Chapter 218: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty...

Xiao Yang had paid her parents back for the life they gave her long ago. She had clawed her way back from Yama Hall time and again, her own and only savior. Her life was hers alone.

When she returned to her home country, it was probably out of sheer boredom, so she played along with their squabbles over the inheritance, watching the farce unfold. She just never expected to get careless and lose her own life in the process.

"Cold-blooded parents gave birth to a cold-blooded me. There’s no need for me to pass down these genes." She didn’t think she had any love left over to give a child, either. Rather than have a child who would one day resent her for giving them nothing but cold, hard cash, she’d much rather be free and live for herself.

Mu Yunlian said, "But we’re not in that world anymore. You are the Emperor now. Your Majesty needs an heir."

Xiao Yang disagreed. ’So what if I pass the empire to my own child? So many people covet the throne. If my child can’t protect it, won’t it just fall into someone else’s hands in the end?’

"I have so many brothers, why worry about having children?" ’An heir is an heir, isn’t it?’

Mu Yunlian smiled after hearing this. "What a coincidence. I don’t want children either."

With that, he picked up a porcelain vial, uncorked it, and tilted his head back to drink it down.

Xiao Yang smelled a strong medicinal odor and frowned. "What are you drinking?"

Mu Yunlian pulled her toward him. "Sterility medicine."

Xiao Yang’s eyes widened in shock. ’Sterility medicine... is it what I think it is?’

"Meng Xuechen!"

Xiao Yang felt no joy at being freed from a burden, only an indescribable sense of helplessness and alarm.

"This is something a condom could have solved! Why hurt yourself? What are the side effects? Spit it out, quickly."

Seeing Xiao Yang about to try and make him vomit, the tender and romantic atmosphere was completely shattered. But Mu Yunlian was happy—extremely happy.

She cared about him. She was worried about him.

He looked down, his eyes reflecting only her. "I don’t like children. I selfishly want only you. I’ve been hesitating ever since this medicine came into my possession. I even had the shameless thought of using a child to tie you to me. But you don’t want that, so neither do I."

"This is a secret medicine from the Southern Domain. Whoever takes it can never have children again. Now... Ah Yang can truly have me."

Xiao Yang took a deep breath, trying to reason with him.

’Love yourself before you love others.’ Xiao Yang was a hedonist, but she would never harm herself for someone else. That’s why even though she didn’t want children, she would never take birth control pills or have surgery.

’Technology is so advanced. Just wear a damn condom.’

But Mu Yunlian had already taken the medicine...

"Guards, summon the Imperial Physician—"

Mu Yunlian cupped her face. "Your Majesty, I don’t need an Imperial Physician right now. The only one I need is you."

He looked at her with immense anticipation, full of desire, waiting for her to make the first move.

Xiao Yang first bit him fiercely, a punishing gesture. She was angry with him, yet she couldn’t bear to truly hurt him.

In the end, Mu Yunlian was dragged onto the bed by Xiao Yang.

Facing the formidable Xiao Yang, Mu Yunlian showed no fear or resistance. Instead, he looked at her smugly, as if he couldn’t wait for her to ravage him.

A dense shower of kisses fell, leaving deep red marks.

The faint stinging wasn’t unpleasant; it was as if his very nerves, sensitive and full of pleasure, were being strummed.

He was like a fox in love with the Wolf King. He wasn’t afraid of her teeth at his throat, threatening to devour him. On the contrary, he wished for nothing more than to throw himself into the wolf’s mouth, to be torn apart and consumed by her, to become completely one with her.

He loved her, he craved her. With reddened eyes, his tear-filled gaze was nonetheless utterly seductive. "I beg Your Majesty’s mercy... grant me earthly ecstasy."

Xiao Yang’s anger had vanished. She hugged him tightly and kissed him deeply.

In the end, his wish was granted. He possessed Her Majesty, completely and utterly.

Ah, he was truly a lost cause.

Xiao Yang had practiced martial arts in two lifetimes and was very healthy. She was no novice when it came to this sort of thing, but she had overlooked one problem: Mu Yunlian wasn’t just some fitness buff; he was a true master of the Martial Arts, of Inner Family Skills.

At first, Xiao Yang could still dominate him, but later on, things spiraled completely out of her control.

It was like a starved wolf that had finally found meat, devouring it again and again.

At first, he was considerate of her, but in the end, all that was left were his pleas, begging her over and over, "Your Majesty... Ah Yang... love me again, love me again..."

Xiao Yang: "..."

Mu Yunlian begged for mercy, yet his actions were wanton and unrestrained.

And she, the one who should have been begging for mercy, couldn’t utter a single word.

***

Xiao Yang didn’t remember how she’d fallen asleep, but when she woke up, she was in the bedroom. She was exhausted and sore, but not so much that she couldn’t get out of bed.

She moved the hand from her waist and turned to look. Mu Yunlian was sleeping soundly.

His already handsome face seemed to be glowing with vitality, as if he had absorbed her very essence.

’That doesn’t seem very scientific.’

But looking at that face, even though her body ached, she still found it beautiful. The more she looked, the more she liked it.

’Oh, my lecherous nature...’

Just as she tried to get up, someone hugged her from behind, clinging to her like a lazy, fluffy pet.

"Where is Your Majesty going? Aren’t you sore?"

Xiao Yang reached up and ruffled his hair. "Enough foolishness. It’s time to go back to work, my dear Minister Mu."

Mu Yunlian sat up. "I really want to lock Your Majesty in here, so you’d belong only to me."

Xiao Yang didn’t respond to his hypothetical statement. It was impossible.

Even if she agreed, the entire imperial court would not.

Mu Yunlian got up to help Xiao Yang dress and wash, acting like the perfect, doting partner.

The only thing was, the marks on his body were too vivid and glaring. He didn’t seem to care at all, wandering around in front of Xiao Yang with his robes open. It left her speechless, and she reached out to manually close them for him.

"Get dressed properly!"

Mu Yunlian ducked his head, muffling a laugh. "Your Majesty can look all you want. This servant is very generous; I don’t charge a fee."

Xiao Yang gave up. ’This fox is truly becoming a master of seduction.’

The two of them had breakfast before leisurely making their way back to the Imperial Palace.

The entire way, Mu Yunlian held Xiao Yang in his arms like a magnet, unwilling to let go for even a moment.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Who says young girls are the clingiest? When a man meets the woman he truly loves, he can be far clingier than Miss Xiao ever was.

Once they returned to the Imperial Palace, Xiao Yang went to the Imperial Study Room.

Although she was mostly idle, there were still matters that required her review each day.

So while she was here attending to official business, Mu Yunlian was over there paying out of his own pocket to distribute sweets to all the court officials, and even tossing money and sweets in the streets.

When Xiao Yang heard the news, she facepalmed in exasperation. ’This man... he has absolutely no idea what discretion is, does he?’

’Is he afraid people *won’t* know what he and the Emperor did?’

Mu Yunlian had his fun, leaving Xiao Yang to face the burning, gossip-fueled gazes of everyone.

She really wanted to shout, ’An emperor needs her privacy too!’

"Regent King."

Rong Yin was called to a halt. He looked up and saw Mu Yunlian, whose smug, triumphant expression was particularly jarring to his eyes.

The next moment, Mu Yunlian tossed a small box to him.

Rong Yin caught it instinctively. Mu Yunlian walked down slowly, stopping beside him.

"Are you dying to ask Her Majesty why she chose me and not you?"

Just as Rong Yin’s anger began to rise, Mu Yunlian said, "The Southern Domain’s sterility medicine. After drinking it, one can never have descendants. Her Majesty doesn’t want children."

"Think it over carefully before you go looking for Her Majesty."