Unable to personally experience any of the fun attractions, Yan Yan shut down completely, her spiritual fluctuations revealing a deep sense of despair at life’s futility.
“It’s okay, Yan’er. There will be other chances later,” the Myriad Snake Queen softly comforted her daughter. “Once you have a body, Mother Concubine will bring you out again.”
“Mother Concubine is just teasing me,” Yan Yan shot back without a hint of gratitude, her tone full of dissatisfaction. “If you really mean that, then hurry up and give birth to me with Father Emperor!”
Her words made both of them blush, while Yun Xiu could barely suppress a chuckle. She thought to herself that this little rascal Yan’er was still as mischievous and clever as ever.
The Myriad Snake Queen scolded her half-heartedly, lacking any real conviction.
“These are adult matters. Little ones shouldn’t meddle!”
The little princess huffed.
“If you don’t hurry up, Father Emperor and Aunt Yun’s child will be born before me. Then what if I end up as the ‘little sister’?”
Not happy.
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Yun Xiu’s smile vanished instantly, a lovely flush spreading across her cheeks. She shot Yan Zhen a shy, annoyed glare.
Yan Zhen scratched his head, thinking to himself that this wasn’t his fault—he’d just taken two critical hits.
The Myriad Snake Queen couldn’t stand it anymore. That dead lass had a mouth that dared say anything—who knew where she’d picked up such boldness!
“Alright, we’ve had our fun, and it’s getting late. Let’s head back to the palace.”
She glanced at Yan Zhen and Yun Xiu, seeming like she wanted to say more but ultimately just uttered two faint words.
“Let’s go.”
“. . . Goodbye.”
Yan Zhen nodded dumbly.
Yet neither side moved a step, standing there awkwardly like fools.
Then Yan Yan piped up.
“Father Emperor, don’t just stand there! Hurry and come back to the palace with me and Mother Concubine!”
“Huh?” Yan Zhen blinked in surprise. “This . . .”
He looked toward the Myriad Snake Queen, who stood with her arms crossed, coldly turning her head away in a show of indifference.
“Yan’er, your mother and I haven’t reached that stage yet—”
“I don’t wanna hear it! La la la!” Yan Yan declared with full vigor. “Tonight, I want to see Father Emperor and Mother Concubine sleeping together, or else I’ll never speak to you two again!”
“Yan’er . . .”
Yan Zhen felt a headache coming on. He turned to consult Yun Xiu’s opinion instead, since she was his current girlfriend.
Yun Xiu hated seeing him frown. With a slight smile, she said, “Since Yan’er insists so strongly, why don’t you do as she asks and stay at the palace for one night?”
“What about you?”
“I’ll wait for you on the Painted Boat.”
Yan Zhen shook his head.
“I won’t leave you behind.”
Yun Xiu smiled gently.
“It’s not that serious—just one night . . . and it means I won’t have to put up with your teasing~”
She whispered the last part so softly.
Yan Zhen felt embarrassed, thinking to himself that it was hardly his fault when she always looked so easy to tease.
“Father Emperor and Aunt Yun can both stay at the palace,” Yan Yan suggested. “But no making babies! I’m Father Emperor’s first child, so any others will be my little brothers and sisters!”
Yun Xiu smiled wryly, recalling how Yan Yan from her previous life had indeed been like a little ringleader of children—completely different from her sister Yan Lingji.
The Myriad Snake Queen said coolly from the side, “If Palace Lord Yun agrees to This Queen’s earlier proposal, then This Queen will treat you as an honored guest and entertain you properly.”
Yun Xiu had never intended to stand by idly amid the City of Water’s crisis. Earlier, she’d clashed with the Myriad Snake Queen only because of her overbearing attitude.
As fellow reincarnators, both women understood each other’s temperaments well. The Myriad Snake Queen’s words now were clearly offering her a way to save face, so Yun Xiu naturally let it go.
“You needn’t worry. I’ll handle it when the time comes,” Yun Xiu replied calmly. She glanced at Yan Zhen and added, “For Yan’er’s sake, I’m lending him to you for one night—just this once. I won’t yield again in the future.”
“Yun Xiu!”
Yan Zhen grew anxious and started to speak, but Yun Xiu pressed a finger to his lips. Then she proactively opened her arms, pulled him into an embrace, leaned down slightly, and kissed him.
Their lips touched briefly before parting.
Yun Xiu smiled shyly and turned to look at the Myriad Snake Queen, feeling a touch of smug satisfaction at her obvious displeasure.
“Come back early tomorrow. I’ll be waiting on the Painted Boat.”
With that, she transformed into a swirling tornado and soared into the sky, vanishing in moments.
Yan Zhen stared blankly in the direction of her departure, a wave of emptiness washing over him.
“Aw, Aunt Yun’s gone. No choice then—we three will head back to the palace. Father Emperor, come on!”
“Mm, alright.”
Yan Zhen walked over to the Myriad Snake Queen’s side, where she calmly extended her hand to him.
He placed his hand in her palm.
The two leaped into the air together, streaking back to the royal palace as a beam of light.
The palace harem was naturally empty and desolate. Aside from the Myriad Snake Queen, only palace maids lived there.
In truth, She Ji had two older sisters, making three sisters in total, but their mother sovereign had passed the throne to the youngest. Her two sisters despised her for it and left the City of Water when she ascended. Afterward, they repeatedly returned with outsiders to vie for the throne, plunging the city into civil strife and suppressing She Ji relentlessly.
Unluckily, Yan Zhen had arrived just as one came seeking marriage. He’d casually crushed her.
A cross-realm domination, utterly unreasonable and domineering, protecting their mother and daughter!
It was then that the Myriad Snake Queen began to slowly fall for him, acknowledging him as her husband. And Yan Yan had idolized her Father Emperor from the very first moment she saw him.
The Myriad Snake Queen led Yan Zhen to her bedchamber, ignoring the resulting uproar in the palace.
The bedchamber was vast and somewhat empty. Following her instructions, Yan Zhen went to bathe first.
Soaking in the pool, he let out a soft sigh. How could he not see that Yun Xiu was forcing herself to compromise?
On one side was his current girlfriend, on the other his future wife . . . Stuck in the middle, he couldn’t favor either without issue. Yun Xiu knew his dilemma, so she’d swallowed her pride and made the decision for him.
As expected, a harem was no easy thing to manage. That was why the script stuck to the no-romance monster-slaying upgrade path.
Lost in thought, Yan Zhen heard faint footsteps. He lifted his head from the water, his spiritual sense instinctively extending outward. To his surprise, he discovered the Myriad Snake Queen slowly disrobing behind the screen.
He hurriedly withdrew his sense, afraid she’d mistake him for a peeping tom.
—Wait! I’m the one bathing right now. Why is she undressing? Did she forget I’m still in the pool? Should I remind her before another awkward mishap?
As he hesitated, the Myriad Snake Queen had stripped completely bare and walked in from behind the screen.
She had wrapped herself in a single white bath towel, exposing large expanses of snowy white skin. Her curves were enchantingly voluptuous, enough to intoxicate any man. Her three thousand strands of black hair cascaded naturally down to her rear, lending her an air of innocent purity.
Truly a mesmerizing blend of desire and innocence.
Yan Zhen didn’t dare look too long. Politely, he said, “She Ji, is something the matter?”
The Myriad Snake Queen kept her face coldly impassive, though her eyes flickered uncertainly.
“It’s . . . Yan’er who insisted This Queen come . . . She said we should get closer, develop our relationship a bit.”
