Seeing him buried and gnawing, Long Qinghuang pouted slightly, still feeling the humiliation of being toyed with.

But the pleasure almost washed away that humiliation.

In a trance, she told herself, if it’s such a comfortable thing, why view it as him toying with her? Wouldn’t it be better to see it as him serving her? Bearing a dragon child, wasn’t that why she brought him into her harem in the first place?

Or, perhaps, it was simply a normal act between two willing parties, so why complicate it with all these interpretations?

After all, this time he could genuinely propose some embarrassing things. Even if she wouldn’t agree to the “separate thoughts,” she would probably be somewhat willing to compromise on some borderline acts involving hands.

Yet, despite his fierce words about making things difficult for her, he didn’t actually force her.

But if this continued, was he going to “assault the city”?

Long Qinghuang was willing, but could he break through?

Long Qinghuang even felt a little anticipation. In truth, if it really had to be broken, it probably wasn’t impossible, she just needed to cooperate more…

Long Niang didn’t realize that Lu Xingzhou was simply being intimate; she was already actively wishing to be “broken through.”

Lu Xingzhou himself hadn’t thought that far ahead. With a jade-like body before him, who wouldn’t start by nibbling respectfully? But when passion swelled, he found himself hard, which left Lu Xingzhou feeling awkward.

What now?

Forget about whether he could break through; even if he could, Lu Xingzhou hadn’t planned on it so soon.

Their feelings weren’t quite there yet. Even if they did it now, Long Qinghuang would still see it as simply carrying out her original plan to have him sire a dragon child. If that were the case, they could have done it on the very first day he arrived. Why go through all the theatrics and “training” until now?

But what about a chaste night at a time like this?

Would Long Niang laugh him to death?

The best strategy was to hold back, put on an expression that said, “I’m not doing this for ‘that,'” and lean in to kiss Long Qinghuang’s forehead. “Alright, my陛下, do you really think I’m someone who takes advantage of your worries for your clan, to deceive and force you?”

Long Qinghuang, who had closed her eyes, ready to cooperate, opened them in surprise at his words.

Of course, she wasn’t disappointed that he didn’t “enter.” At this moment, looking into his eyes, which seemed filled with deep affection, Long Qinghuang felt for the first time that his gaze might be genuine, and her heart softened immensely.

“You…” She pouted, and whispered, “You yourself said you’d make me feel very embarrassed.”

Lu Xingzhou sighed, “That was out of anger because you were so high and mighty, just angry words. How could I make you embarrassed, and how could I truly bear to?”

Long Qinghuang’s eyes flickered, and she said softly, “I am clearly ‘down’ now.”

“Are you still going to ‘swipe’ me?”

“No more swiping,” Long Qinghuang’s voice was unprecedentedly alluring. “I can’t bear to either.”

“Late at night, I was sleeping soundly and you woke me up. How will you compensate me?”

Long Niang thought he was going to kiss her neck again and offered it, “Like this?”

“I meant, let’s continue sleeping.” Lu Xingzhou held her soft body. “陛下, although you have endless energy, you also need rest. Some worries are pointless, and does one night really make a difference? Don’t worry, tomorrow morning I’ll help you with ideas.”

Long Qinghuang was nestled in his arms, resting her head in the hollow of his shoulder. She felt her nakedness against his pajamas, making it seem as if she were the one providing company for sleep, rather than an emperor being served.

But at this moment, she was completely willing.

In the dark, her dragon eyes sparkled, looking at his closed-eyed profile. After a long while, she suddenly whispered, “I see you can’t sleep either.”

Lu Xingzhou held her a little tighter. “With a beauty in my arms, my heart is restless.”

Long Qinghuang’s slender hand grasped his “oar,” and she chuckled. “I think it’s more than that.”

Lu Xingzhou feigned anger, “What else do you want? Do you really want me to ‘rectify’ you on the spot, and turn our relationship into you accompanying me before I offer advice?”

Even though he wasn’t certain he could “break through,” he spoke so charmingly. Long Qinghuang’s heart softened even more, and she actively kissed his cheek, softly saying, “Then I’ll let it cool down, and you cool down too.”

Something she might not even agree to under duress, the Dragon Emperor陛下 was now actively and very gently manipulating.

Lu Xingzhou felt the authentic Dragon Claw technique, unsure what emotions he was experiencing.

Was it the fear that a little more force might lead to disaster, or the immense sense of accomplishment that a hand capable of crushing half a city was being used for this?

“Xingzhou…” In the darkness, Long Qinghuang whispered while kissing his cheek, “The body-tempering method I gave you and Ah Nuo is incomplete for you…”

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

“Ah Nuo has natural talent and can cultivate directly, but you don’t. You need to soak in medicinal baths to absorb the body tempering,” Long Qinghuang bit his ear, chuckling. “If you’re not good, you’ll never achieve anything…”

“You…”

“But you’re so good, tomorrow I’ll have someone prepare the medicine for you, guaranteeing you’ll be as hard as iron within a few days.”

Lu Xingzhou groaned, “So you left a backdoor for me, huh!”

Long Qinghuang giggled, “Don’t be angry, aren’t I trying to make you cool down? By the way, you haven’t even tempered your body, how can you last so long…”

“Then do you want to try the ‘separate thoughts’ I mentioned before? It can make it much faster.”

“Dream on.” Long Qinghuang bit her lower lip. “Xingzhou, since my birth, I’ve never served anyone like this… I don’t need your advice to necessarily solve my troubles, I’ve already done this in advance anyway… I only ask for one thing.”

“Tell me.”

“Even if you run away, don’t sell me out, don’t betray me…” Long Qinghuang whispered, “It’s so painful to never have someone trustworthy by your side, to live a lifetime of intrigue, do you know that?”

“Don’t worry.”

“I don’t worry.” Long Qinghuang’s voice raised slightly. “Don’t think I’ll forget… you… are Ye Tinglan’s person.”

“But what fundamental conflict do you and Ye Tinglan have?” Lu Xingzhou said, “She also burned the Sacred Mountain, and you might even have to burn it yourself. Your hatred for her now seems meaningless… As for the conflict between the two races, I think you might not have had a proper dialogue. She has a deep misunderstanding of you, just like before you and I first met.”

To this day, Lu Xingzhou still didn’t understand why Ye Tinglan considered this Long Niang her lifelong arch-enemy. It would be much more normal for Shen Tang and Sheng Yuanyao to consider her an arch-enemy, as from the perspective of the Da Gan people, Long Qinghuang was indeed an aggressor. Even if this wasn’t the demon race, but a human enemy nation, it would be natural for Shen Tang and Sheng Yuanyao to get riled up.

But Ye Tinglan was different. The Sacred Land transcended Da Gan, established by humans. From a human perspective, the humans in the Demon Realm were doing quite well. So why was Ye Tinglan so agitated?

The Ye sisters themselves weren’t from the Gan Kingdom. Their parents were elders of the Tianyao Sacred Land who married, and they were born and raised as genuine Tianyao people, with their ancestry untraceable. Considering the geography of the Tianyao Sacred Land, the probability of their ancestors being from a certain sea nation was greater than from the Gan Kingdom.

Was there some deep conflict between the Tianyao Sacred Land and the demon race in its early days? Or did Ye Tinglan witness some unpleasant acts of the demon race after her rise? Or did the demonized officials of Da Gan give her a profound aversion?

The specific reasons needed to be understood before deciding the next step.

But Long Niang wasn’t really listening for him to say that at this moment; she wanted to hear “I am your person now.” However, Lu Xingzhou generally didn’t utter such purely deceptive sweet nothings. Not getting the answer she wanted, Long Qinghuang angrily sped up her hand movements.

Before long, Lu Xingzhou twitched, no longer thinking about Da Gan or the demon race.

At this moment, he was as serene as a Buddha.

The two eventually fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Long Qinghuang probably had her first deep sleep in hundreds of years. That feeling of letting go of everything and not thinking, just leaving it all to this young man to figure out, combined with a mind clearer and emptier than ever, made her feel not just sleep, but even a slight increase in her cultivation realm.

When she woke up the next day, it was broad daylight. Long Qinghuang opened her eyes and found herself naked, nestled in the man’s arms, with no blanket covering them… The visual stimulation in daylight far surpassed that of the night. Long Qinghuang couldn’t hold back and sprang up like a spring.

Then she saw the young man’s half-smile, his gaze much like that of a doting and loving boyfriend looking at his playful girlfriend.

Long Qinghuang, who wanted to get angry, couldn’t. She frantically searched for her clothes on the bed, muttering, “Always pulling and throwing… ‘Gentle as jade,’ my foot, clearly no manners.”

Lu Xingzhou found it even funnier. He pulled a belly band from beneath himself. “Is陛下 looking for this?”

Long Qinghuang’s cheeks flushed. She snatched it away and fumbled to put it on.

Lu Xingzhou got up, took the belly band from her, and helped her tie it on.

His tender and attentive manner dispelled Long Qinghuang’s last bit of awkwardness and annoyance. She quickly quieted down, letting him help her dress, while he mischievously flicked her “bunnies” making them jiggle.

Long Qinghuang pouted, “Is it fun?”

Lu Xingzhou helped her put on her outer robe and led her to the dressing table, where he skillfully began to comb her hair.

Long Qinghuang looked at herself in the mirror, her face flushed like peach blossoms, her eyes like autumn water.

The awe-inspiring Dragon Emperor who commanded the world seemed to have vanished into thin air.

She wanted to ask, “You’re so skilled at combing hair, which woman did you practice on? Was it Ye Tinglan?”

She immediately dismissed this suspicion because this time, Lu Xingzhou was styling her hair in a way that accommodated her usual sparkling crown.

Lu Xingzhou hadn’t combed this particular hairstyle before, but after combing many women’s hair, he had become proficient. A quick glance was usually enough for him to understand. He also found that every woman, after waking up together, especially loved this gesture, almost like a divine skill.

Just like Long Niang now, the water in her eyes was almost overflowing from the mirror.

“I don’t want to be called a ‘demon concubine who makes the monarch miss court’ again, so陛下 should attend court,” Lu Xingzhou said while combing her hair. “As for the matter of dragon reproduction, have a trustworthy pure-blood dragon couple come to me secretly. I’ll examine them first, then discuss further. I have some ideas, but they need verification.”

“Okay,” Long Qinghuang heard her own voice, soft as if in a marital conversation. “I’ll also tell Xiao Kui to prepare the medicinal bath. You can soak in it when you’re free.”

“Mm,” Lu Xingzhou finished her hair and placed the crown on her head.

Long Qinghuang looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly said, “Shall I embed the gem you gave me into my crown?”

Lu Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh, “Please don’t… The Da Gan envoys are here today. They’ll laugh if they see it.”

“The Da Gan envoy is just you,” Long Qinghuang, not yet realizing the seriousness of the “female sibling” issue, said magnanimously, “When you’re done with your work, you can go to the Honglu Temple, but you must come back tonight… to sleep with me.”