Luo Tiantian blinked several times.
He understood.
Sponsor Mom was in a bad mood today and wanted to be the passive one.
He needed to take the initiative.
Luo Tiantian spent three seconds mentally preparing himself before crawling onto the soft couch with his hands and feet.
Shen Xixi watched the woman who was cautiously climbing on top of her.
Baosi’s movements were clumsy, like a kitten climbing a tree for the first time. She didn’t know where to put her paws, and she kept her backside tucked in tight.
“Your… Your Majesty, I… I…”
“Yes?”
“I’ve never taken the lead before. I hope Your Majesty won’t blame me later…”
“Then learn.”
Luo Tiantian’s cheeks were as red as rouge.
He had lost count of how many times he had been the one on the receiving end.
But to do it himself…
“Um… Where should I start?”
Shen Xixi didn’t say a word. She simply reached out, grabbed Luo Tiantian’s wrist, and placed his hand on her waist.
Drawing from his memories of King You’ve previous advances in the game, Luo Tiantian followed the pattern and started working on Shen Xixi.
He touched her neck, rubbed her shoulders, kissed her chin, and then stole a glance at Sponsor Mom’s expression.
Shen Xixi’s eyelashes were trembling.
Luo Tiantian felt like he might be doing something right, so he grew a bit bolder. He lowered his head and gave Shen Xixi’s neck a light nibble.
Shen Xixi shuddered.
Startled, Luo Tiantian immediately pulled back.
“Your Majesty, did I bite you too hard?”
“… Continue.”
Shen Xixi reached out, cupped the back of Luo Tiantian’s head, pulled him down, and kissed him.
She tasted slightly of wine and sweetness.
It was like a person who had been starving for a long time finally seeing food, wishing they could swallow it in one gulp.
Only after a long while did Shen Xixi let go.
Luo Tiantian panted heavily, his eyes glistening with moisture.
Seeing him like this, Shen Xixi’s throat bobbed.
“Weren’t you quite proactive just now? Are you backing down now?”
Luo Tiantian’s face turned even redder. Summoning his courage, he leaned in again and gave the corner of Shen Xixi’s mouth a light peck.
“I… I’m not backing down.”
Shen Xixi arched an eyebrow.
Luo Tiantian pecked her again.
And again.
Like a woodpecker, over and over.
Shen Xixi was almost amused by his pecking, and the corners of her mouth finally curled up slightly.
She smiled.
Sponsor Mom finally smiled!
Luo Tiantian immediately pressed his whole body against hers and nuzzled her.
“Your Majesty, you finally smiled. I’m so happy!”
Shen Xixi wrapped her arms around Luo Tiantian’s waist.
The two of them simply held each other, neither saying a word.
The wind blew through the Deer Terrace Pavilion, making the gauze curtains flutter gently.
Luo Tiantian listened to Shen Xixi’s heartbeat — one, two, three.
These quiet moments were rare.
Usually, when King You logged in, she was all over him, or she was into those exhausting ways of playing. She was practically a constant hormone-driven terrier. It was rare to have a time like this… how should he put it, a time where they just held each other and spaced out like a normal couple.
Luo Tiantian felt a bit dazed.
‘Am I just acting, or is this real…’
No, no.
He was here to earn money.
“Your Majesty, do you want to go to Mount Li?”
“Mount Li?”
“Mhm. I heard the scenery at Lishan Palace is particularly beautiful. I want to go there with Your Majesty. Will you accompany me? Please?”
“Alright.”
Shen Xixi figured that since this was the last time, she might as well play it out to the end.
“Xiao Tao!”
“I am here, My Lady.”
“Prepare the carriage. I am going to Mount Li with His Majesty.”
“As you wish!”
***
The carriage set off from Haojing, traveling east along the main road.
The carriage interior was large and lined with soft cushions. An incense burner burned in the corner, filling the air with a faint scent of sandalwood.
Luo Tiantian sat by the window, lifting the curtain to look outside.
It was nearly dark, and the sunset had dyed the distant mountains a golden-red hue.
“Is it beautiful?”
Shen Xixi’s voice came from behind him.
“It’s beautiful,” Luo Tiantian replied with a nod.
The carriage suddenly hit a bump.
Luo Tiantian lost his balance and fell backward, crashing into Shen Xixi’s arms.
“Careful.”
Shen Xixi steadied him.
With one hand placed in a somewhat mischievous position, she shouted toward the outside, “Find the bumpiest road possible. The bumpier, the better.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Xiao Tao, who was driving the carriage, complied and specifically looked for the roughest paths.
Luo Tiantian’s cheeks flushed as he fidgeted slightly.
The carriage continued its journey.
It was a bumpy ride the whole way.
***
The sunset outside gradually faded, turning into a deep blue and then into black.
A lamp was lit inside the carriage, its dim, yellow glow casting the silhouettes of two overlapping figures.
“Your Majesty…” Luo Tiantian spoke weakly.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you so… so… today?”
“So what?”
Luo Tiantian thought for a long time before finding a word. “So clingy.”
Shen Xixi laughed.
“You think I’m clingy?”
“No, I just feel like Your Majesty is a bit different today compared to before.”
“In what way?”
Luo Tiantian thought about it seriously.
In the past, King You was like a raging fire; when she burned, she wanted to turn a person into ash.
She was still like fire today, but it was a warm fire.
It was the difference between a full-scale assault of six sets of equipment and a Level 2 water spray when someone had run out of money.
“Your Majesty is a bit gentler today.”
Shen Xixi gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
Luo Tiantian was a bit surprised. She wasn’t going to launch a fierce attack on him?
It seemed King You really was facing some difficult issues in real life.
A rich female player who was usually overbearing and arrogant suddenly becoming so subdued — she must have been beaten down by life.
Luo Tiantian struggled to lift his head, turned around, and reached out to cup her face.
“No matter what you encounter, I will always be on your side.”
Shen Xixi’s ears turned slightly red.
“My Lady, Your Majesty, we have arrived at Lishan Palace,” Xiao Tao’s voice called out from outside.
Luo Tiantian tried to climb up, but his legs were so weak he couldn’t stand.
He gave Shen Xixi a resentful look.
Shen Xixi reached out and carried him off the carriage.
When Luo Tiantian’s feet hit the ground, he almost fell to his knees.
Shen Xixi supported him.
“Stand firm.”
“I… I’ll try my best.”
Xiao Tao stood to the side with her head bowed, pretending she hadn’t seen a thing. Her breathing was already ragged, and fine beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
‘Ah, my favorite lady being conquered by His Majesty…’
‘What a… gorgeous sight.’