She reached out to untie the silk ribbon at her waist, took off her long dress, and hung it on the screen.
Wearing only thin underwear and underpants, she came to the bedside and reached out to lift the curtain—
[・_・?]
The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere fell into dead silence.
"Lin Catcher? Long time no see." Chen Mo waved with a smile.
"Could it be that I miss him so much that I’m hallucinating again?"
Lin Jingzhu rubbed her eyes hard and found that the "illusion" did not disappear.
She tentatively reached out her hand and poked Chen Mo’s cheek, feeling a warm touch at her fingertip, and only then did she confirm that the person in front of her was real and alive!
"Hubby!"
Lin Jingzhu exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms like a fledgling bird returning to the forest, "When did you come back? There was no news at all, I thought you were still in Qing Province!"
Chen Mo hugged her slender waist and said with a smile, "Did you miss me?"
"I missed you so, so much!" Lin Jingzhu, bold by nature, nodded vigorously without reservation.
"But isn’t it a bit much to strip down like this right away?" Chen Mo glanced at her playfully, "It’s broad daylight, sneaking into my room, what exactly are you planning?"
"..."
Lin Jingzhu realized her situation, her cheeks flushed red, and she said in a low voice, "I thought of lying on your bed, just like you were here beside me, not knowing when you’d return, I could only look at things and think of people for comfort..."
Chen Mo understood the latter part of her words, but with two others present, he dared not respond, so he changed the subject, "How’s your health been while I was away? Has the Chill Toxin acted up again?"
That day at Yangxin Palace, he had helped Lin Jingzhu dispel most of the Chill Toxin.
He initially intended to clear it completely, but Lin Jingzhu insisted on leaving a trace, saying otherwise they would have no reason to meet.
Since only a small amount remained in her limbs, unlikely to be life-threatening even if it recurred, he reluctantly agreed... But nothing is absolute; naturally, Chen Mo was somewhat concerned.
Lin Jingzhu held her chest, frowning, "There’s no major issue, just that lately, I’ve been feeling uncomfortable here..."
Chen Mo frowned, "Could it be that the Chill Toxin has invaded the Heart Meridian again? It shouldn’t be. Let me check it out first."
He circulated the Qi Blood Power, letting it flow into his palm, then raised his hand and placed it on her.
Lin Jingzhu’s body trembled slightly, biting her lip to keep from making a sound.
The burning heat spread through her thin dudou, vividly allowing her to feel the slightly rough palm lines, and a strange sensation permeated, making her heart almost leap from her chest.
"Apart from your heartbeat being a bit fast, there’s nothing abnormal elsewhere." Chen Mo said puzzledly, "Can you describe specifically how you feel uncomfortable?"
Lin Jingzhu nestled weakly in his arms, gasping, "It’s like there’s an empty place inside, as if a part was dug out, and seeing you fills it back up..."
"..."
Chen Mo came to his senses, both amused and exasperated.
He hadn’t expected that in the time he was away, Lin Catcher had also become mischievous.
"Hubby..."
"What’s up?"
"I want... I want to kiss..."
Lin Jingzhu gazed at him dreamily, her rosy lips gently pouting.
Naturally, Chen Mo wouldn’t refuse, so he lowered his head to kiss her.
Actually, the situation was a bit awkward for him; Ji Lianxing and You Ji were curled up at the foot of the bed. Fortunately, the bed was large enough, and the Purple Extreme Cave Heaven’s concealment prevented Lin Jingzhu from noticing anything unusual.
Yet, those two were quite restless, playfully shoving each other like guarding carrots.
Without caution, Ji Lianxing suddenly slipped under his robe...
"Hmm?!"
Chen Mo shivered, his expression changing slightly.
Lin Jingzhu, not fully satisfied, naively asked, "Hubby, why did you stop kissing?"
"Ahem, I was worried someone might come over, and it’d be troublesome if they found us." Chen Mo cleared his throat and said, "I don’t mind, but you haven’t gotten married yet, and being the Empress’s niece, it would damage your reputation if word got out."
Hearing this, Lin Jingzhu fell silent.
Judging by the Empress’s current stance, there’s no way she’d consent to them being together. Even using the detoxification of Chill Toxin as an excuse, how long could that hold?
"Don’t worry, I have my ways."
"Really?"
"More real than gold."
Faced with Chen Mo’s confident manner, Lin Jingzhu couldn’t hold back anymore, her eyes, black and white, misted over, as she hugged him tightly, her face buried in his chest, muffling her voice, "Hubby, you’re so good to me..."
"Silly girl, who should I be good to if not you?"
While speaking, Chen Mo supported her waist, not daring to relax even a bit.
Ji Lianxing and You Ji continued their endeavors just feet away; one misstep and they would collide.
Knock knock knock—
Just then, a light knock came at the door.
A gentle female voice asked, "Zhu’er, are you in there?"
Lin Jingzhu raised her head, answering, "It’s my mother, she probably came looking for me since she hasn’t seen me for a while."
Chen Mo thought for a moment, "Wait for me to leave before opening the door. No one knows yet that I’ve returned, so with many eyes around, don’t tell Lady Jin Yun; I’ll visit your residence in a few days."
"Okay." Lin Jingzhu nodded, tugging at his sleeve, whispering, "I’ve taken your words to heart, don’t lie or you’re a puppy..."
"I, Chen, have always kept my word and never gone back on a promise." Chen Mo unfolded the Purple Extreme Cave Heaven, his figure slowly fading away.
Looking at the now empty bed, Lin Jingzhu took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, got up, dressed, and walked over to open the door.
"Mother, what brings you here?"
"The steward at Chen Mansion said you went to the East Wing, and here you are?" Lady Jin Yun asked, puzzled, "Chen Mo isn’t back yet. What are you doing in his room?"
Lin Jingzhu softly replied, "I was a bit tired, so I came here to rest."
"Still, you shouldn’t enter others’ rooms at will." Lady Jin Yun looked her over, frowning, "Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
"Do I?" Lin Jingzhu covered her burning cheeks, chuckling, "Maybe it’s because I just had a beautiful dream."
Lady Jin Yun: ?

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