The young man in his arms was cold and his lips were frozen white. Feeling the warmth of his embrace, he unconsciously curled up and rubbed against Jin Wang.

Jin Wang’s heart softly twitched. He gently put Ye Shu on the dragon bed, took off his outer robe, and pulled up the quilt to wrap him tightly.

After doing so, Jin Wang sat down on the bedside.

“……A plot to achieve an end by enduring bodily suffering,” Jin Wang calmly took Ye Shu’s hand and put it into his palm. “You really know Gu’s weakness.”

The young man on the bed naturally couldn’t respond to him. Ye Shu’s brows furrowed, his pale complexion showing frailty.

Frankly speaking, Ye Shu’s behavior today didn’t surprise Jin Wang too much.

After calming down, he in turn felt that this was only logical.

This was what this person should be like.

There could be no one in this world but him who would dare to question him in this way. And there could be no one else who could guess his mind so perfectly that even the proportion of how and how much to make his heart soften was pinpointed just right.

For a ruler, this was actually not a good thing.

After driving Ye Shu away, Jin Wang thought for no less than two hours. In the end, he couldn’t figure out how to handle this man.

But no matter what method he thought up, he was still reluctant to do it.

If he was reluctant a month ago, he was even more reluctant now.

Jin Wang felt some regret. He shouldn’t have been so softhearted at that time.

Ye Shu suddenly moved slightly.

Jin Wang thought he was going to wake up and subconsciously let go of his hand. But Ye Shu didn’t wake up, his fingertips curled up and happened to gently hook Jin Wang’s sleeve. “Cold…”

Jin Wang glanced at the other party’s bloodless hands and turned his head. “Giving Gu this trick again, this time, Gu definitely won’t—”

“…Jin Wang,” Ye Shu’s voice was weak and hoarse, murmuring in a low voice, “so cold ah……”

“……”

A few moments later, Jin Wang removed his robe and reclined on the bed, hugging the cold and shivering young man into his embrace.

“Gu’s afraid you’ll freeze to death,” Jin Wang, with a sullen expression under great discontent, said, “when Gu thinks of how to punish you, you—sssss! Ye Qian, try putting your hand in Gu’s clothes again!”

Imperial physician Feng was soon led by a servant into the Yangxin Hall.

The young emperor, leaning on the dragon bed with a wooden expression, pulling the young man’s already hot hands out of his clothes.

Imperial physician Feng, with a sour taste in his mouth, sat down and took Ye Shu’s pulse.

The flow of his pulse was smooth and slippery, like pearls flowing beneath one’s fingers…… Huh???

Physician Feng’s eyes widened.

This pulse……

Ye Shu, having lost his source of heat, moved around restlessly in Jin Wang’s arms. Jin Wang held the man down and reprimanded, “Be good and cooperate with the physician. If you move around again, Gu will hit you.”

“I won’t see the physician,” Ye Shu, even in his sleep, didn’t forget to talk back. “……bitch hole Jin Wang.”

Imperial physician Feng’s legs went soft and he almost fell to his knees.

However, Jin Wang didn’t take offense. Physician Feng quietly raised his head to look over; His Majesty still had a sullen expression, but his eyes were much softer than before.

……Getting so happy at being rebuked???

Jin Wang swept him a warning glance and asked, “How is he?”

“Pul… Pulse……” Physician Feng hastily returned to his senses, pondered for a moment, and tentatively asked, “Is it possible for Your Majesty…to dismiss the attendants?”

Jin Wang immediately instructed, “All of you withdraw.”

Only after all the attendants in the room left did Jin Wang ask, “Is it related to his Kunjun body?”

“……Yes,” Imperial physician Feng said. “If I may dare to ask Your Majesty… Minister Ye, uhhh, young master these days… has his faith incense gone out of control occasionally?”

“Several times, indeed.”

Imperial physician Feng fell silent.

Jin Wang frowned slightly.

Whenever the faith incense went out of control, Jin Wang originally thought that it was because Ye Shu was often with him.Being affected by his Qianjun’s faith incense, the effectiveness of the suppressant had dropped. But this time, Ye Shu’s condition was not as simple as a loss of control over his faith incense.

He was often sleepy and lethargic, had become a fussy eater, and even felt nauseous and vomited from time to time……

Jin Wang subconsciously tightened his hold on the man in his arms as a thought that had never occurred to him suddenly flashed through his heart.

Kunjuns…are capable of conceiving heirs.

Jin Wang reached out and covered Ye Shu’s lower abdomen, his heartbeat inexplicably became rapid, and he said in a low voice, “Is he……”

“The young master has a slippery pulse.” Imperial physician Feng bent over and kowtowed. “…Congratulations to Your Majesty!”

—

Sending the imperial physician off, Jin Wang commanded everyone to withdraw and returned to the bedchamber alone.

The young man in the bed was still asleep, but perhaps because he had lost his source of heat,  he kept moving restlessly.

Just as Jin Wang leaned back on the bed, the young man immediately wrapped his arms and legs around him and hugged him firmly.

Only at such times would he show his dependence on Jin Wang.

Jin Wang took him in his embrace, his palm slid down to the other party’s still flat lower abdomen with a few moments of tenderness in his eyes that even he himself had never known would exist.

Here…… a child was actually growing.

His and Ye Shu’s child.

Jin Wang’s fingertips trembled. Once this thought surfaced in his mind, it was difficult to suppress the gladness within him.

“Don’t…” Ye Shu moved, buried his head in Jin Wang’s embrace and spoke as if dreaming, “don’t hit me.”

Jin Wang’s heart trembled, and that rush of ecstasy dispelled a bit.

Who knew what he was dreaming of, but the young man was so scared that he persistently kept drilling into his embrace. “Jin Wang, I won’t rebuke you. Don’t hit me, alright……”

“Don’t be afraid… Gu won’t hit you,” Jin Wang stroked his back and warmly reassured, “Not anymore.”

“I don’t believe it,” Ye Shu didn’t buy it and said indignantly, “……dog emperor.”

Jin Wang, “……”

—

The day was already bright when Ye Shu woke up. He sank into the soft bed, only to feel the immense exhaustion; he was so sore and numb from the waist down that he could barely feel his body.

He didn’t expect his tool of a body’s physical strength would be so poor that just by standing for two hours outside would actually make him faint from exhaustion.

……He should have just admitted defeat and suffered less.

Ye Shu turned over, sat up and was about to get off of the bed when a figure walked in with quick steps from the outside. “Don’t move.”

Jin Wang pressed Ye Shu back onto the bed and said, “The imperial physician said  your muscles and bones were hurt from standing for such a long time and also because of the cold. Give it a few days before you get off of the bed.”

Ye Shu looked at him warily.

Why does this man seem…different from before?

Jin Wang noticed Ye Shu’s look and laughed lowly. “What are you looking at me like that for, so heavy-eyed?”

What was with this doting tone. This man wasn’t driven mad from the stimulation, was he?

Ye Shu cleared his throat and cautiously said, “Your Majesty, you…you won’t punish me anymore?”

Jin Wang raised his eyebrows. “What, haven’t you been punished enough?”

“Enough enough,” Ye Shu cowered and whispered, “you can’t punish me again. My legs hurt from standing ah.”

Looking down, Jin Wang’s palm fell on Ye Shu’s leg, gently rubbing it, “Is it here?”

Both of Ye Shu’s legs felt numb and sore; He hissed and huffed with pain as Jin Wang touched them, and he nodded with red eyes.

Jin Wang sat down on the bedside and pressed his legs for him.

The stately ruler had never served others this way; his movements were somewhat shaky, yet the pressure was placed very lightly, seemingly afraid of pressing Ye Shu too hard.

Ye Shu’s heart turned from doubt to horror. Was this man really out of his mind?

Ye Shu sized up Jin Wang in doubt, when the latter suddenly spoke, “What are you thinking about again?”

Ye Shu hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

Jin Wang raised his chin. “Gu asked you a question.”

“I didn’t think of anything in particular but,” Ye Shu said in a low voice, “I was just thinking that Your Majesty was treating me extremely well today, so I’m somewhat……”

Jin Wang, “Happy?”

“Panicked.” Ye Shu’s eyes drooped and with an anxious face, he added, “You’re not going to kill me after all, are you? Like that sort of serving a decapitated meal to a condemned prisoner.”

“……” The gentle behavior that Jin Wang managed to maintain almost collapsed at this moment, gritting his teeth. “You compare Gu’s treatment towards you to a decapitated meal?”

Ye Shu said in a tiny voice, “It’s not as good as rice, but at least one can eat it… You have such poor skills, you pressed my legs so painfully.”

Jin Wang’s face was expressionless. “Understood.”

Ye Shu hastily covered his mouth and stopped talking.

Jin Wang pressed his eyebrows, using almost all his self control to suppress a certain impulse in his heart, silently contemplating in his mind, “The imperial physician said that a pregnant Kunjun must not be provoked, must not be frightened, and most importantly,  must not be hit and scolded……”

Taking advantage of Jin Wang’s unpreparedness, Ye Shu quickly withdrew his legs from under his palm. He folded his arms tightly around his knees and shrank up into a tiny ball on the dragon bed, watching Jin Wang warily.

Jin Wang took a deep breath and said calmly, “Gu has thought a lot while you were sleeping.”

“We have incessantly been testing each other these days. Trust is all but gone.” Jin Wang gazed at Ye Shu, his tone of voice extremely light. “You were right yesterday. Gu wanted you to be frank, but Gu has not said a word of truth to you.”

“It shouldn’t be like this between us. Gu was in the wrong, Gu apologizes to you.”

“……” What kind of trap was this again? Could it be that the dog emperor was frightened and wanted to take the warm route?

Ye Shu was unclear of Jin Wang’s thought process and didn’t dare to answer.

Jin Wang asked, “Don’t you believe Gu?””

Ye Shu definitely did not believe him. Jin Wang’s credibility with him had long dropped to the negatives.

Ye Shu didn’t want to beat around the bush with him anymore and asked straightforwardly, “Your Majesty, just say what you have to say.”

After a full night’s sleep, the young man’s vigor was much better, but his complexion was still not good, and he even looked thinner.

Jin Wang’s gaze moved down and stared at the other party’s lower abdomen for a moment, then casually moved away. “It seems that you really don’t trust me anymore.”

This was the first time that Jin Wang didn’t call himself ‘Gu’ in front of him.

Jin Wang raised his hand, swept his fingertips over the side of Ye Shu’s face, brushed his loose hair behind his ear, and said seriously, “A-Shu, I want to start anew with you.”

Ye Shu was stumped.

Jin Wang was born so stunning with those deep and handsome eyes. When he looked at someone intently in this way, it would be quite easy to give the illusion of deep love.

As Ye Shu gazed into those eyes, his heart faltered and cracked open a teeny, tiny bit.

It was really hard to be indifferent when one was being watched by such a pair of eyes.

Unfortunately, this was Jin Wang.

Jin Wang, not aware of Ye Shu’s wavering thoughts, continued, “Regardless of what the reason for your rebellion was, as long as you are willing to promise to stay by Gu’s side in the future and no longer hold rebellious intentions, Gu will no longer pursue the things in the past.”

“The Ye Mansion is currently under the Judicial Department. The confiscated wealth has yet to be put into the state treasury. If you want, Gu will return it to you.”

Ye Shu’s eyes slightly moved, but still he said nothing.

Jin Wang got up and went to the table, took some paper and ink and wrote quickly.

After a while, he handed a complete letter to Ye Shu.

“Now you should believe it?”

Ye Shu unfolded the letter and saw that it was indeed an edict ordering the release of the Ye family, as well as to return the family’s wealth and the mansion.

Ye Shu asked, “Why is Your Majesty doing this?”

Jin Wang gazed at him quietly, his expression steady and unperturbed. “Gu said it is to start anew with you.”

That, of course, was not the whole purpose.

Ye Shu had yet to know that he was pregnant, and Jin Wang didn’t intend to tell him yet.

Last night, after the initial shock and joy, what emerged in Jin Wang’s heart was trepidation. His relationship with Ye Shu was now in a precarious state. If he rashly told him the existence of the child, it would not be a pleasant surprise, but a burden.

Ye Shu might even……not want to keep the child.

Jin Wang would never allow that to happen.

Of course, Jin Wang could use similar means as he did before to force Ye Shu to stay in the harem.

But he also understood the basic tenet that things would develop in a bad direction if he went too far.

Using excessive force would instead be self-defeating.

Hence why he proposed to Ye Shu to start again.

After Ye Shu spoke out those words yesterday, Jin Wang’s doubts about this man’s identity were thoroughly dispelled, but with regards to his betrayal, Jin Wang could not completely eliminate the grudges.

They were at a deadlock.

Since this circumstance could not be resolved, he might as well dump all grudges behind for the time being and start anew .

Jin Wang was willing to give Ye Shu this opportunity. And also give himself this opportunity.

Anyway…… With this man’s muddle-headed character, it was unlikely that he would discover any peculiarities in his body for a good while.

Ye Shu, of course, discovered nothing. He just held the letter, rather speechless.

Start anew. Who wants to start anew with this dog emperor ah?! Why is this dog emperor so love-struck!

Ye Shu inwardly ridiculed him, but didn’t dare to say a word.

Jin Wang still regarded it to be acquiescence and continued, “In that case, Gu will order someone to postpone the date of the wedding and postpone the ancestral worship ceremony by a few days as well.”

“Wait…… What ancestral worship?” Ye Shu keenly captured the crucial point.

Jin Wang explained, “It’s customary in Changlu for the imperial family to go to the ancestral temple to offer prayers before the big wedding. This is known as the ancestral worship ceremony. However, since we’re starting anew, Gu won’t rush you.”

“……Gu will wait until the day you are willing to get married.”

Jin Wang said this with so much affection, yet Ye Shu didn’t hear a word. All he could think about was the ancestral worship.

The imperial city was so heavily guarded that there was no way for him to escape by himself. But this would not be the case when they would go to the ancestral temple.

Maybe this was the only chance he could find to escape.

Ye Shu said eagerly, “No need to postpone it. Why should it be postponed?”

“A-Shu?”

Ye Shu grabbed Jin Wang’s hand and said eagerly, “Everyone in the world knows that the Emperor of Changlu is to get married next month, what’s the point of postponing it now? Moreover, the preparations for the big wedding have been so labor-intensive, if you say you’ll postpone it, won’t all the hard work be in vain?”

“But……”

“No buts, listen to me.” Ye Shu said firmly. “We can start anew, but the wedding doesn’t have to be postponed.”

Such a firm attitude from Ye Shu was hard to come by. Jin Wang’s heart grew suspicious and he stared at him doubtfully.

After a short while, Jin Wang raised his hand and touched Ye Shu’s hair. “Alright.”

“Whatever you say.”

A/N:

Jin Wang: Yay, can finally get married with my wife, happy.

Ye Shu: Yay, finally a chance to escape, happy.