“If it’s confirmed that Bai Gu colluded with the people of Rongku Sect for the sake of a spiritual tool, the demon clan will clean house and your Six Sects should do the same.”

Chu Hanjin lowered his head, understanding Yue Lin’s meaning, “So, your return to the demon clan is to keep Bai Gu in check?”

Yue Lin nodded, his fingers absentmindedly playing with Chu Hanjin’s hair, “The power struggles within the demon clan are far more complicated than you imagine. After my death, the royal families of the demon clan fought constantly for power. No faction had an overwhelming advantage to claim the throne. So, they collectively chose the weakest royal from my remnants—Bai Gu—as a puppet king.”

Chu Hanjin glanced at Yue Lin’s fingers playing with his hair and freed himself, only to have his fingertips gently pinched, “No wonder he’s so cowardly, acting so affectionate when he sees you.”

“He may look useless, but it’s not that simple. To survive amidst my siblings and other rival royals for so long without being deposed, he’s more capable than he appears. His groveling attitude is just a disguise.”

Chu Hanjin took a sip of tea, thinking more straightforwardly, “Why not just capture him and interrogate him directly?”

Yue Lin shook his head and scoffed, “You don’t know what he’s like. He plays two-faced games. Without solid evidence, even if you beat him to death, he wouldn’t admit anything. Of course, killing him wouldn’t be an issue, but the demonic cultivator hiding in your righteous sects would probably be overjoyed. With Bai Gu dead, they’d feel safe.”

Chu Hanjin set down his teacup, “So when the net closes, both the righteous and demonic sects will be caught with the evidence.”

Thinking about it, Chu Hanjin felt a sense of melancholy, perhaps because of all the struggles in the world. While lost in thought, a pair of hands gently massaged the back of his neck.

Yue Lin whispered in his ear, “We still have some time before July. For now, what we need to focus on is figuring out how to safely bring the child into the world.”

The words were spoken softly. Chu Hanjin glanced up at him, recalling what the medicine elder had told him when he first became pregnant: some people used forbidden techniques to conceive, raising the abdomen to increase the chances of pregnancy, having frequent intercourse on full moon nights, or drinking special pregnancy-inducing potions, among other things…

Chu Hanjin’s clear eyes showed a hint of bewilderment, “Then, how… will the birth happen?”

Yue Lin asked, “Do you remember how you became pregnant?”

Chu Hanjin’s ears burned, as if he already knew what was coming.

Yue Lin’s voice softened, meant for Chu Hanjin alone, “The demon clan has a spiritual herb called ‘Shen Ren.’ The female plant’s flower resembles a woman’s reproductive organ, while the male plant’s flower resembles a man’s. The male plant secretes a fluid similar to that of humans, and once the pollen is successfully transferred to the female flower, conception can occur.”

This description made Chu Hanjin’s cheeks flush.

Yue Lin moved even closer, lowering his voice to protect their secret, “Shen Ren is extremely rare and only allows females to conceive. Later, I made some modifications, transferring the pollination-ready ovary of the female plant into your body.”

“You…” Chu Hanjin’s ears turned as red as blood, his lips parting but unable to form a complete sentence.

There was no need to say it—Chu Hanjin had already guessed.

“Once pollination is successful, an embryo forms, resembling a human embryo but as a plant. It only has a nucleus and requires the parents’ spiritual energy to nourish it with flesh and blood,” Yue Lin paused, “At the time, the ovary in your body was eagerly awaiting pollination, and I…”

Chu Hanjin closed his eyes, fully understanding now, “You acted as the male plant.”

He didn’t dare dwell on the details.

Plants often emit sweet fragrances, display vibrant colors, and evolve alluring shapes all for the purpose of reproduction and survival. At that time, the ovary of the Shen Ren plant had been placed inside Chu Hanjin’s body, a potent aphrodisiac that might have influenced his body, turning him into something akin to a flower, driven only by a desire for pollination.

“Yes,” Yue Lin nodded, shifting the topic gently, “At the time, the ovary inside you wasn’t adapting well, making it much harder to pollinate than usual. We had to go through a lot of effort.”

The thought of what kind of effort they went through made Chu Hanjin’s ears burn so intensely it felt like they might catch fire. He didn’t dare meet Yue Lin’s eyes.

But such strange plants did indeed exist in this world.

Chu Hanjin hastily picked up his tea, taking a sip to swallow the awkwardness, and asked, “So, how do we make the baby mature quickly?”

Finally, they reached the main topic of the discussion.

However, when this was brought up, Yue Lin’s expression suddenly became filled with grievance, and he pressed his lips tightly together.

“What’s wrong?”

Yue Lin’s expression remained melancholic, “If I tell you, you’ll definitely think I’m trying to take advantage of you and making up excuses.”

Chu Hanjin more or less guessed what he wanted to say and gritted his teeth, “Tell me.”

Yue Lin hesitated before answering, “Plants like Shen Ren don’t grow in the traditional way. They rely on being fertilized by… a special liquid. If they receive ample… irrigation, the fruit they bear matures earlier, healthier, and more beautifully.”

Chu Hanjin slapped the table with his hand, the loud sound echoing across the room.

He looked at Yue Lin in surprise.

“…”

Yue Lin kept his lips tightly shut, lowering his head, “I only remembered this detail recently. When I found the flower and successfully used it, I didn’t look into it further. Now, after raising a few more Shen Ren plants, I discovered this additional requirement.”

As he continued, Yue Lin’s voice grew quieter and quieter until it was barely audible.

Chu Hanjin gritted his teeth, struggling to remain composed, “If it’s just about nutrients, I can use the male plant’s fluid. How do I irrigate it?”

“Irrigating the ovary is the best method,” Yue Lin quickly responded, “but it can only be done with the male’s fluid. The female plant can detect the difference.”

The thread holding Chu Hanjin’s rational thoughts together snapped, “You scoundrel!”

So it had to be his fluid, the fluid of the one who “played the male plant”!

And in that manner!

For the plant, it meant irrigating the ovary. But for Chu Hanjin and Yue Lin, it meant inserting… that into his body!

This was too much…

Chu Hanjin’s eyes were flushed red, the impact no less shocking than when he first found out he was pregnant. His fingers tightened around the teacup, almost crushing it in his grip.

Yue Lin stood in the shadow of the candlelight, watching Chu Hanjin’s expression darken with disappointment.

After a moment of hesitation, Yue Lin softly said, “If you can’t accept it and don’t want to be close to me, that’s fine… I will still protect you and the child, no matter what.”

Hearing this, Chu Hanjin’s tightly strung heart softened a little, and he blurted out, “It’s not that I don’t want to be close to you…”

For Yue Lin, the fact that Chu Hanjin now almost entirely avoided physical contact with him was unbearably cruel.

Chu Hanjin faltered here, turning his face away to avoid Yue Lin’s gaze, “It’s just… this is too much… I need some time to think.”

Yue Lin suppressed the sadness welling up inside him and quietly waited for Chu Hanjin’s response, “I’ll follow your lead. Whatever you want, I’ll respect your decision. If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”

With those words, the chaotic thoughts in Chu Hanjin’s mind began to settle.

If they followed the original timeline, the child likely wouldn’t be born until winter. During this time, while carrying a child, Chu Hanjin would be practically useless, leaving Yue Lin not only to fight against the demon clan but also to protect him.

Moreover, Chu Hanjin’s pregnancy made it inappropriate for him to appear in public or handle the righteous sect’s disputes.

Since the baby could be born earlier, why not?

The candlelight cast a soft glow on Chu Hanjin’s downcast face, highlighting the defined lines of his nose with a faint pearly sheen, making the shadows on his face appear even sharper, and his lips were elegant and delicate.

Besides… they had already broken many taboos to conceive this child, so why worry about one more? The line had already been crossed.

After a long moment, Chu Hanjin finally spoke, his voice stiff, “I agree.”

Yue Lin raised an eyebrow in surprise, his fingers twitching with excitement, “Is that… true?”

The wick crackled loudly, filling the room with an odd tension. In the uncomfortable silence, Chu Hanjin stood up, his sharp phoenix eyes locking onto Yue Lin.

“But you have to knock me out before you start, and only wake me up when it’s over.”

His words were unusually direct.

This was the absolute boundary Chu Hanjin could accept.

Yue Lin bit his lip, his expression wavering between satisfaction and disappointment. He nodded, “Alright…”

Outside, the rain began to fall, making the tree branches sway wildly as the sound of rustling leaves filled the air, bringing a cool breeze that contrasted with the stifling heat inside the room.

Their gazes met again, as if the air between them had been scorched.

Chu Hanjin furrowed his brow, clearly feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

Yue Lin, on the other hand, was filled with more complicated emotions. He stood a few steps away, remaining silent.

Chu Hanjin pressed his lips together and asked, “When do we start?”

“I didn’t expect you to agree,” Yue Lin admitted, his eyes widening, “If you want, we can start now.”

Now?

Chu Hanjin’s first reaction was that he needed to calm down. But another part of his rational mind reminded him that sooner or later, he would have to face this moment.

Since it was inevitable, why not treat it as a task to be done quickly?

While Chu Hanjin pondered, Yue Lin seemed to have guessed his thoughts. His eyes flickered, “Tonight?”

Chu Hanjin’s heart pounded violently, as if something had exploded inside his chest, making him burn all over.

No matter how much he tried to hide it, the flush on his face couldn’t be concealed.

With a resigned tilt of his chin, Chu Hanjin gave a barely audible response, “…Mm.”

Another round of awkward silence.

Yue Lin, seemingly at a loss, took a step forward then hesitated and stepped back awkwardly asking, “Should I… prepare a bath for you?”

The thought of a bath—fragrant with flowers, the water warm and soothing—only made the anticipation more agonizing. Any additional actions would just intensify the suffering of waiting.

Chu Hanjin made up his mind, his noble eyes glancing at Yue Lin, “You do it yourself.”

He started walking toward the bedroom, “I’ll go lie down on the bed now. You can knock me out when you’re ready.”

As he walked away, he added, “This goes for the future as well. Once I’m asleep, you can proceed. There’s no need to ask.”

With that, the moonlight-like white robes disappeared from sight.

Yue Lin was left standing there, gazing down in thought. After standing in silence for a while and hearing no movement from the bedroom, he let out a soft sigh and slipped silently into the room like a shadow.

The lavishly decorated red bed, carved with dragons and phoenixes, stood in the center of the room. A sandalwood incense burner on the table emitted a faint fragrance. The room was elegant and spacious, its walls adorned with a fine sword hanging on display.

The bed curtains had already been drawn, revealing the faint outline of a figure lying down.

Yue Lin approached, feeling a strange sense of unreality, like being in a dream.

It felt like a wedding night.

Except, the bride had willingly sealed away their senses, refusing to truly face him.

Yue Lin’s slender fingers lifted the bed curtains, revealing Chu Hanjin lying on his side, his white robe neatly folded. His jade hairpin had been removed, and his long black hair flowed across the bed, outlining the pale, snow-like curve of his neck.

Yue Lin noticed the tension in Chu Hanjin’s body. He sighed and leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “I’m here.”

Chu Hanjin seemed to respond with a low murmur.

Yue Lin placed his hand gently on the back of Chu Hanjin’s neck. Without any resistance, Chu Hanjin’s breathing became calm and his body slowly relaxed, sinking into a deep sleep, quiet and innocent waiting to be touched.

This was the first time Yue Lin had Chu Hanjin’s full consent, allowing him to be close without any force.

From his reckless past to his cautious present, Yue Lin felt as if everything before had been a dream.

He slipped his arm under Chu Hanjin’s legs, lifting him into his arms. In deep sleep, Chu Hanjin was unusually peaceful, his body soft, his face resting gently against Yue Lin’s shoulder. His hair brushing against Yue Lin’s jaw, carried a warm scent that made Yue Lin want to inhale deeply.

When Yue Lin placed him in the hot water pool, Chu Hanjin’s robes remained untouched, still folded perfectly, layer by layer, with not a single seam out of place. Even in an unconscious state, his lips were pressed together tightly, his posture refined and dignified, truly embodying the phrase—“beautiful as peach blossoms, cold as frost.”

Yue Lin watched him for a while. When he accidentally brushed his hair while reaching for the ladle, a single strand fell across Chu Hanjin’s red lips. In that moment, the once lofty, untouchable immortal looked like the most tempting demon, his beauty now disheveled and captivating.

A sudden surge of desire burned within Yue Lin.