embrace, his large hand pressing her buttocks, his waist forcefully thrusting and withdrawing, doing his utmost to satisfy her.

She was so stubborn and so strong, yet also so flexible and so soft, making him unable to resist entering and leaving her again and again, a thousand or ten thousand times would not be enough.