"Hm… Prime Minister Xi is correct. Your granddaughter is indeed a gemstone. I will think about it."

Both Larva and Yunyu darted their eyes at Huang Shu together. Especially Bai Yunyu, who was battling with insecurity and anxiety in his heart right now.

He clenched his fist, but he said nothing because he knew he had no right to stop the Emperor from marrying and filling up his harem. But it was very humiliating for Bai Yunyu because this was an imperial banquet designed solely for him, which Huang Shu promised before.

How could he accept more candidates for the harem during his banquet? This was a fatal humiliation for Yunyu.

However, he kept his silence and lowered his head, unable to look at Huang Shu and Xi Yue's chemistry together. He didn't want to be labeled as a troublesome future Empress by these people because he made a ruckus in the imperial banquet.

Prime Minister Xi was ecstatic when he heard this. He didn't expect Emperor Xianliang to agree so easily. He had overestimated Emperor Xianliang's favor for Bai Yunyu. Turned out, he was still swayed by beauty, especially a beauty like Xi Yue.

Meanwhile, Xi Yue was also happy with this. She was really grateful that Huang Shu was actually interested in him. Well, she knew that she was a total beauty. She just didn't expect that Huang Shu would accept him so easily.

She glanced at Bai Yunyu with a mocking sneer, but Yunyu lowered his head, probably because he was ashamed and humiliated. Nevertheless, she knew that Huang Shu would choose her, so she had no worry.

"Ah, good, good, this old minister believes that Your Majesty will always make the right choice," Prime Minister Xi said.

"Thanking Your Majesty generosity and kindness!" Xi Yue replied happily. And Huang Shu nodded with a smile on his face.

"Prime Minister and Lady Xi Yue may talk with people here. I will discuss this with my wife later.'

[Larva… what I think is true, right? This gut feeling, this anxiety, is true. Huang Shu will ditch me sooner or later. I just can sense it.]

Yunyu said to Pupa. He became paranoid, like the trauma of something that had happened in the past, which he didn't even remember.

Huang Shu was obvious very good to him, but this betrayed feeling, this loss and grief in his heart, everything was too real. Yunyu thought he might have become crazy in just a few minutes, just because Huang Shu talked with Lady Xi Yue.

And Huang Shu's response to Prime Minister Xi and Xi Yue didn't help either.

[Larva: E—Eh!? M—Master Bai, don't misunderstand. I believe Master Han doesn't mean it like that! He only loves you, really. He truly loves you as his lover, partner, wife, and soulmate!]

Larva became panicked because of Master Han's words just now. It didn't know what was in Master Han's head because Larva wasn't connected with Master Han, but it was definitely wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!

[Larva: Wuwuwu! Master Han, you stupid! Now you hurt Master Bai with your words! Larva can't see Master Bai crying, or Larva will cry too! Wuuuuu!]

Meanwhile, Huang Shu was busy thinking about a young man with a similar background to Lady Xi Yue, so Huang Shu could bestow a marriage between them.

He didn't want to get entangled with Xi Yue. Not because he disliked her. In fact, Huang Shu never liked or disliked Xi Yue, but his mom, Empress Dowager Aixi, would be big trouble later on. Because she favored Xi Yue a lot.

'It's better to weed out the problem before it grows wild,' Huang Shu thought. 'I will ask Yunyu about this later. He has a lot of friends and suitors back then. Maybe one of them will want to marry Xi Yue.'

By bestowing marriage for Xi Yue and a noble young man with a good background, then his mother wouldn't be able to push him to marry her. Besides, he didn't want his wife to be restless just because of Xi Yue.

'I still remember how Yunyu was screaming and weeping when I married Xi Yue in the previous timeline…'

Back then, Huang Shu couldn't say anything because Yunyu became way too erratic. But he was also grieving over it. He married Xi Yue because Yunyu was barren, and there was a lot of pressure from the ministers since they found out that their Empress couldn't bear an heir.

Huang Shu glanced at his wife and found that Yunyu was looking down the whole time. Huang Shu frowned, "Wife, are you alright?"

"Yes," Yunyu replied weakly.

Huang Shu was concerned as he gently touched Yunyu's forehead, thinking that Yunyu might've been too tired. He was surprised after realizing that Bai Yunyu had a lot of cold sweat on his forehead.

He checked Yunyu's hand and realized the same thing as well.

"Wife, are you really alright? Do you want to return?"

"N—No, I'm alright, really," Yunyu said. He wanted to ask Huang Shu about everything he just said and how humiliated he felt when Huang Shu said that. He wanted to ask for an explanation, but this was not the correct time.

So he just kept it inside until they were alone later on.

Huang Shu called the servant to serve a glass of water for him, then he picked up the glass and gave it to Yunyu, "Wife, drink first. You look pale."

Yunyu drank a glass of water from Huang Shu, and when he raised his head, he saw the sneer and jealousy of the women and some officials and old nobles.

Yunyu felt like his stomach turned as if the fear actually overcame him and made him so anxious.

[Larva, am I acting so weak right now? I… I'm usually not like this. What happened to me? Why am I so nervous?]

[Larva: No, Master Bai! Um… maybe you're just too anxious. Calm yourself first! Even the strongest warrior can be scared too! Don't worry, Master Bai, Larva will help you!]

Larva was so concerned with its Master Bai, so it snuggled Yunyu's lap and rubbed Yunyu's stomach with its cold metal shell affectionately.

With Larva snuggling in his lap, Yunyu finally felt a bit better.

He was a warrior, respected for his martial art skill, and also his intelligence. But why did this banquet made him so scared? Whenever he saw those mocking gazes from the people and the sneer, it made him thinking as if he had done this before, and it was far worse than this.

[I feel like I've experienced this thing before, and at that time… it was so scary that I puked my guts out when I left the banquet.]

[Larva: Mu… Master Bai, Larva has no memory of this before. And I've always been sticking with you since my birth. Master Bai might have been too paranoid. It is not good for your health.]

Yunyu smiled at Larva and silently patted the cold shell. Nobody could see Larva, fortunately.

Huang Shu was still busy greeting the people until the guard suddenly announced, "HER MAJESTY, EMPRESS DOWAGER AIXI, HAS ARRIVED! GIVE SALUTE TO THE MOTHER OF THE EMPIRE!"