[1]The Consort is Both Charming and Scheming, Rising Through Palace Intrigue

The flickering candlelight cast a warm and gentle glow on his handsome face, as though his eyes were lit with a soft blue radiance. In a deep voice, he asked, "Why did you risk everything to suck the snake venom out for me just now? Weren't you afraid?"

Ning Shuyan didn't avert her gaze in the slightest. Her shimmering eyes reflected only him as she softly replied, "I was afraid. But I was more afraid of losing Your Majesty. In that moment, the only thought I had was that nothing must happen to you."

As soon as her words fell, he pulled her into his arms with sudden force. He held her tightly, tighter and tighter, until she could barely breathe under the pressure of his chest.

Xiao Yu's expression was filled with emotion and tenderness.

His mother had once said: If one day, a woman treats you as important as her own life, then she must love you deeply.

And this woman before him had just risked her own life without hesitation. To her, he was even more important than herself.

She had said she was only afraid of losing him.

She was just a woman—where did she find the courage to face death without fear? It could only be because her heart was wholly devoted to him. She loved him deeply.

Only now, at this very moment, did he finally understand the depth of her feelings for him.

After a long while, his voice, slightly hoarse with emotion, sounded by her ear: "Yan'er, do you know how deeply your words just now shook me? How fortunate I am to have met you in this life."

Nestled against his warm chest, Ning Shuyan held him just as tightly and softly replied, "Every word I said came from my heart. Being able to meet Your Majesty in this lifetime makes me truly happy."

Xiao Yu gently brushed his chin against her cheek, then placed a soft kiss on her forehead—so gentle, so tender...

After a while, Yang An's voice came from outside the inner hall: "Your Majesty, the Empress and Consort Zhuang have heard about the snake incident in Liuyin Hall and have come to visit."

Xiao Yu's brows furrowed slightly. Hearing that they had come at such a late hour, he said, "Let them in."

Ning Shuyan quickly withdrew her hand from his grasp. Seeing the Empress and Consort Zhuang walk in with concerned expressions, she stepped forward and greeted, "This concubine greets Your Majesty."

Xiao Yu responded with a simple "Mm."

Just as Ning Shuyan was about to kneel in salute, Xiao Yu firmly held her shoulder and said gently, "You're unwell—no need for formalities."

The Empress was slightly taken aback. She had only heard there had been a snake incident and that an imperial physician was summoned but didn't know who had been injured. Looking Ning Shuyan up and down, she noted her pale face but otherwise calm demeanor. Still, she asked with concern, "Did you get hurt, Shuyanyi? Is it serious?"

"I was bitten by a snake," Xiao Yu answered. "Shuyanyi sucked out the venom for me. She's feeling a bit weak now."

Consort Zhuang was shocked. "Your Majesty! Are you seriously hurt? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" She took a step forward, full of concern, almost as if she wanted to examine him from head to toe.

But Xiao Yu didn't even lift an eyelid and replied blandly, "Aren't I sitting here just fine?"

Consort Zhuang's brow creased, confused by the Emperor's cold attitude. She forced a smile. "As long as Your Majesty is well, this concubine can rest easy."