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“It is calm here,” Xiaoming said. “No one is following us; no one is telling us not to do this and no one is disturbing us,” he added and tilted his head over his shoulder.

“I wish I were a commoner,” Xiaoming said.

“Why?” Jin Yu asked and lifted her head.

“I didn’t have to see my parents falling this way then. I would not have to worry about anything. I would have been burden-free today,” Xiaoming replied.

“But then, who would have looked after the kingdom’s affairs? Things would not have been the same,” Jin Yu said. “If you miss your mother, then call her back. She might have understood by now what she did was wrong,” she suggested to him.

Xiaoming shook his head. “I do not want her to be in the palace. What if she harms any of my brothers or sisters? Even if I miss her, I have to put stones on my heart to keep her away from the palace,” he stated. He asked her not to talk about those things anymore and gently placed his hand above her head.

“I am happy that you have been my support all this time. When a man is emotionally weaker, then his woman must be emotionally stronger to hold him,” Xiaoming said and caressed her hair.

Jin Yu gripped the collar of the overcoat that Xiaoming had worn to pull him down. They kissed while smiling at each other. “Court Lady Hong told me I should be ready to conceive the royal heir soon. What if I give birth to a daughter?” She asked after they pulled away.

.....

“Don’t listen to her. I will be happy to have a daughter,” Xiaoming said.

“But Court Lady Hong said that an heir is necessary to move the kingdom forward, to pass on the royal throne to him,” Jin Yu asserted.

“The throne will be passed to the capable child in the royal family. I don’t want things to be like the old rules. Remember, I am the King. I can change the rules whenever I want to,” Xiaoming stated. He again asked her not to pay heed to Court Lady Hong.

“What if our daughter becomes capable of leading the Kingdom? She will be called the Crown Princess then,” Xiaoming said with a smile. The thought of having daughters gave him a blissful feeling and he shared those thoughts with Jin Yu.

The rain started falling and they both decided to go inside. As they stood up, Xiaoming carried Jin Yu in his arms and went to the room.

~~~~~~~

“How can Bai Jue be madly in love with me? I always stayed away from him and even ran away whenever he tried talking to me. The Fourth Prince might have noticed something wrong. I know Bai Jue likes me, but he—” Lin Jiao stopped speaking as Mingquan placed his index finger on her lips.

“You never told him how you felt about him, which made him believe that you might be his someday,” Mingquan stated and lowered his hand.

Lin Jiao frowned and asked him how he could be so confident about it.

“We had a conversation, so I got to know,” Mingquan replied.

“How has the Fourth Prince planned to handle it? Shouldn’t I clear his doubts? I should tell him I never liked him,” Lin Jiao suggested.

“You aren’t allowed to do that,” Mingquan said.

“Why?”

“Because he knows that,” Mingquan replied.

“Argh. What kind of man Bai Jue is then? Shouldn’t he stop himself from loving me?” She muttered and twitched her lips.

“It’s not easy to do that,” Mingquan said.

Lin Jiao gazed at him before speaking, “Why does Prince Mingquan love me?”

“When did I say I love you?” Mingquan raised his eyebrow.

Lin Jiao got confused. “Doesn’t the Fourth Prince have feelings for me?” She questioned him.

“I like Miss Lin, but I have yet to fall in love with her,” Mingquan said.

Lin Jiao chuckled since all this time she thought he loved her. But he only liked her.

“What about Miss Lin? Does she like me?” Mingquan asked her.

“Me?” She gulped.

“Hmm. What about you?” Mingquan queried her.

“I don’t like the Fourth Prince,” Lin Jiao replied promptly.

“Really?” Mingquan asked her to confirm.

“Yes,” Lin Jiao lied to him.

“It’s strange. I thought you liked me. You even kissed me,” Mingquan said.

“I didn’t kiss you,” Lin Jiao dropped the honorifics for him.

Mingquan moved closer to her when she moved back. “Stay where you are. W-why are you moving toward me?” She got intimidated by the strange expression on his face when her back hit the pillows behind her and she came to a half-lying position.

Mingquan hovered over her and he hooked his fingers on her nape. He pulled her up such that their faces came dangerously close to each other.

“Tell me the truth, Lin Jiao,” Mingquan said while peering into her eyes. “Don’t you like me? I can see the blush on your cheeks and your fingers fiddling,” he stated with an amusing smile.

Lin Jiao immediately stopped fiddling with her fingers and she told Mingquan not to lie to her. “I cannot blush. I don’t blush at all,” she affirmed.

“Your cheeks say otherwise, Lin Jiao,” Mingquan said and moved his lips close to her. She pursed her lips tightly and furrowed her brows together.

“Let’s kiss and confirm your feelings for me,” Mingquan said.

“No!” Lin Jiao quickly placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. “Your Highness, we cannot do this. It is wrong before marriage,” she said, and felt his nose brush hers. This closeness made her weak and, at the same time, scared her. Her heart was once again thundering against her chest.

Mingquan kept teasing her. Her head rested on the pillow. “Your Highness, we cannot kiss. It is not allowed before marriage,” she said.

“So, you want to marry me!” Mingquan remarked with astonishment.

“I-I don’t know. Your Highness wants to marry me,” Lin Jiao stated.

“Lin Jiao, I can hear your heartbeats,” Mingquan said and smirked.

Lin Jiao quickly moved her hands to his ears. “Please,” she said and noticed the smile from his lips disappearing.