"Ye... Xuan." Chu Qianli felt strangely dry-mouthed.
Her lips were so parched, she felt she wouldn't be able to speak another word without drinking some water.
"I, I remember now."
"I'm cold." Feng Yexuan not only didn't let go, but tightened his embrace.
"Don't do anything rash, you're not well," Chu Qianli panicked.
As he pulled her closer, her body was pressed against his, leaving no space between them.
He wasn't cold at all!
In fact, his body temperature was frighteningly high!
There was a... a certain implication...
Chu Qianli took a difficult breath, still wanting to push him away.
But she didn't dare to use force, fearing she might hurt him.
The result of not daring to use force was being held even tighter.
Their bodies pressed even closer!
She could even feel the changes in his body!
"Lust, lust is a knife over one's head... Don't, don't do anything rash."
Her face must have been completely flushed.
She had thought herself fearless, but unexpectedly, she was afraid of a man's embrace.
If it were in the past, when he was healthy and well, and they were enemies, she could have struck him with a palm.
But now... how could she dare to strike?
And how could she bear to strike?
What if she lost control of her strength and made him spit blood?
Compared to her panic, Feng Yexuan appeared rather calm.
His heart was filled with guilt and his longing for her.
His voice, low and sexily husky, said, "Li'er, do you still hate me?"
Chu Qianli blinked in surprise and subconsciously shook her head.
Hate?
Actually, she didn't hate him anymore?
Moreover, her enemy had never been him from the beginning.
"In the past, I also made mistakes." Many misunderstandings had arisen because she hadn't explained.
If she had been able to do as he asked, to tell him all her anxieties, her panic, her helplessness, and even her grievances.
If they had faced it together, would they have had to take so many detours?
In fact, a long, long time ago, he had already said he could protect her.
He had even said he only wanted her for a lifetime.
But she hadn't believed him.
Did she believe him now?
Chu Qianli bit her lip, unable to resist looking up at him.
"Fu Ning said your biggest concern is that you fear I will be unable to let go of my three thousand concubines once I become emperor."
"What did Fu Ning tell you?" That mischievous girl had revealed the thoughts she had occasionally shared with her.
"I invited her here, wanting to understand you better through her."
Fu Ning was now full of gratitude towards him, so she had proactively told him many things he hadn't asked.
Chu Qianli pouted, "If you want to understand me, why don't you try to understand me directly?"
Why involve others in matters between the two of them?
"That's because you're always saying one thing and meaning another. I can't get any truthful information from your little mouth!"
Chu Qianli's heart ached slightly at his words.
"Am I... am I really that bad?"
"You're not bad, you just don't trust me."
"I..."
"It's also my fault. I haven't lowered myself to stand in your shoes and think from your perspective."
Feng Yexuan gently took her shoulders, turning her delicate body to face him.
Chu Qianli's eyes were bright and sparkling.
For this moment of warmth and peace, he had almost risked his life.
If someone were to ask if it was worth it.
He didn't know before, but now, looking into her watery eyes, smelling her unique fragrance, and feeling her slightly rapid breathing.
Suddenly, his heart felt clear and open.
Worth it!
Very much worth it!
"Li'er..."
"Hmm?" Chu Qianli's face was still burning hot.
It was such a strange feeling. Why hadn't she ever realized before that this man, when viewed up close, could be so captivatingly handsome that it made one's body heat up?
Just as Chu Qianli felt her lips growing drier and her head becoming a little dizzy, the man suddenly uttered a detached sentence: "If you dislike it, I will give up the throne, alright?"
Chu Qianli froze on the spot.
Give up, the throne.
Was he serious?
The throne, the empire, the entire Northern Netherworld.
How could it be so easily relinquished?
She widened her eyes, from shock, to disbelief, and then, her gaze turned cold.
"Your Highness."
Feng Yexuan's eyes darkened slightly. This woman was calling him "Your Highness" again.
She still didn't trust him enough.
However, there was still a long life ahead. In the rest of his life, he was sure he could make her trust him completely.
"Your Highness, you can give up this empire, but I know very well that you will watch it fall into the hands of a tyrant."
"If one of your royal brothers is behind the medicine-infused army, your renunciation would give him an opportunity to seize power."
"What about the people of the Northern Netherworld in the future..."
So she didn't believe him because she knew he couldn't abandon the people of his Northern Netherworld!
"Your Highness, please don't make promises you can't keep!" She turned her face away, her tone somewhat cold.
Feng Yexuan felt like laughing.
He turned her small face back to him and said, "I never said I would abandon the people of the Northern Netherworld, but..."
"So, you think it's fun to deceive me with sweet words and false promises?"
This was what angered her the most!
She had never asked for anything, and she certainly didn't expect him to give up everything.
But if he couldn't do it, he shouldn't try to coax her with the same methods used to coax other women.
Such deception made her feel stupid and foolish in his eyes.
"Yes, I will not abandon the people of the Northern Netherworld. But since the identity of the Emperor of the Northern Netherworld makes you uneasy, then I don't want this throne either."
"You..."
"Shall we leave the throne to Jin Rui, alright?"
"What did you say?" Chu Qianli's heart almost stopped beating.
What was he saying? What... what did he mean?
Feng Yexuan's long fingers landed on her forehead, slowly sliding down to gently rub her brow.
The gesture was indescribably tender, incredibly careful, filled with immense affection.
"I said, because you don't like me having a harem, but even if the Emperor doesn't want a harem, the entire country will establish one for him. Since that's the case, to resolve this once and for all and to stop you from being sad and angry, I can only give up this empire."
She remained silent.
She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn't speak.
To find the person behind the medicine-infused army, to stabilize this empire, and then to hand it over to Feng Jin Rui, who, although not yet mature, was inherently kind...
People always grew up, and Jin Rui would eventually mature.
But his kindness and benevolence would never change.
Such a ruler of the Northern Netherworld would surely be able to bring happiness to the people.
And he, he could truly let go of everything and be with her, one lifetime, one woman, couldn't he?