Yu Zhen and Li Xueyue were able to return to their room undetected. Granted, the servants at the stable caught sight of them but they had been sworn to secrecy. Everyone was simply too terrified of the Crown Prince to betray his trust for mindless gossip.

Upon arrival at their room, Xu Jiaqi and the rest of the servants were nowhere to be found. It wasn't a surprise since it was so late at night.

"I just remembered," Li Xueyue groaned. "The parchment with my ideas. I don't know where it went."

Yu Zhen raised a brow. He continued to undress in front of her. His long fingers tossed aside the decorative layer of his clothing.

"Well, if you hadn't ran out, maybe you wouldn't have misplaced it," he mused.

Li Xueyue glared at him only to quickly avert her eyes. He was wearing nothing but a loose layer of clothing. His broad, muscular chest was revealed. The ridges of his abdomen peeked out whenever he moved.

"What is there to be so shy about?" Yu Zhen teased.

He stepped forward and approached her. She could do nothing but stare as he sauntered without a care in the world. What was he doing?

Yu Zhen touched her chin, curling a finger underneath it. "We're husband and wife, Sunshine."

"That shouldn't be an excuse to be so shameless…" she trailed off, the voice dying in her throat.

Yu Zhen's other hand had roughly tugged the strings of her ribbon away. Instantly, the second-to-last layer of her clothes parted in the middle, revealing her undergarments.

Li Xueyue yanked her clothes shut but he gently grabbed her wrists.

"There is nothing I haven't seen or tasted before," he chuckled, much to the dismay in her eyes. He enjoyed the blush that rose to her cheeks.

"Can't you be more prude?" she complained.

Yu Zhen leaned in and kissed her upon the nose. "No."

He released her wrists only to slowly ease off their clothing. It dropped to the ground.

"Why not?" she asked in an irritable voice.

Yu Zhen took another step forward, his lips curling into a wolfish smile. He touched the thin strings of her undergarment. His fingers twirled around the feeble material.

"If I'm prude, then we'll never get to see our children," he said in a low, husky voice.

Yu Zhen placed both hands upon her hips. His fingers brushed against the revealed skin of her waist. Passion filled her eyes, as hunger oozed from his. He yanked her forward until she collapsed against his chest, her palms resting on his bare skin.

"Now come, Sunshine," he whispered. "It's time to please your insatiable husband."

- - - - -

After several intensive rounds of lovemaking, Li Xueyue was too tired to keep her eyes open. Lying on her side, she was deep asleep.

Yu Zhen sat on the edge of the bed, still naked from their previous exercise. The candlelight flickered in the bedroom as shadows cast on his sharp features. He grabbed a discarded layer of clothing off the ground and slipped it on, loosely tying the belt.

"So lovely…" he murmured upon laying eyes on her sleeping form.

Li Xueyue was curled into a small ball. A thick blanket hung off her waist, revealing her bare chest. Even now, he could see the marks he inflicted upon her. It was speckled throughout her body like petals in drawn water.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a ghost of a smile on his face. She had always managed to satisfy him, whether it was her sweet cries or the passion of her body.

Though, he could never have enough of her. When she gripped him so tightly, clinging onto his shoulders, how could he?

Each time she reached her climax, he wanted to see it again. The flush of her chest, the widening of her eyes, it was for his viewing pleasure.

"You're sleeping so well," Yu Zhen mused. She didn't flinch when his fingers brushed hair away from her face.

It was the plan all along. He wanted to tire her out so that she'd sleep peacefully. Nightmares couldn't arise if one was too tired to even think.

Yu Zhen brushed his thumb over her bruised lips. Perhaps he had been too rough. But she seemed to enjoy it as there wasn't a single complaint.

"How can you be so beautiful?" Yu Zhen muttered.

The longer he stared at her sleeping face, the more his heart clenched. He wanted this sight to belong only to him. No one else should see this side of her, so vulnerable and peaceful. Every waking moment she had, he wanted it to be spent with her.

Was that so wrong of him?

"Hmmmm…" she grumbled in her sleep, turning to the other side, revealing her bare back to him.

Yu Zhen chuckled at this. It seemed he had disturbed her sleep. He brought the blankets higher, so that it covered her shoulders. His heart would break if she caught a cold on his watch.

Yu Zhen pressed a palm upon the bed and leaned down. He fondly kissed her upon the top of her head.

"Good night, Sunshine," he whispered.

Yu Zhen ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He wanted to join her, but he needed to make sure everything was in order. He had stormed out of his private study upon hearing words of someone kneeling in his bedroom which meant important documents were left in the open.

Of course, no one could trespass into his private study but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Yu Zhen approached the doors of his bedroom. He had barely touched the knobs when something reached his ears.

"Yu Zhen…?" Her voice was sweet like honey. His heart clenched at how lost and puzzled she seemed.

"Where are you going?" she tiredly asked.

Yu Zhen turned around to see she was wide awake now. The weight shifting on the bed must've startled her. There was terror in her eyes, believing he would run off or something. It was a foolish fear.

"What are you doing awake?" he softly demanded. Nonetheless, he approached the bed.

The blanket had slipped off of her, pooling near her waist. Strands of hair cascaded down her shoulders, covering her breast.

"I was cold…" she complained, noticing his clothes.

Yu Zhen smiled at this. He cupped her face and bent down to kiss her nose. "I will join you soon, Sunshine."

Li Xueyue's heart skipped at his tender voice. Affection dripped from his words. She leaned into his touch, so soft and loving. She hoped this wasn't a fervid dream. She hoped this was reality. It would break her to think all of this was just a figment of her imagination.

"You didn't answer my question," she whispered.

"I needed to organize my documents in my study," Yu Zhen stated. His lips tilted into a smirk.

"But seeing as you're awake, I suppose not."

Li Xueyue tilted her head at his words. What did he mean by that? Her heart lurched when he pushed her onto the bed.

"It seems I've failed my duty," Yu Zhen whispered. His lips brushed against the corners of her mouth.

Li Xueyue's breath hitched, knowing exactly where this would lead to. Her predictions came true when he climbed on top of her. His muscular calves came on either side of her.

Slowly, he took off his robes, tossing it aside.

"Let me redeem myself, my lovely wife." With that said, he captured her lips.