Nan Zhiyun offered no response. Seeing this, Yu Jingchen said no more, simply holding her. Outside, the thunder and rain raged, as if heralding an extraordinary storm.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent, curled in Yu Jingchen's arms. She was clearly terrified, but it was unclear if her fear stemmed from a dream or the external tempest.
"Be good, Yun'er, don't be afraid. Shall I tell you a story?" Yu Jingchen hoped to divert her attention with a tale.
But Nan Zhiyun shook her head. "No, I don't want to listen..." She burrowed deeper into Yu Jingchen's embrace, her mind consumed by the images that had just surfaced, unable to detach herself.
"Then, Yun'er, is there anything you want to do now? I'll accompany you, alright?" Yu Jingchen didn't want her to remain trapped in her current emotions.
Yet, Nan Zhiyun gave no reply. How could Yu Jingchen not be worried? But he also didn't know what he should do.
"Shall I help you wipe yourself down, and then we can rest?" Yu Jingchen asked her gently.
"I don't want to sleep..." Nan Zhiyun's voice trembled noticeably.
"But it's very late now, and you should rest, you know?" Yu Jingchen attempted to console her.
"No... If I sleep, I'll dream again..." Nan Zhiyun said.
Her words sent a tremor through Yu Jingchen's chest. He pulled Nan Zhiyun closer into his arms. "Then let's just stay like this. It's alright, I'm here with you all the time. Don't be afraid." Yu Jingchen soothed her. Nan Zhiyun clearly hadn't fully recovered her senses. The things from her dream seemed to be slowly dissipating, and her recent memories were becoming hazy. Only the lingering fear in her heart remained.
Thus, Yu Jingchen held Nan Zhiyun, and they sat through the entire night. The thunder roared and the rain lashed outside, and Nan Zhiyun couldn't sleep. Only in the latter half of the night did she manage to feel a hint of sleepiness.
Yu Jingchen likely noticed that Nan Zhiyun was very tired but simply afraid to sleep. He held her in his arms and patted her. "Relax. If you feel sleepy, then sleep, alright? I promise I won't go anywhere today." Yu Jingchen said, embracing the young girl.
Nan Zhiyun didn't respond, but whether it was because of Yu Jingchen's words or because she simply couldn't stay awake any longer, she slowly began to close her eyes.
Yu Jingchen didn't dare to make any sudden movements, fearing that he might accidentally wake the young girl again, making it even harder to coax her back to sleep.
Once Nan Zhiyun was truly asleep, Yu Jingchen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He heard the faint, steady breathing of the young girl in his arms. He looked at her; her face was flushed, and because she had just been crying, she exhaled softly even in her sleep. She was adorable, yet also deeply pitiable.
He didn't loosen his embrace. He reached for a clean handkerchief and gently wiped Nan Zhiyun's face.
"Yun'er, don't recall those things..." Yu Jingchen murmured. Those memories were like a bomb waiting to detonate for Yu Jingchen, and for Nan Zhiyun, they represented nothing but pain.
What had happened in his past life was indeed his fault, but reintroducing those memories into Nan Zhiyun's mind would be another form of torment for her.
"Those things are not good. I know I was wrong. I will make amends tenfold in the future, but... Yun'er, I truly want to be selfish this once. So please, don't remember." Yu Jingchen gently traced Nan Zhiyun's contours with his hand.
If Nan Zhiyun remembered, would she... forgive him? Yu Jingchen dared not take that risk. Although there might be an element of unfairness, having lost Nan Zhiyun once, he didn't have the courage to face it a second time.
If Nan Zhiyun remembered everything, would she want to leave? If that day came, how could he possibly let her go? If he and Nan Zhiyun were to have such a conflict, Yu Jingchen would never be able to convince himself to compromise. Therefore... if Nan Zhiyun were to become stubborn, what if it ultimately harmed her?
Yu Jingchen's eyes held sorrow and hesitation... He apologized, and he could spend the rest of his life repenting, but... he absolutely could not let Nan Zhiyun leave him again. He wouldn't be able to control himself in such a life...
Yu Jingchen's eyes slowly turned red, it was unclear if it was from crying in sadness or from other emotions. At a certain point, Yu Jingchen suddenly had the urge to imprison Nan Zhiyun forever, but he knew that would be wrong. Doing so would only push Nan Zhiyun further away and cause her greater harm.
The night was sleepless. The commotion outside was too great, and Yu Jingchen felt uneasy... Perhaps he should seek out Gu Yin...
The next morning, when Nan Zhiyun woke up, she found herself held in an embrace. It was Yu Jingchen.
Nan Zhiyun dared not move. She stealthily looked at Yu Jingchen, who was still fast asleep. It was strange today; he hadn't woken up. Wasn't he supposed to attend court?
Looking at him, Nan Zhiyun had to admit that she had never truly observed Yu Jingchen in his sleep before. At this moment, he didn't seem as imposing, nor did he exude the aura of authority that he usually did.
Held in his arms, Nan Zhiyun barely dared to breathe. Yu Jingchen... Actually, Yu Jingchen was quite handsome. The two most handsome men in Yuan Dynasty were undoubtedly the Imperial Advisor Gu Yin and the current Emperor, Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen... well, he was slightly inferior to Gu Yin, perhaps because of the different impressions they gave. Gu Yin always felt like a detached immortal, while Yu Jingchen had the bearing of a ruler. One was gentle, the other fierce. One was aloof, the other sharp.
"Yun'er, you've been watching me since early morning. Are you truly awake now?" Yu Jingchen's sudden voice startled Nan Zhiyun, causing her entire body to tremble.
"What's wrong? Am I that scary? Weren't you quite captivated just now?" Yu Jingchen said with a hint of amusement, pulling the young girl closer into his embrace.
"Why is Your Majesty still here?" Nan Zhiyun asked softly.
"I'm not attending court today. I was afraid you'd be frightened when you woke up," Yu Jingchen replied. Nan Zhiyun paused, was it truly for this reason?
"Then..." Nan Zhiyun felt a vague sense of worry. Was this truly alright?
"Don't overthink it. Everything will be fine, okay?" Yu Jingchen said, and then kissed Nan Zhiyun's forehead.
"Are you feeling better now? Are you still scared?" Yu Jingchen asked her gently.
Nan Zhiyun shook her head. The events of last night seemed to be fading, and the sense of fear was gradually dissipating.
"That's good. It's still raining outside today, so I'll be with you all day," Yu Jingchen said. Would he be with her all day? Nan Zhiyun's feelings were complex, and she didn't know how to react.
"What's wrong? You look unhappy. Don't you want me to bother you anymore? Hmm?" Yu Jingchen teased.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun was still a little unaccustomed to this. But how much truth was in that "no" was anyone's guess. Her small face was flushed, and she shrank into his embrace, looking incredibly shy.
Seeing Nan Zhiyun like this, Yu Jingchen's throat bobbed. It had been a long time since he had felt such a reaction... Today's young girl was exceptionally alluring...
"Yun'er..." Yu Jingchen's voice was hoarse as he looked at Nan Zhiyun. Nan Zhiyun looked back at him blankly, her innocent expression incredibly captivating.
Yu Jingchen was truly struggling to maintain control. He reached out and gently caressed Nan Zhiyun's face. "Yun'er, are you feeling unwell today?" he asked.
Nan Zhiyun, thinking he was just asking and caring as usual, obediently replied, "No, I'm not unwell..."
"That's good. If you feel unwell in any way, Yun'er, don't hold back. Remember to tell me promptly." Yu Jingchen's gaze gradually turned dangerous.
"Mm..." Nan Zhiyun found that gaze a little... frightening, though she couldn't pinpoint why.
"Yun'er... I'm feeling a little hot," Yu Jingchen suddenly said.
Huh? Hot? Nan Zhiyun feigned confusion, her eyes innocent and pure. Such an expression from her shattered the last thread of Yu Jingchen's self-control. An obvious abnormality in a certain area became apparent.
Nan Zhiyun was initially bewildered, completely unaware of what was happening with Yu Jingchen. But because they were so close, and she was held tightly in his embrace, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Thus, Nan Zhiyun could sense it. Although she was innocent, she had gone through such experiences before, and she knew exactly what the situation was.
Precisely because she understood, Nan Zhiyun's entire body stiffened instantly, and her face turned beet red.
"Why is Yun'er so flushed? Are you feeling hot too?" Yu Jingchen looked at the young girl playfully. The young girl was indeed growing up... and learning more.
"...Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun was scared, and her gaze began to dart away.
"Be good, your current state makes it even harder for me to control myself..." Yu Jingchen said, seemingly with deep sincerity.
Nan Zhiyun had no idea how to react. Yu Jingchen's actions at such times were terrifying, and she was afraid. Moreover... Nan Zhiyun clenched her hands. The memories of the previous few times were vivid. Such a terrifying experience was etched into her bones; she couldn't accept it.
"No... Please..." Nan Zhiyun cried, frightened. Yu Jingchen panicked when he saw the situation, it was completely unexpected.
"Be good, don't cry, don't cry..." Yu Jingchen was somewhat flustered. He hadn't intended to do anything. After all, Nan Zhiyun's figure wasn't ideal right now, and she was pregnant. So how could he be thinking about such things? He had only been teasing Nan Zhiyun earlier.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun finally burst into tears, her tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Alright, no, we won't. I was just teasing you, I didn't mean anything else. I'm sorry, I scared you." Yu Jingchen felt guilt surge within him, his face full of self-reproach. He had truly not expected Nan Zhiyun to react so strongly.
"Be good now, stop crying, alright? When you cry, I don't know what to do with you," Yu Jingchen said helplessly, hugging her. Nan Zhiyun pouted with grievance, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, making her look incredibly pitiable.
Yu Jingchen patted the young girl's back. "Don't cry, I was wrong. I promise I won't force you, alright? I was too abrupt just now and scared you. I apologize. If you're still angry, hit me a couple of times, okay?" Yu Jingchen coaxed her with gentle words and took her hand.
"You're pregnant, I won't touch you, okay? I'm sorry I scared you just now." Yu Jingchen had now made apologizing a habit.
Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen with her tear-filled eyes, but offered no reply.
"Be good. It was my fault. Don't be afraid anymore, alright?" Yu Jingchen wiped the tears from her eyes.
"It hurts... I'm scared... Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun said pitifully. Yu Jingchen suddenly remembered that in this life, they hadn't had any substantial physical intimacy since his rebirth. In the previous two lives, Nan Zhiyun had been extremely resistant and fearful of such matters.
The reason was his previous actions, which had left deep scars on the young girl. Idiot! How could he have overlooked this point just now? He had scared the young girl again.
"Yun'er, I like you... That's why I sometimes can't control myself and have certain reactions. Look at our current state, so it's not that I wanted to do anything, it's just that I have no self-control around you." Yu Jingchen wanted to make things clear with Nan Zhiyun.
"I like you..." These words landed directly in Nan Zhiyun's heart. However, instead of the expected joy, she felt more sadness, mingled with a sourness and bitterness.
"Yun'er, I like you." Yu Jingchen repeated the words. Nan Zhiyun was so stunned that she couldn't react. She should have been happy, but now she couldn't be happy at all; her heart felt heavy.
Yu Jingchen probably sensed that she understood Nan Zhiyun's current feelings were more fear and apprehension. In the previous life, Nan Zhiyun had already given up on him at this point, so his words would undoubtedly put pressure on her.
"It's alright. You don't need to respond. I just said what I wanted to say. Little Yun'er, don't feel pressured, okay?" Yu Jingchen smiled gently.