Just after drinking the medicinal soup, Mei Lin closed her eyes and forced herself not to think about anything. It was a good medicine, she had almost become dependent on its magical effect that allowed her to sleep peacefully for the whole night.

  "Master, have some porridge and sleep a bit more?" Yue Mo leaned forward by the bedside and softly called out to her.

  Meili didn't open her eyes and shook her head.

  Yuè Mò stood up straight, looking at the frail and delicate Méi Lì on the bed. She furrowed her brow, hesitating for a moment before speaking: "Master, the king will be departing for battle in a few days, and he'll be gone for a year or more. No matter how aggrieved you are, please don't quarrel with him at this time..." She bit her lip, realizing that she shouldn't have said those words, feeling sorry for her master. "This way, it will only make the king think that the queen is gentle and virtuous."

  Meili's mouth corners slightly raised, her eyes still closed, "Yuemo..." She seemed to sigh, "I already know..."

  She knew it all, but she gave up.

  The cruel fate, the more she tries, the deeper she feels!

  Jingxuan's footsteps were clearly heard by her, she didn't move, continuing to close her eyes, Yue Mo shook his head and sighed, thinking that she was sulking.

  "Get out, all of you." Jingxuan's anger took a whole day to subside, he detested the trouble she brought him, and he'd rather not see her for the rest of his life just to have some peace!

  Su Yan in the main room always smiled sweetly while waiting for him, even when he did such a thing in front of all the servants in the mansion, she didn't say a word of complaint. At the first time, he was angry and let the servant go to her room to fetch his morning clothes, she personally came to serve him to change and leave. Such Su Yan made him feel sorry and guilty again. She is his Fu Jin, his wife, she deeply loves him... even more, he is her only man!

  He... When he couldn't help himself and insisted on coming to this courtyard, he was so frustrated that he wanted to find someone to vent his anger on.

  She still lay in bed with a half-dead look, ignoring his arrival, as if she could open her eyes to take a glance at him!

  He clenched his fists and sat down on the edge of the bed, "Mei Li... I'm leaving in two days." He took a deep breath, suppressing all sorts of emotions that threatened to burst out, any one of which could have led him to strangle her and send her to heaven, and then he would be at peace. For now, he managed to hold it in, and heard himself say: "For the next two days, don't provoke me!"

  It's an order, more like a plea.

  His chest suddenly felt stuffy and he was so angry that he wanted to die! Was he asking her not to provoke him? Was he asking her to be nicer to him?

  Meili trembled slightly, frightened by the tone of his words. She had never thought that the proud and arrogant King Qing would speak in such a helpless and self-deprecating manner.

  He didn't wait for her to respond, and swept her into his arms. She opened her eyes in alarm as he carried her out of the room. Along the way, he remained silent, seemingly angry with her, but the arms holding her were warm and gentle.

  He took her to the West Garden, a place she had never been before. In fact, she didn't have the heart to visit any part of the Qingwang's estate except for the necessary places. The West Garden was quite vast, and in the distance, one could still see a small hill. There were not many artificially planted flowers and grasses in the garden, but rather continuous forests. He carried her through the narrow paths between the trees, and soon they saw a simple and sturdy house with a strange style, like a giant pavilion surrounded by walls.

  The house was filled with mist, and Meili smelled a faint scent of sulfur... The spacious room had no partitions, except for the screen and the low table for putting clothes, it was a hot spring.

  He put her down and took off his clothes by himself. He didn't even look at her, "Take it off yourself, otherwise I'll carry you back naked later."

  Meili bit her lip, although she had already been intimate with him several times, she still couldn't bear to be naked in front of him. Afraid that he would roughly tear off her clothes, she took off her outer jacket herself and stood stupidly by the hot spring in her undershirt and shorts, at a loss for what to do.

  As he plunged into the water, he suddenly pulled her in, and she stumbled in with a mix of panic and confusion. The water was scalding hot and unexpectedly deep, and she couldn't touch the bottom. Her fear of being submerged in water crushed her rationality once again, and she thrashed about, swallowing several mouthfuls of water, feeling utterly miserable.

  He acknowledged his own wickedness and seeing her struggling in pain somehow relieved him of some anger, he couldn't bear to continue, accurately supporting her armpits, lifting her out of the water.

  She panted heavily, tears gushing out all at once, her eyes scorched and aching, tightly shut and refusing to open.

  "If you provoke me again, I'll drown you alive!" He threatened fiercely, and at that moment he really wanted to do so! But seeing her painful expression, he could only hold her in his arms, reluctantly comforting her. "What did I bring you back for?!" He asked irritably, seeing that she didn't even want to look at him.

  Tears fell from the tip of her long eyelashes. Why did he marry her, knowing what would happen today? She also wanted to ask him!

  Looking at the ripples on the water's surface caused by her tears, he sighed and pulled her into his arms, letting her heart stick close to his. "Mei Li... trust me, I married you back because I wanted to be good to you."

  This was already his limit of confession, he was about to leave, and he hoped she could understand!

  She convulsed violently in his arms.

  Good?

  Did he marry her just to be good to her?!

  He also felt her silent rebuttal, and with one hand, he gently scooped up her floating hair on the water's surface, holding it in his hand as he softly caressed it. "Don't be disbelieving," he bitterly smiled. "Although I married you, causing you to have to kneel to Su Ying, causing you to work together with her under one husband, Mei Li... even if you were to marry Yong He, did you see the Queen of Qing not kneeling? Can you guarantee that Yong He will never take a concubine for his entire life, and that he won't carry the scent of other women on him?"

  She will never know how he felt when he mentioned Yonghe in front of her!

  Her whole body was trembling, was he lecturing her? She finally couldn't bear to open her eyes and glare at him, she wanted to say, she wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that if she married Yonghe, she would kneel for Su Yan, and share a husband with other women, she would accept it!

  He had manipulated her fate in every way, leaving her helpless, but she didn't want to listen to his self-justifying nonsense! Even if the final outcome was unbearable, had he ever given her a choice?

  She stared into his eyes and froze.

  In those cold, cruel eyes that she had gazed into countless times, there was a helplessness and pity that she had never seen before. She was so familiar with his eyes, the chill in them, the disdain...she had never seen such an expression in his eyes before. First update

  Her heart suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces of pain, if two years ago he would look at her like this, if he could look at her like this when she was curled up in the Anning Temple crying softly, no, with just one percent of the tenderness he showed now, she would be willing to die for him!

  But now... his deep and enduring gaze can only make her ache! Make her regretful!

  Her gaze made his heart surge like a lone warrior sweeping away an army of millions, her eyes had him, and only him!

  "Meili... forget him, forget the two years we've missed!" His voice even trembled slightly, "I love you, from now on and forever! Give me back your heart! Where's the heart that loves me? Give it to me..." His trembling lips kissed hers. First time update

  This time when her eyes closed, he didn't order her to open them, because he knew that she had seen it, and she knew who the man on top of her was!

  This time... he's not in a hurry!

  With both hands propped against the edge of the hot spring, she was afraid of sinking and had to wrap her arms around his shoulders. He slowly thrust into her body, letting her carefully enjoy his physique... pleasing her, enticing her.

  He finally managed to say it smoothly and felt relieved.

  The legs wrapped around his waist began to tremble violently, and he felt her tightening grip, smiling lightly and sweetly - she needed him too! He thrust deeply into her, and she let out a sharp cry, wrapping herself even tighter around him as he approached the peak of pleasure.

  On the way back, the medicine took effect and she fell into a deep sleep due to exhaustion from their lovemaking. He quickened his pace to carry her back to their room. Although he knew it was with the help of the medicine, she could finally rest in his arms, and his heart also became lighter as he gazed at her sleeping face.

  He was so excited that he couldn't sleep.

  He and she finally had a change, dawn broke, their lives seemed to have started all over again.

  When she woke up, the sky was already bright. She was still lying alone on the huge bed, and only the soreness of her body proved that he had really come, really looked at her with such eyes, and it wasn't just another one of her wild dreams.

  Yuè Qián was sighing and muttering to herself outside the door, softly scolding someone: "How can your eyelids be so thin! What are you sneaking into the east house for? With so many people watching, they think we sent you to snoop around!"

  A little maid cried and said, "Sister Qiang, I was wrong. But today the mistress returned home, I also wanted to go see the situation..."

  "What did you see?"

  "I saw so many gifts......" The little maid choked, "The king is still very considerate, and it's said that he even personally pinned a flower on Madame Fu."

  "Get out! You're just talking nonsense! Don't spout rubbish in front of our master, that's more like it!"

  "Yes, yes..."

  Meili turned over and grasped one corner of the pillow.

  Even if they forgot about Yonghe and the years that have passed, they still existed. Even though he looked at her with those eyes, today he still had to accompany his wife back home.

  She and he... nothing has changed at all.

  Perhaps she should be moved by his promise, but she has lived too hard, no longer having the strength or courage to try again.

  She... no longer dares to love him.

  Two years ago, he didn't love her; two years later, he loved her; what about in another two years?

  Her heart has been worn out by fate and can't bear his departure again, the lost years, the lost heart... Don't look for it back, because she can't lose it anymore!