Duan Changchuan had never felt this way before. It was as if everything in his dream had become reality …

The person in front of him pressed against his glands, ruthlessly robbing him of his breath.

Pheromones continuously seeped into his body from his mouth.

He was like a fish out of water. He was obviously about to suffocate, but he still wanted to cling to the other person, wanting more.

Fortunately, Bai Su was very considerate of him throughout the kiss. She would slightly retreat at the moment of entanglement, and after a breath, she would come down again.

When the long kiss ended, both of them were covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Duan Changchuan lay on the bed, his mind blank.

Alpha got up from him, the earrings on her body jingling. His mind was still in a mess, but his arms were already wrapped around her waist.

“Mm … Bai Su …”

He heard his own voice calling out, hoarse and clingy. But it didn’t matter. He wanted her, hug her again.

The next moment, he was pulled up and fell into Alpha’s arms.

He heard the other person’s strong heartbeat and heavy breathing … He felt an unprecedented satisfaction in his heart.

The two of them hugged quietly, waiting for the temporary heat of the kiss to pass before reluctantly separating.

The teenager who came back to his senses felt a little embarrassed.

He was actually … completely pressed down by a woman and kissed until he felt dizzy … No, he was kissed until he lost his mind!

He was still clinging onto her, wanting her to hug him …

What was even more frightening was that he still wanted to cling to Bai Su. He didn’t necessarily want to hug her, he just wanted to have contact with her, even if it was just a simple touch of her clothes.

But he couldn’t say anything to her.

What should he say? Ask her, “Can I hold your hand” …?

No, Duan Changchuan, you can’t be so unreserved!

But Bai Su seemed to have seen through his thoughts. After straightening his clothes for him, she naturally held his hand.

–

The sun was already setting in the west when they went out together. The bright red light hung on every leaf outside the courtyard, scattering a golden color on the ground.

Yun Xie and Feng Yao were sitting at the stone table, with a bulging envelope on the table.

“You’ve finished talking?” Yun Xie said as he stood up, his gaze falling on their intertwined hands.

His small movement was caught by the sensitive Omega. He looked at Yun Xie “fiercely”.

He hurriedly averted his gaze to avoid arousing suspicion.

“Cough,” he said, “I just received Lin Qing and Shu Ze’s cards. They want to see us and ask when we will be free in the next few days. He should be here to surrender to us. It’s still up to you. If you want to talk to him in person, we can agree on a time off to meet him. If you don’t want to, then Aunt and I will go and talk to him.”

Duan Changchuan subconsciously looked at Bai Su.

Coincidentally, the other party was also looking at him, so he quickly averted his gaze.

“Since he has surrendered with Shu Ze, I will personally go and see him. There is no need to choose a day off. If I happen to meet an official who is out on a day off, it will be troublesome.”

Yun Xie nodded, “Alright, tell me the date. I’ll reply to them later.”

“How about tomorrow or the day after? We’ll meet again at the Yu Jin Restaurant at 2 pm.”

“Alright, let’s do it tomorrow, lest any undue delay brings trouble.”

–

After talking about Lin Qing, they talked about the bulging envelope on the table.

“General Rong has thoroughly investigated the Huainan area and has secretly returned to the capital. He can go to court tomorrow to present his report.”

Feng Yao said as he pushed the envelope in front of Duan Changchuan, “This was sent by General Rong. Your Majesty, please take a look.”

Every time they talked about national affairs, the young man would change his usual gentleness and become serious. The Emperor’s aura was especially strong.

The young Emperor opened the envelope and took out a thick stack of letters, reading them page by page.

[By the imperial edict: This official went to Huainan to secretly investigate the disaster last year and Prefect Chen’s disaster relief. First, I found out the following:]

[Last year, the disaster relief funds were exploited layer by layer. Less than one-tenth of the funds were left in the Huainan area. There are a total of five pages of letters to prove this.]

[Prefect Chen was ordered by the Regent to provide disaster relief and investigate. However, he received nearly ten million taels of bribes and countless rare treasures. The details of the bribes he received were along the way, and have not been checked yet. However, the details of the bribes he received from the local officials of Huainan are all listed on this page. Your Majesty, please take a look.]

[Additionally: In Huainan’s mass grave, a total of thirty thousand victims died. Coroner Chen confirmed that the time of death was in the winter of last year and the first month of this year. They were all new corpses, frozen to death or starved to death. When Governor Chen left Huainan, the tens of thousands of people lined the streets to send him off was an illusion. The tens of thousands of people in Huainan were actually living in poverty.]

Thirty thousand victims.

Within two months, thirty thousand people died … This was not the number of deaths directly caused by the disaster at the beginning.

How many people were there in the whole of Huainan?

How many people were there in the whole of Datong?!

The young man’s hand that was holding the letter was trembling.

He gritted his teeth and ordered, “Investigate, continue to investigate! From Shengjing to Shaoguan, from Shaoguan to Huainan, all the officials along the way, investigate to death! Within ten days, I will destroy their nest!”

When he raised his eyes again, both of his eyes were red.

Bai Su quickly held his hand tightly and gently comforted him on the back, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. How can you be angry now, little ancestor? If something happens, we will investigate to death. When the time comes, those who deserve punishment will be punished accordingly. Don’t get yourself worked up. What if you hurt your body?”

The young held her hand tightly and was so angry that his voice was trembling, “They are all a bunch of beasts …”

Bai Su brushed the hair on his temples and held his cheek with her palm, making him face her, “Yes, they are all beasts. But Duan Xiaochuan, these beasts are still waiting for you to deal with them. If you fall sick from anger, won’t these beasts be even more lawless, hmm?”

“They dare! I will chop them all up!”

The child was still angry and his eyes were red. He was obviously very fierce, but in Bai Su’s eyes, he was extremely cute.

So cute.

When she spoke again, she unconsciously used a tone of coaxing a child, “Okay, okay, chop them all up. As long as you are not angry, anything is fine.”

Cough, she was glared at.

However, fortunately, after her interruption, the child’s mood stabilized a lot. He turned to discuss countermeasures with Feng Yao and the others.

“I won’t make an appointment with Lin Qing and Shu Ze tomorrow. Since they came to surrender, then let me see their sincerity. Tomorrow morning, I will let the Chief of the Supreme Court take charge. Lin Qing and Shu Ze will assist from the side. We will go to Shao Guan together to investigate the clue buried by the Regent.”

Feng Yao frowned, “Your Majesty, isn’t this too risky? This clue is very important to us. If we can solve it in one fell swoop, the wavering officials and loyal old officials in the court will all stand on our side.”

The youth shook his head, “With Rong Wu here, the clues have already been investigated. The Chief of the Supreme Court is also at Shao Guan. Unless Lin Qing and Shu Ze deliberately drag us down, there won’t be a big problem.”

“Then we will do as Your Majesty says. Yun’er and I will continue to secretly protect the evidence that General Rong has already investigated.”

“Sorry to trouble you, Aunt.”

“This is what Feng Yao should do.”

After they finished talking, the sun finally set. Without the sunlight shining on them, the temperature around them dropped drastically.

Feng Yao suggested, “Why don’t we go inside? Does Your Majesty want to stay for dinner? I specially asked someone to arrange a meal suitable for pregnant people. If Your Majesty is hungry, you can immediately summon the meal.”

Thus, the two of them ate in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Before leaving, Feng Yao gave them a jar of dried sour plums, saying it was for Duan Changchuan to chew on.

On the way back, the palace servants walked in front with lanterns. Bai Su held the rations of the new “pregnant husband” in her hands and walked side by side with him.

Along the way, Duan Changchuan looked at the jar in Bai Su’s hands from time to time. He couldn’t tell why it was strange, but it just felt strange.

As they walked, the person beside him suddenly stopped and asked him with a smile, “Do you want to eat it?”

He quickly stood up straight and looked straight ahead, “No, I don’t.”

The next moment, the smell of peony and rouge approached together, and a sweet and sour plum fruit was stuffed into his mouth.

Turning his head, the woman was looking at him with a smile, “I just washed my hands before I left, so it’s not dirty. How is it? Is it delicious?”

Duan Changchuan’s heart suddenly beat faster. He seemed to know what was wrong …

Usually, there would be people waiting behind him, and the things others gave him never passed through his hands. The people close to him also never helped him hold the gifts others gave him … Not to mention his mother, even Chang Le directly handed the gifts to Yi Man and then sent someone to send them back to Ming Sheng Hall.

Only Bai Su would do this, holding a jar of his snacks and walking back to Ming Sheng Hall from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. And on the way, she would suddenly feed him one.

He didn’t know how to describe this feeling … It was just that this should be a very ordinary thing, but he still felt his eyes heat up.

The young emperor who had grown up in the palace didn’t know how to express himself. He shyly turned his head, not daring to meet the other person’s burning eyes.

He awkwardly said in a small voice, “Borrowing flowers to offer Buddha^[1]借花献佛 (Idiom) – win favor or influence using sb else’s property … You speak as if you prepared it for me.”

That person suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his way, and scratched the tip of his nose.

“Alright, my little ancestor, I understand. I’ll personally prepare it for you next time, okay?” She said with a smile, her tone as indulgent as ever.

The young man’s face couldn’t help but heat up. He quickly grabbed her wrist and said, “You … be more reserved. Many people are watching.”

After saying that, he glanced around nervously.

Unexpectedly, the woman did not take the usual route. She directly handed the plum fruit jar to Chang Le. She took a few steps forward and asked the eunuch in front of her for a lantern.

In the blink of an eye, he carried a bright red lantern and walked towards him.

She smiled and asked, “Your Majesty, do you want to go on a date?”

“What … do you mean?” He asked subconsciously.

“That means to get them to leave. It’s just the two of us. Let’s take a walk around.”

–

Thus, in just a short while, the two of them left the orderly line of attendants behind, leaving only Chang Le to follow them at a distance.

The imperial palace of Shengjing was very big … It was the place where Duan Changchuan grew up.

He knew every blade of grass and every tree in this place like the back of his hand, but today was the first time he had walked around aimlessly without any distractions.

The woman holding the lantern led him all the way through the peach blossom and green courtyard, and then through the corridor with carved railings and painted buildings.

Finally, she led him to a rockery by the lake.

“Come, be careful. Slow down.”

As the woman spoke, she used the lantern to illuminate the path under his feet.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them reached the top.

At night without any light pollution, the stars surrounded them. The lake’s reflection under their feet sparkled like the stars that filled the lake.

“It’s so beautiful.” Bai Su let out a sigh, “In our world, these don’t exist anymore. The light at night is too bright, and the air is not so clean … It’s been a long, long time since I saw so many stars.”

The young man looked at the lake in the distance and blinked, “But that world is very vast. I feel that it’s very vast … like a peaceful world.”

Then he turned around and asked her, “In such a prosperous world, tens of thousands of people won’t die because of famine, right?”

Bai Su nodded, “Yes, there are very, very few cases of famine. But not every place in the world is such a prosperous world. There will also be backward countries where the people can’t eat or drink.”

“But everything will be fine, right?” The young man looked at her with clear eyes.

Bai Su actually wanted to say a lot about war, about people, about emotions, and about consciousness. But the moment she saw the young man’s eyes, she suddenly felt that these were not important.

“Yes, everything will be fine.” She said, “At least the land we’re in will be fine.”

“I see tens of thousands of buildings.”

“Yes, there are tens of thousands of buildings or even hundreds of thousands of buildings … Do you know, although we can’t see the stars in our world, we can fly into the sky and step on the stars?”

“Ah? The stars are so small, how can we step on them? Are you lying to me again?”

“Duan Xiaochuan, is there something wrong with you? Hmm? I’ve never lied to you, why don’t you believe me so much? I’m going to tickle you.”

As she said this, she openly touched the little kid from head to toe.

“You … Hahaha, don’t tickle me! I believe you, I’ll believe you in the future, haha …”

“It’s too late, Duan Xiaochuan.”

“Haha … Hahaha …”

The night breeze blew gently.

In the gazebo by the lake, the young man suppressed his laughter and finally softly begged for mercy, “Stop tickling, stop tickle me … I know I was wrong.”

“Then let me kiss you.” The woman breathed softly in his ear.

The young man’s body was already weak from the commotion, and he almost couldn’t stand still.

Fortunately, a pair of strong hands caught him and took a step forward, pressing him against the stone pillar of the pavilion.

In the night when there was no one around, the red candles in the lanterns emitted flickering light.

It left a trembling shadow on the carved pavilion.

“Baby.” She called him.

“Wu …” The youth’s voice trembled, and he raised his hand to cover his eyes, “Don’t, don’t call me that …”

His wrists were held by a pair of hands, and he was forced to reveal his shy eyes.

“Are you going to let me kiss you?” she asked. Her fingertips gently caressed his lips. The atmosphere became more and more ambiguous.

The woman took another step forward and inserted one foot into his tight toes. Suddenly, they were so close that they could even feel each other’s breath …

She really … knew how to do it.

After a long time, the young man who had been hesitating finally lowered his beautiful eyes and gently nodded his chin.

[Give …]

Thus, the fragrance of rouge and peony hit him in the face.

The fragrance of rouge and pheromone entered the tip of his nose together …

Accompanied by the entanglement of lips and tongues, it was as if his whole body was soaked in the other party’s peony fragrance.

After a long time, Alpha finally let him go.

The woman’s long and narrow beautiful eyes looked deeply at him and said, “Duan Changchuan, don’t worry about what you want to do. Lin Qing and Shu Ze will stand on your side.”

The young man panted slightly, “How do you know … Lin Qing will stand on my side?”

“Because the love of his life died in this political game. He will take revenge.”

Duan Changchuan’s eyes widened, “You … you mean, you already told him? He believed you?”

However, how could Lin Qing easily believe her words of resurrection in someone else’s body?

After all, Bai Su relied on her pheromone to make him pregnant, and those bizarre dreams he had every day to make him believe her.

Why would Lin Qing believe her?

The woman just looked at him quietly for a while, then put her fist to her lips and let out a low laugh. “Yes, he recognized that I wasn’t Bai Su when he saw me for the first time.”

She said, “Do you think everyone is as stupid as you and can’t recognize their partner?”

Duan Changchuan: ???

He was completely stunned.

Then, from his eyes to his cheeks, both of his cheeks became round.

He flew into a rage out of humiliation.

[First, she said I’m stupid!]

[Second, I seem to have … eaten a lot of unnecessary jealousy!]

Then, Bai Su’s shoulder was punched a little.

It was neither light nor heavy, like a little beast with a tiger’s head and a tiger’s brain. There was a hint of coquettishness in his anger.

She smiled and grabbed the young man’s fist, leaned closer, and looked at him carefully … She asked, “Are you angry?”

“No …”

“Really? Why do I feel like you’re angry?”

“I said no.”

“Really?”

“You’re so annoying!”

[Pfft …]

[But you’re really cute.]